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MATERIALS EVALUATION. A perspective of evaluation and its application to EFL coursebook selection. Prof. Pablo E. Requena. Objectives. Review the concept of evaluation and its classification Focus on pre-use evaluation of materials
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MATERIALS EVALUATION A perspective of evaluation and itsapplicationto EFL coursebookselection Prof. Pablo E. Requena
Objectives • Review the concept of evaluation and its classification • Focus on pre-use evaluation of materials • Exemplify tools of data collecting for materials evaluation • Go through the evaluation stages when choosing a textbook • New ways of having access to materials to carry out your own evaluation
Definingevaluation: • The purpose of evaluation is to collect information systematically in order to indicate the worth or merit of a programme or Project (from certain aspects or as a whole) and to inform decision making. (Weir & Roberts p. 4) • ‘the systematic collection and analysis of all relevant information necessary to promote the improvement of the curriculum, and assess its effectiveness and efficiency, as well as the participants’ attitudes within a context of particular institutions involved’ (Brown 1989:223)
Purpose --------Why? summative formative
Techniques of data collection---How? Test data. Observation Self-report Interviews * Questionnaires * Record sheets * Other documentation * Student feedback sessions * Teachers’ working groups Teachers’ own materials End-of-course debriefing
Checklists (Breen and Candlin 1987, Cunningsworth 1984, Hutchinson and Waters 1987 – available in the library). • Texts: suitability, length, challenge level • Tasks: match to texts, challenge level, interest for mature students • Rubric: lack of ambiguity, brevity • Unit: • Length • Structure • Completeness • Teachability within and between units (level, staging, sequencing, accessibility, user-friendliness) • Usefulness, effectiveness, relevance • Appropriateness (subject, specificity, level) • Timing • Interest value, etc • Teachers’ notes: practicality, clarity.
Choosing a Coursebook in FOUR steps
2. TEXTBOOK ANALYSIS It is different from evaluation. (Tomlinson 1999) Analysis is a process which leads to an objective, verifiable description. Evaluation, as the word suggests, involves the making of judgements. 3. CLOSE EVALUATIONusing a checklist 4. in-depth analysis going beyond checklists
New ways of havingaccesstomaterialstocarryoutyourownevaluation How to evaluate textbooks online http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsMRFaRxNuc