Reflective Teaching in Second Language Classrooms

PART ONE: THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF LANGUAGE TEACHING PART TWO: ASPECTS OF LANGUAGE PART THREE: ASPECTS OF TEACHING

语言教学面面观 = Aspects of language teaching

This article presents a thematic analysis of the research evidence on assessment feedback in higher education (HE) from 2000 to 2012. The focus of the review is on the feedback that students receive within their coursework from multiple sources. The aims of this study are to (a) examine the nature of assessment feedback in HE through the undertaking of a systematic review of the literature, (b) identify and discuss dominant themes and discourses and consider gaps within the research literature, (c) explore the notion of the feedback gap in relation to the conceptual development of the assessment feedback field in HE, and (d) discuss implications for future research and practice. From this comprehensive review of the literature, the concept of the feedback landscape, informed by sociocultural and socio-critical perspectives, is developed and presented as a valuable framework for moving the research agenda into assessment feedback in HE forward.

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Making Sense of Assessment Feedback in Higher Education

Listening comprehension lies at the heart of language learning, but it is the least understood and least researched skill. This paper brings together recent research and developments in the field of second and foreign language (L2) listening. It begins with a brief discussion of the different cognitive and social factors that impact listening, followed by a summary of recent research into the development of perception skills and metacognitive knowledge. An integrated model for teaching learners how to listen is then elaborated. In addition, recent research on listening in multimedia environments, academic listening and listening assessment is presented. The paper concludes with a discussion of areas for further research, arguing that the process of listening needs more research attention with in-depth studies that probe deeper into the interaction of the processes and factors that influence successful L2 listening.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0261444807004338

Recent developments in second and foreign language listening comprehension research

Peer review is a reciprocal process whereby students produce feedback reviews on the work of peers and receive feedback reviews from peers on their own work. Prior research has primarily examined the learning benefits that result from the receipt of feedback reviews, with few studies specifically exploring the merits of producing feedback reviews or the learning mechanisms that this activates. Using accounts of their experiences of peer review, this study illuminates students’ perceptions of the different learning benefits resulting from feedback receipt and feedback production, and, importantly, it provides insight into the cognitive processes that are activated when students construct feedback reviews. The findings show that producing feedback reviews engages students in multiple acts of evaluative judgement, both about the work of peers, and, through a reflective process, about their own work; that it involves them in both invoking and applying criteria to explain those judgements; and that it shifts c...

Rethinking feedback practices in higher education: a peer review perspective

This paper focuses on peer feedback in relation to assessment processes. It examines the rationale for peer feedback, emphasizing its potential for enhanced student learning. We draw on relevant literature to argue that the dominance of peer assessment processes using grades can undermine the potential of peer feedback for improving student learning. The paper throws further light on the issue by drawing on a large-scale questionnaire survey of tertiary students (1740) and academics (460) in Hong Kong, supplemented by interview data. The findings indicate that a significant number of academics and students resist peer assessment using grades and that the majority report that students never or rarely grade each other in assessment activities. This paper explores why there is resistance, in particular, by academics to peer assessment and argues the case for a peer feedback process as an end in itself or as a precursor to peer assessment involving the awarding of marks. It also recommends some strategies for...

/pdf/peer-feedback-the-learning-element-of-peer-assessment-42jzkizbg3.pdf

Peer feedback: the learning element of peer assessment

Why do many students appear reluctant to participate in classroom learning discourse

How Assessment Supports Learning: Learning-oriented Assessment in Action invites teachers in higher education to rethink the purposes of assessment and to revise their assessment practices in the interests of improved student learning. It combines practice, theory, research and extensive examples of assessment techniques to support academics in this vital part of their multi-faceted role. This book presents 39 innovative assessment practices from a range of disciplines and located in a clearly articulated theoretical framework. This framework is congruent with outcomes-based approaches, currently being implemented in universities in Hong Kong and elsewhere. The practices, which can be modified for use in a wide range of contexts, illustrate how assessment can be used to engage students in productive learning, provide genuinely helpful feedback efficiently, and help students learn to evaluate and improve the quality of their own work. The book concludes with suggestions for responding to challenges at the interface between assessment and learning.

How Assessment Supports Learning: Learning-Oriented Assessment in Action

As a basis for making pedagogical decisions within a learner-based framework, teachers need information about the experiences and perceptions which learners bring to the classroom. This article reports and discusses some of the information gathered by the LEAP Project at the University of Hong Kong about the English learning experiences, proficiency and perceptions of students entering tertiary education in Hong Kong. The article focuses on students' oral English.The investigation reveals that students who enter tertiary education in Hong Kong have grown accustomed to passive speech roles in class and had limited experience of speaking. Lack of practice often leads to low confidence in their own ability and a sense of unease, especially when engaging in unplanned speech. Nonetheless students express strong preferences for active speaking roles in class. A two-folded strategy is needed. In their English classes, students need many more opportunities to activate their language and gain experience in using i...

Ngar-Fun Liu

Papers

Peer feedback: the learning element of peer assessment

Why do many students appear reluctant to participate in classroom learning discourse

How Assessment Supports Learning: Learning-Oriented Assessment in Action

Hong Kong Tertiary Students' Attitudes and Proficiency in Spoken English

Processing problems in L2 listening comprehension of university students in Hong Kong