EFL in the Classroom-II (5662)

MA TEFL
Semester: Autumn, 2015
Assignment no. 1

Name: Rizwan Hyder

Roll No.BD 559850

Q1. Read unit 1. Choose two ESL songs and how can you use ESL songs for teaching grammar
at primary level.
Answer:
All My Loving
Teaching Point: Future Simple
This classic Beatles tune will have students using the future like pros soon enough!
All My Loving uses the auxiliary will construction in the future fairly consistently, making it
ideal for practicing this future form. Make a worksheet as you did for the last exercise, replacing
future tense conjugated verbs with blanks and the infinitive verb in parentheses.
This exercise is ideal to use with false beginners (beginners who have studied English before
and forgotten) to remind them of the future tense, as well as for intermediate learners who just
need a bit of practice.
Friday Im in Love
Teaching Point: Days of the Week Vocabulary
Its fun to find ways to use classic songs in class, and the Cures Friday Im in Love is a perfect
example. While this classic rock song is certainly fun to listen to, its also great for learning the
days of the week.
You can approach this song in several ways. For true beginners, it may be enough to ask the class
to chime in at moments when the day of the week is being said. In this case, the exercise makes a
Page | 1

fun way to end a week of classes that have introduced them to the days of the week and months
of the year.
You can also use it as a jumping off point to allow students to make their own sentences about
what they do on each day of the week. Be sure to closely examine the lyrics for new vocabulary
with students in this case, helping them to truly understand the words of the song before moving
on to making their own sentences.
Focus on a particular verb tense or aspect of grammar
Virtually every song centers on a particular verb tense. This is too good an opportunity to pass up
in terms of uncovering the grammar. My suggestion is to start with questions such as these:

How many examples can you find of the past simple in the lyrics?

Why did the writer of this song choose this verb tense?

This acts as a springboard for discussing the function of a specific tense, as well as examining its
form. Furthermore, it often tends to raise awareness of grammatical flexibility and poetic
licence in the construction of song lyrics. Students often expect songs to obey the grammatical
rules that have been drummed into them. In a surprisingly large number of cases, this can lead to
the enlightening discovery that rules can be broken!
Songs rely on the concept that hearing a language is one of the best ways to learn it. They present
the rhythms of language in a way that encourages fluency; when performed by a native speaker,
the natural stresses and rhythms are clearly audible, helping students achieve not only the correct
pronunciation but a natural flow of speech.

Q2. Read unit 2. Exemplify five stages of error analysis. Take some tests of learners and point
out the errors.
Answer:
Error analysis studies the types and causes of language errors. Stages in
error analysis according to linguist Corder, the following are the stages in any
typical EA research:
1. collecting samples of learner language
2. identifying the errors
3. describing the errors
Page | 2

4. explaining the errors

5. evaluating/correcting the errors
Collection of errors: the nature and quantity of errors is likely to vary depending on whether the
data consist of natural, spontaneous language use or careful, elicited language use.
Corder(1973) distinguished two kinds of elicitation: clinical and experimental elicitation.
Clinical elicitation involves getting the informant to produce data of any sort, for example by
means of general interview or writing a composition. Experimental elicitation involves the use of
special instrument to elicit data containing the linguistic features such as a series of pictures
which had been designed to elicit specific features.
Errors are systematic in that they occur repeatedly and are not recognizable by the learner. They
are a part of the learner's interlanguage, and the learner does not generally consider them as
errors. They are errors only from the perspective of teachers and others who are aware that the
learner has deviated from a grammatical norm.[4] That is, mistakes can be self-corrected with or
without being pointed out to the speaker but errors cannot be self-corrected.
Omission
"First, live in the country very beautiful of south america"
In the underlined part of this sentence, Erika omitted the subject pronoun "I" before the verb, as a
result of the Spanish influence since in this language people normally use tacit subject pronouns.
As mentioned, omission is considered to be the absence of an item that should appear in a wellformed utterance. In this sample, L1 verbal conjugation influenced Erika's L2 grammatical
structures, affecting directly the rules and modifying the usages of L2 grammar categories. Based
on Spratt et al. (2005, p. 44), this indicates interference.
The authors point out that "an interference or transfer is an influence from the learner's first
language (L1) on the second language".
Additions
"I am study Administration"
In the underlined part of this sentence, Erika added the verb to be to a present simple sentence
because she probably assumes that the verb to be has to be in all the sentences. As outlined
earlier, addition is considered to be the presence of an item that should not appear in a wellformed utterance. This error was unconsciously made, because her learning process has just
started and she had been working out how to organize the elements that comprise L2. As can be
seen, her process was not yet complete. This kind of error is called developmental error (Spratt et
al, 2005).
Page | 3

Misinformation
"I known the city of Cartagena there the clime is hot"
In the underlined part of this sentence, Erika used two incorrect forms. The first one is "there"
instead of "where" and the second one is "clime" instead of "weather".
These errors are the result of the lack of English vocabulary, and the wrong use of the meanings
provided by the dictionary.
Misordering
"First, live in the country very beautiful of south america"
In the underlined part of this sentence, Erika incorrectly ordered the words in this sentence. The
correct syntactical order was " in the most beautiful country of South America". In connection
to this, we should bear in mind that misordering is considered to be the incorrect placement of a
morpheme or group of morphemes in an utterance. In addition, misinformation is present in the
sample above. This is evidenced in the use of "very" instead of "the most". In this case, L1
syntax influenced Erika's L2 grammatical structures, modifying the position of L2 grammar
categories, affecting meaning, and indicating interference.

Q3. Read units 3 and 4. Discus salient features of placement tests, diagnostic tests, progress tests
and assessment tests with one specimen for each test.
Answer:
Placement Testing is about the placement tests that colleges and universities use to assess
college readiness and place students into their initial classes. Since most two-year colleges have
open, non-competitive admissions policies, many students are admitted even though they do not
have college-level academic qualifications. Tests primarily assess abilities in English, math and
reading and in other disciplines such as foreign languages, science, computer Internet and health.
The goal is to offer low-scoring students remedial coursework so that they can undertake regular
coursework.
Some colleges add computer-scored essay writing tests, including ACCUPLACERs WritePlacer,
and COMPASSs e-Write. Less-prepared students are placed into various remedial situations,
from Adult Basic Education, through various levels of developmental college courses.
Historically, placement tests also served additional purposes such as providing individual
instructors a prediction of each students likely academic success, sorting students into
Page | 4

homogeneous skill groups within the same course level and introducing students to course
material. Placement testing can also serve a gatekeeper function, keeping academically
challenged students from progressing into college programs, particularly in competitive
admissions programs such as nursing within otherwise open-entry colleges.

Progress tests are longitudinal, feedback oriented educational assessment tools for the
evaluation of development and sustainability of cognitive knowledge during a learning process.
A progress test is a written knowledge exam (usually involving multiple choice questions) that is
usually administered to all students in the "A" program at the same time and at regular intervals
(usually twice to four times yearly) throughout the entire academic program. The test samples the
complete knowledge domain expected of new graduates upon completion of their courses,
regardless of the year level of the student). The differences between students knowledge levels
show in the test scores; the further a student has progressed in the curriculum the higher the
scores. As a result, these resultant scores provide a longitudinal, repeated measures, curriculumindependent assessment of the objectives (in knowledge) of the entire programme.

Diagnostic Tests can include Progress, Achievement and Proficiency tests, enabling teachers to
identify specific weaknesses/difficulties so that an appropriate remedial programme can be
planned. Diagnostic Tests are primarily designed to assess students' knowledge & skills in
particular areas before a course of study is begun. Reference back to class-work. Motivation.
Remedial work.
Assessment Tests: measure students probable performance. Reference forward but can be
distinguished from proficiency tests. Assessment tests assess proficiency in language for
language use (e.g. will S experience difficulty in identifying sounds or the grammatical structure
of a new language?) while Proficiency tests measure adequacy of control in L2 for studying
other things through the medium of that language.

Q4. Read unit 3 and 4. How do you differentiate between norm-referenced and criterionreferenced marking?
Answer:
Norm-referenced tests report whether test takers performed better or worse than a hypothetical
average student, which is determined by comparing scores against the performance results of
statistically selected group of test takers, typically of the same age or grade level, who have
already taken the exam.
Page | 5

Norm-referenced refers to standardized tests that are designed to compare and rank test takers
in relation to one another. Norm-referenced tests report whether test takers performed better or
worse than a hypothetical average student, which is determined by comparing scores against the
performance results of a statistically selected group of test takers, typically of the same age or
grade level, who have already taken the exam.
Calculating norm-referenced scores is called the norming process, and the comparison group is
known as the norming group. Norming groups typically comprise only a small subset of
previous test takers, not all or even most previous test takers. Test developers use a variety of
statistical methods to select norming groups, interpret raw scores, and determine performance
levels.
Norm-referenced scores are generally reported as a percentage or percentile ranking. For
example, a student who scores in the seventieth percentile performed as well or better than
seventy percent of other test takers of the same age or grade level, and thirty percent of students
performed better (as determined by norming-group scores).

Criterion-referenced tests and assessments are designed to measure student performance

against a fixed set of predetermined criteria or learning standardsi.e., concise, written
descriptions of what students are expected to know and be able to do at a specific stage of their
education.
Criterion-referenced test results are often based on the number of correct answers provided by
students, and scores might be expressed as a percentage of the total possible number of correct
answers. On a norm-referenced exam, however, the score would reflect how many more or fewer
correct answers a student gave in comparison to other students. Hypothetically, if all the students
who took a norm-referenced test performed poorly, the least-poor results would rank students in
the highest percentile. Similarly, if all students performed extraordinarily well, the least-strong
performance would rank students in the lowest percentile.
It should be noted that norm-referenced tests cannot measure the learning achievement or
progress of an entire group of students, but only the relative performance of individuals within a
group. For this reason, criterion-referenced tests are used to measure whole-group performance.

Q5. Read unit 5. What are ten characteristics of the most effective EFL lesson plan?
Answer:

Page | 6

1. A Calling to the Profession

My top 10 list is in no order of importance, except for #1. Effective teachers are driven and
passionate about what they do and feel a call to teach as well as a passion to help students
learn and grow. Without this mission, or calling, teaching is just another joband a tough one at
that. Central to this calling is the idea of a positive attitude. Effective teachers recognize that
teaching is demanding. Despite this, they exhibit a sense of pride in what they do.
2. Professional Knowledge
Shulman (1986) has identified seven types of knowledge that highly effective teachers must
have. According to him, teachers need knowledge about
the content they are teaching;
the curriculum, materials, and programs;
the broad principles and strategies that constitute classroom management and organization;
the student population;
the particular educational context they are teaching in;
educational aims and values, and
pedagogical content knowledge, which is a special mix of content and pedagogy unique to
teachers.
3. Personality/Personal Qualities
To what extent personality factors relate to teaching effectiveness has been the topic of numerous
empirical studies. Weinstein (1998) conducted a study which identified 10 characteristics good
teachers were thought to have (as cited in Brown & Rodgers, 2002, p. 153). Seven out of the ten
characteristics related to personality. The Weinstein study found personality factors like patience,
warmth, creativity, humor, and outgoingness to be indicative of effective teaching.
4. With-it-ness
The concept of with-it-ness (McEwan, 2002) is defined as the state of being on top of things,
tuned in to the teaching/learning environment, and in control of the different facets of classroom
life and our jobs. A with-it teacher is one who can organize and manage their classroom,
engage students in the lesson, and keep up a fast-paced momentum. Teachers with this quality
are ones who can multitask, use their time most effectively, and adapt to the changing needs and
demands of their job and the profession.
5. Instructional Effectiveness
For many, if teachers possess the requisite qualifications and years of teaching experience, being
a good teacher is considered a given. However, we all know and work with teachers who have
good credentials and lots of experience but have the same one year of teaching experience 20
times (as opposed to having 20 years of teaching experience). Knowing your content area and
being able to deliver effective lessons matters. Study after study confirms that students who have
Page | 7

high quality teachers make significant and lasting learning gains. Those with less effective
teachers play a constant game of academic catch up.
6. Good Communication Skills
Highly effective teachers must be good communicators as they are required to articulate ideas,
talk about issues, and express their beliefs and values about teaching. Because teachers take on
numerous roles in their classrooms and in the workplace, they must be skilled at conflict
resolution as well.
7. Street Smarts
Street smart teachers are those who have knowledge about what is happening around them
(knowledge of the students, the school, the community, and the cultural environment), and they
combine this knowledge with common sense to solve problems. Street smart teachers are also
politically savvy in that they are familiar with their institutional culture and they know which
materials and topics to avoid both in class and in the workplace, and which battles to fight.
8. Willingness to Go the Extra Mile
For teachers to be considered effective, they need to believe in their own ability to make a
difference in their students lives. Their expectations of their students are always high. Moreover,
they show a willingness to inspire and motivate their students through example.
9. Commitment to Lifelong Learning
Lifelong learning is now recognized by educators, governing bodies, accreditation organizations,
certification boards, employers and the general public as one of the most important competencies
that people must possess (Collins, 2009).
Effective teachers are concerned with their self- and professional development and regularly
reflect on what they do in their classrooms. They also engage in strategic career planning, which,
for many teachers, means assuming a leadership position.
10. Life outside the Classroom
A multitude of sources in the professional and self-help literature cite the importance of not
being too consumed by the job. Research also shows that people with hobbies and friends outside
of their profession suffer less stress, which in turn increases an individuals productivity at work.
So my final thoughts on this are that teachers should find something else that defines them
outside of the workplace.

Q6. Read unit 6. Define audio visual aids and how can you use your smart phone to teach
English as a foreign language in a rural area?
Page | 8

Answer:
Audio visual material must be seen in their relationship to teaching as a whole and to the
learning process as a whole, until the teacher understands the relationship between audio visual
material and teaching learning process.
Audio visual materials are produced, distributed and used as planned components of educational
programs. It helps the process of learning that is motivation, classification and stimulation. A.v.
aids are multisensory materials which motivate and stimulate the individual. It makes dynamic
learning experience more concrete realistic and clarity. It provides significant gains in thinking
and reasoning.
Audio visual aids are sensitive tools used in teaching and as avenues for learning. These are
planned educational materials that appeal to the senses of the people and quicken learning
facilities for clear understanding.
Definitions:
1. According to Kinder S. James: Audio visual aids are any device which can be used to make
the learning experience more concrete, more realistic and more dynamic.
2.

According to Burton: audio visual aids are those sensory objects or images which initiate or
stimulate and reinforce learning.

3.

According to Carter.v.Good: audio visual aids are those aids which help in completing the
triangular process of learning that is motivation, classification and stimulation.
Here are 5 terrific benefits you will be missing out on if you dont use mobile applications in
your classroom as an ESL:
1. Preparing Students for the Future
First and foremost your job as an educator is to prepare your students for the future. Well in order
to do so you need to incorporate mobile technology in the classroom. Working with mobile
devices will not only be a part of their everyday lives as adults, but it will also be vital part of
many career paths. Knowing how to appropriately use mobile devices is an important aspect in
this increasingly connected world. In order to properly prepare your students for the future as
they transition into the workforce, incorporating mobile technology in the classroom is a key.
2. Up-to-date learning
The old days of looking for information in encyclopedias are long gone. Having mobile devices
in the classroom allows students instant access to the latest news, information, statistics, etc.
Virtually every question they have is at their fingertips, keeping them connected with whats
going on around them and ensuring they are always well informed with the most up-to-date
information.

Page | 9

3. Alternative to textbooks
Many textbooks are not the most relevant sources of information. Todays generation has grown
accustomed to instant, updated information. Textbooks cant provide students with the latest
information like a mobile devices can. Also, having digital textbooks on their mobile devices
keeps students more organized and gives them easy access to their materials. No one likes
lugging around big textbooks. Many digital textbooks are constantly updated and often more
vivid, helpful, creative, and a lot cheaper than those old heavy books.
4. Learning goes outside of the classroom
By allowing mobile devices in school you can expand learning outside of the classroom.
Students will not only have access to information during computer lab time (which is also
becoming extinct). They can look up information from anywhere on campus. Collaboration will
increase as students can use these devices as research tools during projects and group work.
Plus students love technology so they are likely to be excited about it and continue learning
outside of school hours. Having those learning apps, digital textbooks, etc. on mobile devices
allows them to get in extra studying and learning in during downtime. They can carry their books
and notes with them at all times and have instant access to materials. If students are really
excited and engaged in learning inside of the classroom, they are likely to continue learning
outside of the classroom and they can do so with mobile technology.

Q7. Read unit 7. Differentiate cue card and flash card. Design an EFL lesson plan to teach
vocabulary with flash cards.
A flashcard or flash card is a set of cards bearing information, as words or numbers, on either
or both sides, used in classroom drills or in private study. One writes a question on a card and an
answer overleaf. Flashcards can bear vocabulary, historical dates, formulas or any subject matter
that can be learned via a question-and-answer format. Flashcards are widely used as a learning
drill to aid memorization by way of spaced repetition.
Flashcards exercise the mental process of active recall: given a prompt (the question), one
produces the answer. Beyond the content of cards, which are collected in decks, there is the
question of use how does one use the cards, in particular, how frequently does one review
(more finely, how does one schedule review) and how does one react to errors, either complete
failures to recall or mistakes? Various systems have been developed, with the main principle
being spaced repetition increasing the review interval whenever a card is recalled correctly.
Cue cards, also known as note cards,[1] are cards with words written on them that help actors
and speakers remember what they have to say. They are typically used in television productions
Page | 10

where they can be held off-camera and are unseen by the audience. Cue cards are still currently
being used on many late night talk shows including The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,
Late Night with Seth Meyers and Conan as well as variety and sketch comedy shows like
Saturday Night Live due to the practice of last minute script changes.[2] Many other TV shows,
including game and reality shows, still use cue cards due to their mobility, as a teleprompter only
allows the actor or broadcaster to look directly into the camera.
Cue cards were originally used to aid aging actors. One early use was by John Barrymore in the
late 1930s.
Cue cards however did not become widespread until 1949 when Barney McNulty[3] a CBS page
and former military pilot, was asked to write ailing actor Ed Wynn's script lines on large sheets
of paper to help him remember his script. McNulty volunteered for this duty because his training
as a pilot taught him to write very quickly and clearly.
Activities for using flash cards
I have divided the activities into the following categories: Memory, drilling, identification and
TPR activities.
In this article there is an example for each type of activity. If you follow this link - Flash card
activities - you will find more examples for each type of activity.
Memory Activities

Memory Tester
o Place a selection of flash cards on the floor in a circle.
o Students have one minute to memorise the cards.
o In groups, they have two minutes to write as many of the names as they can
remember.

Drilling Activities

Invisible Flash cards

o Stick 9 flash cards on the board and draw a grid around them.
o Use a pen or a pointer to drill the 9 words. Always point to the flash card you are
drilling.

Page | 11

o Gradually remove the flash cards but continue to drill and point to the grid where
the flash card was.
o When the first card is removed and you point to the blank space, nod your head to
encourage children to say the word of the removed flash card.
o Students should remember and continue as if the flash cards were still there. They
seem to be amazed that they can remember the pictures.
o Depending on the age group I then put the flash cards back in the right place on
the grid, asking the children where they go, or I ask students to come up and write
the word in the correct place on the grid.

This activity highlights the impact of visual aids. It really proves that the images 'stick' in
students' minds.
Identification Activities

Reveal the word

o Cover the flash card or word card with a piece of card and slowly reveal it.
o Students guess which one it is.
o Once the card is shown, chorally drill the word with the group using different
intonation and silly voices to keep it fun. Vary the volume too, whisper and shout
the words. Children will automatically copy your voice.
o Alternatively, flip the card over very quickly so the children just get a quick
glimpse.
o Repeat until they have guessed the word.

TPR activities

Point or race to the flash cards

o Stick flash cards around the class.
o Say one of them and students point or race to it.

Page | 12

o Students can then give the instructions to classmates.

o You can extend this by saying "hop to the cat" or even "if you have blonde hair,
swim to the fish" etc.
o You can also incorporate flash cards into a game of Simon Says. "Simon says,
jump to the T-shirt" etc.

Q8. Read unit 8. What are the advantages of overhead projector and tape recorder in EFL
classroom?
Answer:
An audio tape recorder, tape deck or tape machine is an analog audio storage device that
records and plays back sounds, including articulated voices, usually using magnetic tape, either
wound on a reel or in a cassette, for storage. In its present-day form, it records a fluctuating
signal by moving the tape across a tape head that polarizes the magnetic domains in the tape in
proportion to the audio signal. Tape-recording devices include reel-to-reel tape deck and the
cassette deck.
Tape enabled the radio industry for the first time to pre-record many sections of program content
such as advertising, which formerly had to be presented live, and it also enabled the creation and
duplication of complex, high-fidelity, long-duration recordings of entire programs. It also, for the
first time, allowed broadcasters, regulators and other interested parties to undertake
comprehensive logging of radio broadcasts for legislative and commercial purposes, leading to
the growth of the modern media monitoring industry.
Innovations, like multitrack recording and tape echo, enabled radio programs and advertisements
to be pre-produced to a level of complexity and sophistication that was previously unattainable
and tape also led to significant changes to the pacing of program content, thanks to the
introduction of the endless-loop tape cartridge.
An important use of tape recorders is the recording of video. Video cassette recorders differ
substantially from audio recorders due to the use of a rotating magnetic head that uses a helical
scan over the tape medium. Helical scans increase the relative speed of the tape surface over the
head.
While they are primarily used for sound recording, tape machines were also important for data
storage before the advent of floppy disks and CDs, and are still used today, although primarily to
provide an offline backup to hard disk drives.

Page | 13

..
An overhead projector works on the same principle as a 35mm slide projector, in which a
focusing lens projects light from an illuminated slide onto a projection screen where a real image
is formed. However some differences are necessitated by the much larger size of the
transparencies used (generally the size of a printed page), and the requirement that the
transparency be placed face up (and readable to the presenter). For the latter purpose, the
projector includes a mirror just before or after the focusing lens to fold the optical system toward
the horizontal.
The overhead projector facilitates an easy low-cost interactive environment for educators.
Teaching materials can be pre-printed on plastic sheets, upon which the educator can directly
write using a non-permanent, washable color marking pen. This saves time, since the
transparency can be pre-printed and used repetitively, rather than having materials written
manually before each class.
The overhead is typically placed at a comfortable writing height for the educator and allows the
educator to face the class, facilitating better communication between the students and teacher.
The enlarging features of the projector allow the educator to write in a comfortable small script
in a natural writing position rather than writing in an overly large script on a blackboard and
having to constantly hold his arm out in midair to write on the blackboard.
When the transparency sheet is full of written or drawn material, it can simply be replaced with a
new, fresh sheet with more pre-printed material, again saving class time vs a blackboard that
would need to be erased and teaching materials rewritten by the educator. Following the class
period, the transparencies are easily restored to their original unused state by washing off with
soap and water.

Q9. Read unit 9. Define large class. How can a teacher successfully teach English to a large class
of 150 mixed-ability students?
Answer:
Large classes
It is difficult to set a definition of what a large class is. In some countries, a class with 30
students is not considered at all problematic. In other countries, however, such a class would be
challenging for teachers. Some teachers have to face even more than 40.
A teacher with responsibility for teaching a large class, will find the following tips useful.
Page | 14

Be organised

Large classes require more advance preparation and structure than small classes. Lapses in the
flow of the class, while collecting thoughts or locating instructional materials, can result in loss
of student attention. Before the course begins, prepare or identify a variety of instructional aids,
demonstrations, and activities to support each meeting of the class. Prepare a syllabus that
includes outlines for each class meeting, all project and activity descriptions, and handouts for
the entire course. Provide structure to the content, and use the structure to organise each lesson.
Inform the students of that structure. Taking roll or distributing materials during class is not
recommended for large class situations. Student materials or instructions needed for a specific
class should be made available prior to class or located so that students may obtain them with as
little disruption as possible.
Connect with your students

It is important to appear approachable in large classes. Build rapport with your students, and
recognise the individuality of each student. Move among them when talking. Increase student
access to you by getting to class early to listen to their questions, comments, or complaints.
Begin by inviting students to call out something they know or recall about a topic. Display the
responses as an introduction to the day's activities. Address some of the anonymity students feel
in large classes. Try to learn some names, and call on those you know by name. Learn something
about as many students as possible. Ask for a few volunteers each day to help with
demonstrations and activities and throughout this process learn some student names.
Provide a variety of experiences
It is appropriate to vary the type of instruction in large classes to encourage discussion,
interaction, and involvement. Do not attempt to lecture the entire period. Actively involve
students during at least a small part of every class meeting. Form groups of three or four to
discuss a problem or work on a task for a few minutes. Have a question and answer period at the
beginning or end of each class.
Encourage participation

Be aware that students are often reluctant to ask or respond to questions in large classes, and it is
often very difficult to hear their comments in large lecture halls. Try to be accepting of all
questions and responses from students, and paraphrase or repeat every question or response.
Provide hand-held microphones if acoustics are poor. Invite students to write questions or
Page | 15

comments on index cards and give them to you at the end of class. Increase the wait time after
you ask a question. Encourage students to indicate in some way when the pace of the class is too
fast or too slow.
Obtain and use feedback
Students in large classes are often reluctant to communicate difficulties they are having with a
course or the teaching strategies. Employ informal assessment techniques frequently to obtain
student perceptions and suggestions. Use this information as a basis for making small changes in
your teaching behaviour before the course is completed. Inform your students if you make a
change as a result of their suggestions. Hold weekly meetings with teaching assistants, or small
groups of students, to discuss student reactions to your teaching and the course. Ask individual
students after each class meeting how the course is progressing. Provide a suggestion box, or
have an envelope attached to your office door where students may leave comments about you or
the course.
Out-of-class Group Assignments
When you are teaching a class of 160 students and you give individual homework weekly, that's
160 papers to grade every week. If the students complete the assignments in teams of four and
only one solution is handed in by each team, that is 40 papers to grade every week. The
difference has a major impact on the feasibility of collecting homework at all. Unless you have a
squadron of teaching assistants, there is no good way to deal with 160 papers every week, and
most lecturers in this situation either give up on collecting homework (which is a pedagogical
disaster), confine themselves to multiple-choice problems that require either memorization or
rote substitution, or grade superficially enough for the homework to lose most of its educational
value. Even if there are enough teaching assistants to do the job, maintaining quality control on
the grading of hundreds of assignments is next to impossible.
Using Multiple-Choice Assessment in Large Classes
Since multiple-choice questions are amenable to speedy marking or grading, they are well-suited
for use in large classes. Efforts should however be made to minimize, indeed, eliminate cheating.
After the examination is taken, students can exchange their scripts in a random manner and made
to mark. This ensures early feedback to the students on how well or how badly they have done.
Also to the teacher on the level of success or failure of the class on the topics covered by the test.

Page | 16

Page | 17