The Effectiveness of a Task-Based Lesson Essay Example

Introduction

Task-based learning is a method of learning that involves the completion of the assigned tasks and its primary purpose is the authentic use of language for the proper communication (Ellis,2003) The main aim of this research is to ensure that we evaluate the effectiveness of task-based lessons in single tasks or one task-based lesson(micro evaluation). There are different methods of tasks evaluation, and they include student, response and learning based methods.In student based method it involves evaluation of the student's attitudes and motivation, for example, interviews and questionnaires while response based method consists of the use of information and the process of getting feedback from people such as observations. On the other hand learning, the based method involves the ways through which one develops or improves in different stages and therefore has different gains such as self-report and tests used. The significance of these task evaluations is to ensure that tasks development and accountability is achieved.

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Evaluation of micro-tasks

Micro evaluation mainly involves the evaluation of single tasks or one task-based lesson.It is primarily done for various reasons or purposes such as identifying the gaps or weaknesses of a task and therefore identifying the ways of improving them and making them better. It can also be used to identify whether a task worked for various learners and if it did not work note what was the problem and adjust (Ellis,2003). Decisions on what is being evaluated mainly lies in the heart of such evaluations. Learning based method has the disadvantage that the student may not be changed measurably by the performance of one task especially if it was an unfocused one. Consciousness tasks should be done more often based on students productivity and follow up done to reinforce what the students learned from the tasks performed. Micro evaluations are essential in various ways. It helps teachers act as reflective practitioners as they can carry out action research as they can monitor how their students are performing in their classes and if they are making progress day by day. Micro evaluations are also important as they provide crucial information about the design of a task by citing both their strengths and weaknesses. Therefore individual tasks are performed by individuals in classrooms while when performed by teachers they act as the basis of reflective research through action research. However, micro evaluations are also faced with various restrictions. They include the impossibility of teaching language as communication, the cultural relativity of task-based teaching and even the restricted nature of task-based communication. These are the limitations faced by the micro evaluations as they restrict the way the language is used while the others are social-political and finally the tasks do not aim to teach communication but to engage learners in communication.

Conclusion

It is evident that micro evaluations play a significant role in the day to day accomplishments of tasks by students in the classroom and this enables them to ensure that they are achieved. It also ensures that they are developed and accountability is maintained because these evaluations are meant to shape that.

References

Ellis, R. (2003). Designing a Task-Based Syllabus. RELC Journal, 34(1), 64-81. doi:10.1177/003368820303400105