Std-11/12 English Activity Sheet: Frequently Raised Queries, Doubts And Questions

Frequently Raised Queries, Doubts And Questions About  Activity  Sheet

                          Std-11/12

                        Sub-English

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  Whenever we confrom something different or new it is possible that we are vexed with numerous queries, doubts and probiems Having these is a sign of our ing inquisitive about the changes that are brought in. Getting our slightest doubts regarding these innovations solved is essential for helping our students get the best. Our misunderstanding might result into the poor performance of the students, Therefore, we should have a good understanding about the questions and their answers. Here, are some of the doubts anticipated and some actually posed by the teachers after the declaration of the format of the question paper.

1. Why to shift to activity based testing?

@  To continue with the changes ushered in through the evaluation pattern at the earlier stage.

@ To increase the level of comprehension and thinking skill

@    To introduce variety in question patterns

@    To break the monotony of the Wh' questions To increase the unpredictability of question types.

@  To eradicate the fear of examination from the students' mind.

@  To encourage the learners to apply their minds to do activities.

@  To make the examination more authentici.e. relevant, realistic and meaningful,

@  To test as suited to the form of literature.

@  To break the monotony and avoid mechanicalness in the evaluation pattern.

@  To prepare students for the life skills

@  To ignite and develop creativity of thought and language.

@ To develop constructivist approach to life.

2. What is the difference in interrogative based testing and activity based testing?

  Interrogative words are limited while as there is a more variety in framing activities. The purpose of Interrogative testing is limited. Interrogative may encourage rote learning and dependency on the ready made notes while as activities tend encourage self thinking. In interrogation there is fear of insistence on answers in full sentence whereas in activities only the pointed answers are expected. Answers given to interrogation may force the examiner to point out the students mistakes in tense and structure of answers. While solving activities this kind of change in focus is not done and the skill is focussed.

3.  Is the new format diluting the expectations of the students?

  There is no dilution but the exactness of the responses is insisted upon. While checking the comprehension ability of the students the focus is only the comprehension and not any other Skills Dilution is not there because the language learning abilities are given priority over just Cramming of the answers. Questions on creativity, personal response and all the activities in the writing skill section pose sufficient challenge for the students. The appearance of the activities may be easy but the learning process that the child is expected to undergo is certainly more Complex.

4. Why an activity is introduced before the passage?

  This is to provide a definite purpose for a student should read the passage. It is to promote the right kind of skills of reading amongst the students. Students should not read the passage for the sake of reading but set an aim for reading it. Reading will be purposeful and quick. The activity here is expected to be testing students' skill in understanding the factual knowledge. Activities are set on the given passage only because it is a kind of open book test and language ability testing needs to be stressed.

5. Why Personal Response type question?

   Activity 5 for the comprehension question is set to encourage children in presenting their own thinking and imagination. Whatever that we read creates impact on our mind We just don't read and stop there, but whatever that we have read creates impressions on our mind and we are tend to take certain action. This will encourage children to respond to what they read Understanding of the question, forming self opinion, decision making and then expressing all in the own words of the students is considered to be important. Students need to know the importance of going beyond and having own views on the different issues. Personal response type questions would give scope for expressing what they have read. Individual opinions are important and they need to be respected. What the writer has stated might be one side of the problem but the students' opinions would present the other side.

6. Why activities on creativity are introduced?

  Instead of testing content based questions which are likely to test memory rather than language abilities, creativity based activities. Students have tremendous power of creativity and very itle scope to encourage that. The activities on aresativity are deliberately introduced to encourage the literary abilities of our students. There is always little writer hidden in the students in the form of a poet or a story writer or a playwright, the activities on creativity aim at that. It is improper to underestimate our children. They have a hidden talent in them which they can face in these challenge posing activities.

7. Why interview questions? They can be stupid at times.

  Framing really intelligent question is challenging. It is not expected that the students should only make use of various wh-words to frame their questons, The skill of framing questions is important in real life. Most of the time of our life we spend in just giving answers to the questions but very rarely we are expected to pose questions.Asking questions,encourages,inquisitivenes among the students. Therefore, the initial question is expected to be asking for something Personal. The other questions may be Content questions. Major questions should be probing questions in nature. The last few questions should be closing questions. The stupidity in questions should be discouraged by the teachers by guiding the students in framing really interesting questions.

8. Whether the new format will improve the language performance of the students.

  It is believed that the students will have to express acquisition of language abilities. Each activity is based on different language abilities. The activities expect the students to make use language more inteligently There are actiwities testing comprehension ability, creativity and imagination, grammar, vocabulary and writing. More than testing just testing the basic skills of reading and writing, the format aims at testing thinking and mental abilities of the students. The students will be able to answer as expected only if they have acquired desired language proficiency.

9. Whether activity based testing assess language skills/competence

 Global understanding, complex factual understanding, inference, interpretation,conclusion, evaluatin guessing and responding are all the different language skills and competence that the activities aim at. This is done through the activities on the prose passages, poetry extracts and rapid reading extracts. Also, ability to express creatively and imaginatively is expected to be tested from the activities on the personal response type and the activities set on rapid reading extracts and through all the activities under the writing skill section. Even there are varied kind of activities testing vocabulary and grammar. All these activities intend to test mainly the language skills and abilitie Only the form of asking them is not the traditional one.

10. How will activity based testing ensure transparency ?

   Considering the criterion set for marking each activity the percentage of subjectivity element is controlled The exactness of the responses expected will be given through the model answer sheet. However, students are not likely to use exactly the same language, therefore any slightiy different use of language should be considered as correct. 

   Answers to Personal Response type questions are provided deliberately because once the answers or the points for the answer are not given it is likely that the examiners valuate only if those points are seen. This is injustice on the students and they are likely to suffer.

11. Will the change make the classroom management easier?

 Managing activities in the class is going to make it more interesting and enjoyable. There will be lot of involvement of the students in conducting the activities which would reduce their stress and tension. Teaching in groups and pairs often make the students feel relaxed. Teacher will have leave the comfortable position near the BB or on a platform but mix up with the students. know them in a better way Since, the -students are expected to use language there would be different discipline problems but that would be constructive and meaningful. A teacher having good class control would not find it difficult to handle the class with full of activities.

12. Will it be possible to cover the portion with the change suggested?

    There need to be a change in our methodology of dealing with the prose or poetry from our coursebook. This change is from the point of view of the learner therefore, the pace of activities will based on the ability of your students to handle The students wealk in comprehending guage would take more time while students having more exposure would finish them faster. The creeative teacher would plan the lesson considering this variety in students. Time management is something that teachers should consider before entering the class. Once the students follow what is expected from them they will not pass more time in one activity. They need to go ahead with their own involvement. The skill is the matter of practice and they will develop that only if the teachers make them sit in a class and do the activities on their own.

13. If the course book is not activity based, how is the evaluation pattern Activity based?

   Students appearing for Std. XI from the year 2017-18 have already started learning it in activity based form from their school days. This year feb.2019, Std-12 students appeared the examination and soved activity sheet. Now, students need to find the continuation of the similar sort of procedure of teaching and testing. Otherwise, these children would be deprived of the method that they have already started with. The Coursebook of Std. XI is activity based, still the exercises in English are closer to activities expected. Moreover, it is expected that the teachers should convert maximum exercises in the form of activities in place of interrogations. Teachers own experience and skills provides sufficient examples and guidelines for developing activity based exerccises for teaching as well as testing.

15. Why is the term question used even though the question paper is activity based?

  The term question paper is deliberately avoided since students enjoy learning more through doing or through activities. Instead of series of interrogations now the Activity Sheet contains number of different kinds of activities. The term question is maintained since, the marks computerised for the further process in the making of resuilt. To avoid complications in the EDP work the word question is maintained. Further, Activity and sub-activities would create a problem for the students so within Question we have number of activities

 These were just representative questions, however if you have any further inquiry in any of the matter of the changes introduced, feel free to ask the resource persons or write to the Board with your pin pointed question.

   All activities in the  Activities are closer to real life situation rather than asking on one side which the learmer on the other side of the table is expected to answer. The memory of the learner to reproduce or copy paste.

 Lastly the physical appearance of the Activity Sheet is more student-friendly than the traditional question paper. So the changes that are being brought about are to make the teachers and students more creative and give them liberty to innovate with activities and to go beyond the nine wh-questions.

   Wish you all the best.....

 Compiled by:- Prof.D.S.Rathod

                        (Moderator)

  Source- Teacher's Awareness programme. 

       (Resouce Persons' Training