Assessment
Assessment
(*If classes are held partly online and partly face-to-face, all assessments (except for Speaking and Presentations) will be held face-to-face on campus. If classes are 100% online during the 2021-2022 academic year, all assessments will be delivered online. Your instructor will share information with you about how this will happen. It is essential that you follow those instructions very carefully)
Assessment at Levels 1, 2, 3, and 4
Students are continuously assessed throughout their courses. There are three areas that feed into their final course grade:
- Skills and language assessments
- Online work
- Classroom participation
| Quizzes and assessments Levels 1 - 4 | Total % | Module total % |
|
4% | 75% |
|
3% | |
|
4% | |
|
14% | |
|
4% 14% |
|
|
14% | |
|
4% 14% |
|
| Online work (assigned daily/weekly to be completed on Blackboard, Pearson’s MyEnglishLab, and Globed’s Achieve300) | 15% | 15% |
| Classroom participation (every two weeks) | 10% | 10% |
In order to achieve a ‘Clear pass’ students must achieve a course total of 68% or more.
Students achieving a course total of between 64% and 68% will be awarded a ‘Conditional pass’ to the next level. At the next level, they must achieve a course total of 66% or more to keep going. If they get less than 66%, they must repeat the level which they conditionally passed into.
In-class quizzes and assessments, Levels 1 – 4
Students achieving a course total of between 64% and 68% will be awarded a ‘Conditional pass’ to the next level. At the next level, they must achieve a course total of 66% or more to keep going. If they get less than 66%, they must repeat the level which they conditionally passed into.
In-class quizzes and assessments, Levels 1 – 4
- Quizzes and assessments are worth 75% of a student’s overall grade. By assessing students regularly throughout the module, instructors keep track of student progress and are better able to provide extra support if needed. Students can monitor their own progress as well.
- Scores from all quizzes and assessments are entered into the Blackboard gradebook so students can see all of their scores in one place.
- If a student is absent for a quiz or assessment, they receive “0” (zero) unless they supply a valid medical/ approved absence report, in which case the score will be exempted from their gradebook. There are no make-up quizzes and assessments.
- Students will be given the opportunity to see their marked quiz and assessment papers for feedback. This is done in small groups with the instructor for a number of days after the quiz/assessment. After that time, it will not be possible to see the paper again.
Grammar and Vocabulary quizzes
Students are given one grammar and one vocab quiz at the end of a module. The quizzes include areas that have been covered by the course and aim to encourage students to be constantly reviewing what they are learning. The grammar and vocab quizzes are delivered together on the same day. There are also bi-unit vocabulary tests in Blackboard which aim to help students throughout the module to revise and recall the new vocabulary covered in their course.
Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking assessments
There are two assessments for each skill during the module. Speaking assessments are conducted in groups of three or two students with one instructor, and are recorded. There is also a speaking video project which must be submitted towards the end of the module.
Writing is assessed through the ongoing use of writing booklets and two in-class Writing assessments.
Writing and Speaking assessments are graded using standardised rubrics.
All skills assessments take place during class time.
Online assessment, Levels 1 – 4
The online element prepares students for a Flipped Learning environment, and is worth 15% of a student’s overall grade. Before most classes, students watch a video on Blackboard and complete a task.
Each week there are online post-class practice activities for students to complete on MyEnglishLab (MEL). The practice activities can be done an unlimited number of times. The instructor transfers students’ average scores into the Blackboard gradebook.
Each time two or three units of the coursebook have been completed, students complete an end of unit grammar test in Blackboard.
Students are expected to read and answer questions for twelve articles over a two-and-a-half-week period in Globed’s Achieve3000 online reading platform. These articles aim to improve students’ reading skills, and provide exposure to the kind of vocabulary they will need in their faculty courses.
Scores for tasks and tests completed in Blackboard appear automatically in a student’s Blackboard gradebook. Scores from MEL are entered by the instructor after each two units of online work is completed. Achieve3000 grades are also entered by the instructor, every two and a half weeks. This means that students can constantly track their online performance throughout a module. The 15% weighting of online grades is broken down as follows:
Students are given one grammar and one vocab quiz at the end of a module. The quizzes include areas that have been covered by the course and aim to encourage students to be constantly reviewing what they are learning. The grammar and vocab quizzes are delivered together on the same day. There are also bi-unit vocabulary tests in Blackboard which aim to help students throughout the module to revise and recall the new vocabulary covered in their course.
Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking assessments
There are two assessments for each skill during the module. Speaking assessments are conducted in groups of three or two students with one instructor, and are recorded. There is also a speaking video project which must be submitted towards the end of the module.
Writing is assessed through the ongoing use of writing booklets and two in-class Writing assessments.
Writing and Speaking assessments are graded using standardised rubrics.
All skills assessments take place during class time.
Online assessment, Levels 1 – 4
The online element prepares students for a Flipped Learning environment, and is worth 15% of a student’s overall grade. Before most classes, students watch a video on Blackboard and complete a task.
Each week there are online post-class practice activities for students to complete on MyEnglishLab (MEL). The practice activities can be done an unlimited number of times. The instructor transfers students’ average scores into the Blackboard gradebook.
Each time two or three units of the coursebook have been completed, students complete an end of unit grammar test in Blackboard.
Students are expected to read and answer questions for twelve articles over a two-and-a-half-week period in Globed’s Achieve3000 online reading platform. These articles aim to improve students’ reading skills, and provide exposure to the kind of vocabulary they will need in their faculty courses.
Scores for tasks and tests completed in Blackboard appear automatically in a student’s Blackboard gradebook. Scores from MEL are entered by the instructor after each two units of online work is completed. Achieve3000 grades are also entered by the instructor, every two and a half weeks. This means that students can constantly track their online performance throughout a module. The 15% weighting of online grades is broken down as follows:
- Pre-class videos + tasks (Blackboard) = 4%
- Post-class practice (MEL) = 4%
- End of unit tests (Blackboard) = 3%
- Achieve3000 reading = 4%
All online activities and tests have due dates. Students must complete the activities before the due date. Due dates are clearly marked in the day-by-day breakdown of the module which instructors make available to students at the start of each module. This document is also accessible within Blackboard. If classes are cancelled for any reason (e.g. snow day), these due dates DO NOT change. It is each student’s responsibility to keep track of these due dates.
Video projects, Levels 1 – 4
Video projects provide a useful way for students to be able to consolidate the language they are learning in the form of a spoken video project. Topics are made available early in each module for students to choose from and need to be submitted a few days before the end of a module, so there is plenty of time to prepare, practise, and record the video. The topics provided allow for students to make personalised use of the language they have developed. The video project is worth 4% of the course total.
Assessment at Pre-Faculty Level
(*If classes are held partly online and partly face-to-face, all assessments (except for Speaking and Presentations) will be held face-to-face on campus. If classes are 100% online during the 2021-2022 academic year, all assessments will be delivered online. Your instructor will share information with you about how this will happen. It is essential that you follow those instructions very carefully)
The Pre-Faculty Level is designed to introduce students to academic language skills and competencies which will help them when they begin their faculty studies. For this reason, the format of the assessments at this level are different from Levels 1 – 4.
Video projects, Levels 1 – 4
Video projects provide a useful way for students to be able to consolidate the language they are learning in the form of a spoken video project. Topics are made available early in each module for students to choose from and need to be submitted a few days before the end of a module, so there is plenty of time to prepare, practise, and record the video. The topics provided allow for students to make personalised use of the language they have developed. The video project is worth 4% of the course total.
Assessment at Pre-Faculty Level
(*If classes are held partly online and partly face-to-face, all assessments (except for Speaking and Presentations) will be held face-to-face on campus. If classes are 100% online during the 2021-2022 academic year, all assessments will be delivered online. Your instructor will share information with you about how this will happen. It is essential that you follow those instructions very carefully)
The Pre-Faculty Level is designed to introduce students to academic language skills and competencies which will help them when they begin their faculty studies. For this reason, the format of the assessments at this level are different from Levels 1 – 4.
| Total % | Module total % | ||
Project work
|
5% 5% 5% |
15% | 75% |
| 3 Listening and Note-taking assessments L&NT1: 5% L&NT2: 8% L&NT3: 10% |
23% | ||
| 3 Reading and Writing assessments R&W1: 5% R&W2: 8% R&W3: 10% |
23% | ||
| 4 Vocab tests in Blackboard | 4% | ||
| 1 Speaking assessment | 10% | ||
| Online work (assigned daily/weekly to be completed on Blackboard and Globed’s Achieve3000) | 15% | 15% | |
| Classroom participation (every two weeks) | 10% | 10% | |
Students at Pre-Faculty Level need to achieve a course total of 65% or more in order to pass the course and complete their studies in the ELPP.
Project work, Pre-Faculty Level
The project work is based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Partnership goals. Students work in project teams to choose one goal and work through a series of project steps, towards a poster and presentation.
- Three graded project steps (5% total). Students are awarded 0 (not done), 1 (meets some of the criteria), 2 (meets most of the criteria), 3 (meets almost all of the criteria), or 4 (meets all of the criteria). The criteria will be shared with students at the start of the course
- Poster (5%). This is graded using rubric
- Presentation (5%). This is graded using rubric
Listening and Note-taking assessments, Pre-Faculty Level
Three Listening&Note-taking assessments. In order to help you in this area, you will get access to a demo L&NT assessment early on in your Pre-Faculty course. This is not assessed. The percentage weighting of each of the assessments increases (from 5%, to 8%, to 10%) to allow students to benefit from the increased practice and exposure to the language as they go through the course.
Three Listening&Note-taking assessments. In order to help you in this area, you will get access to a demo L&NT assessment early on in your Pre-Faculty course. This is not assessed. The percentage weighting of each of the assessments increases (from 5%, to 8%, to 10%) to allow students to benefit from the increased practice and exposure to the language as they go through the course.
- A lecture video is made available in Blackboard for the first 20 minutes of the assessment period
- Students watch and listen and take notes
- Once the video has closed, comprehension questions are shared. Students have 20 minutes to answer the questions, using their notes
- Students are graded on their comprehension answers, not on their notes
Reading and Writing assessments, Pre-Faculty Level
Three Reading&Writing assessments. In order to help you in this area, you will get access to a demo R&W assessment early on in your Pre-Faculty course. This is not assessed. The percentage weighting of each of the assessments increases (from 5%, to 8%, to 10%) to allow students to benefit from the increased practice and exposure to the language as they go through the course.
Three Reading&Writing assessments. In order to help you in this area, you will get access to a demo R&W assessment early on in your Pre-Faculty course. This is not assessed. The percentage weighting of each of the assessments increases (from 5%, to 8%, to 10%) to allow students to benefit from the increased practice and exposure to the language as they go through the course.
- A reading text is made available in Blackboard three days before the assessment day until just before the start of class on assessment day
- In class on assessment day, students answer 2 short-answer questions about the text (4 points total), and a longer response writing (16 points)
Speaking assessment, Pre-Faculty Level
One Speaking assessment (10%). The Speaking assessment is conducted in groups of three or two students with one instructor, and is recorded.
Blackboard vocab tests
When a unit of the coursebooks is completed, a vocabulary test will become available in Blackboard. This test aims to allow students to review and recycle the vocabulary covered in the unit. Once the test appears, it will remain available for two days after which it will disappear, and students will not be able to access it. Once a test has been started, students have 15 minutes to complete and submit the test. The score will appear automatically in the Blackboard grade centre. There are four of these tests during the course and in total they are worth 4% of the course total.
Online work, Pre-Faculty Level
One Speaking assessment (10%). The Speaking assessment is conducted in groups of three or two students with one instructor, and is recorded.
Blackboard vocab tests
When a unit of the coursebooks is completed, a vocabulary test will become available in Blackboard. This test aims to allow students to review and recycle the vocabulary covered in the unit. Once the test appears, it will remain available for two days after which it will disappear, and students will not be able to access it. Once a test has been started, students have 15 minutes to complete and submit the test. The score will appear automatically in the Blackboard grade centre. There are four of these tests during the course and in total they are worth 4% of the course total.
Online work, Pre-Faculty Level
- Blackboard pre-class video tests (5%). Grades automatically recorded in Bb Grade Centre
- Blackboard UNSDP video tests (3%). Grades automatically recorded in Bb Grade Centre
- Achieve3000 (7%). Students are expected to complete twenty articles over a period of two and a half weeks, with scores of 75% or more. They are free to choose which articles they do. Grades will be transferred from Ach3000 grade report to Bb Grade Centre on Ach3000 grading days.
Electives are run in Modules 2 and 4 and are open to students who have passed Pre-Faculty Level in Modules 1 and 3.
Classroom participation, all levels
The focus of lessons is on communicative practice of the language so students’ active participation in the classroom is very important. English should be used at all times in class. Instructors give students classroom participation grades every two weeks, using standardised rubrics (see below). Classroom participation is worth 10% of the student’s overall grade.