PACE Presentation: BOSSA at the University of Minnesota: Looking back, looking forward

Thursday, March 2, 2017
2:00 - 3:30 p.m.
Peik Gym G65

Spring 2017 marks the beginning of the fourth year of BOSSA. During these years, the PACE team has worked closely with students, instructors, and programs to learn about the benefits of using self assessment to support language learning.

In this two-part presentation, aggregated results of the three years of operation will be shown. Instructors will provide insights on approaching the inclusion of BOSSA at the course and class levels.

In the first part, Gabriela Sweet and Anna Olivero-Agney will explain how students’ perceptions of their abilities align with program’s expectations. Furthermore, they will show data that summarize learner strategies: what students choose to do in response to the specific challenges they identify through using the BOSSA protocol. In addition, they will look briefly at accuracy, comparing ACTFL performance data from the PACE Project with student self-assessment data from BOSSA, looking at both the individual and aggregate levels, by semester level of instruction.

In the second part, Helena Ruf and Ginny Steinhagen will provide an overview of a longitudinal study they have conducted using the BOSSA speaking and writing self-assessment protocols. They will discuss practical applications of the BOSSA, including concrete tips for revisiting students’ “strengths / challenges and goals“ throughout the semester, as well as implications of the BOSSA for course design.

Presenters: Anna Olivero-Agney and Gabriela Sweet from the Language Center, and Helena Ruf and Ginny Steinhagen from German, Scandinavian and Dutch

The PACE Project is funded by a grant from The Language Flagship.