Information for teachers
Why DigiTALENTWhat is DigiTALENT aiming for?
Features and level of the course
Number of credits and certificate
Method
Demo?
Digital communication between student and teacher
Digital communication about content and technical issues
To get access
Why DigiTALENT
The higher education sector makes widespread use of professional literature written in English. In academic teaching, the books and articles studied are almost exclusively in English. Having to read large quantities of complex literature in a foreign language within a time limit of six to eight weeks places a substantial burden on the student. Sound academic reading skills in English are therefore crucial for all students during their studies and particularly for students in higher professional education who are aiming to transfer to a university Master's programme. In most if not all cases, the latter group are obliged to sit an intake assessment which includes English. The result of that assessment may be binding, depending on the admissions policy adopted by the faculty.
What is DigiTALENT aiming for?
DigiTALENT - Academic Reading - aims to contribute to a smooth and successful progression by students by teaching them to read professional literature in English more effectively and more efficiently. By 'effectively' we mean that, with the help of the digital modules, students will be able to acquire and hone strategic skills that will serve them well throughout their entire academic career. 'Efficiently' in this context means that students can develop their reading skills at a time and place that best suits them. It also means that the skills development targets those aspects for which deficiencies have been identified and which require improvement through training.
Features and level of the course
DigiTALENT offers an on line combination of testing and training. Both can take place entirely independently of teaching staff. Use in 'blended learning' situations is also possible, depending on the wishes of and options available within the educational institute in question. The package is aimed at the specific skill English for Academic Purposes within a given field of study (English for Specific Purposes; in this case economics and the social sciences). It provides a significant degree of customised learning by using authentic texts and forging a direct link with the activity required of the students: the active and critical processing of academic literature. This also makes the package suitable for use in the early stages of the Bachelor's programme. DigiTALENT is compatible with the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), at levels B2 and C1 to be exact. The CEFR is a European standard which facilitates international comparison between language courses and language tests.
The definition of Level C1: 'I can understand long and complex factual and literary texts, appreciating distinctions of style. I can understand specialised articles and longer technical instructions, even when they do not relate to my field.'
(http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/CADRE_EN.asp - CEFR, p. 27)
Number of credits and certificate
The number of credits for the whole course: 3 ECTS.
Every student who passes the final assessment will receive a certificate from Taalcentrum-VU.
Method
Students who make use of the DigiTALENT package begin by completing an intake assessment to determine their reading level. If a student's reading skills are found to be insufficient, he is referred to one or more of the nine course modules. Each module contains a number of assignments for practice. Some interim tests serve as a double check before the student goes on to take the final assessment. This final assessment consists of two parts. Part 1 covers the content of the modules 1, 2, 3 and 4 and will take 60 minutes; part 2 covers the content of the modules 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 and will take 90 minutes. The demo shows how this package works.
Demo?
The demo offers course material and exercises. There is also a demo assessment. Try the demo to have an indication of the material.
Digital communication between student and teacher
A teacher has the possibility to monitor students' activities in the programme and has the possibility to look at the results of his students. S/he can also send messages to his own group of students. Students are asked to communicate with their own teacher only about content matter.
Digital communication about content and technical issues
For technical problems, teachers and students can send a message to the technical team. See the FAQ for further information.
For further information about the content of the course and the assessments, or for other questions a message can be sent to: Taalcentrum-VU info@taalcentrum-vu.nl.
To get access
Students who have been advised by their institute to follow this course, can buy an account for €34,50. The possibility to take the final assessment will be several times.
An institute or a teacher who wants to supervise their students while working with DigiTALENT can get access by sending a message to Taalcentrum-VU (info@taalcentrum-vu.nl), mentioning the name of the institute, the period in which DigiTALENT will be used and the number of students. Depending on the kind of support desired, the number of students and the arrangements the Taalcentrum-VU has to make, an invoice will be sent to the institute. After this invoice has been paid the institute receives a teachers account.
copyright Taalcentrum-VU