Information Gap Tasks: Immediate feedback assessment for foreign language learning

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Information Gap Tasks Immediate feedback
assessment for foreign language learning
Deborah Page Ruth Benander UCRaymond Walters
College

• ACTFL 2009 Conference
•  Sat, Nov 21 - 100pm - 200pm, San Diego
  Convention Center Room 7B

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The Problem

• How do we make learning grammar communicative and
  interactive?

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Previous Research Findings

• Implicit written feedback for grammar errors in
  writing is effective for helping students
  recognize their own errors.

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Information Gap Tasks

• Task requires individuals to contribute unique
  knowledge
• Attention to form, function, and meaning
• Pica (2005 2008)

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Immediate Feedback Assessment Technique

• Most research from social sciences
• Students liked it
• Improved classroom climate
• Targeted misconceptions
• Students retained information longer
• Brosvic Epstein (2006 2007)

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Hypothesis

• Using immediate feedback quizzes
• will improve student recall
• of language structure and cultural information.

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LOLSpeak teh furst language born of teh
intertubes
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LOLSpeak Rulz

• Thats a really cute cat. And look, he has a bow
  on his head!
• That being the kitty very full of cuteness. And
  to be with looking! Him gots bowage on hims
  head!
• OMG wau!! Dat beesing a kiti vary ful ov tewtul
  kutenis!! Bees wif da lukingz! Omg him gotz da
  bowwagez on himz hed lyk WTF?!?

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Experiencing immediate feedback quizzesMake
groups of 3
Part 1 Scratch off forms with LOLSpeak Part 2
Marker forms with GRE vocabulary
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Debrief

• Do you have any questions?
• Which format did you like better?
• What kind of interaction did your group have?

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ESL Course Data
NB Sample size is too small to compute
significance
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Selected German Traditional Quizzes
NB Sample size is too small to compute
significance
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German IFAT Quiz Results
NB Sample size is too small to compute
significance
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German Chapter Tests
NB Sample size is too small to compute
significance
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Discussion

• Higher engagement
• Heightened focus on common errors
• More chat using target concepts
• Better questions
• Improved retention of material

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Contact information

• Deborah Page (German)
• Deborah.page_at_uc.edu
• Ruth Benander (English)
• Ruth.benander_at_uc.edu

kthxbai