Orals ain't orals: How instruction and assessment practices affect delivery choices with prepared student oral presentations

Despite an ostensibly technology-driven society, the ability to communicate orally is still seen as an essential ability for students at school and university, as it is for graduates in the workplace. The need to develop effective oral communication skills is often tied to future work-related tasks. One tangible way that educators have assessed proficiency in this area is through prepared oral presentations. While some use the terms oral communication and oral presentation interchangeably, other writers question the role more formal presentations play in the overall development of oral communication skills. Adding to the discussion, this paper is part of a larger study examining the knowledge and skills students bring into the academy from previous educational experiences. The study examines some of the teaching and assessment methods used in secondary schools to develop oral communication skills through the use of formal oral presentations. Specifically, it will look at assessment models and how these are used as a form of instruction as well as how they contribute to an accurate evaluation of student abilities. The purpose of this paper is to explore key terms and identify tensions between expectations and practice. Placing the emphasis on the ‘oral’ aspect of this form of communication this paper will particularly look at the ‘delivery’ element of the process

Acoustical analysis of hypernasal voice : towards a clinical prediction test

Hypernasalization of oral voice sounds results in a decrease of energy, due to nasal attenuation, and in loss of acoustical clues with the subsequent loss of intelligibility. Whereas severe and moderate hypernasality is easily perceived auditorily, mild cases are difficult to assess. Therefore, there is a need for an objective test for clinical evaluation of hypernasal voice. In this research work we identify two acoustic markers that specifically and consistently correlate with nasalization of oral vowels. Using these two markers to generate a combined acoustic index that predicts nasalization with high sensitivity and specificity, and an overall efficiency of 85%.La hipernasalitat en els sons orals es deu a una pèrdua d'energia degut a la pròpia atenuació nasal i la pèrdua de claus acústiques, amb una pèrdua d'intel·ligibilitat. Aquest fet és fàcil de mesurar en els casos severs però molt complicat en els casos moderats. Per això cal un test objectiu que permeti la seva avaluació clínica. En aquest treball s'han identificat dos marcadors acústics d'hipernasalitat que correlacionen de forma específica amb la nasalització de sons vocàlics. Utilitzant aquests dos marcadors s'aconsegueix un índex combinat que prediu la hipernasalitat amb una alta sensibilitat i especificitat, amb un rendiment de 85%

DYNAMIC EVALUATION AND TEST OF ORALS: DIGITAL EFFICACY ON UNIVERSITY UNDERGRADUATES’ PERFORMANCE IN SOUTHWEST NIGERIA

This paper presents a study exploring the efficacy of customised software, dynamic evaluation and Test of Orals (TEO) on the performance of university undergraduates in Southwest Nigeria. A multistage sampling procedure was used in selecting 200 students from two public universities in Southwest Nigeria. A quasi-experimental design and descriptive survey-type research design were used to investigate the impact of customised software ( Kollit ) on 200 students randomly selected for the study. Two hypotheses were raised. The instrument for data collection was the Students' Oral English Proficiency Test (SOEPT). The Cronbach Alfa method was used to establish the reliability coefficient for SOEPT, which was found to be 0.68. A One-Way Analysis of Variance was utilised to test the hypotheses at a 0.05 significance level. The study results indicated a significant increase in academic performance on the part of the students after implementing the customised software. The findings suggested that the customised software could improve the performance and evaluation of students in the Test of Orals. The study concludes by discussing the potential limitations of the study while offering recommendations for future researc

Exploring teachers’ experiences of conducting oral assessment in grade 10 in the Curriculum and Assessment Policy statement.

Master of Education in Curriculum Studies. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2017.Oral assessment in education is a worldwide phenomenon, which is faced with a number of challenges. Studies conducted internationally and locally reveal that teachers experience problems/and or challenges when conducting oral assessment to second language learners or foreign language speakers. Therefore, this study explored teachers‟ experiences of conducting oral assessment in Grade 10 in the Curriculum and Policy Statement (CAPS). The study was located within the interpretive paradigm and employed a qualitative case study approach to explore. Four teachers were purposively selected from two township high schools in Pinetown District in the Province of KwaZulu Natal because of their qualifications, and experiences of conducting oral assessment. Spider web by Van den Akker (2009) was used as a Conceptual framework for this study. Data generation methods for the study were reflective activity, one-on-one semi structured interviews and focus group discussions. The researcher observed all ethical issues. This study found that teachers were conducting oral assessment using a “synergy “of rationales. This suggests that teachers were uncertain of the rationale for assessing orals. Furthermore, the findings revealed that teachers lacked understanding of oral assessment goals. They showed varying degrees of understanding oral assessment goals (aims, objectives and outcomes). It is recommended that subject specialist must ensure that cluster meetings as well as workshop are organised on a regular basis in order to improve teachers‟ oral assessment practices

Aplicació de la metodologia d’aprenentatge basat en Projectes (ABP) a l’assignatura de Tecnologia de 4t d’ESO”

Català: L’objectiu d’aquest treball és elaborar una programació corresponent a l’assignatura de Tecnologia de 4t d’ESO aplicant la metodologia d’Aprenentatge Basat en Projectes (ABP). Es proposa una programació de tot el curs entorn a la construcció d’una maqueta al taller de Tecnologia i a l'aula ordinària. Es desenvolupen les unitats didàctiques corresponents i una guia del projecte com a eina de treball de l’alumnat. No s’hi inclou el desenvolupament de recursos didàctics específics per dur a terme les activitats proposades. La programació del curs consta de quatre fases consecutives corresponents a quatre unitats didàctiques (UD), cadascuna d’elles amb uns objectius i desenvolupament concrets: 1. UD 1. Fase 1. Introducció del projecte 2. UD 2. Fase 2. Planificació del projecte 3. UD 3. Fase 3. Desenvolupament del projecte 4. UD 4. Fase 4. Avaluació i conclusions Cada unitat didàctica inclou els objectius, les competències bàsiques, la seqüència d'activitats i els criteris i procediment d'avaluació. La metodologia ABP es basa fonamentalment en el treball cooperatiu mitjançant grups formals que treballen per construir un objecte real o virtual. L’alumnat treballa de manera autònoma en base a la guia del projecte, prèviament lliurada, on es troben tots els requeriments necessaris per a la seva realització. El professorat no imparteix la matèria sinó que es presenta com a assessor i guia en el procés d’aprenentatge de l’alumnat, proporcionant recursos didàctics i recolzament davant els dubtes que van sorgint al llarg dels desenvolupament del projecte. L’ABP aprofundeix en el tractament de les competències bàsiques considerant l’alumnat com a centre del seu propi aprenentatge, potenciant l’autonomia i la iniciativa personals, l’aprenentatge significatiu, el sentit crític i els valors del treball cooperatiu. S'hi consideren diverses metodologies d'avaluació per tal d'avaluar l'assoliment de competències bàsiques: proves orals, escrites i pràctiques, tant a nivell individual com de grup. També es proposa la utilització de rúbriques d'avaluació

Understanding the Economic Burden of Nonsevere Nocturnal Hypoglycemic Events: Impact on Work Productivity, Disease Management, and Resource Utilization

AbstractObjectiveNonsevere hypoglycemic events are common and may occur in one-third of persons with diabetes as often as several times a week. This study’s objective was to examine the economic burden of nonsevere nocturnal hypoglycemic events (NSNHEs).MethodsA 20-minute Web-based survey, with items derived from the literature, expert input, and patient interviews, assessing the impact of NSNHEs was administered in nine countries to 18 years and older patients with self-reported diabetes having an NSNHE in the past month.ResultsA total of 20,212 persons were screened, with 2,108 respondents meeting criteria and included in the analysis sample. The cost of lost work productivity per NSNHE was estimated to be between $10.21 (Germany) and$28.13 (the United Kingdom), representing 3.3 to 7.5 hours of lost work time per event. A reduction in work productivity (presenteeism) was also reported. Compared with respondents’ usual blood sugar monitoring practice, on average, 3.6 ± 6.6 extra tests were conducted in the week following the event at a cost of approximately $87.1 per year. Additional costs were also incurred for doctor visits as well as medical care required because of falls or injuries incurred during the NSNHE for an annual cost of$2,111.3 per person per year. When taking into consideration the multiple impacts of NSNHEs for the total sample and the frequency that these events occur, the resulting total annual economic burden was $288,000 or$127 per person per event.ConclusionsNSNHEs have serious consequences for patients. Greater attention to treatments that reduce NSNHEs can have a major impact on reducing the economic burden of diabetes