English Language Education Section

31 Oct 2018

Seminar on Effective Implementation of Curriculum Initiatives under PEEGS

Enriching English language

environment in school

Promoting reading or

literacy across the curriculum

Enhancing e-learning

Catering for learner diversity

with equal emphasis on

more able and less able students

Strengthening assessment

literacy

Grant Scheme on Promoting Effective English Language Learning

in Primary Schools (PEEGS)

Developing school-based English enhancement measures to further promote effective English language learning

in tandem with incremental changes emerged from pedagogical and curriculum development

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Major Updates of the ELE KLACG (P1-S6)

Catering for the Needs of SEN and Gifted Students in the Mainstream English Classroom

Learning and Teaching of Text Grammar

Extending from Assessment for Learning to Assessment as Learning

Integrative Use of Generic Skills

Literacy Development

Values Education

STEM Education & Reading across the Curriculum

e-Learning & Information Literacy

English Language Education

Key Learning Area

Curriculum Guide

(Primary 1 – Secondary 6) (2017)

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Catering for learner diversity with equal emphasis on more able and

less able students

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Learning styles Characteristics Abilities Social Economic Cultural Backgrounds

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Visual (learn best

by seeing)

Auditory (learn

best by hearing)

Kinesthetic (learn

best by doing)

interest

learning motivation

maturity

gender

personality

aspiration

gifted

special educational

needs

prior knowledge

level of readiness

Non-Chinese speaking (NCS) students

Newly Arrived Children (NAC)

Cross-Boundary Students (CBS)

low family income

ethnic minorities

Some Strategies to Cater for Learner Diversity

• understanding the strengths/weaknesses and the learning background of students

• conducting a variety of activities to suit students’ learning interests, styles and needs

• designing open-ended tasks

Catering for diverse learning

styles and abilities

• adopting flexible grouping/ mixed ability grouping

• grouping students according to the purposes and requirements of tasks

• providing opportunities for students to share and discuss in groups

Facilitating peer learning

• using questioning techniques to elicit students’ responses

• giving quality verbal and written feedback in lessons/ homework

• adopting various modes of assessment

Promoting assessment for/as

learning

• motivating students’ interest

• facilitating understanding and providing support

• giving immediate feedback

• engaging students in active/self-directed learning to enhance learning autonomy and allow them to learn at their own pace

Effective use of e-learning repertoire

• providing timely support

• providing scaffolding for students to complete the task

• providing different modes of support in learning tasks (e.g. visual cues for visual learners)

Providing support and scaffolding

•setting challenging yet manageable tasks for students

Giving challenges

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Allow choices/flexibility for students to vary the output in the same

learning task

Adopt different modes of assessment

Conduct a range of learning and teaching activities/tasks (different modes of

representation to suit students’ learning styles/needs)

Break tasks into small steps

Provide scaffolding, flexibility and challenges

Engage students in interactive learning

Promote learner autonomy and learning at students’ own pace

Adopt different modes of assessment

Relate the learning content to students’ life experiences/prior knowledge

Adopt different modes of representation

Choose level appropriate materials for different students

Content

Process

Product7

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Example

Topic of the unit: Know

more about animals

Context: We are going to

build a School Zoo. The

Principal would like the P1

students to tell him what

animal(s) you want to keep in

the zoo.

Task: Complete a map of the

School Zoo by adding a

drawing of the animal(s) you

want to keep and a short

description about the animal(s).

Target vocabulary and

language items:

Vocabulary: types of

animals, body parts

Grammar: singular & plural

form of nouns,

demonstrative pronouns

Learning and teaching

activities:

Listening to a song on

YouTube

Vocabulary games

Reading a story (Jigsaw

reading) and learning the

text features

Grammar games and

practices

Making audio recordings

using an app

Writing a description

Providing different support through the use of multimodal texts

Making use of a range of learning activities that incorporate different modes of representation

Providing scaffolding by breaking tasks into small steps to facilitate understanding and learning

Engaging students in active learning through the use of IT to enhance learning autonomy

Lower primary

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Making use of songs on YouTube to:

- check students’ prior knowledge about the topic

- develop reading skills (making prediction about the animals)

- provide input on target vocabulary and language structures

- cater for different learning styles (e.g. audio, visual learners)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoSq-yZcJ-4

Making use of visual aids to consolidate the learning of the target

vocabulary items:

- posting them on the board for easy reference and retention

- quick reference for revision at the beginning of lessons

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Making use of games to:

- increase students’ motivation

- address the needs of the

kinesthetic learners

- consolidate learning of target

vocabulary items in a fun way

- assess students’ learning

Students played the vocabulary game in groups. They listened to the teacher’s

questions (e.g. “Can I have a cat, please?”) and some descriptions about the

animals(s) (e.g. “They are brown and white. They have long tails.”), and then

picked the right animal card. They also tried playing the game in pairs and

took turns to give descriptions.

small steps

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Exercises/practices in the textbook

A mini-speaking task A worksheet

Practising the target grammar structures before completing the end task

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Mini-speaking task

Each student got a map of a zoo. They picked a role

card from the teacher. Based on their role, they

described the animals around them using the target

structures:

“This is/These are (animal(s)). It is/They are (colour).

It has/They have (body parts).”

Using an app (Draw and Tell) to make audio

recordings in grammar practices and the end

task to allow students to make multiple

attempts and do the work at their own

pace when completing a task

End task

Students used Draw and Tell to draw the

animal(s) they like to put in the school zoo and

made an audio recording to describe the

animal(s) using the target structures.

Strengthening Assessment Literacy

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The relationships between learning, teaching and assessment

Learning-teaching-

assessment Cycle

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English Language Education Key Learning Area Curriculum Guide (Primary 1 – Secondary 6) (CDC, 2017), p.84

Three complementary assessment concepts

Learn

er

Independence

Assessment

as Learning

(AaL)

AaL engages students in reflecting on and monitoring their

progress of learning through strengthening their roles and

responsibilities in relation to their learning. Students are actively

involved in regulating the learning process, evaluating their own

performance against the learning goals, and planning for the next

step in learning.

Assessment

for Learning

(AfL)

AfL integrates assessment into learning and teaching. It assists

students to understand what they are learning, what they have

attained, and what is expected of them, and helps teachers collect

evidence of students’ learning so that teachers can provide

students with timely feedback and refine their teaching strategies.

Assessment

of Learning

(AoL)

AoL describes the level students have attained in learning and

shows what they know and can do over a period of time. It gives an

overview of the previous learning of students and is mainly used for

reporting purposes.

Form

ati

ve

Sum

mati

ve

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Promoting Assessment

for/as Learning

Strengthening AfL:

- Adopting diversified modes of assessment

- Making use of various assessment tools

- Making effective use of assessment data

Extending from AfL to AaL:

Enhancing learners’ self-directed learning capabilities through introducing metacognitive strategies

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Planning/Implementing the L-T-A cycle

Setting learning

objectives

Analysing and using the

assessment data effectively

Designing tasks to help

students achieve the

learning objectives

Providing opportunities

for students to demonstrate

what they have learnt

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Aim for a balanced and comprehensive

coverage

Take the following into consideration:

- what students can do currently;

- what we should expect our

students to be able to do next?

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19English Language Education Key Learning Area Curriculum Guide (Primary 1 – Secondary 6) (CDC, 2017)

What are our

students

expected to learn?

Think about how we can help students

achieve the target learning objectives

(appropriate input, various modes,

scaffolding, support…)

Think about appropriate/effective teaching

strategies

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Providing

concrete and

diagnostic

feedback

Incorporating

different

modes

Involving

different

stakeholders

Providing

follow-up

work

Assigning

suitable

amount

Catering for

learner

diversity

Having clear

assessment

objectives

Deciding on

appropriate

frequency

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Make use of various assessment tasks/activities to gauge

students’ performance

Share the learning intentions and task-specific success

criteria with students

Observe students’ performance

Use effective questions to elicit students’ responses

Provide students with quality feedback on how to

improve (linked to success criteria)

Collect evidence of student learning

Oral presentations

Homework

etc.

Shared writing and

Process writing

Portfolios

Learning tasks and activities

(e.g. performance tasks)

Conferencing

Questioning

Projects

Different Modes of

Assessments in Schools

Dictation

Tests / Examinations

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Sharing learning intentions and success criteria with students through the use of assessment rubrics/forms

Example

Peer assessment rubrics:

• familiarising students with the success

criteria of the task (points summed up from

what are taught in the lessons)

• providing opportunity for students to make

reflection on their own learning

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Upper primary

Constructive feedback:

(Teachers)

• pointing out the area for improvement

• identifying students’ strengths and weaknesses

(Students)

• showing their understanding on the requirement of the

task

• helping them make improvement based on

feedback/comments from teachers and peers

Purposes of using

assessment rubrics

Points to note in designing assessment

rubrics

Sharing the learning objectives and assessment criteria with

students

Helping students understand their strengths and weaknesses

Providing guidelines for students to make progress through

indicating the areas for improvement

helping them reflect on their learning strategies

facilitating their self-regulation of their work so as to move

to the next stage of learning

Aligning the rubrics with the learning objectives of the task

Setting task specific assessment criteria for each task

Making sure that students understand the criteria

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Evaluate students’ performance against the

success criteria

Identify students’ strengths and weaknesses

Analyse the underlying causes of students’

learning difficulties

Review teachers’ expectations on students

Modify teaching strategies

Explore ways to help students improve

Design activities to address students’

problems

Revise the school-based curriculum

design/content

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Assessment Data—

Evidence of student learning in

terms of knowledge, skills and

values and attitudes

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Formative assessment throughout the learning and teaching process

Making effective use of assessment data to inform learning and teaching

Example

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Teachers make use of

assessment datato evaluate students’ learning.

Students make reflections on

their own learning and

improvement.

Upper primary

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Areas for improving the design

of the assessment

activities/tasks/paper

• Is it too easy/tricky/difficult?

• Is it in line with the learning objectives?

• Are the activities/tasks/question items conducive

to the meaningful use of English?

• Is there any open-ended question?

• Which parts do they do well in?

• Which parts are challenging to students?

• Why do they make those mistakes?

• What can be done to enhance students’ learning?

• What are the follow-up learning activities?

Students’ strengths and

weaknesses

Reviewing the learning

objectives and teaching

strategies

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Moving from traditional forms of

assessment (e.g. quizzes on isolated

grammar items) to a wider range of

assessment modes (e.g. performance tasks)

Ensuring the alignment

between assessment and

learning objectives

Providing diagnostic and

constructive feedback to help

students understand how they

could make improvements

Using the analysis of assessment

data strategically to enhance L&T

and holistic curriculum planning

The way forward for assessment

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What is Assessment as Learning (AaL)?

To empower students to ask reflective

questions and consider a range of strategies

for learning

To enhance students’ development of

self-monitoring skills for their learning

process

Setting learning goals

Relating to prior knowledge

Considering a range of

learning strategies

Evaluating the

performance

Making adjustment to

learning strategies,

goals set, etc.

Self-reflection/monitoring process

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Strategies to promote Assessment as Learning

In order to enable students to take charge of their own learning, teachers can do the following:

identifying expected learning outcomes

creating criteria of good practices with the students

sharing of learning intention and guiding students to set goals

teaching enabling skills (e.g. dictionary skills, research skills, phonics

skills and vocabulary building strategies)

providing opportunities for students to practise the skills that need

to be learned or mastered

modelling of learning strategies (e.g. the skills of self-reflection)

through think-aloud

discussing sample student work and providing constructive

feedback to students as they learn

using different kinds of assessment forms (e.g. KWHL Table, SWOT,

PMI, Traffic Light, Feedback Sandwich) to facilitate self-reflection

guiding students to keep track of their own learning

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Example

• Reader: Rude Ralph (a story)

• Reading text in textbook: How to behave in public places (a magazine article)

Reading texts

• Board Game

• Role play

Learning and

teaching activities

• Group writing

• Individual writing

Writing tasks

• To learn English and practise the target structures learnt through

games/activities

• To make use of the vocabulary items and target structures learnt

• To gather information and ideas about the task in groups (peer

collaboration)

• To provide scaffolding for the task

To learn about:

• the use of target structures in daily contexts

• the features of a magazine articles

• the meaning of signs with the help of a mind map

Adopting Various modes of

assessment

Adopting peer assessment

Analysing and using

assessment data effectively

Lower primaryModule topic / theme: Be a good child

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Good Student Guide - writing

about a school place and draw

a sign about it

Sharing learning objectives and success criteria with students through the

assessment rubrics to:

• deepen their understanding of the task requirements;

• actively involve students in learning; and

• facilitate peer/self-assessment.

Adopting peer

assessment

(Involving

different

stakeholders)

Students understood the success/assessment criteria and evaluated the role play with reference to them.

They gave feedback in a fair manner under teachers’ support.

Role play (performance task):

• suitable for young learners who may

not be too advanced in writing skills

development

• allow students to demonstrate their

learning and understanding of the

target language items learnt in a

variety of ways

Adopting various

modes of

assessment

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Analysing and using

assessment data

effectively

Promoting Assessment for/as Learning by

setting task-specific assessment criteria for

students’ self-assessment (strengthening

their roles and responsibilities in relation

to their learning)35

Analysing and using

assessment data

effectively

Follow-up worksheet

Identify students’ strengths and weaknesses

Analyse the underlying causes of students’ learning difficulties

Modify teaching strategies Explore ways to help

students improve Design activities to

address students’ problems

Promoting

Assessment for/as

Learning through

appreciation of

good work 36

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References and Resources

http://www.edb.gov.hk/en/curriculum-development/kla/eng-edu/index.html38

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