The DesignSpace features exemplars
for thematic, performance-based curriculum and assessment
The DesignSpace facilitates collaboration and vertical articulation for world languages
between levels, buildings, and schools
The exemplars integrate authentic materials and innovative technology integration
for online, face to face, and hybrid learning
Articulated Assessment Transfer Tasks or AATT (Eddy, 2007, 2010, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022) is an assessment design model created for and aligned with the world language articulated curriculum design framework (UCADAPT/ICANADAPT) in the Queens College World Language Education program. Using our DesignSpace Tools, World Language/MFL instructors Kindergarten through University can design Articulated Assessment Transfer Tasks (AATTs) across any performance target levels for their program.
Intercultural Curriculum Aligns Novel Assessment Design Articulated Performance and Transfer (ICANADAPT) Units unpack one target level of the AATTs into a full unit, with formative assessment tasks at lesson level for Stage 3 in this UbD framework. See the exemplars below, make a profile, and use the tools to design units for transfer in an articulated curriculum.
Articulation
We define articulation as intentional curriculum design for language performance, proficiency, and intercultural competence goals between levels, buildings and schools (Eddy, 2017). Students often are assessed in limited contexts with highly predictable or forced-choice items that hinder proficiency goals which value flexibility over fixed or static discrete answers. The exemplars on this site are designed for learners to engage critical thinking skills, intercultural competence, and to solve problems and create products of value beyond the classroom across three target levels. Effective articulated curriculum design is concurrent with the development of critical thinking skills and cultural literacies (Byram, 1997, 2008; Byram & Kramsch, 2008; Byrnes, 2008, 2010; Lange & Paige, 2000; Liddicoat, A & Scarino, A., 2010). Articulation facilitates curriculum planning between all levels of instruction and provides continuity and direction for a world language department (Couet, Duncan, Eddy, Met, Smith, Still, Tollefson, 2008). With proficiency goals in mind, teachers of any level can plan backward (Eddy, 2006, 2007, 2015, 2017; Mc Tighe & Wiggins, 2004; Wiggins, 1998; Wiggins & Mc Tighe, 2005) from those criteria and know what performance should look like both before and after their own course or target goal. Progress over time is demonstrated by formative and summative assessment tasks in a variety of novel situations and contexts across different disciplines we encounter in work, community, and world.
Common Cohort Context
As you search through the exemplars on this site, you will notice each AATT task has a context or scenario, common across all target levels. This is so an entire cohort of learners in one language could simultaneously work toward the common context if desired, according to their own level of engagement. This cohort model facilitates vertical articulation because middle school and high school can all be contributing toward that context goal. It is also ideal for differentiation within one classroom where we have multilevel learners. The context always presents an issue, request, or problem to be solved. It generally suggests an audience or entity outside school; local community, business, civic group, media, either domestic or international. The possibilities are limitless. The context is designed to describe a scenario that has relevance beyond the classroom, applicable to college, civic, and career readiness. The context does not give too much away or suggest specific tasks. It presents a new problem, situation, or issue that requires learner to use their repertoire differently and flexibly; it enables the transfer task and reinforces transferable goals.
Transfer
The AATT design aligns world language performance assessment with the concept of transfer (Eddy, 2007, 2017; Mc Tighe & Wiggins, 2004, Wiggins, 1998, Wiggins & McTighe, 2005). Transfer is the use of knowledge and skills in new or unanticipated situations and contexts, with few to no cues, prompts or supports. The tasks here assess increasing levels of complexity with decreasing supports, to guide the learner toward independent transfer; the hallmark of a self-directed, autonomous language user. The tasks require solving a novel problem or creating a product that learners have not done before. When engaged in these tasks, learners must decide and choose what to use in order to solve this new problem in the context. These tasks demonstrate they understand the concepts behind the task and can respond flexibly to solve a problem. It is not reporting facts as learned, memorizing forms, or completing a drill; those tasks are ineffective practice at transfer and only reinforce the futility of rigid, predictable contexts and exercises. They do not represent what we face in authentic communication situations, which are unexpected and varied, requiring flexible use of language and problem solving for different situations and audiences. AATTs require us to use knowledge, skills, and concepts in new contexts differently from how we originally learned them and deeper each time. Exemplary world language curriculum design centers on assessment tasks that assess for transfer (Eddy, 2007, 2015; Mc Tighe & Wiggins, 2004; Wiggins, 1998; Wiggins & Mc Tighe, 2005). Jay McTighe (2014) writes that a transfer goal for world languages is to “effectively communicate with varied audiences and for varied purposes while displaying appropriate cultural understanding.” The tasks we design here require using language repertoire flexibly to solve a novel task for intentional and purposeful intercultural competence (Eddy, 2007, 2017). The Enduring Understandings and Essential Questions (McTighe &Wiggins, 2004; Wiggins & Mc. Tighe, 2005, 2012) reveal transferable, transdisciplinary goals relevant to the culture or cultures, uncovered over time through these tasks. These are the desired results of your world language program and they will serve our learners well for the changing demands in life, community, and world. Frequent practice at transfer prepares us for the inevitable unexpected (Eddy, 2017).
Three modes of communication
The three modes of communication (ACTFL, 2014; Adair-Hauck, Glisan, Koda, Sandrock, & Swender, 2006; Glisan, E. W., Adair-Hauck, B., Koda, K., Sandrock, S. P., & Swender, E. 2003) represent our profession’s goal to shift from the learner as passive recipient of static, rote, and recall exercises to an interactive learner capable of handling novelty and flexible transfer (Eddy, 2007). In the exemplars on this site, we see tasks in the three modes designed for that target level of engagement. In one given task, the Novice Mid learner can identify key words on the topic from the chosen culturally authentic material. The Novice High can write simple questions from that same text to ask their partner later during the Interpersonal mode task. The adage “don’t change the text, change the task” is appropriate here; one designs the task with the target goal characteristics or criteria in mind. You may notice Interpersonal tasks where learners, plan, choose, and come to consensus. Often the interpersonal task involves negotiation and decision-making to prepare the deliverable for the subsequent Presentational mode task. These tasks always assess for transfer through a spoken or written product that contributes to the novel problem in the Context. Students will understand that by addressing needs of different audiences and applying knowledge and skills beyond the self, they will become more flexible and secure, self-directed language learners (Eddy, 2017). These tasks encourage tolerance of ambiguity and adaptability that will benefit our learners for college, career, and civic readiness.
Performance Assessment Student Statements
The ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines (ACTFL, 2012) and the NCSSFL/ACTFL Can-Do Statements (NCSSFL, 2014) provide overarching indicators for general targets for a unit. They then inform task-specific Can-Dos created by the teacher: Performance Assessment Student Statements (PASS). These are developed after designing the task and are key to implementation and learner metacognition. You may notice that the PASS are content-specific Intercultural Competence Can-Dos. When learners engage in AATTs, it becomes easy to integrate content, comparison, and relevance to community because they are intentionally framed for intercultural competence (Eddy, 2015, 2019.2020). In this design model for articulation, language and culture are not separated but integrated. It is highly recommended that World Language departments develop these AATT tasks together across levels to enable vertical articulation and transfer goals. Schools and Universities that follow the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (Council of Europe, 2001) and the CEFR Companion Volume (Council of Europe, 2020) also have Can-Do descriptors. They will note the levels in the design tool to select along with the ACTFL levels to provide familiar broad target ranges for these performance assessments, keeping in mind that the scales do not align exactly.
Our DesignSpace
The exemplars on this site are created by teachers K-16. We invite you to search and create more exemplars for all themes and topics in this DesignSpace. Please contact us at [email protected] for more information and other materials for articulated World Language curriculum design. Happy Designing! Dr. Eddy
References
ACTFL. (2012) ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines. Alexandria:VA.
ACTFL. (2014). World Readiness Standards for Learning Languages . Alexandria: VA (Original work published 1996)/2012.
ACTFL. (n.d.). OPI & WPT for the Seal of Biliteracy. OPI & WPT for the SOBL |ACTFL
Adair-Hauck, B., Glisan, E. W., Koda, K., Sandrock, S. P., & Swender, E. (2006). The integrated performance assessment (IPA): Connecting assessment to instruction and learning. Foreign Language Annals, 29(3), 359-382.
Byram, M. (1997) Teaching and Assessing Intercultural Communicative Competence. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Byram, M. (2008) From foreign language education to education for intercultural citizenship: essays and reflections. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Byram, K. & Kramsch, C. (2008). Why is it so difficult to teach language as culture? The German Quarterly, 81, 20-36.
Byrnes, H. (2008) “Articulating a foreign language sequence through content: A look at the Culture Standards.” Language Teaching, 41.1(2008): 103-118.
Byrnes, H. (Ed.). (2010). Perspectives: Revisiting the role of culture in the foreign language curriculum. Modern Language Journal, 94(2), 315-336.
Couet, R., Duncan, G., Eddy, J., Met, M., Smith, M., Still, M., Tollefson, A. (2008) Starting with the end in mind: Planning and evaluating highly successful foreign language programs. Boston, MA: Pearson Education.
Council of Europe. (2001). Common European framework of reference for languages: Learning, teaching, assessment. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Council of Europe. (2020). Common European framework of reference for languages: Learning, teaching, assessment. Companion Volume, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Eddy, J. (2006a). Sonidos, Sabores, y Palabras. Boston, MA: Heinle Cengage.
Eddy, J. (Writer), & Couet, R. (Director). (2006b). What is performance assessment? [Television series episode]. In South Carolina Department of Education (Producer), Teaching and Language Learning Collaborative. Columbia, SC: ETV.
Eddy, J. (2007a). Children and Art: Uncovering Cultural Practices and Perspectives Through Works of Art in World Language Performance Assessment. Learning Languages, 12(2).
Eddy, J. (2007b). Uncovering Content, Designing for Performance. Academic Exchange Quarterly, Spring. 233-237.
Eddy, J. (2007c). Coverage without pity: World Language Assessment exposed in the light of backward design. in R. Fry (Ed.) Languages: Connecting students with the world. Annual Series, No. 23. New York State Association of Foreign Languages. Buffalo: NYSAFLT.
Eddy, J. (2007d). Song Lyrics as Culturally Authentic Material for Standards-Based Performance. Hispania. 90 (1),142-146.
Eddy, J. (2009, November) Unpacking the Standards with Backward Design: Performance Assessment and Transfer. National Conference of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. San Diego, CA.
Eddy, J. (2009, May) Developing Teacher Expertise in Backward Design and Performance Assessment. Sixth International Conference on Language Teacher Education. Georgetown University, George Washington University and the Center for Applied Linguistics. Washington, DC.
Eddy, J. (2012) Assessment down PAT: Planning for Performance and Transfer. National Conference of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.
Eddy, J. (2012) Student Curriculum Templates: Top Ten Must Have’s. STARTALK Conference.
Eddy, J. (2014). Turnarounds to Transfer: Design Beyond the Modes. Learning Languages. Spring/Summer. Vol. XIX, No. 2., 16-18.
Eddy, J. (2015). Uncovering Curriculum: Language performance through culture by design. Journal of the National Council of Less Commonly Taught Languages. Spring. Vol. XVI, 1-22.
Eddy, J. (2015, October) Unfolding Curriculum with Backward Design. Massachusetts Foreign Language Association. Sturbridge, MA Eddy, J. (2015, October) Curriculum Design with Culture at the Core. Massachusetts Foreign Language Association. Sturbridge, MA Eddy, J. (2015, October) Design beyond the Modes: Performance to Proficiency with IPAs for Transfer. Massachusetts Foreign Language Association. Sturbridge, MA.
Eddy, J. (2016, November) Uncovering Curriculum: Designing for Intercultural Competence and Transfer. National Conference of American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. Boston.
Eddy, J. (2017). Student Learning Outcomes and Backward Design. National Foreign Language Center. TED-Ed Webinar. October.
Eddy, J. (2017, February) Integrating the Standards: Curriculum Design Advancing Intercultural Competence and Transfer. Regional Northeast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. NY.
Eddy, J. (2017). Unpacking the standards for transfer: Intercultural competence by design. NECTFL Review, 79, 53-72. Eddy, J. (2018). Strategies for checking for learning and understanding. STARTALK Spring conference.
Eddy, J. (2019). Preparing teachers of critical languages for articulated performance assessment task design. Journal of the National Council on Less Commonly Taught Languages, 25, 1-19.
Eddy, J. (2019). Creativity by Design: Literature and Drama for Transfer. In F. Diamantidaki, (Ed.), Teaching Literature in Modern Foreign Languages. London: Bloomsbury Academic.
Eddy, J. (2020). Closing the Gap in NYS: A study of perceptions, practices and professional development for World language teachers. NYSAFLT Journal, 69 (1), 35-75.
Eddy, J. & Bustamante, M. C. (2020) Closing the Pre and In-Service Gap: Perceptions and Implementation of the IPA During Student Teaching. Foreign Language Annals. 53(3), 634-656.
Eddy, J. (2022) Designing World Language Curriculum for Intercultural Communicative Competence. Bloomsbury Academic.
Glisan, E. W., Adair-Hauck, B., Koda, K., Sandrock, S. P., & Swender, E. (2003). ACTFL integrated performance assessment. Yonkers, NY: ACTFL.
Lange, D. & Paige M. (Eds.)(2000) Culture as the Core: Perspectives on Culture in Second Language Learning. A Volume in Research in Second Language Learning. Information Age Publishing.
Liddicoat, A & Scarino, A. (2010) Eliciting the intercultural in foreign language education. In L. Sercu & A. Paran (Eds.) Testing the Untestable in Language and Education, (pp. 52-73). Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Mc Tighe, J. (2014) Transfer goals. Retrieved from https://jaymctighe.com/downloads/Long-term-Transfer-Goals.pdf December 29, 2019.
McTighe, J. & Wiggins, G. (2004) Understanding by Design: Professional Development Workbook. Alexandria, VA: ASCD. National Council of State Supervisors of Foreign Language. (2014).
NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements. Alexandria: VA. Seal of Biliteracy (2021). The Seal of Biliteracy
Wiggins, G. (1998). Educative assessment. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Wiggins, G. & Mc. Tighe, J. (2005). Understanding by Design (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J.(2012) The Understanding by Design Guide to Advanced Concepts in Creating and Reviewing Units. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.