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    Chapter 24: Registering and placing students online

      Distant Learning - Chapter 24

       

      Registering and placing students online

      ■ How do I register students?   

      You can create a form using Google Forms (which is free to create) or Microsoft Forms (which requires you have an Office 365 account to create). Neither of these require an account to fill a form out. Each of these will allow you to create an Excel spreadsheet with all the students’ information. Google Forms creates it in Google Drive and is continuously updated. Microsoft Forms does not currently have this feature.   
       
      Check out the “branching questions” feature. It will allow students to skip questions that are not relevant to them.   
       
      You can set up the forms so that students get a copy of their responses or just set up a reply that tells them the next steps. You can also create a video that tells students the next steps.   
       
      The possible questions you can ask are the same as listed in Chapter 8 of this Toolkit, "Intake: Registration, Testing, and Orientation."  
       
      In addition, you can ask:  
       
      • How comfortable they are using the platform (Zoom, Hangouts, etc.) you are using from a scale of 1-5. If you have someone who can help them get onto the platform, you can ask if they would like someone to contact to help them.     
      • Which device they will use to access the remote class: PC, laptop, tablet, cell phone 
      • Whether or not they have access to high-speed internet.  
      • If they don’t have internet access, if they have an unlimited data plan for their phone. (These classes can use a lot of data, and students may end up with an extra expense on thier bill at the end of the month they weren’t expecting!) 
      • If you want to record the classes, you can ask them to give you permission.   
       
       

      ■  When do we do a placement test? 

      Much of the placement test can be done at the same time that they register. Reading, writing and even listening questions can be included in the registration forms. Students can sign up for a time to do an oral assessment, or you can just call students. You can also have students sign up to attend an online orientation and then talk about the program and walk them through the test.  
       
       

      ■  How do we assess students for placement?   

      There are number of ways to do this. Some of the publishers have their own online placement tests, though they tend to be costly. Standardized tests like CASAS have online options as well, but they can be cumbersome. As of January 2021, CASAS required use of their online system TOPSpro Enterprise to organize online tests. The tests have strict guidelines for administering them, specific tech requirements for students, and fees for each test. They do offer a free reading tests for students, but it also requires purchasing TOPSpro.   
       
      Like much of remote learning, the situation is in flux.  More information is available here: 
       
      Many programs are designing their own assessments to work with the levels they have in their program and to test various skills.  
       
      Reading/grammar/vocabulary: you can use Google or Microsoft Forms to create a reading test. These forms have a quiz feature that will automatically score the tests for you. You can put together a test either with your own material or using placement tests from a publisher as a basis, such as Pearson’s Future Test or Cambridge’s Venture Test. You can also use a fillable .pdf document for this.  

      http://www.futureenglishforresults.com/wp-content/uploads/Future-Placeme...

       
      Listening: You can embed or refer students to any of the many YouTube videos and have students answer questions about the video to see how well they do in listening.   
       
      Writing:  You can give students prompts to write on in a form and have them fill it out.  It could be something simple like asking them to describe what is happening in a picture, and then one that requires a bit more complex language.  See Chapter 12, "Assessment for Placement," for more ideas.  
       
      Speaking: options include having students request a time for a tester to call them to do an oral assessment.  Using something like Google Voice can make this easier.  Your testers can do it on their phone or on another device.   

      Registering and placing students online

      ♦ Practice Example

      "What are some considerations to take into account when registering students and giving them a placement test online?" 

      See Steve Amar of Neelsville Church discuss using Google Forms and answer the question above: 

       

      Registration/assessment form used by Neelsville Presbyterian Church: