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Exams or continuous assessment?
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Situation
A special meeting of the staff of the English Department will be held to discuss a possible shift from exams to continuous assessment, i. e. a student's final mark is an average of the marks for all the work he/she has done during the course/ term.
Cast list
Prof. G., Head of the English Department
Lecturer M.
Lecturer E. senior lecturers
Lecturer P.
Lecturer A. junior lecturers
Ann/Peter
final-year students
Lucy/Andrew
Postgraduate S.
Dorothy/Donald Parker, a visiting English lecturer
What you must decide
What form of assessment is more efficient and reliable: exams or continuous assessment? A vote must be taken.
Role cards
Prof. G. Aged 51
You are Head of the English Department and conduct a special meeting to discuss what form of assessment is more efficient and reliable: exams or continuous assessment. You are of the opinion that exams are a well-tried system, but you do not object to abolishing exams in one of the years, possibly in the first year, and introducing continuous assessment as an experiment.
At the end of the discussion you sum up the arguments presented and hold a vote.
NB: The results of the vote will be taken to the Academic secretary of the university.
Lecturer M. Aged 49
You are a senior lecturer in the English Department. You are convinced that exams are the best quick way of assessing a student. Their reliability has been proved again and again. The exam system may not be perfect, but it's the best we have; it may be painful, but so are many things in life. You voice your support for the exams rather categorically.
Lecturer E. Aged 54
You are a senior lecturer in the English Department. You agree that the most successful students are not always the best educated, they are the best trained in the technique or working under duress/pressure. Possible faults of the exams are not the faults of the system itself but of the teacher — that is your con-
viction. However there are advantages in continuous assessment, as it is probably more objective, but it needs to be proved/tested. So you suggest an experiment (exams abolished, continuous assessment introduced) with a group of students.
Lecturer P. Aged 32
You are a junior lecturer in the English Department. You think that exams as a form of assessment must be abolished altogether. Your arguments are as follows: firstly, exams are a test of memory not ability. They encourage memorising, restrict reading and induce cramming and secondly, as anxiety-makers exams are second to none, because so much depends on them.
Lecturer A. Aged 29
You are a junior lecturer in the English Department. You speak in favour of continuous assessment as it is more objective and a student has to work continuously but not rapidly under the extreme pressure of exams. It motivates a student to read widely and to seek more and more knowledge, eliminating cramming. Besides it's a pity that teachers themselves are often judged by examination results and instead of teaching their subjects they are reduced to training their students in exam techniques which they despise.
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Ann/Peter Aged 22
You are a final-year student in the English Department. You are clever and a bit lazy. You have aknack of concentration under pressure and are always successful at exams. You are against continuous assessment because it is sure to reveal the gaps in your knowledge. While slating your arguments you address Lecturer E., a senior lecturer, because he/she will be your examiner this term.
Lucy/Andrew Aged 23
You are a final-year student in the English Department. You think exams should be abolished. Your arguments are, firstly, no one can show his knowledge to advantage after a sleepless night or when he/she is in mortal terror (some recollections of your personal experience would serve as good proof), secondly, examiners may be subjective at times.
NB: You are an industrious student, you work hard during the term but unlike Ann/Peter
you don't have a knack of working rapidly under the extreme pressure of exams.
Postgraduate S. Aged 27
You are a postgraduate in the English Department. You are doing research on the new methods of assessment. You disagree that the methodsspf.testing a person's knowledge and ability remain as primitive as in the past. You argue that extensive research into objective testing techniques has been carried out. There are already complex checking systems, among them computers, used by examiners to specially devised tests. In addition exams may be supplemented by the teachers' monthly assessment.
Dorothy/Donald Parker Aged 35
You are a visiting English teacher. You are very much interested in the Russian way of life. That day you are present at a meeting of the staff of the English Department where a possible shift from exams to continuous assessment is being discussed. You are a true supporter of exams as you think it is an old and widely-spread system of assessing students' knowledge. In your country practically all exams are written (oral exams are a rare exception for modern languages). You know that in some universities they've introduced continuous assessment but you personally are rather sceptical about it.
Possible follow-ups
1. Speak on the following topic: "Exams or Continuous Assessment".
a) a student's view; b) a teacher's view.
2. Prepare a talk on the comparative study of the British and the Russian marking systems.
3. Write a composition on the following'topics:
a) The most adequate (revealing) tasks for teaching the students' skills in the senior stage.
b) My first exam.
DISCUSSING A TEXTBOOK
Situation
A school textbook is to be re-edited. At a special meeting possible changes to be introduced are discussed.1
Cast list
The author
A representative of the publishers
TeacherS.
Teacher D.
Ann/Michael
Jane/Andrew final-year students
Helen/Peter
Dorothy/Donald Parker, a visiting English teacher
What you must decide
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What possible changes should be introduced into the second edition of the textbook?
Role cards
The author Aged 55
You are the author of the textbook. It is highly valued by the school teachers and so the publishing house is planning the second edition of it. As you have not been teaching at school yourself for the last ten years you have had no feedback from the learners (only practising teachers have). You appreciate the criticism and suggestions offered by the participants of the discussion. But you are a bit hurt by the students' impertinent remarks on your textbook and you let it show.
Publisher Aged 45
You are representing the publishing house specialising in textbooks. You conduct the discussion but your contribution to
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1 The teacher must decide which textbook the group is going to discuss in the role-play. The students are given cards in advance so that they will study the chosen textbook and find out the items for criticism and approval.
it is rather limited as you are more concerned with technical matters, therefore you object to colour illustrations urging to observe space limit. At the end of the discussion you thank the participants, promising to inform the editorial board of their suggestions/proposals.
Teacher S. Aged 54
You are an experienced English teacher, favouring the existing textbook, its layout and the exercises provided. As some people doubt the necessity of using the students' mother tongue and especially a number of exercises on translation you strongly object to this view and argue in favour of translation as an objective method of foreign language teaching.
NB: After being at college together with the author of the textbook, you worked at the
same school for some time.
Teacher D. Aged 25
You are a young teacher with an urge to make innovations. You've been using the textbook for two years but you can't say you are happy about it. Your firm conviction is language and culture are not separable and should be taught together. But the textbook is not informative enough. So you insist that more information about the country should be provided and should be definitely supplemented by colour illustrations.
Ann/Michael Aged 22
You are a final-year student who has already had two teaching practices in school. You are flattered by the invitation to participate in the discussion. You were asked to look through the exercises and drill material on the vocabulary and evaluate them. Say whether you consider the essential language items are really the most commonly used words about the topic.
Jane / Andrew Aged 22
You are a final-year student. You were reluctant to participate in the discussion as you think that the grammar exercises you were asked to look through are subjected to a lot of criticism. They should be more contextualised. Exercises on translation and filling in the blanks should be eliminated. You sound too categorical and uncompromising but you are not aware of it.
Helen/Peter Aged 30
You are a final-year student of an evening dass. For the last two years you were allowed to work at school as a trainee teacher. Therefore you know the textbook well. You think no textbook can be perfectly designed and there is no limit to perfection. Concerning possible changes some texts pertaining to real-life teaching situations should be added to the course as well as additional visual aids (maps, diagrams, cartoons, slides, etc.)
Dorothy/Donald Parker Aged 35
You are a visiting English teacher with the English department. Today you are present at a special meeting where a school textbook planned to be re-edited is discussed. You are surprised to hear of a complex set of teaching material (try to find out what the set consists of). In Great Britain if sup to ttie subject teachers to choose any textbook for their forms. So you think that approach is a bit biased as it may reflect a teacher's preferences and it makes it difficult for a child to change schools.
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Possible follow-ups
1. How should the exercises on translation be dealt with:
a) gone over by the teacher in class;
b) corrected by the teacher out of class;
c) corrected by the students themselves by the given keys. Give your reasons.
TELEVISION
Situation
At a students' debating club a discussion is held on the role of television in society. Some students of the British group who are on an exchange visit to Moscow are participating in it. The discussion is conducted by a well-known journalist The students are asked to give some serious thought to the following problems:
1. Television and children. (Whole generations are growing up addicted to television.)
2. Books versus screen versions. (Active pursuits such as reading give way to passive screen-watching.)
3. The pros and cons of video cassette TV.
Cast list
A journalist
A psychologist
A postgraduate
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Ann
Mary students of the English Department
Helen
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Robert/Caroline British students
Steve/Frankie
What you must decide
Whose arguments sounded more convincing?
Role cards
Journalist Aged 54
You are a well-known journalist You were asked to lead the discussion. In setting the problems for discussion you are deliberately provocative and extreme. Don't forget that you slatted your career as a producer of feature films and thus you argue in favour of cinematography. At the end of the discussion you mention your intention to write an article on youth and television and you thank the participants for their valuable contribution.
Psychologist Aged 40
You are a psychologist specialising in children's psychology. You are concerned with the impact of television on children. You state that those addicted to television have poorly developed speech habits, they become lazy, they read little, do not communicate with each other and their parents, in short, they become passive observers. You believe it's the parents' duty to regulate children's viewing time and choose suitable programmes.
Postgraduate Aged 30
You are a postgraduate in audio-visual techniques in teaching. You specialise in educational television. You are of the opinion that it creates enormous possibilities for education. Close-circuit TV, language teaching, specialised subjects may serve as good examples. You can't argue that television ousts/displaces reading. But you do not object to a good screen version of a classic as a supplement to the original.
Ann Aged 21
You are a fourth-year student participating in a TV language teaching programme, so you are a real devotee of television. You speak of the growing popularity of television and think that it will definitely destroy/oust the film industry since it brings entertainment and even education right into your home.
Mary Aged 22
You are a final-year student. You praise television as the shortest and easiest way to gain knowledge. Screen versions of classics have helped you more than once before literature examinations. Video cassette TV is becoming a popular way of viewing and you think that the future is with it.
Helen Aged 23
You are a final-year student, recently married. Both your husband and you believe that television prevents everybody from going out into the world itself. No second-hand experience for you, only real books, theatres and films. You are convinced that television deprives you of the enjoyment of entertaining and that it is no substitute for civilised pleasures or for active hobbies and sports.
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Robert/Caroline Aged 21
You are one of the British group on an exchange visit to Moscow. During your stay you are to do a project on the educational value of television. You say a few words about the Open University as a form of adult education on television. There are a number of problems under discussion. What particularly concerns you is that people, children especially, are reading far less. They now prefer screenplays and TV serials to books.
Steve/Frankie Aged 23
You are one of the British group on an exchange visit to Moscow. During your stay in the country you are to do a project on television in Russia. You are present at a discussion on the role of television in society. Your special interest is the impact of television on children as you are afraid that very often children grow up addicted to the telly and are exposed to rubbishy commercials, violence, etc. You'd like to know the content of TV programmes.
Possible follow-ups
1. Choose an evening's viewing for
a) a foreign visitor whose Russian is good and who is very interested in learning more about Russia and our way of life;
b) a foreign visitor whose Russian is not very good.
2. Write a composition on one of the following topics:
a) The year 2000. What changes in television would you expect to have taken place?
b) The pros and cons of TV educational programmes.
c) The challenges of TV for teenage viewers.
THE INVESTIGATION
Situation
Mrs June Brown was detained for shoplifting. She was accused of having stolen a girl's woolen pullover. Mrs Brown refused to say anything and consequently the police were called and she was charged with theft. The facts are the following:
Mrs Brown was in a hurry. She wanted to buy a new pullover for her daughter Jean before taking her to her cousin's birthday party. Mrs Brown found a pullover in the shop she called at with her daughter on her way to the party. As soon as she had paid for the pullover she saw that Jean had chocolate all over her face and hands. Furious she asked a sales assistant where the toilets were. Then in the toilet Mrs Brown changed Jean's old pullover for the new one. They would have to run if they were going to ever get to the party. But in the street she
was grabbed by a man accompanied by a woman. The woman said that they had reason to believe that Mrs Brown was shoplifting. The evidence against Mrs Brown was that the woman, Mrs Baker, a store detective, had entered the toilets and had seen Mrs Brown, putting a new pullover over her daughter's head.
You are to enact the preliminary investigation of the case conducted by two counsels: the counsel for the Prosecution and the counsel for the Defence.
Cast list
Mrs June Brown, the accused
Mrs Mary Baker, a store detective
Miss Becky Smith, a sales assistant
Mr Clark Timpson, the sales manager
Miss Nora Lain, a customer in the shop
Counsel for the Prosecution
Counsel for the Defence
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