SUMMARY

LEARNING THEORY
 Deep processing of language
 Affective engagement is essential
 Making mental connections
 Multi-dimensional processing of language
 The learners should be given opportunities to use the target language to
achieve communicative purposes
 Materials should take into account that learners differ in learning styles.
As materials evaluators gives some evaluation criteria:
• To what extent do the materials help the learners to achieve connections
with their own lives?
• To what extent are the materials likely to stimulate emotional engagement?
• To what extent are the materials likely to promote visualization?
Task 1.2
Constructing Evaluation Criteria
1. Which of the conclusions above do you agree with?
I agree with the third point. As you know, nowadays the world is changing more
and more, we must learn to combine modern things with traditional values, so is
learning. Not only do we learn from books and then apply them in our daily lives,
but we also have to search for and tinker with outside knowledge to supplement
our knowledge more, to help us have a better connection with others around the
world
2. Convert four of the conclusions above into evaluation criteria.
- how/to what extent are the materials suitable for the level of the learners?
- to what extent are the materials create opportunities for the learners to use in
their life?
- to what extent are the materials provide a way to handle the situation?
- do the lesson reflect learners’ need and easy to use by teachers and learners?
TYPES OF EVALUATION
- Pre-Use Evaluation -> making predictions -> the potential value of materials ->
often impressionistic, subjective and unreliable.
- However, making an evaluation criterion-referenced can reduce (but not remove)
subjectivity and can certainly help to make an evaluation more principled,
rigorous, systematic and reliable.
- Especially true if two or more evaluators conduct the evaluation independently
and then average their conclusions.
Task 1.3
Step 1: choose an unit in the books (PET,KET,…)
Step 2: spend 5 mins looking all the book, perform an initial preliminary
assessment, in a 20 scale
Step 3: fin out strength, weakness
WHILST-USE EVALUATION
- involves measuring the value of materials
- objective and reliable than pre-use evaluation as it makes use of measurement
rather than prediction
- However, it is limited to measuring what is observable (e.g., "Are the instructions
clear to the learners?")
- Some of the things it can measure are:
• Clarity of instructions
• Clarity of layout
• Comprehensibility of texts
• Achievability of tasks
• Flexibility of the materials
• Appeal of the materials
• Motivating power of the materials
 => can be estimated during an open-ended, impressionistic observation
=> but greater reliability => by focusing on one criterion at a time and by using pre-
prepared instruments of measurement
POST-USE EVALUATION
- is the most valuable type (because measure the actual effects of the materials on
the users)
- It can answer questions such as:
 What do the learners know which they did not know before starting to use
the materials?
 What do the learners still not know despite using the materials?
 What can the learners do which they could not do before starting to use the
materials?
 What can the learners still not do despite using the materials?
 To what extent have the materials prepared the learners for their post-
course use of the target language?
=> in conclusion, it measures the actual outcomes of the use of the materials, also
provide the data for the use, adaption or replacement of the materials
Ways of measuring the post-use effects of materials include:
• tests of what has been taught
• tests of what the students can do
• Examinations
• Interviews
• Questionnaires
• criterion referenced evaluations by the users
• post-course diaries
• post-course reports on the learners by employers, subject tutors etc
DEVELOPING CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING MATERIALS
- It is extremely useful.
- Not only helps you to clarify your principles of language learning and teaching
but it also ensures that your future evaluations are systematic, rigorous and,
above all, principled