Work samples for Visual Language
Annotated samples of students' presentations in visual language have been developed to compliment some of the viewing resources found in the Assessment Resource Banks (ARBs). These are samples of New Zealand students' work and link aspects of their work to curriculum statements while supporting formative assessment.
The students' explanations about their work are on the left hand side of the work samples. An analysis of these responses is shown on the right, and is drawn from both the students' explanations and an analysis of their visual texts. These interpretations of students' visual texts could be used to suggest next steps.
Oral Language assessment guides – Speaking
Assessment guides have been developed to accompany the oral resources found in the ARBs. They are designed to help teachers assess the first achievement objective of the curriculum (Page 26):
Students should be able to:
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engage with and enjoy oral language in all its varieties;
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understand, respond to and use oral language effectively in a range of contexts.
Relevant assessment guides are linked to from each ARB oral language resource.
Descriptions of assessment guides
Assessment guide A: Rating scale (Click here for assessment guide A)
This assessment guide provides a four-point rating scale ranging from 'Almost Never' to 'Almost Always' for assessing three content features and eight delivery features of presentations. Although it is best suited for formative assessment, it may be adapted by users for summative assessment where information of this type is required.
Assessment guide B: Observational scale (Click here for assessment guide B)
This guide is used to assess the same content and delivery features as guide 'A', but is based on teachers' observations or comments. The focus here is on formative assessment. The 11 behaviours covered in the guide form the basis for valid feedback to the speaker.
Assessment guide C: Peer-assessment scale 1 (Click here for assessment guide C)
This guide has a three-point rating scale ranging from 'Seldom' to 'Usually', with additional space for comments. It helps focus the student assessor on important elements of a speech. It is used to assess the same content and delivery features as guides 'A' and 'B'. This guide is suitable for assessment at intermediate and secondary schools.
Assessment guide D: Peer-assessment scale 2 (Click here for assessment guide D)
This guide has a three-point rating scale ranging from 'Seldom' to 'Usually', with additional space for 'Where to next?' It is used to assessthe same content and delivery features as guides 'A', 'B', and 'C'. This guide is suitable for assessment at primary schools.
Assessment guide E: Debating scale (Click here for assessment guide E)
This is a debating marking schedule. It uses the standard affirmative team versus negative team format, with a 400-mark score for assessing content and delivery. (We do not advocate the summing of marks normally, but note that this is the standard approach used in team debating.)
Assessment guide F: Peer-assessment debating scale level 5+ (Click here for assessment guide F)
This is a checklist for assessing how well a speaker has performed their particular task as a debating team member. Use of this assessment scale will enable the student assessor to appreciate the structure of a debate and gain insights into how the adjudication process works.
Assessment guide G: Peer-assessment debating scale level 3/4 (Click here for assessment guide G)
This is a modified version of assessment guide 'F' with the key aspects listed. It is designed for students new to debating. It enables students to follow the development of each team's case and to identify the structure of the debating process.
Interpreting cloze results
Passages linked to curriculum levels
Each cloze resource is linked to a curriculum level within the reading function of the written language strand based on:
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the readability of the passage, assessed by the noun frequency method (Elley & Croft, 1989) prior to cloze word deletion, and
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an analysis of the text in terms of characteristics of language at the various curriculum levels (as defined in English in the New Zealand Curriculum, 1994).
Assessment of a cloze passage
The assessment guides for cloze passages enable students' responses to be marked by combination(s) of:
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the exact replacement of the original word removed from the text, and/or
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a matching synonym which meets the text's semantic and syntactic context.
Credit 1 mark for each response that matches the replacement word or words on the assessment guide for the passage. If a synonym other than those included on the assessment guide is used by the student, the marker must decide whether the word makes semantic, linguistic, and syntactic sense within the context of the passage and mark as correct or incorrect accordingly.
As synonyms and/or exact replacements are accepted when marking ARB cloze passages, criteria for 'mastery' has been broadened from the more usual 40 percent replacements, to 50 percent replacements.
Interpreting results
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Students scoring more than 60 percent correct replacements have shown comprehension at the instructional level or better.
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Students scoring less than 50 percent have not shown comprehension of the passage at the instructional level.
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Students scoring in the 50 to 60 percent range have a borderline result, and a judgement about their comprehension of the passage cannot be made.
To make a sound assessment of broad comprehension skills on the basis of these cloze passages, three passages at the same level should be chosen. The percentage of correct replacements should then be combined over the three passages (about 65 percent responses). The combined score will be more reliable than a score from one passage.
The validity of the assessment will be maximised if passages that best match the prior experience of the students are chosen.
Locating cloze resources
Use the keyword "cloze" to locate cloze resources.
References
Elley, W., & Croft, C. (1989). Assessing the difficulty of reading materials: The noun frequency method. Wellington: New Zealand Council for Educational Research.