DOI: 10.12731/wsd-2014-9-7 UDC 378
criterion-referenced technology as a didactic means of individualization of foreign lexis teaching in a mixed-ability group
Malova N.v.
purpose and methods. Starting with the premise that learning individualization and students' autonomy are the key demands for the current system of mass higher education, the study analyses how an individual approach can be applied to foreign lexis teaching in a mixed-ability group by means of criterion-referenced testing technology. The paper reports the results of a pedagogical experiment for implementation of criterion-referenced tests aimed at acquisition and mastering vocabulary in students of different language competence levels. The study was held at the Foreign Languages Department of Samara State Technical University. The following methods served as a basis of the experiment: observation, survey, test method and interviewing. A test bank containing 80 tests ranging from A1 to B1 difficulty levels was devised for promoting students' autonomy, self-study and self-control while studying the vocabulary.
Results. It was found that graded criterion-referenced tests based on pre-studied texts can act as a didactic tool for indi-
vidualization of foreign lexis teaching in groups with mixed language competence. The findings presented at a number of practical scientific conferences showed:
1. The increase of communicative competence development in the experimental and control groups, as well as between the control groups.
2. The increase in regularity of homework done by students.
3. The decrease (up to 75%) in the time spent by lecturers on checking students' individual (home) assignments.
Keywords: criterion-referenced testing; foreign lexis teaching; individualization; autonomy; non-linguistic faculty.
критериально-ориентированная технология как дидактическое средство индивидуализации обучения иностранной лексике в группах с разным уровнем подготовки
малова Н.в.
цели и методы. В современной системе массового высшего образования ключевыми требованиями являются индивидуализация обучения и автономность обучаемого. Данное исследование посвящено применению технологии критериально-ориентированного тестирования при обучении иностранной лексике в группе с разным уровнем языковой подготовки. В статье приводятся данные педагогического эксперимента по применению тестовых методик для обучения и освоения иностранной лексике, проведен-
ного в Самарском государственном техническом университете на кафедре иностранных языков. Методы исследования включают наблюдение, опрос, тестовый метод, анкетирование. Банк тестовых заданий включает в себя 80 тестов уровня сложности от А1 до В1 и предназначен для обеспечения автономии студентов, их самообучения и самоконтроля при изучении лексических единиц.
Результаты. Нами было установлено, что критериально-ориентированные тесты разных уровней сложности, составленные на основе ранее изученных текстов, могут служить средством индивидуализации обучения иностранной лексике в группах с разной языковой подготовкой. Результаты исследования представлены на различных конференциях и включают в себя следующее:
1. Повышение коммуникативной компетенции в экспериментальной и контрольной группах, а также между контрольными группами.
2. Повышение регулярности выполнения домашних заданий студентами.
3. Снижение (до 75%) времени, затрачиваемого преподавателями для проверки самостоятельной (домашней) работы студентов.
Ключевые слова: критериально-ориентированное тестирование, обучение иностранной лексике, индивидуали-заци, автономия, нелингвистический факультет.
Nowadays a foreign language lecturer at a university has to face some discrepancy between the growing demand for the increase in the education quality and mass character of higher education, which
makes the problem of individualization and learner-based approach tailoring even more urgent and complex. Solutions of the problem include organization of students' autonomy [1, 2] as well as enhancing efficiency of students' self-study and homework accomplishment [3, 4]. The utmost importance of students' ability for self-education in the current information society, their capacity for independent goalsetting is emphasized in the works of a great number of modern educators [5, 6].
Purpose
We made an attempt to solve the problem under discussion using testing technologies not as a means of teacher's control but as a tool to promote students' autonomy based on self-study and self-control. Our pedagogical experiment centered on applying criterion-referenced testing methodology for constructing individual learning trajectories for students at non-linguistic faculties of a higher-education establishment to facilitate their foreign lexis acquisition and mastering.
On the background of the heated discussion of excessive use of testing methods in current educational process [7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12] mention should be made about the essence of criterion-referenced testing technology. Firstly, all tests are subdivided into norm-referenced and criterion-referenced ones basing on their purpose and an assessment method used. Thus, norm-referenced tests aim at differentiating examinees regarding their compliance level, generally, for a professional selection purpose and for detecting the most able ones. Whereas a criterion-referenced test serves as a control means to measure students' mastering of a certain amount of a subject area. The latter type, being a key element of educational standardization, acts
as an essential didactic tool to control the educational results within the framework of complete knowledge mastering technology. We may assume that these tests are also able to promote both developing and motivating functions of the learning process. Mention should be made that the criterion-referenced testing concept was first described by F.A. Cartier in 1968 and was further developed with the reference to language learning in the works of the following authors: T. Hudson, B.A. Lynch, J. Brown [13, 14].
Taking into consideration some concern expressed by a great number of teachers' about substituting real language learning with learning to pass a test, as well as a risk to lose in abstract nature of mathematical calculations «a human essence» of one of the experiment objects -a student [15, p. 14], we should emphasize that we see introduction of criterion-referenced testing methodology into foreign language learning as an aid within the traditional teaching paradigm not instead of traditional methods but alongside with them. Needleless to say, that the potential of criterion-referenced tests for individualization of learning process cannot be underestimated.
Our pedagogical experiment was carried out in several stages at Foreign Languages Department of Samara State Technical University (2012-2013 and 2013-2014 academic years).
The purpose of the first stage (2012) was an analysis of the use of testing technologies in foreign language learning at the above-mentioned university; the tasks included were as follows:
■ to distinguish organizational-pedagogic conditions which can enhance effectiveness of the teaching process;
■ to analyze teaching practice as regards learning individualiza-tion;
■ to determine the main aims, goals and methods used for individualization of the learning process.
The second stage (2013) focused on developing and implementation of criterion-referenced testing procedures and verification of the tests bank and included the following tasks:
■ to develop criterion-referenced tests in the English language for students of nonlinguistic specialties, namely Public Relations;
■ to determine the principles of developing and applying criterion-referenced tests to individualize foreign language learning process.
At this stage experimental work was combined with theoretical analysis of the current practice of testing, the research hypothesis was verified and specified, experimental data were accumulated and analyzed.
The third stage (2013-2014 academic year) centered on the development of the research concept and involved the following tasks:
• to make a theoretical analysis of empirical findings;
• to create a development and application model of criterion-referenced tests aimed at construction of individual trajectories for English vocabulary learning;
• to analyze the results of the pedagogical experiments performed.
Materials and methods of research
The basic experimental program of the research required an experimental group which included people subject to the experiment and a
control group composed of people similar to those in the experimental group in all the studied aspects but not subject to the researched impact. First, each group is measured regarding the specified parameters during a preliminary testing and the second measurement is taken after the experimental group was subjected to the impact within the experimental program.
The experimental work predisposed the use of the following methods of pedagogical experiments such as: observation, experiment, survey, test method, interviewing.
Research results and their interpretation
The above mentioned methods as well as the analysis of educational practice and normative documents allowed us to distinguish certain tendencies, which led to the basis for our research hypothesis.
The findings of the practical work indicated, on the one hand, a rather high degree of the language competences (knowledge, skills, attitudes) differentiation among the first and second years students of nonlinguistic faculties, namely «Public Relations» (at Samara State Technical University). This is seen to have resulted due to a number of factors, including a great heterogeneity of teaching methodological complexes, availability of classes or schools specialized in foreign language learning.
On the other hand, economic conditions of a higher education establishment do not make it possible to conduct English
Для дальнейшего прочтения статьи необходимо приобрести полный текст. Статьи высылаются в формате PDF на указанную при оплате почту. Время доставки составляет менее 10 минут. Стоимость одной статьи — 150 рублей.