The use of monitoring and assessment resources of students independent learning while teaching English

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The use of monitoring and assessment resources of students independent learning while teaching English

Ольга Палеха. ВИКОРИСТАННЯ РЕСУРСІВ КОНТРОЛЮ І ОЦІНЮВАННЯ САМОСТІЙНОЇ ПОЗААУДИТОРНОЇ РОБОТИ СТУДЕНТІВ У ПРОЦЕСІ ВИКЛАДАННІ АНГЛІЙСЬКОЇ МОВИ

У статті проаналізовані особливості використання ресурсів контролю і оцінювання самостійної позааудиторної роботи з англійської мови в закладах вищої освіти. З'ясовано, що самостійна позааудиторна робота заслуговує на особливу увагу, оскільки вирізняється добровільністю виконання завдань, відсутністю суворої регламентації в часі, зменшенням ролі керівництва з боку викладача та вибудовуванням власної освітньої траєкторії, що є запорукою формування кваліфікованого фахівця з високим рівнем самоактуалізації та готового до саморозвитку й самореалізації. Автор зазначає, що створення оптимального навчального середовища в закладі вищої освіти дозволяє забезпечити ефективність удосконалення англомовної комунікативної компетенції студентів самостійно та в позаурочний час. Компонентами навчального середовища визначено матеріальні, кадрові, навчально-методичні та інформаційні ресурси, а також ресурси контролю та оцінювання. Продуктивність самостійної позааудиторної роботи студентів, на думку автора, залежить від того, як здійснюється керування, контроль і самоконтроль їх навчальних досягнень. Вибір стратегії керування самостійною позааудиторною роботою тісно пов 'язаний, з одного боку, з типом педагогичної взаємодії, а з іншого, - з організацією зворотного зв 'язку з метою забезпечення об'єктивного контролю результатів навчальних досягнень студентів. У статті констатовано, що контроль необхідно здійснювати в напрямі організації самого процесу самостійної роботи та в напрямі становлення й розвитку професійних здібностей, компетенцій, фахових знань, умінь і навичок.

Доведено, що в закладах вищої освіти в процесі викладання англійської мови необхідно запроваджувати контроль, який має плановий, систематичний характер. Його форми обумовлені специфікою навчальної дисципліни «Англійська мова», зокрема усний і письмовий переклад, тестові завдання, контрольні роботи, виступ із доповіддю на студентській науковій конференції, дискусії у групі з приводу прочитаного тексту, мовне портфоліо тощо.

Валідність, надійність та справедливість визначено критеріями об'єктивного оцінювання результатів самосійної позааудиторної роботи з англійської мови. Для контролю рівня англомовної комунікативної компетенції студентів застосовуються такі види оцінювання: формувальне, підсумкове, еталонне оцінювання на основі порівняння досягнень студентів, еталонне оцінювання на основі чітко визначених критеріїв.

Ключові слова: самостійна позааудиторна робота; англійська мова; ресурси контролю; ресурси оцінювання; заклади вищої освіти.

Independent language learning deserves special attention because it is characterized by voluntary assignment completion, a lack of strict time regulation, reducing the lecturer's role, and students' capacity to build their educational trajectory. It is the key to forming a qualified specialist with a high level of self-actualization and selfdevelopment.

In our opinion, the creation of an efficient learning environment in a higher educational institution allows us to ensure the effectiveness of improving students' English-language communicative competence independently and out of the classroom. The components of the learning environment, in turn, are defined by MacBeath J (MacBeath, 1993). The scholar points out the following components: tutor resources, material resources, the peer environment, the time environment, and the physical environment. Thus, we are able to state that human, material, time, educational and methodological and information resources, as well as resources for monitoring and assessment, are valuable for independent language learning.

It raises an important issue of effective quality control of independent English learning. Moreover, it is essential to determine the assessment forms of the results of how students master English independently and out of the classroom.

- identify their own learning needs and explain their relevance and significance;

- choose the optimal learning resource to achieve individual learning needs and goals;

- use various media resources, language tools (CD-ROM, spell checker, etc.);

- perform independent learning systematically and regularly;

- develop their research skills, in particular finding the necessary educational information through the World Wide Web, working with library catalogs, using dictionaries and grammatical reference materials, etc.;

- integrate the results of classroom learning and the independent one;

- to carry out effective time management of own independent learning;

- meet regularly with a lecturer or an advisor for feedback, etc. (Ciel Language Support Network, 2012).

In higher educational institutions in the process of teaching English, it is necessary to introduce monitoring, which is planned, and systematic. Its forms are due to the specifics of the subject “English”. These are oral and written translation, test tasks, tests, presentation at a student scientific conference, group discussions about the text read, language portfolio, etc. The use of the language portfolio as a tool for monitoring and assessing the students' independent learning, revealing the individual abilities and practical achievements of students, is becoming increasingly common in higher educational institutions of Ukraine.

British scientists such as R. Allen from the University of Southampton and B. Jones from the University of Cambridge developed its content, structure, and methodological recommendations on the requirements for its maintenance. They noted that the main goals achieved by the student, performing the work of creating a portfolio, is the awareness of the need to form the competencies needed for further independent professional activity; stimulating constructive discussions between students and between students and their teachers, mentors, mentors, etc.; facilitating the process of self assessment by future foreign language teachers of their academic achievements; students' awareness of their strengths and weaknesses related to learning, etc. (Hurd, 2012).

This portfolio contains a list of all types of independent extracurricular activities while studying English, performed at the lecturer's request; all types of independent extracurricular activities while studying English, performed on the student's own initiative; completed homework; completed forms of accounting for independent learning and worksheets describing the features of independent learning. They are used for monitoring and self-monitoring of educational activities.

To record independent foreign language learning, it is essential to use special forms that can be developed by lecturers. Students should fill in the before-mentioned forms after performing all types of independent learning activities. The form must indicate the lecturer's or the advisor's names, the subject, and the language of instruction. The student can list information about the date of performance; time spent working outside the classroom; partially autonomous or autonomous performance of independent learning, type of speech activity; list of specific tasks, exercises, tests performed by the student; used didactic resources, and teaching materials and student comments.

Such a form may have a more extended pattern and is recommended for use in the performance of those types of independent learning activities that cause certain difficulties for students. It helps students to clarify their own goals of learning a foreign language outside the classroom, encourages them to take notes and record progress in mastering a foreign language, to plan their further learning activities.

Scholars S. Brown, B. Sinclair, G. Falcher discuss what to assess whether the result of the students' independent learning or the process of independent acquisition of knowledge by the student. The effectiveness of a student's academic achievement is also discussed to determine whether their achievement in learning a foreign language is the result of their independent learning or the result of working closely with a more experienced lecturer or advisor. Therefore, the criteria for objective assessment determine the validity, reliability, and fairness (Effective Practices in Assessment in the Modern Languages: An Interim Report, 1999). The consequence of this discussion can be the attitude to student assessment not only as a result of independent learning but also as a source of further correction of students' success through constructive information about the quality of their knowledge, level of language and speech skills.

Assessment is used for different purposes at different points in the learning process in higher education to control the level of knowledge of students uses the following types of assessment - formative, summative, assessment based on comparison of student achievement (norm-referenced), assessment based on clearly defined criteria (criterion-referenced).

Formative assessment of students' independent learning is often called an assessment of the learning process. It occurs at the beginning and in the process of professional training. Examples are the comments and recommendations of the teacher, essay guide, term paper, which help students take into account their mistakes and choose their ways to eliminate them (Gibbs, Habeshaw, 1990). This type of assessment is most often used to monitor independent extracurricular activities. Assessment is based on significant key speech and selforganization skills. The level of formation of students' productive and receptive speech skills is assessed taking into account the development of such skills: grammatical, lexical, pronunciation (articulation and intonation), calligraphic, spelling, auditory, perceptual.

The lecturer might advise the following skills of selforganization: an independent analysis of learning needs, awareness, and development of individual and interpersonal learning strategies, group work skills, awareness of their shortcomings and strengths and development of their learning style, use of the latest information and communication technologies, time management skills and more.

Summative assessment, in contrast to the formative, is used after the completion of a certain amount of independent learning activities and determines the specific product, learning outcome.

Norm-referenced assessment based on the comparison of student achievements determines the student's rating compared to others and is not aimed at assessing personal ability to perform a task, but fixes the student's place in the overall picture of student success in learning the content of independent extracurricular activities.

Criterion-referenced assessment is made according to standard professionally-oriented criteria. Besides, it involves expanding the range of criteria, such as skill, excellence in accordance with the peculiarities of the organization of independent extracurricular activities. Therefore, theoretically, all students may not meet the established standards, or all may achieve a one hundred percent positive result (Ciel Language Support Network, 2012).

1. Allford, D., & Pachler, N. (2007). Language, Autonomy and the New Learning Environments. Bern: Peter Lang.

2. Ciel Language Support Network. (2012). Assessment and Independent Language Learning.

3. Retrieved from https://www.llas.ac.uk/resources/gpg/1407 Effective Practices in Assessment in the Modern Languages: An Interim Report (1999). Coleraine: University of Ulster.

4. Gibbs, G., & Habeshaw, T. (1990). An Introduction to Assessment: Induction Pack 4.

5. Standing Conference on Educational Development. Birmingham.

6. Hurd, S. (2012). Learner Difference in Independent Language Learning Contexts. Retrieved from https://www.llas.ac.uk/resources/gpg/1573

7. Korjakovceva, N. F. (2002). Sovremennaja metodika organizacii samostojatelnoj raboty izuchajushhih inostrannye jazyki: posobie dlja uchitelej [Modern methods of organizing independent work of foreign language learners: a guide for teachers]. Moscow: Izd-vo ARKTI [in Russian].

8. MacBeath, J. (1993). Learning for Yourself: Supported Study in Strathclyde Schools. Strathclyde: Strathclyde Regional Council.