Learning Aims and Outcomes for Teaching Listening
Topic 1: Learning Aims and Outcomes
Look at the textbook activities and listen to the audio. Think about the learning aim and possible learning outcome of the activities.
Learning Aims and Learning Outcomes
The first step in planning listening for your course is to identify learning outcomes. Your textbook or curriculum often identifies the learning outcomes for a skill. Sometimes you may have to identify them yourself. A learning outcome will often be in the form of a can-do statement. An example for listening might be: Students can follow directions.
To achieve a particular learning outcome, a course will usually have a sequence of activities. Each activity has a specific learning aim that helps students to meet the learning outcome. Look again at the sequence of activities on the left for junior high school students. The learning outcome that these activities work towards is: Students can listen to and understand information about families.
Activity A
The learning aim of Activity A is to match the photo to the description of a family. Students are not listening for details; they are listening for gist, or the general ideas. Students listen for vocabulary for family members in the description they hear. They do not have to remember each word or many details. They only have to know the size of the family.
The first activity in a sequence of listening activities is often listening for gist. Gist activities introduce students to the topic or content. They may also focus on important vocabulary that students need in order to meet the learning outcome. For example, in this activity, words such as mother, father, brother and sister will be important in understanding about families.
Activity B
The learning aim of Activity B is different from the one in Activity A. Students listen again. They decide whether a statement is true or false. This activity builds on the first. While students are still listening to information about families, they now listen for details. In this activity, students listen for specific names, countries, occupations, and numbers.
[17/05, 00:13] Ms. Ema: Topic 1: Learning Aims and Outcomes
Look at the final activity in the textbook sequence. Think about the learning aim of this activity. Then read the text.
Activity C
In Activities A and B, students listened for gist, and then they listened for details. Students used one-way listening for both activities. This means they listened, but did not need to respond to or interact with the speaker.
Look at Activity C. What is the learning aim of this activity? Does it use one-way or two-way listening?
The learning aim of Activity C is to ask and answer questions about families. Students interview partners. This activity is different from Activities A and B because it uses two-way listening. Students listen for information about families, but now they also speak. They need to respond or interact with a partner in order to do the activity.
The activity recycles the vocabulary for family members. However, listeners can now clarify meaning. For example, in the sample conversation, one student asks for the spelling of the name. Using this listening strategy confirms that he or she has understood the name correctly. Activities A and B provided the foundation for this interview. Students are now more comfortable with the vocabulary, and they can begin to use the language they heard to ask and answer about family.
At the end of this sequence of activities, students should be able to achieve the learning outcome for the class: Students can listen to and understand information about families. Each activity had a specific learning aim that helped students learn and practice the vocabulary, grammar, and listening skills needed to meet this learning outcome.
[17/05, 00:13] Ms. Ema: Topic 1: Learning Aims and Outcomes
Read the text. When you are finished, click Submit.
Linking Assessment to Learning Outcomes
The learning outcome in the sample sequence of activities was: Students can listen to and understand information about families. When students can do this, they have met the learning outcome. During the activities, you can assess how well students can understand information about families. Assessment during an activity is called formative assessment. There are many different ways you can do formative assessment. You can observe students as they do each of the activities. Are they able to answer the questions after listening to the family descriptions? Can they understand their partner's description of his family? You can also do some additional activities and observe students to see how they are progressing. For example:
Ask students to hold up a picture of a family member when you say the word.
Have students draw a picture or take notes as they listen to a description of a family.
Have students complete a chart (showing the name, age, and occupation of family members) as they listen to a description of the family.
All of these activities will give you a chance to see if students are able to listen accurately or if they need more practice.
Formative assessment can guide your instruction. If students are having trouble with the activities, you can give them more practice or review the lesson. You can also point out common mistakes or help students use listening strategies that are appropriate for the activity.
At different points in the course, you will do some kind of summative assessment. Summative assessments can be unit or semester tests. They show how well a student has met the learning outcome. The chart below shows how example activities relate to both a learning outcome and assessment.
Learning Outcome Classroom Activity Assessment Examples
Students can listen for information/talk about families.
1. Match descriptions to photos.
2. Listen to descriptions about families. Decide if statements are right or wrong.
3. Interview a partner about his/her family. Write the answers.
Formative
1. Dictate sentences with words for family members.
2. Say a sentence, for example, I have one brother. Have students stand if it is true for them.
3. After an interview activity, call on students to tell the class about their partner's family.
Summative
1. Multiple choice test items
2. Cloze test items
Students can listen for prices.
1. Listen to audio and complete price tags.
2. Match prices on audio to pictures of items.
3. Listen and write the price for items on a shopping list.
Formative
1. Dictate prices and items to each other.
2. Listen to television or radio commercials and record prices.
3. Students check their shopping list (#3) and then report the number of items they missed.
Summative
1. Multiple choice test items
2. Cloze test items
