The goal of this post:

• Identify different ways to support the assessment of speaking
• Identify different options to assess speaking

Key ideas:

• Depending on the type of standard, we can provide options for support or flexibility in how learners demonstrate their learning
• Assessment can be relevant depending on the standard being assessed and context

Ahh it’s oral assessment time! You have the learners who thrive in oral presentations and others who refuse to speak. Some students are away for that whole week and others are bored and sick of sitting still and listening to 30 odd orals on pretty much the same information. And who said speaking is easy?

Public speaking can be a barrier for students, particularly for learners who experience anxiety or have English as a second language. Let’s be honest, even teachers don’t love standing up in front of their colleagues to present information. Yet we expect our learners to do it and do it while they are being assessed. Probably two of the scariest things together in one event.

Types of Standards

We can support the assessment of speaking standards two different ways depending on the type of standard. Depending on if the standard is a concept standard or a method standard, we can provide choice in the supports we provide to enable learners to achieve success or options in how they demonstrate their learning. 

Supports

Let’s unpack the supports first. We can use supports to enable learners to have the tools to achieve the standard. 

Pre-teach Vocabulary

Many learners can benefit from having vocabulary pre-taught. Particularly vocabulary they might come across or require for the assessment task. This eliminates that barrier to language.

Pre-teach Background Knowledge

If we need learners to speak on a topic, we need to ensure they have the background knowledge to do so. We can’t talk about something we don’t know much about. By ensuring that our learners have the background knowledge required for the task, we are ensuring that we are assessing the speaking component, not their knowledge on a topic that is not being assessed.

Teach Grammatical Structures

It is vital that our learners understand the grammatical structures of our English language before we assess them in their speaking skills, particularly for students who are language learners. We need to ensure that we are explicitly teaching the structures of our language to ensure that it is not a barrier to them.

Graphic Organisers

Graphic organisers are a great tool to support learners in their planning of a speaking task, and to help them structure their speaking. It also helps with executive function. It is hard to speak about something if we haven’t got a plan in place.

Sentence Stems

Sentence stems are a great tool for learners to help them just get started in their speaking. This is really helpful for learners who just don’t know how to start.

Speaking Checklists

Speaking checklists are a great resource to help learners when they are practising their speaking task. If they are providing feedback to a peer, speaking checklists can be a guide for the type of feedback to give. They can be about the presentation elements or about the content they are required to speak about. It gives learners a tool to ensure that they have covered everything they need in order to be successful in the task.

Peer/Recorded Practise

We need to ensure that we are providing enough time for learners to practise what they need to present. This one works really well if they have a speaking checklist to help reflect on or give feedback to others about how they are progressing in their task.

PowerPoint: Rehearse with a Coach

This is a great free tool on PowerPoint that can be used for a learner who is a little apprehensive to practise in front of others, or online learning. Learners can present their PowerPoint and the coach gives them feedback on how they are going, not always accurate, but it’s a great first step.

Assessment Ideas

Now that we’ve looked at supports we can provide students while they are preparing for or constructing their assessment task, let’s look at ideas other than oral presentations. Below is a list of ideas that could be used as a task for assessment. The ideas below incorporate the use of visual and speaking because a large majority of standards in the Australian Curriculum require learners to demonstrate skills such as body language, eye contact, pace, pitch, volume and so on. Therefore in order to assess the standard, we need to ensure our tasks have opportunities for learners to demonstrate those skills. Not every one of these options work for every context. It will depend on what you are assessing. Let’s jump in.

Vlog

Vlog or a video blog is a great option for learners who do not want to stand up in front of others. It’s not time sensitive. They can record it in a safe place where they feel comfortable. It can also be done on many different devices, making it accessible for everyone. This is a great option for tasks that need to be completed over time like reflections or diary entries.

Play or Role-Play

A play, or a role-play can be a fun creative way for those learners who like to get dressed up and act. This isn’t for everybody, but it could be a great option for those active class clowns.

Story Maps

Story maps are a great option for learners who are a little bit forgetful and need extra support when presenting stories or events. A story map could be used by a learner standing up in front of the class presenting their story map, or it could be interactive where the whole class goes on a journey around a place as the learner presents their story or event.

News Report

A news report is a fun way to present an information report or retell. News reports can be done face-to-face, or recorded on something like iMovie, but it’s a relevant real life scenario that could be used to assess speaking.

Class Television Show on “How to..”

Procedure can be assessed through a class TV show where each learner records a short segment on demonstrating how to complete a task such as a recipe, making a piece of art, ect. Then the segments are put together to create a class show. 

Advertisement

Make an ad for television, YouTube, Facebook or instagram. Not to really post of course but a relevant platform for learners. Great for persuasion.

iMovie

iMovie is a great tool to be used on iPads where learners can present and do different effects with their presentation. Learners love to record themselves and this gives them the option to delete and start again if they are not happy with it. Again it can be done in a safe space that they feel comfortable in.

Video

Just simple video on any phone, iPad or computer can be a great option that is accessible for many learners. It allows learners to record and delete if they’re not happy with their presentation and allows learners to do it in their own time and space. As a teacher, it’s great to have a recording and evidence of the presentation.

Animation

Animation is a great option again for those creative learners. They could do a stop motion animation, or if they’re tech savvy, on the computer but again, this needs to be used in the right way to assess speaking.

PowerPoint

PowerPoint has a number of tools now that can enable learners to present information while recording themselves. Cameo uses the device’s camera to show the presenter while presenting. The presentation can also be recorded so that learners can present when and where they are comfortable.

OneNote

OneNote has an option to record videos and upload them on a page. This is a great option for feedback also. The teacher can record feedback on the video for the learner to improve on.

Assessing speaking standards does not need to be a tedious and nerve-racking experience for learners and teachers alike. By making the task relevant and providing options and choice in supports or task, we are firing up all three brain networks as well as removing barriers for learners. What options do you provide to learners when assessing speaking standards in the curriculum?

Until next time,

Happy educating,

Sam

• Assessment
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