VDMIS Newsletter - August 2012 (Plain Text Version)

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In this issue:
Leadership Updates
•  A WARM WELCOME FROM THE VDMIS NEWSLETTER EDITOR
•  NOTE FROM THE CHAIR
•  New slate of VDMIS officers for 2012-2013
Featured Articles
•  USING VIDEOTAPED ROLE-PLAYS WITH NATIVE SPEAKERS TO TEACH PRAGMATICS
•  OBJECTIVE EVALUATION OF TV SHOWS' REPRESENTATION OF NATURAL CONVERSATION
TESOL 2012 Presentation Reports
•  SELECTING AND USING AUTHENTIC ACADEMIC LISTENING MATERIALS - TESOL PRESENTATION REPORT
•  INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY INTO EFL TEACHER EDUCATION
•  THE INFLUENCE OF DIFFERENT MELODIC STRUCTURE ON SECOND LANGUAGE VOCABULARY ACQUISITION
•  APPROACHES TO NEW MEDIA IN ENGLISH EDUCATION
•  SPICE UP YOUR GRAMMAR LESSONS WITH SHORT ANIMATED VIDEO CLIPS
•  USING GOOGLE DOCS TO FACILITATE LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT: A TEACHING TIP
•  PHILADELPHIA (PHOTO) STORY
•  TEACHING WITH TED TALKS: AUTHENTIC AND MOTIVATIONAL LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION
•  DON'T FORGET TO TURN YOUR CELL PHONE ON!
•  THREE PERSPECTIVES ON TEACHER EDUCATION, DISTRICT COORDINATION, AND CLASSROOM TEACHING ON USING DIGITAL MEDIA TO ENHANCE ELEMENTARY ESL INSTRUCTION
•  MEDIA TOOLS FOR REFUGEE FAMILY ENGAGEMENT, SCHOOL ORIENTATION, AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
•  ENGAGING STUDENTS WITH VIDEOS IN INTEGRATED LEARNING CLASSES
•  TARGETING DIFFERENTIATION WITH MAINSTREAM TEACHERS THROUGH ESL INSTRUCTIONAL COACHING
•  ESL INSTRUCTIONAL COACHING AND ISSUES OF IDENTITY, POWER, AND AGENCY
•  ENGLISH LEARNERS AND DIGITAL STORIES AROUND THE WORLD
Community News
•  VDMIS CALL FOR PAPERS

USING GOOGLE DOCS TO FACILITATE LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT: A TEACHING TIP

Luke Coffelt

At TESOL 2012, I presented a teaching tip entitled “Using Google Docs to Facilitate Language Assessment,” which showcased the process of creating tests online using Google Forms. A Google Form, a type of Google Doc, provides the perfect vehicle for constructing, editing, delivering, grading, reporting, and analyzing various test items.

Writing effective tests can be an arduous and time-consuming task. Fortunately, innovative approaches for utilizing existing digital technology can help English language instructors create tests and quizzes with greater ease. The goal of the presentation was to inspire instructors to try this method of test creation and delivery.

During the presentation, an overview of Google Forms was provided. This was followed by an interactive demonstration (with the help of the audience) of the process by which a Google Doc is created. The audience created a series of test items, which were then used to make a Google Form. The efficient and enjoyable process of creating online grammar quizzes using Google Docs was illustrated as step-by-step instructions guided the participants partaking in the demonstration.

Finally, the benefits of this testing method were explicitly explained. These benefits include one-click access to the online test (no additional Web site log-ins); automatic saving; easy editing capabilities; avoidance of the photocopier; real-time responses, organized by respondent in a spreadsheet; and last, one-click access to a summary-of-responses report (with graphs) for instant or future error and item analysis, a valuable reflective teaching tool.

You can find more information about using Google Forms by visiting this site: https://sites.google.com/site/tesol2012lukecoffelt/

Luke Coffelt is a teaching associate in the Ohio University Program of Intensive English in Athens, Ohio.