SLIDE 1
Computer-based testing for young learners
SLIDE 2 “When I met confident nine-year-old Florin, he was tickled pink: ‘I graduated from Cambridge!’ (rough translation from Romanian). Taking the Cambridge English: Young Learners test has certainly made him feel valuable, by giving him the written evidence that he is a good student. For young learners, especially for those who are not among the very best in their class, passing an internationally recognised examination, such as Cambridge English: Young Learners, is a proof of success.”
Catalina Cocan Winner of Dr Peter Hargreaves Scholarship, 2014
SLIDE 3 The Cambridge English: Young Learners test ...
- ‘made him feel valuable’
- gave ‘evidence that he is a good
student’
SLIDE 4 Overview
- pedagogical changes in education and
assessment
- skills needed by young learners today
- positive impact of assessment and testing
- n young learners
- how Cambridge English: Young Learners
tests meet changing needs
SLIDE 5
The pedagogical changes in education and assessment
SLIDE 6
Education in the past
SLIDE 7
Education today
SLIDE 8 Education today
- students learn from a variety of sources:
- textbooks
- online resources
- interactive whiteboard
- video, etc.
- classroom layout
- students learn through inquiry
- communicative approach
SLIDE 9
Learning and assessment can take place anywhere
SLIDE 10 Assessment has changed in schools
Extract from UK Government Assessment for Learning Strategy:
- learning objectives made explicit and
shared with pupils
- peer and self-assessment used
- pupils engaged in their learning and
given immediate feedback Is this similar in your country?
SLIDE 11
Assessment for learning
SLIDE 12
Skills needed by young learners today
SLIDE 13 CEFR Can Do statements
Speaking (A2)
In social and travel contexts, users at this level can ask for goods in shops where goods are on display, and order a meal in a restaurant if dishes are either displayed or illustrated on the menu. They can book a hotel room (face-to-face) and ask simple questions of a host family.
SLIDE 14 Skills needed by young learners today
CEFR Can Do statements
Listening & Speaking (A2/Flyers)
CAN make and respond to invitations, suggestions, apologies and requests. CAN arrange with friends to do something or play together.
SLIDE 15 Piaget’s four stages
development
A: sensorimotor sensory experiences – physical actions birth to 2 years B: pre-
beginning to represent the world in words and images, moving towards symbolic thinking AGE? C: concrete
logical reasoning about concrete events begins; child can classify
D: formal
abstract reasoning and logic; hypothetical thought
SLIDE 16 Piaget’s four stages
development
A: sensorimotor sensory experiences – physical actions birth to 2 years B: pre-
beginning to represent the world in words and images, moving towards symbolic thinking 2–7 years C: concrete
logical reasoning about concrete events begins; child can classify
AGE? D: formal
abstract reasoning and logic; hypothetical thought
SLIDE 17 Piaget’s four stages
development
A: sensorimotor sensory experiences – physical actions birth to 2 years B: pre-
beginning to represent the world in words and images, moving towards symbolic thinking 2–7 years C: concrete
logical reasoning about concrete events begins; child can classify
7–11 years D: formal
abstract reasoning and logic; hypothetical thought AGE?
SLIDE 18 Piaget’s four stages
development
A: sensorimotor sensory experiences – physical actions birth to 2 years B: pre-
beginning to represent the world in words and images, moving towards symbolic thinking 2–7 years C: concrete
logical reasoning about concrete events begins; child can classify
7–11 years D: formal
abstract reasoning and logic; hypothetical thought 11 years
SLIDE 19
Cambridge English: Young Learners tests
SLIDE 20 Test design
- current approaches to curriculum design
and pedagogy for young learners
SLIDE 21 Test design
- current approaches to curriculum design
and pedagogy for young learners
- children’s cognitive and first language
development
SLIDE 22 Test design
- current approaches to curriculum design
and pedagogy for young learners
- children’s cognitive and first language
development
- potential influence of test methods
SLIDE 23 Test design
- current approaches to curriculum design
and pedagogy for young learners
- children’s cognitive and first language
development
- potential influence of test methods
- probable variation between different
first language
SLIDE 24 Paper-based vs. computer-based
- A. test content
- B. task types
- C. number of questions and tasks
- D. overall timing of papers
- E. marking
- F. level of difficulty
- G. results
- H. purpose
SLIDE 25 What’s different?
- navigation: arrows and light bulbs
- test functionality:
- adjustable sound volume
- on-screen keyboard
- enlargeable graphics
- on-screen timer
- simplified device-neutral rubrics
SLIDE 26
Graphics
SLIDE 27 Test Format –what’s new?
SLIDE 28 Test Format –what’s new?
SLIDE 29 Test Format –what’s new?
SLIDE 30
Test Format –what’s new?
SLIDE 31
Test Format –what’s new?
SLIDE 32
Test Format –what’s new?
SLIDE 33
Test Format –what’s new?
SLIDE 34
Test Format –what’s new?
SLIDE 35
Test Format –what’s new?
SLIDE 36
Test Format –what’s new?
SLIDE 37
Test Format –what’s new?
SLIDE 38
SLIDE 39
SLIDE 40
SLIDE 41 Computer-based or face-to-face Speaking test
- same 1:1 ratio
- same examiner script
- same visual prompts
- same timings
SLIDE 42
What do pupils think?
SLIDE 43 Candidate feedback Cambridge English: Flyers Hong Kong
‘I enjoyed taking the test on the computer because it was easy to use.’
(Taylor Holly Nor Chen)
‘I liked the Speaking test the most.’
(Adam Chris Wong)
‘Yes, because I can use the computer to do the test which I think it’s not bored.’
(Cheuk Long Ngan)
SLIDE 44
Candidate feedback Cambridge English: Flyers Hong Kong
‘Speaking – It’s fun/special – I can say to the computer.’ ‘I enjoyed taking the test because it was easy and fun and helped my english.’ ‘Yes, because it is not easy and not too hard, it just right.’ ‘Because I learnd new things.’
SLIDE 45 Candidate feedback Cambridge English: Starters Hong Kong
Computer
- very funny
- I like compewter
- relax using computer,
real human nervous Observer comment ‘They seemed really eager and keen in speaking to the computer – spoke freely and followed instructions well.’
SLIDE 46 Jose Daniel Hurtado Bravo, Cambridge English: Flyers trial candidate, age 12, Mexico Natalia Moreno Trejo, Cambridge English: Flyers trial candidate, age 12, Mexico
Candidate feedback Cambridge English: Movers/Flyers, Mexico
SLIDE 47
A positive impact
‘I graduated from Cambridge!’
SLIDE 48 A positive impact
‘I graduated from Cambridge!’
Stoneman (2006) finds that the commitment of students to language learning and test preparation is influenced by their perception of the status of the exam. An exam with little perceived status or usefulness is less likely to effect changes upon the students’ approach to language learning or their test preparation.
SLIDE 49 Further information
University of Cambridge Cambridge English Language Assessment 1 Hills Road, Cambridge, CB1 2EU, UK Tel: +44 (0)1223 553997 Fax: +44 (0)1223 553621 Email: helpdesk@cambridgeenglish.org Keep up to date with what’s new via the Cambridge English Language Assessment website: www.cambridgeenglish.org For information on Cambridge English webinars for teachers: www.cambridgeenglish.org/webinars
Teacher Professional Development 27 and 29 April 2015
