EFL Classwork Assignment – Mind Mapping

Challenge:

English as a foreign language instructors claim that online testing in times of covid-19 is pointless  as students are more prone to cheating using different devices, even if tests are well designed. A  few instructors reject the accuracy of “well-designed tests”. Therefore, most instructors suggest  that we should have only one final well-designed test and give more percentage to other activities.  The main challenge is that only changing percentages does not tackle the problem which deals  with testing and assessment. However, there are other views such as the view on students as  cheaters and that they are not reaching the expected skills. I highlight that assessment requires  further discussion and organize a follow-up meeting to start our discussion.

Selection & Application:

The selected design tool is mind mapping. I facilitate the e-meeting as a moderator with a critical  eye on concerns, insights, and thoughtful questions to ignite the discussion. I also talk to a couple  of instructors to play the role of participant observers. One who mind maps the concepts and  connections as the discussion flows, and another one who pays attention to questions and ideas  we shall not forget or leave as outliers.

This tool and strategy are chosen to have multiple input and sources, not only from the facilitation  and observation team, but also for instructors to keep an eye on the direction of our talk, agree,  disagree, express their mind, their emotions, their ideas.

The first concern that comes up relates to classwork assessment, which takes around 1 hour and  even though instructors find the discussion important, there are a couple of them who raise the  question about what the decision about the mid-term exams and the percentages is, whose  response is that we will leave room for deep reflections and team consensus on how to follow up,  so they are free to experiment assessment alternatives and initiatives in the meantime, which will  help us to make some informed decisions in the future, as percentages and test are just the tip of  the iceberg and we need to go deeper on the discussion to make decisions.

Insights:

Having an open mind map in the making (made by an instructor with this skill) kept everybody in  the meeting attentive and following the thread of discussion and even building upon others’  perspectives or expressing some divergent thinking that help emerge new ideas. Although there  are some personas who have a more fixed/rigid mindset and want decisions to be made  immediately, the group discussions helped them realize that it was not a easy topic to handle and  that quick fixes would defeat the purpose of this assessment discussion. Some of the professors  even expressed that they liked the fact that there was room for innovation and that in the past  they were more prone to be told what to do but now they felt that what they had to say was  important. At the end of the session, with the final mind map of the meeting, there was a sense of  collective construction and a desire to keep the conversation going for a follow-up meeting.

Approach:

The participant observers, and particularly the mind mapping role, showed to be an interesting  application to further explore. However, it was only a starting point. For our next e-meeting, the  “Art Gallery” mind mapping analogy will be implemented to resume our discussion by having  instructors post their commentaries on good stuff or alternative ideas using the online app  “mural” to create interactive wallpapers with post-it notes (based on our previous meeting mind  map), in order to cluster ideas and insights to design certain learning launches regarding classwork  assessment.


EFL Classwork Assignment – Mind Mapping Challenge : English as a foreign language instructors claim that online testing in times of covid-19 is pointless as students are more prone to cheating using different devices , even if tests are well designed . A few instructors reject the accuracy of “ well - designed tests ” . Therefore , most instructors suggest that we should have only one final well - designed test and give more percentage to other activities . The main challenge is that only changing percentages does not tackle the problem which deals with testing and assessment . However , there are other views such as the view on students as cheaters and that they are not reaching the expected skills . I highlight that assessment requires further discussion and organize a follow - up meeting to start our discussion . Selection & Application : The selected design tool is mind mapping . I facilitate the e - meeting as a moderator with a critical eye on concerns , insights , and thoughtful questions to ignite the discussion . I also talk to a couple of instructors to play the role of participant observers . One who mind maps the concepts and connections as the discussion flows , and another one who pays attention to questions and ideas we shall not forget or leave as outliers . This tool and strategy are chosen to have multiple input and sources , not only from the facilitation and observation team , but also for instructors to keep an eye on the direction of our talk , agree , disagree , express their mind , their emotions , their ideas . The first concern that comes up relates to classwork assessment , which takes around 1 hour and even though instructors find the discussion important , there are a couple of them who raise the question about what the decision about the mid - term exams and the percentages is , whose response is that we will leave room for deep reflections and team consensus on how to follow up , so they are free to experiment assessment alternatives and initiatives in the meantime , which will help us to make some informed decisions in the future , as percentages and test are just the tip of the iceberg and we need to go deeper on the discussion to make decisions . Insights : Having an open mind map in the making ( made by an instructor with this skill ) kept everybody in the meeting attentive and following the thread of discussion and even building upon others ’ perspectives or expressing some divergent thinking that help emerge new ideas . Although there are some personas who have a more fixed / rigid mindset and want decisions to be made immediately , the group discussions helped them realize that it was not a easy topic to handle and that quick fixes would defeat the purpose of this assessment discussion . Some of the professors even expressed that they liked the fact that there was room for innovation and that in the past they were more prone to be told what to do but now they felt that what they had to say was important . At the end of the session , with the final mind map of the meeting , there was a sense of collective construction and a desire to keep the conversation going for a follow - up meeting . Approach : The participant observers , and particularly the mind mapping role , showed to be an interesting application to further explore . However , it was only a starting point . For our next e - meeting , the “ Art Gallery ” mind mapping analogy will be implemented to resume our discussion by having instructors post their commentaries on good stuff or alternative ideas using the online app “ mural ” to create interactive wallpapers with post - it notes ( based on our previous meeting mind map ) , in order to cluster ideas and insights to design certain learning launches regarding classwork assessment .