Languages Online Game Makers, Comprehension Task Maker and Cartoon Story Maker and the Victorian Essential Learning Standards

When students play the games and work through the tasks created by teachers, they have the opportunity to demonstrate understanding of the LOTE.

When students make their own games for use by classmates, or to show to teachers, they have the opportunity to use knowledge and skills from across the curriculum.

Making and playing Languages Online interactive games and tasks allows for application of language skills at different levels of complexity:


Memory Game: character, word, phrase level
Tetris, Matching Game, Sentence Game: sentence level
Comprehension Task and Comic Strip: text level



LOTE
PERSONAL LEARNING
INTERPERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY
THINKING PROCESSES



Domain: LOTE

Dimension: Communicating in a language other than English

Which language skills can students practise by making and playing Languages Online interactive games and tasks? At which levels?
The levels indicated here are generalised across all LOTE types; skills may be flagged at differing levels for individual LOTES		 How do Languages Online interactive games and tasks help students practise these skills?
Pathway 1
(primary levels only)		 Pathway 2
Listening to spoken information for meaning
 3.25 - 4.75 4.25 - 6.75 Games can include voice recordings or songs. Students can listen to words, phrases, sentences and extended oral texts, and must understand what they hear to complete the tasks.
Listening to spoken information to extract and evaluate information
- 5.00 - 6.75 The Comprehension Task can include short or extended voice recordings, such as a conversation, interview, podcast, presentation, broadcast or announcements. Students must extract and evaluate key information from the listening text(s) to select correct answers. Apart from simple comprehension, the questions and answers can require students to evaluate and synthesise the information they hear.
Discriminating between sounds
3.25 - 4.25 4.25 - 6.00 Games can include voice recordings. Students can complete tasks that require them to match the word/sentence they hear with the correct text. In this way they can practise letter-sound relationships and distinguishing vowel sounds.
Reading texts for meaning
3.25 - 4.75 4.25 - 6.25 The tasks can include texts ranging from single words to several paragraphs. Students must understand what they read to complete the game. The Comprehension Task can include a glossary of difficult words.
Reading texts; identifying and evaluating information
- 5.00 - 6.75 The tasks can include texts ranging from single words to several paragraphs. At word and sentence level, students may be required to identify correct word order, endings or characters in order to complete the tasks. At extended text level, the tasks can require students to synthesise and evaluate they read, and identify or infer key ideas. Images can be included to supplement and extend the key information that students must identify.
Saying words and sentences based on models
3.25 - 4.00 4.25 - 5.50 Students can record themselves saying words, phrases, questions, sentences and other interactions, for use as cues in a game.
Speaking in sentences, conversations, extended interactions and other oral texts
3.25 - 4.75 4.25 - 6.00 When making a Tetris, Matching or Sentence Game, students can record themselves saying sentences or lines of a conversation, for use as cues. When creating a Comprehension Task or Comic Strip, students can record extended oral texts such as conversations, interviews, presentations, broadcasts or announcements.
Creating longer spoken texts
- 5.25 - 6.75 When creating a Comprehension Task or Comic Strip, students can record extended oral texts such as conversations, interviews, presentations, broadcasts or announcements.
Using correct language, pronunciation and tone when speaking
3.25 - 4.75 4.25 - 6.50 Teachers can make games and tasks which include voice recordings, to serve as a model of pronunciation and intonation. Students can record themselves saying words, phrases, questions, sentences and other interactions, for use as cues in a game. Teachers can check the recordings included in a game. Students can easily change their recordings to correct errors in language and pronunciation.
Knowledge of the script, the alphabet, accents and the sounds of letters
3.25 - 3.50 4.25 - 4.50 Students can practise typing letters and words in the script/alphabet when they enter text as part of the games.
Practising spelling
3.25 - 4.75 4.25 - 5.25 Students making games practise correct spelling as they enter text to be used as cues. Students playing games may be required to type words or sentences correctly.
Formation of characters
3.25 - 4.00 4.25 - 6.25 Students can practise typing characters when they enter text as part of the games.
Writing in the language, based on models or using substitution strategies
3.25 - 4.75 4.50 - 5.75 Students can use language that they have studied in class as a model for the words and sentences that they enter into games.
Writing in the language in sentences and paragraphs
3.50 - 4.75 4.25 - 5.25 Tetris, Matching and Sentence Games allow both makers and players to practise writing and ordering sentences.
Writing in the language in linked paragraphs
4.75 4.25 - 5.25 Tetris, Matching and Sentence Games allow both makers and players to practise writing and ordering sentences.
Writing in the language in a range of text types
 - 5.50 - 6.75 Students making Comprehension Tasks for others can enter extended text such as articles, letters, essays, summaries, descriptions, instructions and narratives. These texts become the basis for true/false or multiple choice questions. Students creating Comic Strips can practise dialogues and narratives as part of this genre.
Writing in the language in different styles and modes to create extended texts
- 6.00 - 6.75 Extended writing for Comprehension Tasks and Comic Strips can be imaginative, informative, persuasive, narrative or any other mode or style.
Application of knowledge of linguistic structures and cultural influences on language to own work
4.00 - 4.75 4.75 - 6.00 Students can devise (and play) games and tasks to practise the grammar and vocabulary being studied. They can make and play games which help them study word meanings, word associations and cognates. As they learn about the cultural influences on the ways people use language, and how language changes according to context, students can make and play games to apply their knowledge of forms of address, register, expressions of politeness, etc. Photos of culture-specific interaction can be included in games as cues.
Adapting language appropriately for role, context, audience and purpose
4.00 5.00 - 6.75 Students can create spoken and written texts for use in Comprehension Tasks and Comic Strips, in which they practise choosing appropriate language for the persona, situation, purpose and audience.
Recycling language and knowledge in new contexts
4.00 5.00 - 6.00 Students can apply the grammar, vocabulary and information they have learned in class to new contexts such as games and tasks. When making their own games, comprehension texts and comic strips, students can demonstrate their ability to rework language into new and original contexts.
Drafting, editing, self-correction
4.00 - 4.75 5.00 - 6.00 Students can use the printable game planners to draft the language they wish to include in the game. The text and recordings in games can be easily accessed and corrected. Trialling their own games is a fun way of checking the accuracy of the language students have inserted.

Return to top

Domain: LOTE

Dimension: Intercultural knowledge and language awareness

Which language skills can students practise by making and playing Languages Online interactive games and tasks? At which levels?
The levels indicated here are generalised across all LOTE types; skills may be flagged at differing levels for individual LOTES		 How do Languages Online interactive games and tasks help students practise these skills?
Pathway 1
(primary levels only) 		Pathway 2
Awareness of similarities and differences in cultural practices
3.25 - 3.75 4.25 - 6.50 Students can demonstrate this awareness in the spoken and written texts they create for the games. Similarities and differences can be apparent in short texts such as greetings, or ways of marking time, or vocabulary relating to school life. Extended texts in Comprehension Tasks and Comic Strips can be on themes and topics which focus on particular cultural practices.
Awareness and use of culturally appropriate language
3.25 - 3.75 5.00 - 6.75 As they learn about the cultural influences on the ways people use language, and how language changes according to context, students can make and play games to apply their knowledge of forms of address, register, expressions of politeness or informality, agreeing and disagreeing, gesture, body language, making requests etc.
Use of effective language learning strategies
3.25 - 4.50 4.25 Making and playing games is a fun and effective strategy for revising and practising language. Students practise speaking by recording themselves, and consolidate their understanding by applying new vocabulary in new, original sentences. Games are a self-paced and non-threatening form of revision. Useful strategies for reinforcing language learning include working with a partner to plan and make games, getting a partner to trial a game, and making games for junior students.
Comparison of words and concepts in English and in the target language
4.25 4.25 - 6.75 Students can use games to match and translate words and ideas on all topics, including numbering, quantifier words, telling time, tense markers, titles, forms of address, family relationships, etc.
Knowledge of linguistic structures and cultural influences in the target language; awareness of the complexity of the language system
4.25 - 4.75 4.25 - 6.25 Students can devise (and play) games and tasks to practise the grammar and vocabulary being studied. They can make and play games which help them study word meanings, word associations and cognates. As they learn about the cultural influences on the ways people use language, and how language changes according to context, students can make and play games to apply their knowledge of forms of address, register, expressions of politeness, etc. Photos of culture-specific interaction can be included in games as cues.
Knowledge and use of culturally appropriate conversational rules and expectations
4.00 5.00 - 5.50 Students can record conversations for Comprehension Tasks and Comic Strips. They can apply conventions for text types such as phone calls, visits to the doctor, job interviews. They can practise the language of salutations, forms of address, turn-taking and fillers.
Knowledge and use of culturally appropriate writing conventions
3.75 - 4.00 5.25 - 5.50 Students can write short or extended texts for the Comprehension Task. They can demonstrate their knowledge of conventions for text types such as letters, postcards, invitations, advertisements, emails, fables, diary entries.

Return to top

Domain: Personal Learning

Dimension: The individual learner

Which Personal Learning skills can students practise by making and playing Languages Online interactive games and tasks? At which levels? How do Languages Online interactive games and tasks help students practise these skills?
Awareness and application of learning style preferences to increase the effectiveness of learning
2.50 - 5.50 Making interactive games and tasks allows students to tap into their visual, auditory, kinaesthetic and text intelligences. Students can use these abilities to practise language from a fresh perspective.
Identify and use strategies that will enhance learning
2.75 - 6.00 Making and playing the games is an engaging activity for students, and gives them the opportunity to use language away from textbooks and worksheets. It is a useful strategy for students who resist traditional modes of revising language.

Return to top

Domain: Personal Learning

Dimension: Managing personal learning

Completing short, extended and group tasks within set timeframes by planning and allocating appropriate time and resources
3.00 - 5.00 Whether students make a short matching game, or a multimedia comprehension task for their classmates, or an extended cartoon story, they will benefit from carefully planning the content beforehand. Students will then need to break up each task into smaller requirements such as creating or sourcing data files, scripting and proofing oral or written texts, recording audio files, trialling and modifying the game.
Using learning support when needed from peers, teachers and other adults
3.75 - 5.00 Students can make the most of advice and guidance from teachers and classmates when preparing and proofing the data for inclusion in the game, and using ICT techniques to make the game.

Return to top

Domain: Interpersonal Development

Dimension: Building social relationships

Which Interpersonal Development skills can students practise by making and playing Languages Online interactive games and tasks? At which levels? How do Languages Online interactive games and tasks help students practise these skills?
Evaluating their work and making appropriate refinements
3.75 - 5.00 Students will need to undertake trialling of their interactive products in order to identify and correct any errors or anomalies. They can use feedback from players of their games to make further refinements to content, clues or language. They can evaluate their final product using established criteria.
Developing behaviours that promote harmonious social relationships
2.25 - 5.00 Students can work together in pairs or small groups to make games, comprehension tasks and cartoon stories. They will have opportunities to discuss ideas, listen to each other, and help and encourage each other through the language and ICT-based steps of game making. Students may identify imbalances with partners, for example differences in language ability, cognition, preferences for particular tasks, disinterest for others, patience, sense of entitlement, capacity for give and take. They will have the opportunity to use strategies for promoting fairness, cooperation and harmony.
Supporting each other to achieve tasks
3.00 - 4.00 Students with varying language levels and different interests and abilities will find game making a good opportunity to share ideas and materials, offer assistance and give helpful feedback.

Return to top

Domain: Interpersonal Development

Dimension: Working in teams

Supportive and cooperative attitudes and behaviours when working in a team
2.75 - 6.50 Students can work together in pairs or small groups to make games, comprehension tasks and cartoon stories. Game/task making involves involving discussion and planning, sharing ideas and skills, working through drafting, proofing, handling data and IT procedures, trialling and refining. This process offers excellent opportunities for team skills such as encouragement of others, giving constructive feedback, motivating and cooperating, and having a positive and helpful attitude.
Planning and prioritising of group tasks, and effective time management to achieve team goals
2.75 - 6.25 Game/task making involves involving discussion and planning, sharing ideas and skills, working through drafting, proofing, manipulating of data and IT procedures, trialling and refining. Students need to prioritise tasks and manage time and IT resources in order to complete the task.
Communicating effectively with team members
2.50 - 6.25 Students working together to make games, comprehension tasks and cartoon stories will have opportunities to share ideas and information, ask questions to explore and clarify ideas, and discuss the best ways of achieving their purpose.
Monitoring of team progress
2.50 - 5.00 Students can be asked to keep track of the various steps involved in making games, comprehension tasks and cartoon stories, and monitor how well and efficiently they are handling each step.
Evaluating own and the team's performance
4.00 - 6.00 Apart from the effectiveness of the finished product, students can reflect on their team work, and identify ways of making the most of teach other's talents in the future.

Return to top

Domain: Information and Communication Technology

Dimension: ICT for creating

Which Information and Communication Technology skills can students practise by making and playing Languages Online interactive games and tasks? At which levels? How do Languages Online interactive games and tasks help students practise these skills?
Prepare designs that identify the structure and layout of proposed information products
2.50 - 5.00 Students can use the printable planners that are available on this website to work out the approach and content of their games. The Comprehension Tasks and the Comic Strips require careful advance planning of content and layout.
Create information products for specific audiences and purposes
2.25 - 6.50 Students can create games with the purpose of revision and language practice, aimed at themselves, classmates or junior classes. They may create them as evidence of their proficiency in a particular topic, with their teacher as audience. Students can create a variety of multimedia Comprehension Tasks tailored to the topics they study, and targeted at their classmates or junior students. Students can create onscreen Comic Strips to entertain, inform or persuade, for fellow students to read, or as evidence of proficiency for their teacher.
Create information products for specific audiences and purposes
2.25 - 6.50 Students can create games with the purpose of revision and language practice, aimed at themselves, classmates or junior classes. They may create them as evidence of their proficiency in a particular topic, with their teacher as audience. Students can create a variety of multimedia Comprehension Tasks tailored to the topics they study, and targeted at their classmates or junior students. Students can create onscreen Comic Strips to entertain, inform or persuade, for fellow students to read, or as evidence of proficiency for their teacher.
Use a range of skills, procedures, equipment, and functions to process different data types when making information products
3.00 - 5.00 Students will practise many skills when making Languages Online games and activities, including: capturing images and video from digital cameras; scanning, creating, saving and manipulating image files; recording, saving and inserting audio files; entering and editing text, including use of IMEs; naming, saving and retrieving files; planning content appropriately for purpose and audience; sourcing appropriate data from the internet.
Apply testing techniques; identify and correct typographical, formatting and functional errors and modify products to improve their functionality
2.25 - 4.50 Students will need to test the activities they make to ensure the content is logical and accurate, and that the task achieves its purpose in terms of language study. Students can load existing games into the maker to quickly check and edit data if necessary. Students can trial activities themselves to ensure they work logically and smoothly.
Organise folders logically, appropriately name and locate files for sharing with others.
2.25 - 5.00 Students will practise organising any media files into properly named folders, so that images and audio files can be located and inserted quickly and efficiently. Once games are made, students must name and save game folders correctly, in appropriate locations so that teachers and other students can access them
Evaluate the final information product and describe how well it meets its purpose.
3.00 - 5.00 Students can evaluate the effectiveness of the games they make through trialling by classmates. They can discuss with the teacher the accuracy and appropriateness of the language.
Create and maintain an up-to-date, logically structured bank of digital evidence of learning.
3.25 - 4.00 The games and activities that students make can become part of their digital portfolio.

Return to top

Domain: Thinking Processes

Dimension: Creativity

Which Thinking skills can students practise by making and playing Languages Online interactive games and tasks? At which levels? How do Languages Online interactive games and tasks help students practise these skills?
use of a range of creative thinking strategies for exploring possibilities and responding innovatively to a challenge
2.75 - 6.00 Students have learned the language and vocabulary of a particular topic before they make interactive games, comprehension tasks or cartoon stories. Their ability to recall and apply correct language in teacher-directed contexts requires one level of thinking; however to devise their own tests for classmates, a higher order of thinking is called for. They must work out which aspects of the topic/grammar/vocabulary they aim to test or explore in their task. They must be creative in their choice of questions, prompts and clues that will allow players to demonstrate their proficiency in the topic. They must use their imagination to devise new texts which recycle the ideas and language of the topic, as the basis of their comprehension or cartoon story tasks. The whole process of creating the language content of a game, comprehension task or comic strip requires higher order conceptualising, creative problem solving and decision making.

Return to top



Victorian State Government - Logo Contact: Languages Online Team (languages.online@edumail.vic.gov.au)
Created on: Friday, February 29th, 2008 | Page last updated: Monday, December 1st, 2008
© State of Victoria (Department of Education and Early Childhood Development) 2007| Disclaimer | Privacy

>