Assessment task proforma

Language course/year group: Japanese Topic: Living in Japan – Shopping/Eating

Continuers HSC
Mark/weighting: Date (due):
Part A (Writing): 15% Part A (Writing): 29/03/2019 (Turnitin)
Part B (Speaking):15% Part B (Speaking): 01/04/2019

Description of Learners
The students’ learning the HSC Japanese continuers language consists of those who are EAL/D
students, Japanese background speakers, those with hearing-aid support and those who need extra
support to follow the pace of the classes.

Context
Students have been learning to use sentences that require various forms of verbs, adjectives and
Kanji to apply to the relevant topics learnt throughout the language in written forms. In addition to
that, they have learnt to converse using correct tone while understanding the cultural aspects of the
language which is shown via the politeness level that comes with the hierarchy that exists within the
Japanese culture.

Outcomes to be assessed
Part A (writing):
1.1 uses a range of strategies to maintain communication
2.1 applies knowledge of language structures to create original text
2.3 structures and sequences ideas and information
Part B (speaking):
1.2 conveys information appropriate to context, purpose and audience
3.3 identifies the tone, purpose, context and audience
3.6 infers points of view, attitudes or emotions from language and context
4.1 recognises and employs language appropriate to different social contexts
 Assessment task proforma
Task outline
Part A:
You are to write a script of the speech of talk you will be role-playing in class to show your
understanding of the topic. There should be 3 people per group for this assessment. The scenario is
encouraged to begin by conversing with your friend who has just arrived in Japan. You are to create
a conversation on:

 which location you would like to go to (Café/restaurant/ shopping mall)

 create a conversation in the context of the location you are at with your friend and a staff
member of the location you are in

Students are required to:

 use 尊敬語 and 謙譲語 in your conversation

 write the script in 300-350 characters
 use grammatical structures as mentioned below:
o ~つもりです
o BASE+ たい
o ～よう、～おう OR ～ましょう

o ～た＋ことがあります

Part B:
You are to act the script you have written in Part A (3 students per group). You are to:
 Maintain proper body language during the role-play
Assessment
 Present Rubric
the script using the correct tone and manner
Part A
Your script will be assessed on how well you:
 Write script using relevant grammar structures, information and ideas
 Write script appropriate to context, purpose and audience
 Structure and sequence script using a range of vocabulary and writing forms in the Japanese
language
Part B
Your presentation will be assessed on how well you:
 Use a range of appropriate and required vocabulary structures
 Use correct tone, intonation and punctuation
 Structure ideas and information clearly and in order

Feedback
 Teacher will focus on commenting on the correct usage of grammar structure and
pronunciation
 Teacher will comment on the students use of body language and usage of polite and plain
form in both parts of the assessment task
 Written feedback will be given to students and it can be viewed in the Turnitin feedback
column
 Assessment task proforma
Marking Guidelines
* Part A: Writing (15%)
Criteria Mark
 Correctly uses all the appropriate and required structure of sentences 13-15
 Structures sentences in a creative manner to respond to the requirements of
the task
 Display a range of ideas and information to respond to the requirements of
the task
 Correctly uses some of 10-12
 Demonstrates a satisfactory knowledge of the language with some degree
of authenticity
 Display a flow of ideas and information
 Responds to some of the required structure of the task 7-9
 Demonstrates a satisfactory knowledge and understanding of vocabulary
and sentence structures
 Attempts to structure relevant information and ideas
 Provides basic information, poor ideas and structures in script 4-6
 Demonstrates a basic knowledge and understanding of vocabulary and
sentence structures
 Attempts to include required sentence structure
 Provides some relevant information 1-3
 Uses single words or set formulae to express information
 Uses hiragana and katakana only in script

* Part B
Criteria Mark
 Engages audiences using correct body language, tone, intonation and 13-15
manner
 Converses fluently and effectively using correct intonation and
pronunciation
 Uses correct vocabulary, grammar structures with no errors in sentences
 Converses in a satisfactory manner when providing relevant information 10-12
 Uses good intonation and pronunciation
 Uses a satisfactory amount of vocabulary and language structures
7-9
 Uses satisfactory form of grammar structures and vocabulary
 Communicates in a certain amount of fluency but with slight errors in
vocabulary and grammar structure
 Responds to questions with relevant information and opinions
 Uses basic form of structures and vocabulary 4-6
 Converse sentences with long pauses and a frequent errors
 Displays basic information and ideas
 Presents role-play with single sentences and grammar structures 1-3
 Presents role-play with little to no relevancy to assessment task
* Taken from the HSC marking criteria and adapted accordingly
 Assessment task proforma
Education is vital in today’s generation whereby all children should be

receiving even a basic form of knowledge to make a change for a better future

(UNICEF Australia, 2018). To achieve these results are two key factors that are

commonly aiding and evaluating students understanding throughout their lessons and

they are the assessments and feedback from teachers. According to the Assessment

and Reporting in Continuers Stage 6 for Japanese, there are three forms of

assessments which assist students in their school-based assessment which are

“Assessment for”, “assessment as” and “assessment of” learning (NSW Education

Standards Authority [NESA], 2017, p.4). Assessment for learning is when teachers

gather data in the form of results and participation of students to implement further

engaging teaching pedagogies to enhance students’ achievement (NESA, 2018).

Assessment as learning is defined as encouraging students to assess themselves during

activities presented in lessons and uses “formal and informal feedback” to improve

their learning strategies (NESA, second section). Conversely, assessment of learning

uses “evidence of student learning” in order to evaluate students achievement of each

topic learnt in their school terms and students are given feedback to take note of their

strengths and weakness to overcome it (NESA, last section). To further elaborate,

these three forms of learning contributes to allowing teachers to collect the necessary

data required on students level of understanding in the form of their academic results

as to decide the necessary changes that needs to be made to further strengthen

students’ knowledge (NESA). This is conducted by the means of informal assessment.

Informal assessment is conducted in class throughout a range of topics and

using various strategies to assess students not only by teachers but also by the

students’ themselves to evaluate on how much they would retain as the term continues
 Assessment task proforma
with more challenge in the subjects taught than in its previous term (NESA, 2017). In

addition to that, numerous forms of assessments that are allocated to students during

their learning period are also known as formative assessment (or assessment for

learning) and aims to improve students’ academic outcomes (Dutton et al., 2017). As

each assessment is performed in classes, teachers then adapt them according to the

results produced to ensure maximum participation, effort and an increase in results are

shown by students to achieve a high level of grades. To do so, the assessments will

first need to be engaging for diverse students who would need to complete it (Forbes,

Sabel & Biggers, 2015).

While the forms of assessments and how it is presented plays a key role in

students achievements, the approaches to feedback is equally significant. An article

by Bailey and Garner (2010, p.187) mentioned that the “language used” when

providing feedback but in today’s generation, with the amount of work increasing for

teachers, the type of feedback students’ receive are unhelpful which then discourages

students to increase the rate of their performance in classrooms. On the other hand,

teachers are aware of an effective feedback and the effect it can produce for both

teachers and students. Therefore, while there is the requirement of presenting the

feedback in a formal form, just adjusting the manner the language is written when

delivering the feedback to students is often seen to be productive as it enhances

students’ self-awareness when learning the Japanese language (Bailey & Garner).

With the understanding of importance of assessment and feedback, the

assessment designed for the Japanese Continuers Stage 6 students was created as an

assessment of learning whereby students are tested by setting a number of outcomes

 Assessment task proforma
and goals that assesses if students are able to succeed in solving those set goals and is

organised towards the end of a unit which covers a range of information (Räisänen &

Räkköläinen, 2014). The assessment covers the unit ‘Living in Japan-

Shopping/Eating’ and is scaffolded for underachieving students who require

additional assistance in their studies. According to Booth (2012, p.7), there is a

“working model” in order to create a quality assessment and is divided into four steps

with the first and second step being to decide an assessment and then introducing the

assessment to all students in the form of revisions and receiving feedback from other

teachers weather or not the type of assessment chosen is productive to students. This

is followed by scaffolding activities for the diverse range of students present in the

classroom and to monitor the results shown by them. The final step is to provide a

report of the development seen in the results to the “local educational authority”

(Booth, p.7).

As a school- based assessment, the approach used to create a role-play for this

assessment was to allow students to put themselves in a real life situation which may

possibly occur to them in the future which allows them to develop some

understanding, through group work, on how they are able to use a range of

vocabularies and grammar structures to create the conversation with different type of

people in the Japanese society as it strictly follows the law of hierarchy. However,

with the time limit given to the students to create a conversation revolving the topic of

eating and shopping, there will be the limitation of creating conversations that, for

example, aids students to solve an issue that might arise in the situation of a foreigner

trying to speak the language. On the other hand, it allows students to focus on

delivering critical information and ideas using not only the language but also using
 Assessment task proforma
the cultural aspects of the language such as the body language and tone to present

respect to an elder. Mentioned above is the relevance of the current assessment

approach within the Japanese Key Learning Area (KLA).

To ensure the diverse range of students who will be participating in the

assessment will be able to benefit and produce a high level of work, a number of

scenarios and a range of grammar structures were provided as part of a scaffolding

form as it assists students in reaching the goal of the assessment (Booth, 2012). In

addition, the assessment was divided into two parts, writing and a role-play as to

provide an equal opportunity for students as there will be students who are more

confident in their written skills as compared to an oral presentation and vice versa.

Feedback given to students will be provided in the Turnitin link as to allow students

to receive their feedback before the next semester begins as it gives students time to

understand and improve on their studying methods. It also helps solve the issue of

limiting teachers from giving students a proper feedback due to the time constrain as

assessments of learning are usually delivered at the end of the study term (Bailey &

Garner, 2010).

Furthermore, the marking criteria and assessment guidelines produced is to

support and provide a clear understanding of the outcomes the teacher would be

assessing which by Sutherland, Warwick, Anderson & Learmonth (2018) stating that

it would increase students level of confidence as each criteria is clearly stated.

Likewise, from the data collected by Sutherland et al. states that a fair assessment and

marking is considered as an important factor when students are producing the

assessment as it either increases or decreases their level of engagement to the work

 Assessment task proforma
they are to produce. Thus, the marking criteria and assessment guideline was

thoroughly explained as clear as possible while considering the different types of

students who would be writing and role-playing their work.

To conclude, the essay states the importance of the three forms of assessments

that are required by students are to participate, as well as the significance of how

applying the right method of feedback and creating an engaging assessment not only

aids in maximising students’ academic achievements but also increases their

confidence as they receive a productive feedback from their teachers. The last section

covered in this essay is the fairness of an assessment marking criteria as it has an

effect on students’ level of engagement in their work. Hence, in resulting to the

format of assessment I have produced above for the HSC Japanese Continuers Stage 6

students.
 Assessment task proforma
References

Bailey, R., & Garner, M. (2010). Is the feedback in higher education assessment

worth the paper it is written on? Teachers' reflections on their practices.

Teaching in Higher Education, 15(2), 187-198. DOI:

10.1080/13562511003620019

Booth, D. (2012). Scaffolding during the formal assessment of young eal learners: A

new zealand case study. Australian Review of Applied Linguistics, 35(1), 5-27.

Retrieved from https://search-informit-com-

au.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/documentSummary;dn=191592452681822;res=IELHS

Dutton, P.J., Bickerstaff, H.E., Rymer, J.M., Webb, M.E., Ballinger-Mills, D,

Greenough, A., & Reynolds, P.A. (2017). Investigation of formative

assessment of learning (informal): The performance indicator tool (PIT).

Technology, Knowledge and Learning, 22(2), 161-171. DOI: 10.1007/s10758-

017-9307-2

Forbes, C.T., Sabel, J.L., & biggers, M. (2015). Elementary teachers’ use of formative

assessment to support students’ learning about interactions between the

hydrosphere and geosphere. Journal of Geoscience Education, 63(3), 210-221.

Retrieved from https://search-proquest-

com.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/docview/1717432507?accountid=36155

NSW Education Standards Authority [NESA]. (2017). Assessment and reporting in

continuers stage 6. Retrieved from

http://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/wcm/connect/f5f0f27e-fe6e-4993-
 Assessment task proforma
9cc9-f98177556180/assessment-and-reporting-in-continuers-stage-

6.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CVID=

NSW Education Standards Authority [NESA]. (2018). Assessment for, as and of

learning. Retrieved from https://syllabus.nesa.nsw.edu.au/support-

materials/assessment-for-as-and-of-learning/

Räisänen, A., & Räkköläinen, M. (2014). Assessment of learning outcomes in finnish

vocational education and training. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy

& Practice, 21(1), 109-124. DOI: 10.1080/0969594X.2013.838938

Sutherland, D., Warwick, P., Anderson, J., & Learmonth, M. (2018). How do quality

of teaching, assessment and feedback drive undergraduate course satisfaction

in u.k. business schools? A comparative analysis with nonbusiness school

courses using the u.k. national student survey. Journal of Management

Education 2018, 42(5), 618–649. DOI: 10.1177/1052562918787849

UNICEF Australia. (2018). Education. Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org.au/our-

work/unicef-overseas/education