Testing speaking online can be tricky and many don't even attempt it. One of the reasons testing speaking on computers is tricky is because you have to deal with synchronous versus asynchronous testing methods. Testing someone's speaking skills requires that there is output or production from the student, something not seen directly in listening or reading tests. To test speaking in Moodle, we need to be creative and willing to try new things. We can set up Skype for real-time speaking activities (synchronous) or we can set up a variety of other recording modules to review and/or respond to later. What we will look at here are ways to test speaking using both concepts and some of the modules available to do this.
One of the things we will look at in this chapter is NanoGong, a simple recording device where conversations over time can be had. Another thing we will look at is a new module called Voiceshadow and its partner Voiceboard. This is a great resource for students studying languages, but can be modified to work for speaking tests.
In this chapter, we will:
- Work with NanoGong
- Introduce VoiceBoard and Voiceshadow
- Discuss Audio in Forums
- Look at the Skype module
NanoGong is a simple audio recorder and player that can be used to complete speaking activities with students online. This process can be set up to be like a conversation, but it is a conversation that can be engaged in over a long period of time. You are able to score the NanoGong activity and comment using it.
The first thing you will need to do is have your site admin get NanoGong set up for use in your course, or you can set up your own Moodle installation and use it there. Once you have access to NanoGong, the actual setup is fairly easy.
You are also able to insert NanoGong into Forums. Placing NanoGong activities in Forums allows for running commentary as well as tracking the conversation through text. A Forum-based NanoGong could test both listening or reading and speaking skills. The listening skills could be assessed by forcing the students to listen to your comments or another students' comments and transcribe them or respond to them. Once this is done, you can have the student orally respond to the comment or question. We will discuss how to set this up in a Forum later.