A must-have for CSI/CUNY was the flexibility to customize oral exams that simulate real-life situations across multiple languages and levels of proficiency.
It was important to CSI/CUNY to have the ability to rate oral assessments using the same systems as the students to record their oral responses.
CSI/CUNY wanted to provide direct feedback to students on their oral assessments. They wanted a tool for students to practice speaking and directly monitor their progress.
Test creators can apply grading rubrics and/or point systems to different exam sections. The faculty appreciates the ability to create and rate oral exams on and off campus.
OWL offers many paths for providing student feedback. French professors at CSI/CUNY appreciate the ability to record feedback within the OWL TMS directly on the examinee’s response.
Unlike the online activities provided by the students’ workbooks, OWL allows students to create a portfolio of verbal recordings. They can practice their verbal skills and even receive recorded oral feedback from the instructor. They can also listen to their previous recordings in order to practice their speech as well as monitor their own progress. Ultimately, we are creating superior language learners and, in particular, better second language speakers.
About CSI/CUNY | The College of Staten Island is a senior college of The City University of New York (CSI/CUNY) offering Doctoral programs, Advanced Certificate programs, and Master’s programs, as well as Bachelor’s and Associate’s degrees. The College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
Background | The Modern Languages Media Center at the College of Staten Island (CSI) provides a variety of aids for the learning and teaching of foreign languages. It was important to the world language faculty to have a versatile platform allowing for the creation of media-rich oral examinations in which students could provide an oral response. In addition, it was imperative that the faculty have the ability to grade the oral examinations and provide oral feedback directly to the student within the same platform.
Results |Some of the efficiencies gained by installing OWL in the CSI Media Center include: software training and proctoring efficiencies, Streamlined oral exam process for students, swift administration of oral proficiency exams, and improved program performance monitoring. More than 1200 students at CSI are using OWL for 4 different languages. The college performs over 3000 oral proficiency exams each semester.