I hope we have become more efficient at listening!
We did explore different methods of assessing the listening candidature of a student. That was just the first step in modernizing the traditional method of the LSRWV.
Now let us move on to the ‘V’ of the LSRWV.
What is our expectation from the students when we assess them on viewing?
Is our intention to test if they have taken a photograph (in their memory) of what they viewed, or to see if they have understood what they saw?
You may ask me, what is the difference. Let me talk to you about a map for a minute here. You can remember a map, how it looks, its legends, colour schemes, etc. But how to use that map is more crucial than just remembering the map. That is the difference between retaining what you just saw, in contrast to converting that image into a piece of usable information.
How to assess if students have just retained a visual, or put that visual to use?
Let us look at the following video.
A typical viewing assessment might contain the following types of questions.
1. How many cars did you see?
2. How many white cars did you see?
3. How many lines were there on the road?
4. How many sides could you see in the video?
After answering these types of questions, the students are conditioned to look for minute details, which is really not testing their understanding of a visual.
Let us look at the video again.
Let us try and ask different types of questions this time.
1. What side do you think the steering is on? Why?
2. What time of the day do you think it is? How did you derive it?
3. What do you think the design at the centre of the road means?
4. What precautions do you see in the setup to reduce accidents?
These questions will trigger the students to analyse the visual rather than just trying to memorise the visual.
We currently live in an era where information is available in an instant. So there seems less relevance in remembering data that may not be useful to us during emergencies. Hence, assessing students on remembering such data seems less relevant too.
As an extension to this visual, they can be asked to draw an aerial view map of their neighbourhood. This will not only test their observation skills but also their awareness.
Here is another video as an example.
This is from the movie ‘Taken 2’ produced by Luc Besson, and starring Liam Neeson in the lead.
After showing this visual, many questions can be asked making it a subject-integrated assessment as well.
1. How does her dad calculate the distance between him and his daughter?
2. What is the concept of a Venn diagram?
3. Are weapons a necessity during these times?
4. To what extent would you go to protect your loved ones? explain with an example.
5. How are tangible maps useful to us in an era where we have google maps on our phones?
Many more questions can be extracted from this visual without any subject restrictions. Viewing assessment is not a part of just English as a subject. It can be a part of all subjects.
When we give them age-relevant high-quality content, the students might focus on analysing the visual content as well. They may also be able to decide if it is good quality content or not.
But the educators have a win here — now, the students will watch quality content or even mediocre content with an eye for detail. They will not spend two hours just for fun. They will observe and learn as well. They will understand and point out the mistakes occurring in the visual content as well.
As educators, this is a trigger we have given, for students to utilise their time, to enjoy, as well as learn.
The more we push them to view quality, logical, and intellectual content, the better citizens they will become.
To know about how Good visual content is helping students connect with education, do read our spotlight article on ‘How Netflix's Stranger Things Educates 21st Century Kids’.
We will meet again soon with other methods and forms of assessments.
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