Appendix A: Course Syllabus

Appendix B

Assessment Specifications

English Language Teaching Unit- University of Kelaniya

TESL 11213: Rhetoric and Composition

Writing Portfolio (100%)

Assessment Specifications
Introduction:
The purpose of the writing portfolio is to provide the students with an opportunity to
demonstrate their progress and achievements in writing skills during the course. In
addition to being a formative and summative assessment tool, it also offers a solid
learning experience in academic writing as a recursive process of planning, writing,
revising and redrafting.
Portfolio Objectives:
For the learner:
The objectives of the portfolio are to give the students an opportunity to:

collect a body of their academic writing, organize it and present it in an

efficient and professional format

demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the grammar,

vocabulary, genre, stylistics, mechanics of writing for academic purposes.

apply their knowledge and skills to produce different genres of academic

writing

understand the process of planning, organizing, producing, revising and

reproducing writing for academic purposes

edit and evaluate their own writing and those of their peers.

reflect on their progress and achievement during the course of study

develop their autonomy in the learning process

For the teacher:

Using the portfolio, the teacher should be able to

assess the progress and achievement of the students during the course

link assessment with the process of learning

collect relevant information about the students learning and use it for
classroom decision making and future lesson planning

offer constructive feedback to help students improve their writing skills

foster autonomy, motivation, responsibility, and ownership of learning among

students

facilitate critical thinking, self and peer-assessment and revision process

Portfolio Content:
Tasks
Task Type

Word limit

Diagnostic Writing

Approx. 300
words

Assessed Writing Task 1

(in-class):
Summary of a short
article of approximately
900 words
Assessed Writing Task 2
(in-class):
Synthesis of two articles
Assessed Writing Task 3
(in class)
Exam Essay-type answer
Assessed Writing Task 4
(take-home
assignment ): A critical

300 words

500 words

Allocated
Time (for
the first
draft)
30 minutes

1 hour

1 hour and
15 minutes

Deadline
for first
draft

Deadline for
final draft

First lesson

No deadline
(Optional)

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 8

Week 8

Week 11

Week 11

Week 14

1 hour
Approx. 600
words
Approx. 1000
words

72 hours
(4 days)

article of a journal article

or book chapter
Assessed Writing Task 5:
( Collaborative Extended
Essay)

Approx. 1500
words

Approximat
ely

Week 15

During study
leave

ongoing
from week
12

On the day of
the submission
of the portfolio
(during study
leave)

3 weeks
Reflective Statement

Approx.
1000 words

Flexible/
ongoing

In addition to the writing tasks, the portfolio should contain the following
documents:

Cover page
Contents Page
Self and/or peer-review checklists (Each task should come after the relevant

task)
Teacher Feedback Forms (Each form should come after the relevant task.)
Self- reflection Forms (Each form should come after the relevant task)
Mid-semester counselling notes

Task Prompts:
Short Essay: A piece of written composition that consists of approximately five
paragraphs: an introduction, a body of three paragraphs and a concluding
paragraph.
Summary: A piece of writing that encapsulates the main ideas of a larger piece of
writing. For the purposes of the present portfolio, the students are expected to
produce a 300 word summary of a 900-word article or extract from a book on a
topic in linguistics or English language teaching.
Synthesis: For the purposes of the present portfolio, a synthesis is a piece of
explanatory writing of approximately 500 words that draws on two sources (articles)

about the same topic/subject. The students should be able to explicate the
relationship that they have inferred between the two sources.
Essay-type answer: Exam-style essays that students are expected to produce
during timed exams in response to a question. The question should be on a topic
that the students should have studied in one of their other courses in the TESL
programmes. The overall theme/area of the question should be given to the
students in advance so that he could prepare in advance and the focus of the
assessment is the students ability to form an argument, organize content and write
academically under examination conditions.
Critical review: a piece of writing of approximately 1500 words that summarizes
the main content of an article or book chapter and then provides a critical
evaluation of this content.
Extended Essay:

A coursework essay that requires the students to present an

argument in response to a question or issue. It should be similar to assessed

coursework essays that students submit for other courses of the TESL programme.
The essay should make reference to secondary sources and provide a bibliography
of the works cited.
Reflective Statement: A piece of reflective writing that expects the students to
provide a self-appraisal of what they have learnt during the course, their strengths,
weaknesses, developmental needs and how they will continue to improve their
academic writing skills.
Procedure:

In their first lesson, the students complete a diagnostic writing task. The aim
of this task is to allow the teacher to identify the strengths and
developmental needs in the students writing. The students spend
approximately 40 minutes to write a 300-word essay on a given topic which is
related to their field of study. When correcting the essay, the teacher should
underline some key issues to focus on, state at least one strength and
weakness, and provide an impressionistic grade to help the students plan
their learning in advance. This is a one-off writing task that does NOT

contribute towards the final grade and therefore, the second draft is not
compulsory. Ideally, there should be a teacher-led plenary session on
common problems that were diagnosed through this writing task. Based on
the feedback, the students should complete their reflection form and identify
their action points.

Assessed writing tasks 1-3 are in-class assignments. The students plan and
write the first draft in class, and their writing will then be self- and peer
reviewed using standard checklists. When correcting the first draft, the
teacher uses a correction code to highlight/ annotate the issues to focus on
and provide feedback using an analytical (multi-trait) scoring rubric with
some written comments. Based on the feedback, the students complete their
reflection form and identify action points for a the final/second draft. The
students work on the second draft at home and submit it to the teacher,
which will then be given a summative grade/ mark.

Assessed Writing task 4 is a take-home assignment. The students are

excepted to write a crical review of an article or book chapter that is provided
to them. Since this is a take-home assignment, the review should be typed
and formatted according to the guidelines of the APA Style Guide (6th
Edition). Handwritten reviews will not be accepted. In addition to submitting
a hard copy on or before the deadline, a soft copy of the assignment should
be e-mailed to the teacher as a Microsoft Word Document as a plagiarism
check will be run. When correcting the first draft, the teacher uses a
correction code to highlight/ annotate the issues to focus on and provide
feedback using an analytical (multi-trait) scoring rubric with some written
comments. The feedback should focus on issues of plagiarism (both
intentional and unintentional) if there are any. Based on the feedback, the
students complete their reflection form and identify action points for the
final/second draft. The students work on the second draft and submit it to the
teacher, which will then be given a summative grade/ mark.

Assessed Writing Task 5 is a extended collaborative essay which will be

written in groups of 3-4. This essay should resemble a coursework essay that
students are likely to submit as part of their other courses in the TESL degree

programme. The students are given the choice to decide the topic but this
choice should be discussed/negotiated with the teacher in advance. Ideally,
the students should submit a brief outline of their essay. The essay should be
typed and formatted according to the guidelines of the APA Style Guide (6th
Edition). In addition to submitting a hard copy on or before the deadline, a
soft copy of the assignment should be e-mailed to the teacher as a Microsoft
Word Document as a plagiarism check will be run. When correcting the essay,
the teacher uses a correction code to highlight/ annotate the issues to focus
on and provide feedback using an analytical (multi-trait) scoring rubric with
some written comments. Also, a final grade/mark will be issued for the first
draft. Marks will be deducted for plagiarism. Based on the feedback, the
students complete their reflections complete their reflection form and identify
action points for the final/second draft. The students work on the second draft
and submit it to the teacher, but their grade WILL NOT change.

The reflective statement is an on-going task, and the aim is to give the
students an opportunity to reflect on and evaluate their overall learning
experience. They should focus on what they have learnt in the course, their
strengths, developmental needs, and how they will continue to develop their
academic writing skills in future.

The finished portfolio should include all the writing tasks other relevant
documents such as self and peer-review checklists, teacher feedback forms,
self-reflection forms, and mid-term counseling notes.

Mid-semester counseling:
In Week 10 of the course, there should be a one-to-one tutorial with the student to
discuss his/her progress during the course. The students should have completed a
pre-counselling self-evaluation checklist before the counseling session begins so
that the teacher would know about the students views about his/her own progress.
The session should focus on the students performance in the first three writing
tasks as well as the students strengths and developmental needs regarding
language ability, skills and academic style in general. The discussion should be
teacher-led, but the participation of the students should also be encouraged. In
particular, the student should be able to reflect on his own strengths, weaknesses,

and progress. During the tutorial, the student should take notes about the important
points and at least three action points should be identified. At the end of the
tutorial, the teacher should provide some written feedback and a provisional midsemester grade. Both the notes that the student has taken and the teacher
feedback form should be included in the portfolio.
NB: The students who are not meeting the required performance standards should
be informed about their problem during the mid-semester counselling session. In
such situations, the teacher and the student should discuss the issue thoroughly
and suitable action points should be agreed upon. There should not be any surprise
failures at the end of the course.
End-of-Semester Counselling:
The end of term counselling session is optional but recommended. For students,
who have successfully met the requirements of, end-of-term counselling can be
done in small groups of 3-4. For students who are likely to fail the course, the
issues should be discussed, as they will have to re-submit some or all parts of the
portfolio.
Forms of Assessment:

Teacher Feedback
Self-assessment
Peer-assessment

Assessment Criteria for Teacher Feedback:

For giving feedback, the teacher will use a multi-trait analytical rating scale that
consist of the following criteria.

Task Achievement
Organization
Style
Language Range
Language Accuracy

See Appendix X for the detailed analytical marking criteria.

Marking:
a) Individual Writing Tasks:
As mentioned above, the first draft will be marked using a multi-trait analytical
rating scale. Appendix X) The second/final draft will be given a numerical score/
grade out of 20 based on the criteria outlined in the rating scale (Appendix X).
The numerical score/ grade should be based on the overall process of writing and
NOT on the final finished product. In awarding the numerical score, the teacher
should take into account (a) feedback for the first draft and (b) the improvement in
the quality of the second draft based on feedback and action points. Generally
speaking, if the students have taken feedback seriously and attempted to make a
significant improvement in the quality of the essay, the score is likely to be one step
above what the student should have received for their first draft.
Reflective Statement and the Overall Quality of the Portfolio
For the assessment of the overall portfolio along with the reflective statement, a
holistic rating scale will be used. Based on the rating scale, a numerical score out of
15% will be provided.

Calculation of the Final Grade:

Each assessed writing task and the overall quality of the portfolio along with the
reflective statement contributes towards the calculation of the final grade for the
portfolio. The contribution of each task and the overall quality of the portfolio
towards the final grade can be summarized as follows. For example, Task 1-3 will
initially be marked out of 20 and then converted into a mark out of 15. Writing
Tasks 1-3 will initially be marked out of 20 and then converted into a mark out of
20%. The overall quality of the portfolio along with the reflective statement will
receive a mark out of 15.
Component

Weight
towards the

Assessed Writing Task 1: Summary

Assessed Writing Task 2: Synthesis

final grade
15%
15 %

Assessed Writing Task 3: Essay-type answer

Assessed Writing Task 4: Critical Review
Assessed Writing Task 5: Extended Essay
the overall assessment of the portfolio and the reflective

15%
20%
20%
15%

statement
Grading System
The final mark for the course unit will be graded according to the following grading
system. A grade point value as indicated below is assigned to each grade. This
grading system is stipulated by the university regulations. ( The Students
Handbook, 2015/2016)
Grade
A+
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
E

Range of Marks
85-100
70-84
65-69
60-64
55-59
50-54
45-49
40-44
35-39
30-34
25-29
00-24

Appendix C:

Sample Writing Tasks

English Language Teaching Unit- University of Kelaniya

TESL 11213: Rhetoric and Composition
Sample Tasks

Diagnostic Writing Task:

Time: 30 Minutes
You should write a short essay about the following topic.
The real gulf in Sri Lankan Society is not based on religion, ethnicity, money or caste: it is
based on language. The gap between those who know English and those who dont know
English denotes the gap between the haves and the have-nots.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or
experience.
DO NOT write more than 300 words.

Assessed Writing Task 1: Summary

Time: 1 hour

Write a summary of the following article by Barbara Seidlofer.

Use your own words as much as possible.
DO NOT use more than 350 Words.
Indicate the word count at the end of your essay.

Assessed Writing Task 1: Synthesis

Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Read the following texts and write a synthesis using the information in the
articles to answer the following question:
What factors should be considered in developing the creativity
of EFL students?

Do NOT use more than 500 words.

Assessed Writing Task 3: Essay Type Answer

Time: 40 Minutes.

Although the role of modern linguistics is to describe how people actually use language
without making value judgments, the prescriptive approach to language study cannot be
undermined in the context of language teaching. Discuss.

Use about 600 words.

If you use information from secondary sources, they should be cited at the end of the
essay.

Assessed Writing Task 4: Critical Review (Take Home Assignment)

Write a brief critical review of the following journal article.

Ellis, G. (. (1996). How culturally appropriate is the communicative approach? ELT Journal, 50
(3), 213-218.
In your review, you should:

identify the author, source, title, date of publication and other details that seem
important to your readers

state the purpose and focus of the review

a brief synopsis of the contents, arguments and the scope of the article

discuss approximately 2-3 key issues raised in the article/ chapter

identify any gaps in the author's treatment of the topic,

evaluate the overall contribution that the article/ chapter has made to your
understanding of the topic

state whether you would recommend this article to a student who will offer the
relevant module in future.

provide a reference list or bibliography of the sources that you have used. Use the referencing
format appropriate to your discipline.

You are expected to spend at least 20 hours on this assignment at home.

Your assignment should be typed and formatted according to the guidelines provided in APA
Style Guide (6th Edition).
The hard copy of the assignment is due June 21, 2016 at 1:30 pm at the beginning of class.
A soft copy of the article should be emailed to rusiru.chitrasena@kln.ac.lk on or before the
deadline. The student will lose 10% of the marks for each day it is late.
DO NOT write more than 1000 words. If you exceed the word limit, marks will be deducted.
Plagiarism is an academic offence. If you refer to content from the article or other sources,
please cite them in your bibliography.

Assessed Writing Task 5:

Collaborative Extended Essay

You will do this assignment in groups of 3-4 Students. More than 4 students are not
allowed in one group.

Students work in groups 3-4.

For the purposes of this assignment, you should produce an extended coursework
essay based on one of the topics covered in one of your core courses in the TESL
programme.

You can negotiate topic among yourselves but the topic you have chosen should be
approved by the tutor.

Your essay should include an introduction, a thesis statement, a well-developed set of

arguments that supports the thesis statement, a conclusion and bibliography of the
works you have cited in your essay.

Since this is a collaborative writing task, all the group members should actively take
part in the process of writing.

You are expected to spend at least 40 hours on this assignment at home.

Your assignment should be typed and formatted according to the guidelines provided
in APA Style Guide (6th Edition).

The hard copy of the assignment is due August 21, 2016 at 1:30 pm at the beginning
of class.
A soft copy of the article should be emailed to rusiru.chitrasena@kln.ac.lk on or
before the deadline. The student will lose 10% of the marks for each day it is late.

DO NOT write more than 1500 words. If you exceed the word limit, marks will be
deducted.

Plagiarism is an academic offence and will be penalized. If you refer to content from
the article or other sources, please cite them in your bibliography.

If you have any further questions about the assignment, please do not hesitate to ask
your teacher or e-mail them to rusiru.chitrasena@kln.ac.lk.

Appendix D: Analytical Rating Scale for Assessing Individual Tasks

English Language Teaching Unit- University of Kelaniya

Writing Portfolio
TESL 11213: Rhetoric and Composition

Writing Assessment Scale

Students Name:

Student ID:

Task:

Draft: FIRST/ SECOND

Criteria

Task Achievement

The task is fully

understood, completed
and developed
appropriately.
Excellent argumentation,
description, analysis or
synthesis

Organization

The text is organised

logically and coherently.
The text is cohesive and
facilitates a smooth and
effortless reading.
Ideas are developed
very well.

The task is understood

sufficiently and
appropriately. However,
there is still room for
further development, or
there is some
unnecessary content.
Good analysis, description
argumentation or
synthesis

The task is completed

adequately, but there are
significant gaps.

Overall the text is logical

and clear though there
may be some breakdown
in cohesion.

The organisation of the

text is sometimes unclear
and cohesion breaks
down.

In general, ideas are

developed well.

There are some problems

with linking ideas across
sentences

Adequate analysis,
description, argumentation
or synthesis

The task is attempted but

not adequate due to
incomplete/inappropriate
content.

The task has not been

achieved or instructions
have been misunderstood
completely resulting in the
non-achievements.

Inadequate analysis,
description, argumentation
or synthesis

The writing is totally out of

the topic.
No analysis, description or
synthesis

It is difficult to understand
what the writer wants to
communicate.
The text is confusing and
fails to be cohesive.
Significant problems
linking ideas within and

It is almost impossible to
understand what the
student wants to
communicate.
No attempt is made to
order or structure the text.

Style

Language Range

Language Accuracy

Comments:

Most or some ideas are

developed clearly.

across sentences.

Little attempt has been

made to maintain an
appropriate academic
style of writing. There are
frequent stylistic lapses.

An excellent academic
style of writing is
maintained throughout.

A good academic style of

writing is maintained
despite occasional minor
stylistic lapses

The student attempts to

use an appropriate
academic style but there
are some stylistic lapses
(e.g. colloquialism,
clichs)

Excellent range of
appropriate grammatical
structures and academic
vocabulary

Good range of appropriate

grammatical structures
and academic vocabulary

Adequate range of
Appropriate grammatical
structures and academic
vocabulary

Fully accurate use of

grammar, spelling and
mechanics of writing.

Fairly accurate use of

grammar, spelling and
mechanics of writing.
Occasional slips or
mistakes.

Adequately accurate use

of grammar, spelling and
mechanics of writing.

Inadequate lexical and

grammatical range at an
appropriate level for
academic purposes

There are a many

language errors. The text,
for which reason, the text
fails to communicate.

No attempt has been

made to maintain an
academic style of writing.

Poor lexical and

grammatical range.

The amount of errors

makes the text almost
impossible to understand.

Teachers Signature: ______________________________

___________________________

Date:

Appendix E: Holistic Rating Scale for the Assessment of the Quality of the Portfolio
Band
Excellent
12-15

Description
The portfolio provides evidence of excellent recording keeping skills.
The student has a comprehensive knowledge of the mechanics, strategies and
genres of academic writing.
The reflective statement and the reflection forms for each task shows an
outstanding level of self-reflection.
There is evidence of excellent editing and proof-reading skills.
Throughout the course, the student has actively participated in the process of
learning at an outstanding level with a high degree of autonomy and motivation.
The portfolio provides evidence of good recording keeping skills

Good
8-11

The student has a highly satisfactory knowledge of the mechanics, strategies and
genres of academic writing.
The reflective statement and the reflection forms for each task show a very good
level of self-reflection.
There is evidence of good editing and proof-reading skills.
The student has actively participated in the process of learning with a considerable
degree of autonomy and motivation.

Satisfactory

The portfolio provides some evidence of good recording keeping skills

5-7

The student has an adequate knowledge of the mechanics, strategies and genres
of academic writing.
The reflective statement and the reflection forms for each task show and an
adequate level of self-reflection to pass the course.
There is some evidence of editing and proof-reading skills.
The student tried to participate well in the process of learning but tend to lack
autonomy and motivation.

Unsatisfactor
y
0-4

The portfolio does not show evidence of good recording keeping skills
The student does not have an adequate knowledge of the mechanics, strategies
and genres of academic writing to be able to pass the course.

The reflective statement and the reflection forms do not provide evidence of the
students ability to reflect on his/her (lack of) progress.
There is no evidence of adequate editing and proof-reading skills. The student has
failed
participate in the process of learning but tends to lack autonomy and motivation.