Portfolio and Means for Autonomous EFL

L. Baten, KULeuven

British Council, 1 Dec. 2004

Lut. Baten@ilt.kuleuven.ac.be

Self-tuition and the need for guidance

Portfolio, self-assessment and ICT

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Learner makes Options towards Life Long

Learning • Learner’s Approach to Guided Self-Study ?

ELP: Responsibility with the learner• D330->D329 ->D326

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Introduction: overall structure

• Introduction:– statements by students– examples of portfolio and resulting cd-rom– course integration: English IV, III, II for Business

• Analysis : Emerging Questions • Results • Conclusion and changes over time

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Statements by students• Bart Costermans 16 May 2001

• “It’s more important to give students insight in the matter and letting them think on how to use new information in their field of expertise than only cumulating a heap of data in their minds”

• “ The professor needs to remain objective while grading a final since different opinions or interpretations can be correct.”

• “ The role of the professor is not longer instructing but assisting the student: she can answer their questions, help them by giving advice, thus a more supporting role than a leading role”

• Ann Goeminne, July 2001

• “As portfolio is lifelong learning, it should be spread throughout our entire academic training, not only the year of graduation”

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Current KULeuven Educational Policy: ‘Guided Self-Study’

– “Begeleide zelfstudie, als concept van universitair onderwijs, beoogt aan studenten een aangepaste omgeving aan te reiken, waarin ze leren zowel zelfstandig betekenis te verlenen aan onderzoeksbevindingen als actief deel te nemen aan verdere kennisontwikkeling om vervolgens op kwalitatief hoogstaande wijze professioneel en maatschappelijk actief te kunnen zijn.”

Het Rapport van de Onderwijsraadhttp://www.kuleuven.ac.be/duo/BZ/BegeleideZelfstudie.htm

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Portfolio: example

Portfolio KUL Graduates

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Portfolios on platform & cd

Porfolios by students

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Objectives of the course English IV: Business

Interaction Int’l.• Monitoring

– of own language learning process• Reflecting

– on international business interaction in a cultural perspective

• Building Expertise– in business communication formats

and exchange

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Present-day EFL Learning Frameworks

• Common Framework of Reference• CEFR

• Process-Oriented Distributed Learning and Tutoring

• ELP• Self-assessment:

• Free: Dialang , Paid: Toefl, (Quick) Oxf. Placem. Test

• Learning Platform: • LMS, Open Source, Paid: Blackboard,

• Online sources for general and business purposes • Own off-line sources:

• WordClassifier, InStap!E4B, c-tests, Dominie

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Class management English IV

Class activitiesthematically organized (this year: E-business) in group, for different purposes and business endsresulting in a group publication, gradual on BB + final: cd-rom

Tutorialsat regular intervals (3) and individual, 20 min. each

(initial proposal, follow-up, published + feedback on class))

Portfolioas a guidance: objectives, timing, selection, reflection, feedback

documenting tutorials, own initiatives and reportingas assessment: in preparation of job interview

(CEFR, ‘can do’, ‘class’ grades, own grading)

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ELP as Guidance

• Positive acceptance of – portfolio– possibility to

• define own objectives and • choose own procedure• reflect interactively

• Negative experience with students as organisors– time and content management– Solution: phased consulting, learning platform, webmaster

Tutorials, performance, ‘corrected’ documenting

Finally someone who asks us what we think and want and starts from that.

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Discussion Management • Regular class-meetings upon registration:

- contact, performance and quality control, variety - knowledge management and sharing

• Website for interaction , e-mails for contact– Learning platform Blackboard

• Webmaster: 1 or 2 students + trainer: intensive work

• BB: support KUL for discussion group, coursework, documentation (in preparation of final cd-rom)

– Motivation: from students to students, (site is theirs)

– Networking• Number of students: 47! Personal contact vs time

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Discussion Learning Outcome: Autonomy

class21%

tutorials39%

portfolio13%

w ebsite27%

92 % knows where to get help because of

75 % has developed own FL method ~own learning style because of:

class17%

tutorials20%

portfolio33%

w ebsite30%

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ELP & Autonomy:

Conscious of:

• learner style: diversity is a resource– same task, different accomplishment– networking peers/web: if I don’t know, who can help? – sharing & willing to find tools

• language orientation:– language and communication– umbrella for various fields– unique individual counts (also cooking, metaphors

and poetry): own preferences brought to the fore

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Discussion Self-tuition and ICT

0 10 20 30 40

on your ow n

w ith a friend

w ith a small group of

on paper

electronically

Most students worked on their own, using the internet,starting from what they want:

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Remedial and lifelong learning

• Remedial: – no standard remediation:

• depending on own style

– different levels of tasks: • across students: weaker vs stronger students• per student: “Am I better than last time?”, not: than you

• Lifelong learning:– able to autonomously improve language skills– keep up portfolio: 98 %– 92 % knows where to get help, but only 13 % because of

ELP• 27 % website, 39 % tutorials

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Discussion Assessment

0

5

10

15

20

25

1 2 3 4

GROUP EVALUATION N° of STUDENTS

1 18 52 16 183 14 204 12 3

Assessment by the trainer (dossier, class activity: individual & group, tutorials)

Domains and n° of students in group 1 vs 4N° of STUDENTSDOMAIN

GROUP 1 GROUP 4Vocabulary 4 2Journals 2 1Spec. 1 2Reading 0 0Grammar 0 1Writing 2 3Other 2 2Pronunciation 1 1TOTAL N° NOTIFICATIONS 12 12TOTAL DOMAINS/STUDENT 2.4 4

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Self-assessment : know yourself• strong students: less domains; • weaker students: more domains

– -> the stronger, the better the insight in their needs • Compatibility:

– grades students and trainer– stronger students choose higher level tasks

• eg authentic document search and manipulation vs merely downloading prepared list of words

• Consultation: – upgrade possible in case of low performance (time? Focus?…?) – criteria:

• CEFR: B2 for Business English or C1/C2? • integration knowledge (economic, int’l culture & comm.) and

problem-solving • academic skills • professional and communicative skills• attitude towards business life

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Valuating freedom

yes95%

no0%not really

5%

Reasonssetting your own goals 8enhance weak points 5it is different 5freedom / liberty 3it is a new experience 3useful 2learnt a lot 2speaking 1teamwork 1interaction 1presentation 1interesting 1

95 % appreciates the class management and organization

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Evolution in English IV• tools and resources-> ‘I know what I want to choose’: build confidence

Awareness

• guided selfstudy Self-access– strong integration ICT and course management: web-based for interaction

and learning materials• Range of off-line and online tools Efficiency• Learn how to propose, document, report and reflect Record • Database management by means of Excell, Access, …• Hospitality programme with American students

Group and Peer support– feedback in class activities, tutorials (also via BB) (formal : letter, present.)

Achievement

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Measuring effectiveness

• Progress in autonomous learning in own domain:– C-test

• http://millennium.arts.kuleuven.ac.be/ctest

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C-test

• Placement test• °1980s in Duisburg Univ. • 4 to 6 texts : in 30’• text = unit; 70 to 110 words

– Sent. 1: intact – – then rule of 2: word 2 in sent. 2, 2nd half of 2nd word

is left out– Last sent: intact

• ‘Repair’ 25 incomplete words

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Working for efficiency

• Grip on lexical input: – WordClassifier

• http://engels.vvkso-ict.com/engict/wordclassifier2004.zip

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WordClassifier

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Colourised – Pruned range 0 range 1 range 2 range 3 range 4 range 5

outsiders other

• Dear Mrs We were glad you approached us with a view to placing an order and to learn of the good start of your new business The question of granting credit for newly established businesses is never an easy one Many owners get into difficulties because they overcommit themselves before they are thoroughly established Although we believe that your own business promises very well we feel it would be better for you to make your purchases on a cash basis at present If this is not possible for the full amount we suggest that you cut the size of your order say by half If you are willing to do this we will allow you a special cash discount of 4 in addition to our usual trade terms If this suggestion is acceptable to you the goods could be delivered with you within 3 days We hope that you will look upon this letter as a mark of our genuine wish to enter into business with you on terms that will bring lasting satisfaction to us both When your business is firmly established we will be very happy to welcome you as one of our credit customers Yours sincerely

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Hedging (pruned text) Word Classifier-Report - Text with (after pruning) 2,221 word ;

= 668 different words • Range 0: 139 word(s) - 21 %

• a, about, after, again, all, also, although, always, am, an, and, any, anything, are, as, at, back, be, because, been, before, being, both, but, by, can, cannot, could, did, do, doing, done, down, during, each, every, few, first, for, from, get, had, half, has, have, having, he, here, his, how, however, i, if, in, indeed, into, is, it, keep, let, made, make, many, may, me, mid, might, more, most, mr, mrs, much, my, never, next, no, not, now, of, on, one, only, or, other, our, out, outside, over, put, same, say, several, shall, should, since, so, some, someone, such, take, taken, than, that, the, their, them, themselves, then, there, these, they, third, this, Range 1: 257 word(s) - 38 %

• able, accept, acceptable, acted, active, addition, afraid, agree, allow, april, arise, arts, ask, august, bankers, basis, believe, better, bill, book, bring, business, businesses, buyer, buyers, call, carried, carry, cause, caused, class, clear, come, company, complete, completed, concerned, concerning, condition, consider, consideration, continues, cost, cut, days, deal, december, department, difficult, difficulties, difficulty, drew, e, earlier, easter, easy, effect, end, english, even, examination, examined, expect, explain, explains, explanation, fact, february, feel, figures, final, finally, finding, following, forward, found, full, further, gave, give, given, Range 2: 154 word(s) - 23 %

• account, advance, agent, agents, ago, amount, anxious, apparently, application, approached, arrange, arrival, authorize, avoid, aware, balance, charge, charged, cheque, choice, chosen, claim, claims, collection, commission, commitments, competition, competitors, completion, conditions, consequently, continually, conversation, current, dear, demand, design, detailed, discount, discover, discussed, discussion, drawer, due, enclose, enquiries, enquiry, ensure, enter, entirely, escaped, essential, established, exactly, expenses, extend, failing, failure, fair, financially, firm, firmly, firms, gained, grant, granting, honour, identical, identify, Range 3: 85 word(s) - 13 %

• absence, accuracy, adjust, afterwards, apologies, assessor, assessors, belgium, cash, cd, christmas, circumstance, circumstances, complains, complaint, comprehension, confirm, consulted, contractor, contracts, credit, delay, delivered, deliveries, delivery, deposit, disappointing, disturbing, facilities, faithfully, faulty, faxed, file, flanders, focus, genuine, grateful, inconvenience, indefinitely, inspection, instructions, internal, investigate, japanese, madam, mails, manufactured, manufacturers,

• Range 4: 16 word(s) - 2 %

• compelled, compensate, customer, customers, distress, dutch, hedging, overdraft, overdrafts, overlooked, premises, prompt, rotation, sincerely, solicitors, submit,

• Range 5: 2 word(s) = 0 %

• defer, outstanding, • Outsiders: 15 word(s) = 2 %

• authoring, batch, dishonoured, downloaded, feedback, freeware, incurred, invoice, millennium, overcommit, oversight, remediation,

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Implementation of ELP in English III and II

• On request of students• Objectives:

– needs analysis (remedial work)– follow-up of progress– stocktaking (performance, grades)

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Evolution in English III and II

• more self-study, with follow-up in reduced portfolio Stocktaking

» Learn how trace yourself Confidence

• distributed learning :– integration ICT and course management: Blackboard for

interaction among groups and for learning materials• Range of off-line and online tools

– InStap!E4B & Dominie– http://www.multitaal.com

• Class performance in group Group and Peer support

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Adapted ELP English III: LANGUAGE of Meetings 

A Language Passport   Name:

A Language Biography   Formal aspects of business communication  Letter writing/Agenda/Memo/Minutes/Report  Overall assessment

C-test 1 2 3   Assignment 1 2 3

Language of Meetings and Negotiations 1 2 3  Experience with meetings

Experience with negotiationsSelf-assessment

  As an initiator/As a participant  Communication strategies   Skills (are you at a C1 level or at a B2 level?)

I need to: OK for: Reading /Listening/Speaking /Writing

  Competences: I need to: OK for: Vocabularylanguage of meetings/general vocabGrammar

  Pronunciation and intonation  Non-verbal communication A Dossier

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Requirements of the tutor

• Knowledge of learning styles, methods, didactic materials

• Expertise with needs analysis and confidence building

• Flexibility, class management, shared responsibility

• Close relationship with students• Acquaintance with IT

– ? Electronic portfolio –flexibility

• Work intensive

For more information : -Digitale universiteit-SURF- Portal site for FL: ProjectLingu@net Europa Plus

www.linguanet-europa.org

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