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Zhou Liping
УДК 378
AN ACTION RESEARCH ON HELPING STUDENTS OF SPECIAL MAJORS BECOME AUTONOMOUS LEARNERS THROUGH FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT
1. Introduction. "Action research is a very effective way of helping teachers to reflect on their teaching and to come up with their own alternatives to improve their practice" (Tsui 1993: 173 ). Action research encourages teachers to investigate their own teaching problems that they may not be aware of before, and engages teachers in a process of development and reform beyond merely making impressionistic judgment in class. Furthermore, action research integrates teaching and teacher's development, curriculum development and evaluation, research and philosophical reflection into a unified conception based on reflective practice, which is very helpful for teachers to improve their teaching reasonably.
The problem this article is working on involves how to encourage students of special majors to become autonomous learners through formative assessment. From the previous teaching experience, the author knows that many college students majoring in some special disciplines such as art, design and physical education (hereinafter called PE students ) are passive toward to their English learning and the English teaching efficiency for this group students are not optimistic in the colleges. The reason for this result is: Firstly, because they have comparative poorer English foundation than other college students, the requirement for their college entrance is lower than students with other majors. Secondly, the teaching and assessment model and content for them are not suitable for their real situation. They have to be taught and tested according to the university's unified curriculum and evaluating system as other major students, which is not reasonable and practical for them. Because the students of special majors have much poorer principal knowledge, Such testing contents and system require much more than their real level. These tests can't reflect the students' real progress and achievement they
make during their study. Students' motivation for English study can not be stimulated accordingly. Gradually, they loss their interest and autonomous intention in English learning.
In order to improve English teaching and learning for students of special majors, it is important for teachers to design creative teaching activities to let students be motivated in learning and to adopt proper assessment methods to evaluate and ensure students improvement and progress they make during their studying process.
This article describes the implementation of an action research conducted by the author with a class of college students majoring in physical education, trying to seek and explore a new English teaching and learning way for students of special majors. In this action research project, various teaching-learning activities and assessment methods have been designed to practice. students' autonomous and creative learning abilities have been developed a lot and both the students and the teacher get benefit from the new type of educating.
2.Term Explanations.
2.1 Action Research. Since the 80s, a new type of research conducted by teachers has come into educational area. It is called class teaching research. Action research as one of class teaching research methods has been accepted by many teachers.
Action research is the research of practitioner. During the process of action research, teachers are the designers, conductors, evaluators and users of the research. It advocates that teachers should undertake systematic observation and self-reflection for their own teaching action, should try to find out problems and determine measures to solve these problems. Teachers will examine and analyses datum, evaluate the effect, consequently find and point
ИРКУТСКИЙ ГОСУДАРСТВЕННЫЙ УНИВЕРСИТЕТ ПУТЕЙ СООБЩЕНИЯ
out problems. Finally we can reach the aim of improving teaching method and teaching effect. Meanwhile, teachers can foster new teaching ideas and develop their teaching professional skills. Such research method has close link with teachers' teaching. Teachers can adopt general and practical methods on the base of their actual environment and conditions.
"Action research is a form of self-reflective enquiry undertaken by participants in social (including educational) situations in order to improve the rationality and justice of (a) their own social or educational practices, (b) their understanding of these practices, and (c) the situations (and institutions) in which these practices are carried out." ( Kemmis & McTaggart,1982:5).
Action research frameworks reveal several common features. Kemmis and McTaggert (1988) suggest that the fundamental components of action research include the following:
-Developing a plan for improvement;
-Implementing the plan;
-Observing and documenting the effects of the plan;
- Reflecting on the effects of the plan for further planning and informed action. New knowledge gained results in changes in practice.
2.2 Formative Assessment and Summative Assessment. Summative assessment judges students' learning ability and teaching quality mainly by exam grades. It takes exam grades as the final judging standard. To some extent, it exaggerates mark's function. Obviously, this assessment is not a satisfied assessing method for training students' abilities of English learning and practicing. And in a great degree, it leads students to pay much attention to memorize and recite separate language knowledge, but ignore language application and communicative abilities. This assessment system also affects English teachers' initiation and creativities to seek ways of improving and reforming their teaching content and methodology.
Students' English learning abilities are various. We can't judge them just by marks. Comparatively, formative assessment has its advantage. It focuses on students real studying activities and tasks, such as communicative activities of written and spoken English, skill of problem solving and abilities of autonomous learning.
Formative assessment is carried out during the learning and teaching process. It evaluates
students' conduction for the purpose of guiding and improving the process of teaching and learning. By formative assessment, we focus on the real existed learning process and the learning performance behavior, reflect our learning and teaching frequently and then make more achievement. Formative assessment records students' completed process of their learning and progressing, which will offers feedback to students to improve their study, help teachers get to know students learning conditions and then make their next-step teaching plan as well as students learning plan.
Formative assessment can be engaged in many forms such as symposium, interview, observation, judge and comment on student's studying report, analysis on test result, etc...
3.Description of The Teaching Situation and Planning Action.
The class engaged the action research consists of a group 40 sophomores majoring in physical education (PE) in East China Jiaotong University (ECJTU). They come from various parts of China and were admitted by ECJTU after they took the normal national entrance examination for college. Because their majors aim at physical education, and they are required superiority in some certain sports items. Relatively, their levels for other subjects are lower, especially for English. As a common situation in China, their entrance standard for college are lower than other normal disciplines.
So compared with other major college students, many students' English basic knowledge are poorer. Their English learning skills are also much weaker. Besides, PE students are more energetic, vigorous and active in their characters. and can't be so concentrated on class learning. So they are not used to the conventional English teaching models and hope English teaching and learning can be more flexible and the assessment can be more practical and acceptable vise to traditional way.
In such situation, we can't treat them the same way as other major students. Otherwise, we can't get satisfied learning results. We should take practical way to teach and assess these special major students so as to motivate them in English learning. Under such background, a class of PE students has to be chosen to implement the action research.
After making some preliminary investigations such as classroom observation, interviews with teachers and administrators,
СИСТЕМНЫЙ АНАЛИЗ И МЕЖДИСЦИПЛИНАРНЫЕ ПОДХОДЫ В ИССЛЕДОВАНИЯХ
questionnaire to students, the action plan begins to be in design. Firstly, a practical book is selected and then some learning strategies training assisted by specific instructions have been planed in action to help students build up their confidence in learning. Tasks based on the principles of fostering cooperative learning spirits, cultivating self-study capabilities, and developing competence in language use are also designed. At the same time, formative assessment is applied to the English teaching systematically, which would hopefully motivate the students intrinsically, and most important of all, help them to become autonomous learners.
The action plan is implemented in 12 weeks for a sophomore PE students. 10 kinds of activities are arranged to be undertaken throughout the 12 weeks to help students on their way to become autonomous learners through formative assessment. See (Tabl.1)
4. Reporting on Implementation of the Actions. Based on the action plan, the activities are implemented in a period of 12 weeks. Throughout the action research process, obtaining students' opinions, monitoring teacher's actions to meet their needs are the consistent procedures to achieve the goals of teaching . During the whole period, all students' performance and conduction will be recorded and
evaluate accordingly and finally come into their main grades. The following are descriptions of the actions taken and the discussion of the results.
4.1 Collecting Opinions. Opinion Collecting is the first step of the action plan. Students' opinions on the English teaching are important for improving teacher's working and they need to be encouraged to be more actively involved in reflecting on the learning process. This is part of an essential quality of autonomous learners.
Some good suggestions are adopted and feedback is sent to students about the revised plan in accordance with their advices. Students get the hint that their opinions count, teacher would pay much attention to what they have suggested and would try to make the atmosphere in and out of class become more active and positive. Students are looking forward to participating in the coming teaching and learning reforms.
4.2 Oral English Practice. Speaking is the principal skill for students' English learning. Also it's the first step for mastering and applying English freely. Some activities to train students speaking ability are arranged in the action plan. Beginning from the simple information telling, activities for oral practice are carried out throughout the whole action research. 2 kinds of oral practice are mainly performed - one is daily oral practice and another is topic oral practice.
A 12 week Plan on helping the PE students on their way to become autonomous learners through formative assessment.
Tabl.1
Week Planned action 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Opinion collecting * +
Oral English practice * + + + + + + + + + +
Practical writing * + + + + +
Writing short thesis + + + + + + + + + + *
Creating portfolios * + + + +
English films * + + +
Interview practice +
Making testing + +
Teaching assistants + + + + + + + + + *
Speech contest + + +
Date collected Students' suggestion for English teaching, students' short thesis, writings, portfolios, daily working records
ИРКУТСКИЙ ГОСУДАРСТВЕННЫЙ УНИВЕРСИТЕТ ПУТЕЙ СООБЩЕНИЯ
At beginning of each class, 15 minutes for students to exercise oral practice are parted. During this time, students are encouraged to express their ideas or communicate daily information in English freely. The forms of practice are flexible. Students are very active and interested in participation. More or less they will try to say something in class and gradually their speaking ability has been improved much.
Students are also encouraged to organize some group talking on some topics which have something to do with the passages and also they are interested in topics such as sports events, pollution problems, continuing education, campus living, etc. They will make good preparation before talking. They have to collect relevant information, exercise words and sentences concerned and look up dictionary for some words and terms. Through such practice, students' autonomous learning abilities have been improved.
4.3 Practical Writing. Writing has been regarded as one of the most difficult skills for improvement among all the four skills. The main purpose of it is to provide a wide and imaginative space for students to communicate and thus to improve their language ability through writing in English. In the action, practical writing is arranged once every 2 weeks and some principles are followed as well:
(1) Devising interesting and practical writing tasks, which can attract students attention and arouse their interest, and may also help them enjoy the process of language learning (Grant 1987: 104).
(2) Connecting with the text books, assigning more authentic or semi-authentic writing tasks in order to get students to write with various style,.
(3) Suggesting 2-3 topics for students to write about and giving them more freedom to write on the topic they like.
(4) Giving encouraging comments while marking students writing exercises, providing quick feedback about students' writing, selecting some good works from students exercises and letting students to read and explain in class. Students can benefit a lot from the self-reflection and peer comments.
4.4 Writing Short English Thesis. Students are assigned to write a short thesis during the whole action plan. No limit for topics, they can choose whatever they are interested in. They are encouraged and guided to collect information
from medium resources to support their thesis findings
Gradually students get to know more and more websites and can gather relevant information they need. Thesis writing also make the students think and discuss problem actively. More important that through the thesis writing, students know the format and structure of a research theses and know how to study themselves and how to collect data and information which lays bases for their future research or study.
4.5 Creating Portfolios. " Portfolios are collections of relevant work that reflect students' individual efforts, development, and progress over a designed period of time" ( Spandel & Stiffins, 1990:6.9).
As formative assessment is introduced to the teaching. Dealing the writing assessment, students are guided into compiling and organizing their own portfolios.
The procedure employed in using portfolios for writing are as the follows:
(1) Sharing with the students some samples of the portfolios and brainstorm with them what they are going to do on their own
(2) Assigning a writing work to students every 2 weeks, mainly relating to the text and practical topics, allowing different writing styles and choices.
(3) Requiring students to finish their first and second draft before compiling their own portfolios.
(4) Teachers' comments, peers' comments and self-reflection are integrated into the formative assessment. Also the portfolios is submitted for summative evaluation at the end of the semester.
Students' portfolios have truly demonstrated their great potentials, creativity, responsibility of their own learning, when they can be fully motivated and properly assisted if provide proper opportunities.
4.6 English Films. Seeing English films is regarded as a popular and effective way for learners to improve their listening ability, contribute to the understanding of West culture, broaden their vision and raise their learning interest, etc. Connected with our text learning, some interesting and meaningful English movies are arranged every 3 weeks for the students. Each time after they see the film, an assignment is given to students: try to write a report or list some other more information about this film. Seeing films
does not only arouse students' interest and make classroom teaching vividly, but also provide students a stage to present themselves and consequently benefit from it.
4.7. Interview Practice. Interview is available everywhere in our daily lives. To practice and master interview skill is quite helpful for students. So an Interview practice is arranged for the students in the action. Some foreign teachers and students who have studied in America are invited to work as the panel, students are supposed to ask questions and communicate with the panel freely.
From the interview, students' motivation of learning English is stirred, they see the practical usage of learning English. They feel proud and excited when they can express their idea to someone in English.
For good efficiency from such interview practice, we should firstly make good preparation. Secondly teachers should lead the interview to some topics which are relevant to students lives and interests, and which they like to talk about.
4.8. Making Testing. In order to strengthen students' understanding to a test and get the first hand knowledge of designing a paper, Students are assigned to make an exam paper themselves in groups. They are encouraged to collect relevant materials and to recall or note down what they have learned and what are key points which should be tested, and how to design the paper with creative ideas.
Then a completed examination paper is made from students' papers for mid-term exam. When students do their own produced exams papers, they are experiencing an interesting exam and getting the idea about a paper design.
4.9 Teaching Assistant. For the purpose of encouraging students' participation and initiative in classroom activities, the teacher conducts tactics of teaching assistant. All students have chances to work as the teacher's assistants in turn. Their responsibility is to assist the teacher and their classmates to carry out and fulfill the week's teaching and learning. Teaching assistants will make preparation for the week's duty in advance. They will get familiar with the teaching content and discuss with teacher the teaching and learning methods. During the process of practice, their initiative studying abilities have been improved. Meanwhile, all the students show their harmonious coordination and understanding to the teaching assistants. Studying environment is also stirred alive.
In this way, students' interest for taking part in English class has increased greatly. Their final reports for their work also take an important part in teacher's evaluation for the class.
4.10 Speech Contest. In the end of the
semester, there is an English Speech Contest held for students majoring in arts, design and physical education in our university. To meet this competition, we first have a trial in class in advance. Everyone in class should participate and perform in class first.
After several weeks' oral English practice of the action research, the students have better language sense and are brave enough to open their mouths in public. So they take an enthusiastic passion into this activity. They recite and practice speech materials in groups, improve their performance and pronunciation time by time.
The trial is a success. All the students in class take part in the activity, among which 5 are selected to represent the class to contest in school speech competition. Throughout the weeks before the competition, the whole class are buzzing with preparing for the trial and the competition. Many students make rapid progress through the practice. All the students have opportunities to present themselves and appreciate others in a formal way.
5. Reflections and Conclusion. Through the investigation and planned action, the teacher has improved his ability of solving problems in teaching students with special majors and the students have made considerable progress in many aspects in learning. In the action research plan, many new ideas have been tried in building up students' confidence and strategies in learning. Also the teacher has tried to develop students' competence in using the language rather than on the memorizing the language points. Their sense of self-esteem increase and the need for extrinsic rewards has given way to the development of intrinsic motivation. Many students are full of confidence to design their future plan.
Obviously, during this period of learning, with formative assessment, the students are stepping onto the road to become autonomous learners. They are taking responsibilities for their own learning by identifying the objectives, deciding on the content, reflecting on the process, and choosing methods of their own learning.
ИРКУТСКИЙ ГОСУДАРСТВЕННЫЙ УНИВЕРСИТЕТ ПУТЕЙ СООБЩЕНИЯ
As a teacher, through this year teaching and research practice, he has realized that learner autonomy and teacher development have much in common. Having shared with responsibilities with students, both the students and the teacher benefited from the process. The objective of learning in the second language classroom has changed from language form to language use and development (Janice, 1987). As qualified teachers, "we should be able to motivate the students both on a daily basis by designing good tasks" (Wang, 1999) and in a long run by helping them set up meaningful and achievable long-term goals. For these students who have special majors, teachers should especially have the duty to study the learners characteristics and features, adopt proper methodology and attitude toward the teaching.
So when implementing the formative assessment, teachers should be very sensitive to the characteristics of the students, as their different cognitive, affective, social and physical experiences are not so mature. It will be damaging and unrealistic to demand all the students to
perform at perfect conditions and compare them with one another. Therefore it is necessary for the students to understand their individual nature, set up their own learning goals in relation to curriculum objectives so that they develop their learning strategies accordingly. Directed properly, they will respond positively to a systematic formative assessment.
REFERENCES
1. Research on Teaching Assessment System for Foreign Teachers in Colleges, Journal of East China Jiaotong University, Vol.24 No.6, Dec., 2007.
2. Research on Credit-Transfer System -Important Factor of Education Globalization, Jiangxi Provincial Education Research Project, Dec. 2005.
3. Zhou Liping Associate Professor and Deputy Director, International School /International Office East China Jiaotong University, specializing in English teaching method, international education.
Baogen Xu, Li deng
УДК519.218.2
ON RECIPROCAL SIGNED DOMINATION IN GRAPHS
1. Introduction. We use Bondy and Murty [1] for terminology and notation not defined here and consider simple graphs only.
Let G = (V, E) be a graph, ifv e V(G), then NG (v) denotes the open neighbourhood of v in G, and Ng [v]= Ng (v) Y{v} for the close one. For simplicity, sometimes, NG (v) and NG [v] are denoted by N(v) and N[v], respectively. If S c V(G) then G[S] denotes the subgraph of G
induced by S.. S( G) and A(G) denote the minimum and maximum degree of G, respectively.
In recent years, some kinds of domination in graphs have been investigated [2~7]. T.W.Haynes, etc.[2~3] surveyed the major research accomplishments on domination theory.
Let G = (V, E) be a graph, a signed domination function (SDF) of G is a function f: V(G) ^{-1,+ 1} satisfying £f(v) > 1 for all
v eN [u ]
vertices u e V(G), and the signed domination number of G is defined as y s (G) = min{ £ f(v)f is an SDF of G}. v eV (g )
In this paper, we initiate the study of a new graph parameter by changing > to «= in the definition of signed domination function. Now we introduce a kind of new domination parameter as follows:
Definition 1.1. Let G = (V, E) be a graph, a function f: V ^ {-1, +1} is said to be a reciprocal signed domination function (RSDF) of G if £ f (v) < 1holds for every vertex u e V. The
v eN [u ]
reciprocal signed domination number of G is defined as yr (G) = max { £f(v) } f is an RSDF of G}. ' v eV (G)
If f be a RSDF of a graph G, andS c V(G), for convenience, we write f( S) = £ f(v).
