Assessment of English Language Learners – US Embassy
About This Course
Welcome to the Assessment of English Language Learners MOOC! This course is provided by FHI 360 as part of the Online Professional English Network (OPEN). This program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, with funding provided by the U.S. government and administered by FHI 360.
This course is designed to help English-language educators improve their teaching practices by creating courses that have engaging, practical assessments tied to learning outcomes. Participants will learn about the principles of backward design and explore the main types of assessment for use in language teaching and learning. They will gain an understanding of how to select appropriate assessment types for different groups of students, and they will also have a chance to practice these new assessment techniques and reflect on the results during the course.
This course will be active from January 10 to April 4, 2022. The course begins with an optional orientation module, which also opens on January 10, 2022. This orientation will help you familiarize yourself with Canvas and how to get support. It is not mandatory, and it will be open for the duration of the course.
Learning Objectives and Learner Outcomes
By the end of this course, each participant will be able to:
- Explain the main types of assessment in use for language teaching and learning.
- Match different kinds of assessments to the teaching of language skills.
- Find and explain about an assessment need for a group of students.
- Choose one or more new assessment techniques to meet that need for their students.
- Explain the results of the new technique(s).
Expectations and Grading
This course is five modules long and will run from January 10 to April 4, 2022. Participants can expect to spend 3-5 hours per module reading articles, discussing with colleagues, reflecting on their teaching practices and completing assignments.
Participants are expected to practice the “4 Cs” of 21st Century Skills in all parts of the course:
- Collaboration – Come to the course with an open mind and ready to learn from and with others.
- Communication – Be respectful and professional at all times.
- Critical Thinking – Ask questions, listen well to other opinions, and look for solutions to problems.
- Creativity – Use your imagination, try new things, and have fun!
Participants who satisfactorily complete all required tasks with a score of 70% or above before the course close date will receive a digital badge and certificate of participation.
About The Online Professional English Network (OPEN) Program
The Online Professional English Network (OPEN) Program offers two types of professional development opportunities for English language educators: Global Online Courses and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). The OPEN Program Courses are freely open for any interested participants.
All OPEN Programs courses use the latest in instructional technology to provide participants with an interactive distance-learning experience and are designed to familiarize participating teachers with current methods and issues in the field of English as a Foreign Language.
The Online Professional English Network (OPEN) Program also connects participants with U.S. English language teaching experts and creates a professional network of international colleagues.
The Online Professional English Network (OPEN) program offers virtual learning opportunities to foreign English language educators, professionals and learners worldwide. OPEN promotes the mutual exchange of culture and provides free access to teaching and learning materials that can be reused, adapted, and shared with others. OPEN professional development opportunities are developed by U.S. academic institutions and experts in the field of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL).
The Online Professional English Network (OPEN) offers professional development courses for English language teachers and educators, as well as other professionals around the world. The goal of the program is to increase the capacity of participants to use English effectively in their professional contexts, increase access to openly licensed learning materials, increase understanding of U.S. society, culture and values, provide opportunities for mutual exchange, and build the capacity of participants to apply what they have learned within their educational and professional communities.
Who
The OPEN program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State (Links to an external site.), Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, with funding from the U.S. government, is administered by FHI 360.
The professional development opportunities offered through the program are designed and taught by a variety of partners, including universities, non-profit companies, private sector partners, and consultants. Together, the U.S. Department of State, FHI 360, and our partners offer online professional development opportunities to English educators and learners in over 100 countries.
What
OPEN offers online courses on a variety of topics, including teacher training topics such as Critical Thinking, Educational Technology, Assessment, and Teaching English to Young Learners, among others, as well as English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses such as English for Media Literacy, English for Journalism, and English Communications for Health Professionals, among others.
Where
OPEN professional development opportunities are offered entirely online. Courses are offered asynchronously via the Canvas learning management system (LMS).
Courses Offered:
- Integrating Critical Thinking Skills into the Exploration of Culture in an EFL Setting
- Teaching Grammar Communicatively
- Using Educational Technology in the English Language Classroom
- Teaching English to Young Learners
- Professional Development for Teacher Trainers
- Content-based Instruction
- TESOL Methodology
- Assessment of English Language Learners
About Canvas Network
Canvas Network is an open space for educators to share, experiment, analyze, and create.
OUR MISSION:
To promote OPENNESS, INNOVATION, and EXPERIMENTATION in education by providing educators access to professional development courses and programs that will help them thrive and succeed in their careers.
To Canvas Network ‘open’ means:
- Open entry and open access. Open entry for learners around the globe and continual access to course content after the course end date.
- Open content. Open licensing options and content sharing to Canvas Commons where other instructors reuse, revise, remix, retain, and redistribute content.
- Open platform and ecosystem. Open platform to integrate and innovate with third-party tools.
- Open data. Open, de-identified Canvas Network data for researchers to analyze and synthesize.
- Platform neutrality. Your course. Your goals. Your way. We provide the platform for open innovation and experimentation.
About US Embassy
What does the US Embassy Do?
The primary purpose of an embassy is to assist American citizens who travel to or live in the host country. U.S. Foreign Service Officers also interview citizens of the host country who wish to travel to the United States for business, education, or tourism purposes.
U.S. Embassy, LondonEmbassy in London, England
The Embassy of the United States of America in London is the diplomatic mission of the United States in the United Kingdom. It is the largest American embassy in Western Europe and the focal point for events relating to the United States held in the United Kingdom.
Embassy of the United States, BeijingOffice in Beijing, China
The Embassy of the United States in Beijing is the diplomatic mission of the United States in China. It serves as the administrative office of the United States Ambassador to China. The embassy complex is in Chaoyang District, Beijing.
Other English Courses Offered from US Embassy
How To Apply For Open Vacancies In The US Embassy Of Khartoum
