Topic 1: Learning Aims and Outcomes. Students must write something in all of them, but do the activities practice writing skills? Think about your answer.

Topic 1: Learning Aims and Outcomes. Students must write something in all of them, but do the activities practice writing skills? Think about your answer.

Identifying the Learning Aim of Activities

Each textbook activity has a learning aim. There is usually a sequence of activities that leads to a learning outcome. Your textbook will probably have many activities that require students to write something. Sometimes the learning aim of the activity is to help students develop writing skills. But other times the learning aim is not about writing. It is important to look at activities carefully and identify the learning aim. This will help you understand how the activities link to the learning outcome. It will also help you see which activities practice writing skills.

Look again at the four activities in I. Identifying the Learning Aim of Activities on screen 4. Each activity requires the students to write. However, not all of the activities help students develop writing skills. Think about the learning aim of each activity. Which develop writing skills and which develop other skills? Check your answers.

Activity 1 Students fill in the blanks with the past simple form of verbs. The learning aim is to practice forming the past simple. It is probably not a writing skills activity. It is a grammar practice activity.

Activity 2 Students write answers to questions about a listening text. The learning aim is for students to show they understand a phone conversation. They do that by writing answers to the questions. This is not a writing skills activity. It is a listening comprehension activity.

Activity 3 Students find and correct spelling mistakes. The learning aim of this activity is to help them develop the writing sub-skill of spelling.

Activity 4 Students analyze the organization of a text to identify ways that it is similar to or different from thank-you notes in their L1. The learning aim of this activity is to help students understand how written texts are organized in English. It is a writing skills activity.

You can ask yourself the following questions to judge whether an activity is practicing writing skills:

Does the activity help students learn writing skills or something else?

What aspect of writing will students focus on?

What writing sub-skills will students practice?

[17/05, 00:51] Ms. Ema: Topic 1: Learning Aims and Outcomes

Read the text. Refer to screens 4-5 as you read.  

Linking Activities to Learning Outcomes

Read the three learning outcomes.

1. Students can write information in sentences using correct word order and can order the sentences in a paragraph logically.

2. Students can write a paragraph that states a preference about something and gives reasons for their preference.

3. Students can use periods, question marks, initial capital letters, and space between sentences in a paragraph correctly.

Learning outcomes for writing state the aspects of writing students will be able to do when they finish a sequence of activities, a unit, or a course. They are specific and detailed. Learning outcomes are not a list of activities students will do. Activities are the steps to help students achieve the learning outcome.

Look at the activity sequence in II. Linking Activities to Learning Outcomes on screen 5. Which learning outcome (1, 2, or 3) is this activity sequence linked to?

Look at the activity sequence again. For each activity ask yourself:

What are students expected to do in this activity?

What is the learning aim of each activity?

How does the activity help the students achieve the writing skills learning outcome?

The learning aims for these activities are for students to practice:

ordering words in a sentence correctly (Activity A)

ordering the information and writing a paragraph (Activity B)

writing a similar paragraph based on the model (Activity C)

The activity sequence is linked to learning outcome 1: Students can write information in sentences using correct word order and can order the sentences in a paragraph logically.