Technical Report Implementation Of Speakout With .
Technical ReportImplementation of Speakout withMyEnglishLab and perceptions of impacton student outcomes: The case of MEFUniversity in TurkeyAuthorsElpida Ahtaridouwith the support of Bahar Varicioglu, Professor Jason Lamprianou, Katya Saville and Anne Pier SalverdaPearson Global Product OrganizationEfficacy & ResearchImpact & Evaluation
Table of contentsAcknowledgments . 3Introduction . 4Background. 4MEF University . 4Description of Speakout with MEL . 6The present study. 8The structure of the report . 9Methods. 10Data collection and analysis . 10Pre-questionnaire and curriculum documents . 10Interviews. 11Student survey . 13MEL student data . 14Analysis of assignments and tests .16Test score collection and analysis .18Reliability and validity of MEL practices / assignments / tests .18Discussion of findings . 20Recommendations . 28Generalisability of findings, limitations and future research . 29References. 31Appendix A: Consolidated framework of implementation research (CFIR) . 33Appendix B: Results . 36ELPP’s Aims, Decision Process and Reasons for Switching to Speakout with MEL . 36Implementation Model . 38Diagnostic and placement tests, and course structure. 38The syllabus and teaching and learning . 38Training and support for students . 42Training and support for teachers . 43Staff views on the student and teacher training . 44MyEnglishLab use by students . 45MEL use by students – time spent on tasks . 45MEL use by students — number of assignment and tests completed .46MEL use by students — student attempts on assignments . 47Teachers’ perceptions of Speakout, the Students’ Book and ActiveTeach, and of theirimpact . 49Student and teachers’ perceived impact of MyEnglishLab and the implementation modelon students . 501
Student performance on MEL. 56Overall student performance on MEL assignments/practices . 56Student progress on assignments .58Test scores .59Average student scores and percentage of students achieving in different performance bands in theEoM .62Average student scores and percentage of students achieving in different performance bands for theend-of-course results .62.64Correlation between average test scores and percentage of tests completed .64Correlation between average assignment scores and average test scores .65Correlation between percentage of assignments completed and average test score .67Likelihood of Recommending Speakout with MEL . 672
AcknowledgmentsWe would like to thank MEF University in Turkey and the School of Foreign Languages, EnglishLanguage Preparatory Program (ELPP) for agreeing to take part in this study. We thank them for theiropenness, patience in answering all our queries and their on-going support. In particular, we wouldlike to thank Assistant Professor John McKeown, Director of the School of Foreign Languages; SallyGayford, Associate Director, ELPP; Eylem Yavuzcan, Director, Operations, ELPP; and Bora Sinç,Instructional Technology Coordinator for their support with the study proposal, data collection andfeedback.3
IntroductionIn this section, we give a brief background to the initiative behind this study and describe MEFUniversity, Speakout and Speakout’s components. We then outline the study’s research questions, itssampling, and the methods used to collect and analyse data.BackgroundThis report is part of Pearson’s commitment to efficacy, launched in 2013. In the drive to improvestudent outcomes, we committed to reporting publicly on the impact of our products on studentoutcomes. Part of this commitment was, by 2018, to publish research that has been audited by a thirdparty; PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC).In 2017, the Global Impact Evaluation team, part of the Global Efficacy and Research team at Pearson,designed and embarked on a series of studies on Speakout and its counterpart, Top Notch; both ofwhich are used by tertiary institutions and private language schools (PLSs) worldwide. The studiesaimed to examine the implementation, perceived impact and relationship between each product andits intended student outcomes, across different countries and multiple sites.MEF UniversityMEF is a private foundation university in Istanbul, Turkey. It has been in operation since 2014. MEF has43 years’ experience in educating primary, secondary and high school students. Its vision is to “educateinnovative and entrepreneurial global leaders to shape the future” and part of its mission is for itsgraduate students to master technology (ELPP 2016-2017, p4)1. Students at MEF have the opportunityto study education, law, economics, administrative and social sciences, engineering, art, design, andarchitecture.A key aspect of studying at MEF is the university’s approach to teaching and learning. As stated by theuniversity: “MEF university will bring about difference in higher education with its performance, quality,international atmosphere and, most importantly, its learning model that will challenge traditionalteaching methods”. To do so, MEF has adopted Flipped Learning, which, according to the university’srector, is “geared towards educating today's Generation Y and Z – the university students of the 2020sand beyond, thus supplanting a 900-year-old traditional university education system for a digital worldwhere technology prevails in all aspects of our lives” (ELPP, 2016-2017, p6).MEF’s mission is to: 1. Develop forward-thinking students who possess the ability to compete at a national and internationallevel and to associate their national identities with global values; students who continuously improve themselves, mastertechnology, act respectfully towards the environment, respect societal and ethical values, and who possess the ability to combineand apply their creativity, entrepreneurship and leadership qualities with their research competences to break new ground in thenational and international arenas. 2. Bring together and support research-oriented, leading scholars who contribute tointernational science and technology and have set their hearts on education. 3. Establish and sustain the necessary infrastructureand inspiring environment for the faculty, students and staff to make these targets achievable.14
A prerequisite for attending a course at MEF is a command of the English language at a low B2 level,as described by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). To ascertain alearner’s level of English before entry to their course, students are asked to present their grade inrecognised external exams or to pass the university’s two-stage placement exam. If they fail to do so,they have to attend MEF’s School of Foreign Languages and its English Language Preparatory Program(ELPP).In the academic year 2016–2017, the ELPP enrolled 551 students and employed 40 non-Turkish staffmembers, including one director, one associate director, one operational director, five co-ordinators,31 teachers, and an administrative assistant.The ELPP’s aim is “to ensure that students entering the faculty have a beginning B2 level of English. Inaddition to improving students’ language ability [the ELPP] also aim[s] to familiarise students with theFlipped Learning approach, encourage students to become more autonomous learners, guide studentstowards collaborative learning and develop students’ communication skills” (Instructors’ Handbook,2016-2017, p17).In 2015, to support the above aims, it was decided that Pearson’s Speakout and digital resource,MyEnglishLab (MEL), were to be used. At the time of the research, MEF was using Speakout’s secondedition in combination with the first edition of MEL. MEL has since been updated. We describe bothSpeakout and MEL in the next section.5
Description of Speakout with MELSpeakout is a communication course for adults and young adults. It is now in its third edition (2015),with the second edition (2012) still in use in some countries. Speakout is a course with six levels:1.2.3.4.5.6.Speakout Fundamentals (Starter)Speakout Level 1 (Elementary)Speakout Level 2 (Pre-intermediate)Speakout Level 3 (Intermediate)Summit Level 1 (Upper Intermediate)Summit Level 2 (Advanced)The course components include: Students’ Book — 90–120 hours of learning material available in split or full editions (thesplit editions come with a split workbook or a split MyEnglishLab access code)Classroom Audio CDs — audio materials to use in classWorkbook — additional exercises to consolidate learning in printMyEnglishLab (MEL) — student and teacher versions — a platform that contains an arrayof exercises to consolidate learning; meaningful feedback on wrong answers; remedialgrammar exercises; grammar and pronunciation coaching videos; and auto-gradedachievement testsTeacher’s Book — including detailed, interleaved lesson plans, language culture notes andanswer keysActiveTeach — a disc for front-of-class use, which includes a digital version of theStudents’ Book; digital grammar exercises; videos, photocopiable activities for every unit;and unit, mid-course and end-of-course testsaudio and extra activities on English.com — online grammar, vocabulary, reading andlistening practice activities; plus downloadable classroom audio filesfull-course placement tests — printable or online versionsMEL is an optional component and is designed to support Speakout by:1. providing students with the opportunity to work whenever they want, using the resourcesmost likely to enhance their learning of course material2. helping students develop the skills to become responsible and autonomous students3. allowing students to do work at their own pace and to track their progressMEL content can be assigned for the whole class, groups or individuals (Vymetalkova, 2016; Vasbievaand Klimova, 2015; Pearson, 2014a; 2014b). The use of MEL allows for blending classroom learning6
with synchronous and/or asynchronous learning outside of the classroom. It also has the potential tobuild a bridge, whereby teaching and technology support learning and inform each other.Overall, Speakout with MEL aims to help students: engage with the materials and have a positive learning experiencedevelop positive learning behaviors when using the materialsprogress in learning Englishbe ready for the next stage of their learning in Englishachieve their goal(s)7
The present studyThis study aims to support our understanding of how blended learning is implemented when usingSpeakout with MEL, explore teachers’ and students’ experiences when using the products, and discusstheir perceived impact. In particular, the study sets out to answer the following questions:1. How are the Speakout content and the MEL features embedded in the curriculum andteaching of Elementary, Pre-Intermediate and Intermediate levels of Module 2?2. How is the course design (course objectives, learning outcomes, lessons) informed orsupported by the features of MEL?3. How do students and teachers use Speakout with MEL?4. What are teachers’ and students’ experiences when using Speakout with MEL?5. What are teachers’ and students’ perceptions of the impact of MEL on students, teachersand the ELPP?The present study is not an evaluation of practice. Pearson aims to keep Speakout flexible so thatteachers are able to make their own choices on how to implement it. The flexibility in implementation,together with the fact that Speakout with MEL is less widely used across countries and institutions,made it imperative, as a first step, to explore institutions’ approach to implementing Speakout withMEL, and teachers’ and students’ experiences and perceived impact when using the materials.Implementation studies have the potential to improve learner outcomes by allowing us to know whatworks where, when and why. They are key to informing teaching and learning by providing evidenceon which products and services are likely to ‘work’ within a particular context, institution, andclassroom. Implementation research is rooted in capturing the real-life experiences and insights ofstudents and teachers to develop an evidence-informed understanding of the factors that can enableor impede intended and unintended outcomes. Variability across settings, cultures, institutionalpreferences or priorities, professional development, and infrastructure can all affect theimplementation of, and outcomes associated with, products and services.This study examines the implementation of Speakout with MEL in one Turkish institution: MEFUniversity.8
The structure of the reportFor ease of navigation and readability, the next section outlines the methods used in this study,including details on the data collection and analyses, and then moves directly to the discussion of thefindings. Before presenting the full results in the appendices, we make recommendations, and explainthe limitations of this study, as well as listing the references.9
MethodsWe used a multiple-case-study design to conduct the study. To conceptualise the study design andmanage the development of the research instruments, we were guided by the ConsolidatedFramework of Implementation Research (CFIR) devised in 2009. The CFIR appeared relativelycomprehensive. We undertook an exercise to reduce the number of areas to be examined to better fitwith the study’s aims, and to allow themes to be explored in depth.A brief outline of the three overarching categories for investigation and of a small sample of the subcategories is provided below. The first two categories were part of the CFIR framework, details ofwhich can be found in Appendix A.We added the third category, referring to perceptions of impact, as it was important to our researchquestions: the ‘what’ of the intervention — components used to teach English, structural andprocessual, and their organisationthe ‘why’ and ‘how’ of the intervention — the intervention characteristics; inner settings,such as the priority placed on the use of Speakout with MEL; institutional goals andwhether and how they were enacted, and the usefulness of the ‘intervention’ etc.The perceived impact of the intervention — on the department/institution as a whole; onstudents’ and teachers’ access and engagement, and on student achievement etc.Data collection and analysisIn this section, we provide further detail on the data collection and analysis methods used in thisstudy. We detail the use of a pre-questionnaire and the curriculum documents we collected; staffinterviews; a student online survey; and student MEL data analysis.Pre-questionnaire and curriculum documentsA pre-questionnaire
Description of Speakout with MEL Speakout is a communication course for adults and young adults. It is now in its third edition (2015), with the second edition (2012) still in use in some countries. Speakout is a course with six levels: 1. Speakout Fundamentals (Starter) 2. Speakout Level 1 (Elementary) 3
Speakout Elementary Workbook Without Key for Pack , Frances Eales, Steve Oakes, Jan 13, 2011, , 88 pages. . Speakout Starter Workbook with Key and Audio CD Pack , Frances Eales, Steve Oakes, 2012, Foreign Language Study, 87 pages. 'Speakout' is a 6-level general English course for adults,
Students report that Speakout with MEL helps them to increase their confidence, motivation, and enjoyment of learning English. 74% (142 / 192) of students surveyed in Poland report that Speakout with MEL significantly helps them increase their confidence in learning English. Bet
SpeakOut is an independent advocate representing the issues and ideas of immigrant and refugee women at all levels of government, in community services and industrial sectors, and to the media. SpeakOut hopes to create and sustain lasting change by:
Speakout Second Edition is a comprehensive six-level general English course . Students’ Book Audio CDs Workbook with Audio CD (with and without key) . Pre-intermediate Elementary Starter. Speakout Second Edition Photocopiables Pearson Education Ltd. 2016
Speakout Pre-intermediate Second Edition. Speakout Second Edition is a comprehensive six-level general English course . Can understand the information content of the majority of recorded or broadcast audio material on topics of personal interest delivered in clear standard speech.
Speakout Second Edition Intermediate is aligned with the Global Scale of English and Common European Framework of Reference. It takes learners from B1 . Upper Intermediate Intermediate Pre-intermediate Elementary Starter. Speakout Second Edition Photocopiables Pearson Education Ltd. 2016
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