Time line
September, 2014 - December, 2014
CTL3799 Language Awareness for language education This courses explores the nature of language: its rule-governed structure, its variety and its universal characteristics, the way it is acquired by native speakers and additional language learners, its role in society, its role in creating, sustaining, and enhancing power, and its role in informal and institutional education. The aim of the course is to consider (i) language awareness and use in first, second, and foreign language education; (ii) the special need for language awareness in L2 contexts; and (iii) the role of language awareness in teacher development and program administration.Students will relate course concepts to their own language learning and teaching experiences. CTL3807: Research Methods in Language and Literacies Education Course Description The objective of this course is to develop an awareness of various approaches to research in second language education. The intent is to equip students with the tools necessary to develop and carry out their own research and the critical skills required to evaluate research in the field. The course will be organized as a seminar with required weekly readings for discussion and analysis. It will also include regular “hands-on” experience in the form of research tasks directly associated with the topics and issues presented in the readings. This is an introductory research methods course, thus thesis students will benefit from pursuing at least one more in-depth research methods course that is directly related to the nature and goals of their research. January, 2015 - Apirl, 2015 CTL3013: Language Assessment Purpose: The course will help participants: (1) to describe current practices and to discern problematic issues related to student assessment in second, foreign, heritage, or international language education; (2) to appreciate approaches commonly taken to developing, validating and using specific types of language assessment instruments and procedures; and (3) to establish an informed basis to evaluate the utility, value, feasibility, accuracy, and impact of specific language assessment instruments and procedures in educational contexts. The course is segmented into three sections emphasizing these goals. The course work, in addition to relevant readings and discussions of them, involves two written tasks focused on these goals. No prior expertise in measurement, statistics, research methods, or testing is assumed, but participants should have experience and interests in language education and be willing to learn about various descriptive techniques for analyses that might use these and other methods of inquiry. The course content relates to assessment in second, foreign, heritage, or international languages (particularly English but also French and other international languages) in various situations such as schools, adult education, and work settings in Canada and internationally. Readings have been selected to represent this variety. Discussions in the course should as well. APD1292H: Instrument Design and Analysis Various quality indicators, assessment tools, and measurement methods are widely used in education and social sciences. They are crucial for informing theories and advancing practice. Poor instrument quality and misuse have profound impact on research, policy, practice, and most importantly, the lives of people. This course is designed to introduce core concepts and principles required for high-quality instrument design and analysis. Building on the key concepts of measurement, students will have the opportunity to gain hands-on experiences with instrument design, analysis, and interpretations. Each class is made up of two parts: 1) knowledge building and 2) skill building through hands-on data application. LHA 1820: Special topics in Higher Education: Statistical Analysis for Educational Research A conceptual and practical introduction to the use of descriptive and inferential statistical analyses to answer educational research questions. Topics include correlation, regression, t-test, ANOVA, and chi-square. Students will learn how to use SPSS to create and analyze datasets, and how to report analysis results. No prior knowledge of statistics is required. By the end of the course, you will be able to • Create and analyse datasets using SPSS, • Select and apply descriptive and inferential statistical analyses to answer research questions, and • Report analysis results in accordance with the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. Conference volunteering: Language Testing and Researching Conference, Toronto, 2015 |
Interview for a team project: Did you feel any pragmatic difference when you came to Canada? Presentation about interview protocol |