2016 Action Research in ELICOS Program

Back (L-R) English Australia PD Manager Sophie O'Keefe, Catherine Thorpe, Peter Stokes, Fergal Fleming, Aida Barnhoorn, 
Melissa reed, Sascha Mitchell & Front (L-R) Lisa Mangion, Allen Blewitt from Cambridge English, 
Key Reference Person Anne Burns, Brooke Donnelly, (Nicholas Falkinder absent)

The Action Research in ELICOS Program theme for 2016 is Learning-oriented assessment and technology.

Click here for a summary of the 2016 projects. Full reports will be published by Cambridge in their Research Notes in June 2017.

Research theme

The theme for 2016 focuses on classroom-based assessment that is oriented towards supporting student learning and monitoring student progress and language development. In particular, the 2016 Program is interested in how technology can be harnessed to support and assist language development and ongoing progress.  

Research theme subtopics

Below were suggested areas for teachers to focus on in their action research:

LOA and curriculum development

  • Integrating  LOA into a new curriculum
  • Integrating LOA into an existing curriculum
  • Linking learner goals with LOA at particular levels
  • Evaluating curriculum outcomes for learners at particular levels
  • Developing new strategies for LOA assessment in a particular program or curriculum

LOA in the classroom

  • Involving learners in identifying classroom assessment goals
  • Linking needs analysis and LOA
  • Developing new strategies for providing feedback to learners
  • Developing classroom tasks and tests to monitor progress
  • Providing corrective feedback for learning
  • Identifying learner strengths and weaknesses in particular language skills
  • Developing  tasks to promote new learning

LOA and learner autonomy

  • Investigating collaborative teacher-learner approaches to monitoring progress
  • Raising learners’ metacognitive awareness about LOA
  • Promoting self-assessment of strategies for learning
  • Promoting self-diagnosis and self-study to improve particular language skills
  • Developing skills in peer-assessment
  • Identifying and monitoring learning goals beyond the classroom

LOA and teacher professional development

  • Trialing approaches to using LOA with colleagues
  • Exploring new teaching  strategies to promote LOA
  • Developing new tasks for formative assessment for learners at particular levels
  • Analysing  the assessment potential of current curriculum tasks
  • Identifying the pedagogical effectiveness of tasks for formative assessment

 

             Teachers Aida Barnhoorn and Fergal Fleming enjoy a moment in Action Research workshop 2, 2016

 

2016 Participants

Brooke Donnelly

Centre fior English Teaching, The University of Sydney

Nicholas Falkinder

Centre fior English Teaching, The University of Sydney

Melissa Reed

Kaplan International English Sydney

Vishvani Campbell

Monash University English Language Centre

Catherine Thorpe

Monash University English Language Centre

Sascha Mitchell

QUT International College

Lisa Mangion

 University of Wollongong College

Peter Stokes

 University of Wollongong College 

Aida Barnhoorn

 University of Tasmania English Language Centre 

Fergal Fleming

 University of Tasmania English Language Centre  

        

To find out more please contact the Professional Development Manager at English Australia at sophieokeefe@englishaustralia.com.au