Authentic Task #1
Developing a Questionnaire
For this task you will design a questionnaire for English Language Learners to get to know a bit more about the student personally and academically.
Imagine that you have been notified that a new student is entering your class (at the grade level you currently teach or intend to teach) on Monday morning. You only know that they have been identified as a language learner, they are the same age as the rest of your students, and that their language level has been described as “low.” This is not a lot of detail for you to use to prepare to help the learner, so you want to find a way to learn more about them during class. During the time that the rest of the class will be reading quietly, you decide to administer a questionnaire to the student to gather more information.
-
The questions should address at least the following, but can/should have additional questions appropriate for the grade level/age of the student and the community you belong to:
-
Student’s home country
-
Other countries where student has lived
-
Language(s) student speaks
-
Who lives in the student’s home
-
If anyone in the student’s home speaks English
-
When they arrived in the U.S.
-
If they have studied English in the past
-
If they have gone to school before
-
If yes, which subjects the student liked
-
How they feel about being in the U.S.
-
If they would like a classroom buddy
-
You can choose to make this a paper questionnaire, a face-to-face talk, or a digital form (Google Forms, Typeforms, etc.), but consider the additional barrier of computer literacy if selecting digital and provide additional justification (perhaps same-language assistance, or a teacher sitting beside the student and helping them complete the survey).
-
Make appropriate use of images, symbols, and even multi-lingual instructions to help students comprehend the questions.
-
The design should take into account that the student’s language level could be quite low. Use of images, simple words, and number scales will be essential (see rubric for details).
-
After designing your questionnaire, you will write a reflection (2 paragraphs maximum) that explains why you made the choices you did.
|
Criteria |
Does Not Meet |
Approaching Expectations |
Meets Expectations |
Exceeds Expectations |
|
Questions |
Questions are not thoughtful and are frequently intrusive, or missing important information. |
Many of the questions are too intrusive and/or many important questions are not asked. |
Most questions are appropriate, but the questionnaire may not ask some important questions or may ask a question that is too intrusive. |
Questions are detailed and appropriate for gathering useful information, but never too intrusive. |
|
Language level |
Questions are written for native speakers with no care given in adjusting language for learners. |
Questions vacillate between accommodating language level, and being written with much too complex language. |
Questions are worded in a way that an intermediate-level language learner could understand, but a low-level learner would probably struggle with. |
Questions are carefully worded in a way that even a very low-level learner could comprehend and respond to. |
|
Modality (digital, oral or paper) |
The instructor chose a format (digital or paper) without any justification for doing so. |
The instructor may have given thought to selecting the modality, but the reflection does not justify it. |
The instructor gave thought to selecting the modality and explained it in the reflection. |
The format was selected in order to maximize benefit to the student and was carefully explained in the reflection. |
|
Use of images, symbols, and visual scales. |
No attempt was made to modify language for low-level language learners. |
Some attempt was made to modify for low-levels, but not enough to be workable. |
Multiple attempts were made to meet the needs of low-level learners, but more could be done. |
Every possible effort was made to meet the needs of low-level language learners with images, symbols, and visual scales. |
|
Reflection |
No reflection is attached and the decisions made are not justified. |
A reflection is attached, but it only justifies a few of the choices made in the questionnaire. |
A reflection is attached, and it justifies most of the choices made. |
The questionnaire is accompanied by a detailed reflection that fully explains the choices made. |