Assessment of writing ability for LG 112
For the LA Faculty Cohort
Lorena B. Ellis
Spring 2011
During the spring 2011 semester, twenty one students attending two courses of LG112,
Elementary German II submitted writing assignments: one was a formative assessment,
and one a final assessment. The formative assessment consisted of two writing
assignments one in prose and one in verse. (See details in the attachment). The
objective was to have the students work with the vocabulary learned in class and
transform the words into meaningful sentence. The objective was to help students in
the preparation for the written part in the final exam. The two writing samples were not
graded, but corrected and returned to the students for revisions. The samples of
students’ writings submitted to the Freshmen Academy, Liberal Arts Cohort with this
report were the final versions of this the formative writing assignment. The
final/cumulative assessment was graded according to the rubric below that was divided
in 4 categories: completion of the task, level of discourse, vocabulary, grammar. (see
bottom of this document).
The results the data gathered from 21 students who completed the written assessment
in LG112 Elementary German II were as follows:
Table 1:
SCORING SHEET- LG 112 General Performance in Each Category
Task completion
Maximum score
Average
# of Students
4
3.5
21
Level of Discourse
Vocabulary
4
3.3
21
Grammar
4
3.3
21
Total
4
3.2
21
16
13.3
21
The total points a student could achieve (adding up all four categories) was 16. The
scale agreed upon beforehand by the FL Assessment Committee defined the following
ranges:
0-9.5 points
= student performance does not meet expectations;
10-12.5 points
= student performance almost meets expectations;
13-14.5 points
= student performance meets expectations;
15-16 points
= student performance exceeds expectations.
Table 2:
OVERALL. Student performance - 21 students
Range Does not meet expectat. 0‐9.5 Almost meets expectations
10‐12.5 Meets expectations
13—14.5 Exceeds expectations 15‐16 2 4 6 9 9% 20% 28% 43% # 0f Students Percentage Data indicates that 15 (71%) of the students assessed meet expectations: 9 were
writing at a higher level than the one required by the course, 6 were writing at the
required level. However 29% did not meet expectations: 4 of them (19%) almost met the
required level and two of them (9%) did not meet expectations.
2
The visual representation of the above results are represented in Chart 1(below).
Table 3
Number of students’ performance in each category:
Levels 4 3
2
1 Total
Task Completion Level of Discourse Vocabulary Grammar 14 8 11 7 4
10
6
12
3
3
3
1
0 0 1 1 21
21
21
21
Table 3 and Chart 2(below) shows that vocabulary is the category that is in greater
need of improvement, followed by vocabulary and level of discourse. Although the majority (71%) of students assessed met expectations (43% exceeded
and 28% met expectations), 29% did not meet expectations (20% almost met and 9%
did not meet expectations). The expectation is normally that 75 per cent of the students
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are expected to meet the course standards. It was not the case here. Therefore, the 6
students out of 21, who performed below the expected level, need to be coached to
reach the course standards. I believe that one of the solutions is to increase the
number of formative assessment during the semester and at least two final
assessments should be submitted and graded before the final exam. The revision
process will help them improve their writing and prepare them better for the final
assessment in the written part of the final exam.
Elementary Level (LG 111 - LG 112) Writing Task Holistic Rubric
Exceeds
expectations
Task
Completion
Level of
Discourse
Vocab.
Grammar
Superior completion
of the task. Students
fully address the
information
requested, and
provide additional
details
Sentences are fully
developed and
interconnected with
conjunctions (e.g.
AND, BUT, or
BECAUSE
Rich use of
vocabulary
Perfect control of the
syntactic structures
required (Accuracy
level 90% - 100%).
4 POINTS
Completion of task.
Students fully
address the
information
provided, but do not
provide additional
details
4 POINTS
Sentences are fully
developed. Cohesive
devices are
sporadically used
4 POINTS
Adequate and
accurate use of
vocabulary
3 POINTS
3 POINTS
3 POINTS
3 POINTS
Partial completion of
task. Students
complete no more
than 60% of the
information
requested
Sentences are
somewhat complete.
Rare use of cohesive
devices
Somewhat
inadequate and/or
inaccurate use of
vocabulary
2 POINTS
2 POINTS
2 POINTS
Emerging control of
the syntactic
structures Several
grammatical
imperfections
(Accuracy level 61%
- 78%).
2 POINTS
Minimal completion
of task. Students
complete less than
40% of the
information
requested.
Sentences are mostly
incomplete. No use
of cohesive devices
Inadequate and/or
inaccurate use of
vocabulary
Minimal control of
the syntactic
structures.
Numerous
grammatical errors
(Accuracy level 0%60%)
1 POINT
1 POINT
1 POINT
1 POINT
4 POINTS
Meets
expectations
Almost meets
expectations
Does not meet
expectations
Adequate control of
the syntactic
structures. Some
grammatical
imperfections
(Accuracy level 79%
- 89%).
4
Assessment of writing ability for LG 112 + POEM
First assessment
Write a poem in German on any topic you would like: what you like to do in your fee time, or your
favorite person, your favorite music, etc. Look at the vocabulary list from the 1st. & 2nd. semesters:
Treffpunkt Kapitel 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, & Kapitel 6).
See examples of poems at the bottom of this page.
DRAFT Due: Revised March 10, 2011;
Final version to be posted in BB > DiscusionBoard > Forum > POEM = GEDICHT April 6, 2011.
You may include:
 The person’s name, age, where s/he lives
 What s/he does for a living
 His/her personality
 His/her appearance
 Activities s/he likes to do, etc.
Your text will be assessed according to these categories:
Level 2 Writing (prose and poems) Tasks - Holistic Rubric*
Comprehensibility
Exceeds
expectations
Text readily
comprehensible,
requiring no
interpretation on the part
of the reader
16-20 points
Meets
expectations
Text comprehensible,
requiring minimal
interpretation on the part
of the reader
11-15 points
Almost
meets
expectations
Text mostly
comprehensible,
requiring interpretation
on the part of the reader
Level of
Discourse
Vocabulary
Grammar
Mechanics
Variety of
complete
sentences and
of cohesive
devices
Rich use of
vocabulary
Control of
basic
language
structures
Few or no errors
in spelling, use of
punctuation and/or
capitalization
16-20 points
16-20 points
Emerging
variety of
complete
sentences,
some cohesive
devices
11-15 points
Use of complete
sentences,
some repetitive,
few cohesive
devices
6-10 points
6-10 points
Does not
meet
expectations
Text barely
comprehensible
0-5 point
Predominant
use of complete
yet repetitive
sentences, no or
almost no
cohesive
devices
0-5 point
16-20 points
16-20 points
Adequate and
accurate use of
vocabulary for
this level
11-15 points
Somewhat
inadequate
and/or
inaccurate use
of vocabulary
and too basic
for this level
6-10 points
Inadequate
and/or
inaccurate use
of vocabulary
Emerging
control of
basic
language
structures
11-15 points
Emerging use
of basic
language
structures
Mostly accurate
spelling, use of
punctuation and/or
capitalization
11-15 points
Somewhat
inaccurate
spelling, use
punctuation and/or
capitalization
6-10 points
6-10 points
Inadequate
and/or
inaccurate
use of basic
language
structures
0-5 point
0-5 point
*Adapted from A-M.Bourbon’s rubric to be used for German prose and poems.
The points were changed to show differences within each level and to facilitate grading.
Inaccurate spelling,
use punctuation
and/or
capitalization
0-5 point
5
Samples of poems
See BB > DiscusionBoard > Forum > POEM = GEDICHT
Ich habe morgen eine Klausur
Heute ändere ich meine Frisur
Und studiere viel Literatur
Ich hoffe, es verbessert meine Zensur.
(Treffpunkt Kapitel 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, & Kapitel 6, L.B.Ellis, 2-28-11)
Assessment of writing ability for LG 112 + POEM
GEDICHTE: Bertolt Brecht: Source: http://www.gedichte-garten.de/forum/ftopic87.html
Eins zwei drei vier
Mein Vater trinkt Bier
Vier drei zwei eins
Meine Mutter trinkt keins
Fragen
Schreib
Schreib
Schreib
Schreib
mir,
mir,
mir,
mir,
was du anhast! Ist es warm?
wie du liegst! Liegst du auch weich?
wie du aussiehst! Ist´s noch gleich?
was dir fehlt! Ist es mein Arm?
Schreib
Schreib
Schreib
Schreib
mir,
mir,
mir,
mir,
wie´s dir geht! Verschont man dich?
was sie treiben! Reicht dein Mut?
was du tust! Ist es auch gut?
woran denkst du? Bin es ich?
Freilich hab ich dir nur meine Fragen!
Und die Antwort hör ich, wie sie fällt!
Wenn du müd bist, kann ich dir nichts tragen.
Hungerst du, hab ich dir nichts zu Essen.
Und so bin ich grad wie aus der Welt
Nicht mehr da, als hätt ich dich vergessen.
Der Radwechsel
Ich sitze am Straßenrand.
Der Fahrer wechselt das Rad.
Ich bin nicht gern, wo ich herkomme.
Ich bin nicht gern, wo ich hinfahre.
Warum sehe ich den Radwechsel
Mit Ungeduld?
Der, den ich liebe ...
Der, den ich liebe
Hat mir gesagt
Dass er mich braucht.
Darum
Gebe ich auf mich acht
Sehe auf meinen Weg und
Fürchte von jedem Regentropfen
Dass er mich erschlagen könnte.
6
QUEENBOROUCH COMMUNITY COLLEGE
DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES
Course Outline LG112
COURSE INFORMATION
Course number and title: LG112 PNET Beginning German II
Hours: 4 + 1 (laboratory), 4 credits or online activities
Prerequisite: German I or appropriate Foreign Language Placement.
Students planning to take LG 213 must obtain a final grade of C or higher in this course.
LG 112 students with a final grade lower than C will not be admitted in LG 213.
INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
Name: Dr. Lorena B. Ellis
E-mail: LEllis@qcc.cuny.edu
Fax: (718) 631-6261 Tel.: (718) 631-6259
Office: H220
Voicemail: (718) 281-5444
Office Hours: MW 2:00-2:50 and 5:00-5:50pm or appt.
http://www.qcc.cuny.edu/ForeignLanguages/LEllis/
TEXTS:
Required: You must bring your textbook with you to every class.
Treffpunkt Deutsch
Fifth Edition
Rosemarie E. Widmaier, McMaster University
Fritz T. Widmaier, McMaster University
Margaret Gonglewski, The George Washington University
0-13-195546-2
978-013-195546-2
Publisher: Prentice Hall, Copyright: 2008
Dictionaries and Websites recommended Leo GmbH Copyright © LEO GmbH 2006-10 [http://dict.leo.org/trainer/index.php?lang=de&lp=ende]
Ein Online-Wörterbuch Service Technischen Universität München.
Beolingus ©TU Chemnitz , 2006-2007 a bilingual online dictionary with spelling and pronunciation [http://dict.tuchemnitz.de/]
Online sites: QCC Blackboard: http://www.qcc.cuny.edu/ CUNY Portal > User Name + Password
http://webgerman.com/Animated/index.html
Type any text with German characters:
http://german.typeit.org/
Information on Culture in German Speaking countries:
www.german-way.comQCC Blackboard: http://www.qcc.cuny.edu/
Grammar Doubts: http://webgerman.com/Animated/index.html
Type any text with German characters: http://german.typeit.org/
Information on Culture in German Speaking countries: www.german-way.com
COURSE DESCRIPTION/MATERIAL TO BE COVERED
German II aims at increasing the student's ability to use basic forms of oral communication in German through constant use
of the everyday idiom. Carefully graded practice in reading and writing supplement the conversational aspects of the course.
We will cover Kapitel 5 to Kapitel 8 in the textbook Treffpunkt Deutsch (5th ed.) and the corresponding worksheets as well
as online activities (QUIA) corresponding to each Kapitel.at the end of each lesson. Additional listening comprehension
7
exercises will be available in Blackboard (BB), as well as writing exercises. Results of both need to be posted in the
Discussion Board (BB). We also will work on vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, oral comprehension, conversation,
spelling and writing. Speaking, oral comprehension, and conversation will be emphasized.
GENERAL EDUCATION OBJECTIVES
You will be able to:


Communicate effectively through reading, writing, listening and speaking.
Use analytical reasoning to identify issues or problems and evaluate evidence in order to make informed decisions.
COURSE OBJECTIVES AND EXPECTED STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to:





Accomplish basic communicative tasks (e.g., order a meal in a restaurant, shop) by relying on guided input.
Describe in oral and written form about their own and others’ daily activities.
Describe in oral and written form rudimentary past and future events.
Express commands and causality, give simple advice, or suggestions in given situations.
Narrate and/or provide information about themselves and others
EVALUATION METHODS
Assessment of you conversational skills will be assessed by evaluating the clarity, the fluidity and the accuracy of their
responses to questions, role plays, simulations, picture descriptions, or storytelling.
Your listening abilities will be assessed by evaluating their general understanding of auditory messages such as ads, or short
dialogues, narratives or descriptions.
Assessment of your reading skills will be done by evaluating their degree of comprehension of a variety of reading materials
including ads or simple stories.
Assessment of your writing skills (including knowledge of grammar) will be done evaluating the grammatical and lexical
accuracy and the appropriateness of their writing samples including narrations, descriptions and letter writing.
Grade Distribution
The final grade for the course will consist of:
Final written examination
Final oral examination
Midterm test
Quizzes
Oral as well as written work related to class activities (i.e. class participation (5%) and dictations
10%, home/online work 10%).
(20%)
(5%)
(30%)
(20%)
(25%)
Exams/Qizzes
There will be graded listening comprehension activities and at least 6 oral and/or written quizzes, a midterm, and a final
exam. The in-class quizzes, midterm and the final exam will include different sections: vocabulary, reading, grammar,
listening comprehension, and writing. Any material covered in the text, or in the language laboratory, or assigned homework,
or covered in class, may be used in a quiz or exam.
N.B. All exams are mandatory. If you have a legitimate reason to miss an exam, you must provide appropriate
documentation. Otherwise there are no make-ups for missed exams.
Homework & other assignments
Homework assignments should be completed daily. They are checked at the beginning of each class. Assignments handed
in late will be worth only 50% of the grade on homework.
In order to really learn from these exercises, you should study the material first, do the exercises to the best of your ability,
and then check the answers at the following class meeting. Portions of these exercises may be adapted for use in quizzes
and exams.
8
ATTENDANCE and PARTICIPATION
Students are expected to attend class and to arrive on time. Be aware that every two instances
lateness will be counted as an absence. If you have to be absent, please notify instructor
beforehand if possible. Furthermore, be sure to get any assignment, as well as any information
provided in class from a class mate. An absence is no excuse for not being prepared for the
following class, or for not handing in homework on time. Therefore, absences should be
kept to a minimum. Language learning is interactive and therefore requires your active
participation and involvement in all class activities. Class participation is measured by your
preparedness, alertness and contributions to activities and discussions. If you leave early, or
sleep in class, or pop in and out of the room frequently, come to class without your text, or
fail to participate in class, it will reflect negatively in your participation grade.
More than three unauthorized absences will lower final course grade. More than eight unauthorized absences will
determine a grade of WU for the course (Departmental Policy).
If the instructor is late, please wait 15 minutes sign an attendance (class, name, date) sheet before leaving and hand it in
(room H214).
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:(department and college)
The Foreign Language Department abides by Queensborough Community College Policy regarding Academic Integrity.
Cheating on a quiz or exam as well as the act of plagiarizing (stealing the words or ideas of another) will result in an F grade
for the course. It may also lead to suspension or dismissal from the College. For more details, refer to the Academic Integrity
Policy stated in the 2009-2010 College Catalogue, p. 44-45.
DISSABILITIES
Any student who feels that he/she may need an accommodation based upon the impact of a disability should contact me
privately to discuss his/her specific needs. Please contact the office of Services for Students with Disabilities in Science
Building, room 132 (718 631 6257) to coordinate reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities.
SCHEDULE
HA (Hausaufgabe)=> Home Assignments = BLAU
Tests & Exams = ROT
Note that the homework (HA=Hausaufgabe) assignments are normally in the textbook as worksheets (WS) at
the end of each chapter, or handouts (HO) will be given. They are due on the day after the material has been
presented and practiced in class. In any event, your teacher will remind you daily of the homework due on the
next day. In the first class of each week there will be a graded dictation (Dict.) or listening comprehension (LC)
exercise.
Week 1, Mon. 1-31 to 2-4: Introduction & Review 1st. semester
Important: Buy the book (if you do not have it from the 1st. semester (fall-2010)
Objective I: Review the basic structures and vocabulary from the previous semester
Quiz preparation: verbs in the present (regular, stem-changing and modal verbs), vocabulary, expressions,
adjective endings in the nominative and in the accusative
Week 2 Feb.7 to 11
Kap.5 Quiz1: 2-9 (online) (1st. semester)
Talking about persons or things without naming them
1. Personal pronouns in the accusative case
Expressing direction, destination, time, manner, and place
2. Accusative prepositions
durch, für, gegen, ohne, um
Two expressions for “around” gegen um
3. Dafür and dagegen
Wer ist für das neue Rauchgesetz? ich bin dafür.
Making comparisons
4. The comparative of adjectives and adverbs
Ich bin dagegen.
9
Week 3 Feb. 12 to 18
Kap.5
Making comparisons and superlative
5. The superlative of adjectives and adverbs
6. An adjective in the superlative before a noun
David hat das neueste Notebook.
Word Order
7. Object clauses introduced by “dass”
Ich hoffe, dass du bald einen guten Job findest.
8. Questions as object clause (Indirect questions)
Weiβt du, ob wir morgen ins Kino gehen?
Weiβt du, wann wir morgen ins Kino gehen?
Talking about what and whom you know
9. The verb “wissen”
Weiβt du, wie viel Uhr es ist?
10. Verbs “wissen” versus “kennen”
wissen = know something as a fact
kennen = be familiar with smthg or be acquainted with someone.
Week 4 Feb.22* to Feb.28
Talking about events in the past
Kap.5 Quiz#2 on 2-23 (Kap.5)
11. The simple past of sein, haben and the modal verbs
dürfen, können, mögen, müssen, sollen
durfte konnte
Week 5 Mar.1 to Mar 7
Talking about events in the past
Kap.6
1. The perfect tense of regular verbs
2. The perfect tense of irregular verbs
3. The verb “sein” as auxiliary in the perfect tense
Week 6 Mar 8 to Mar 14
More on the Past
Kap.6
4.The perfect tense of verbs with separable prefixes
5.The perfect tense of verbs with inseparable prefixes
6. The perfect tense of mixed verbs
Week7 Mar.14 to Mar. 21
Ranking people and things
Kap.6 Quiz#3 on 3-16 Kap.6)
7. Ordinal numbers and dates
Writing Personal letters
8. Conventions in writing personal letters
Indicating direction away from and toward
9. Hin und her as directional suffixes and prefixes
Week 8 Mar.22 to Mar.30
Review, Oral, Midterm on 3-30 (Kap.5 & Kap.6)
Group project draft ready; Assessment of online activities
10
Week 9 Mar. 31 to April 4
Kap.7
Indicating the person to whom or for whom something is done
1.The dative case: the indirect object
2.The interrogative pronoun in the dative case
3. The Personal pronouns in the dative case
Week 10 Apr. 5 to Apr.11
Kap.7
4. Word order sequence of objects
5. Dative verbs
6. The dative case with adjectives
Week 11 April 12 to Apr.16
Kap.7 Quiz 4 on 4-13 (Kap.7)
Expressing origin, destination, time, manner and place
7. The dative prepositions
8. Contractions
9. Da-compounds
10. “nach” versus “zu” und “aus” versus “von”
Describing people, places and things
12. Adjective endings in the dative case.
12.a. Adjective endings preceded by ”der-words”
12.b. Adjective endings preceded by “ein-words”
12.c. Adjective endings of un-preceded adjectives
Spring Recess: Apr.17 to Apr. 26
Week 12 April 27 to May 3
Kap.8
Talking about destination and location
1. Wohin und wo: review.
2. Two-case prepositions
3. Contractions
4. The verbs stellen/stehen, legen/liegem, hängen
5. More on da-compounds
6. German an, auf, in, and English to
Week 13 May 4 to May 10
Saying when something occurs
Kap.8
7. The two-case prepositions an, in, vor, and zwischen in time phrases
8. Infinitive Phrases
9. Infinitive phrases introduced by “um”
Indicating possession or relationships
10. The genitive case
Word Order Describing people, places and things
11. Genitive endings of preceded adjectives
Review Kap. & Kap.8 for final
Week 14 May 11 to May 18 Kap.8 Quiz#5 on 5-18 (Kap.8)
Review (Kap. 5,6,7, & 8) for final, Oral Assessment
Week 15 May 19 May 23
LAST WEEK OF CLASSES including Assessment and Final Exam
Final exam 5-22 (Kap. 5,6,7, & 8)