Evaluate 2.1.2 Rubrics and Competencies

Online learning and digital technologies merge to foster the ideal environment for the competency-based learning model. The self-paced structure, within guidelines, and clear rubrics allow students to exercise real choice in determining "how" they want to demonstrate mastery of a learning outcome and "which resources" they choose to use in meeting that outcome, or competency.

The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) is the premier professional organization for World Language Educators. ACTFL's 5C's encompass all the reasons to learn a second language.

 Communication is the focus which has 3 standards associated with it. These standards align with the standards of Common Core and many state standards.

The ACTFL Performance Assessment Rubric creates shared product expectations between the stakeholders, especially between the student and the teacher. The Performance Assessment Rubric serves as a unifying guide regardless of Communicative Skill (reading, writing, speaking, listening).

 

 Since the student is in Spanish 3 and it is near the beginning of the course, the Competency which is Communication demonstrated specifically via the communicative skill of Speaking (as opposed to Writing) has been fleshed out into clear "I can statements" so the student knows what has to be demonstrated.

There are 3 subcategories to guide vocabulary use and grammatical structures. Each area has at least 2 options to demonstration knowledge acquisition in that subcategory. A virtual teacher might then request that the student cover 2 objectives by creating 1 learning object in each of the 3 subcategories. As a result the student will produces a total of 3 learning objects (1 per subcategory incorporating 2 objective sets of grammatical & vocabulary structures in each).

The digital technologies that the student selects can be open-ended or the teacher might provide additional structure by suggesting 2-3 technology options. Look at Allan Carrington's The Padagogy Wheel 2.0 for inspiration!