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Grid
Match - Games and exercises based on text items in a grid |
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Grid
Match Front Page |
Grid
Match Edit Screen |
Grid
Match Worksheets |
Grid
Match is one of the 8 exercise groups included in
the TaskMagic package. Grid Match creates a wide range
of exercises based on text items entered into a grid.
It is ideal for verb conjugation work but can also
be used in any situation where 2 stimuli are required
to elicit a specific response. |
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The Grid Match edit screen in TaskMagic Create allows
you to input grid data in up to 12 rows and 5 columns.
- Import feature allows you to quickly import data
from existing Grid Match files.
- You decide which exercises will be available when
the student opens your file. If you make all exercises
available, the students will have access to up to
24 separate games and exercises in Grid Match.
- In many of the Grid Match games, the row and column
headers from the grid are used within square brackets
as the prompt / question. The information from the
grid itself is the required response. eg. [être]
[je] > Je suis
- 7 worksheets can now be printed in Grid Match. Click
here for more information about Grid Match worksheets.
- Scroll down or click here
for more information about using Grid Match files,
or click on any of the game screens below to find
out more. |
| Grid
Match Games & Exercises |
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Flashcards |
Drag
& Match |
3
in a row |
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Against
the Clock |
Pelmanism
1 Player |
Pelmanism
2 Players |
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True
or False? |
Multi-Match |
Invaders |
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Maze |
Spin |
Tower
Block |
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Pool |
Type |
Football |
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Doors |
Maze
II |
Invaders
II |
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Snake |
3
in a Row II |
5
Counters |
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| OXO |
Jump! |
Trainer |
| Grid
Match Worksheets |
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| Matching |
Multi-Match |
Pelmanism
/ Pairs |
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| Type |
Snake |
Dominoes |
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Matching:
number the items on the right to match
the items on the left.
Multi-Match:
choose the correct match from the 3 alternatives.
Pelmanism
/ Pairs: a matching game to cut up. You
choose the number of items to include, and the
number of cards per page.
Type:
write the missing letters. Each letter
is represented by a dash.
Snake:
find the missing words hidden in snake
form in the grid.
Dominoes:
print, cut out and play. You choose the
number of items to include, and the number of
dominoes per page.
Blank
Grid: can be used as the basis for listening,
reading, writing or speaking activities in class.
Speaking activities include Battleships, 3 in
a Row etc.
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| Blank
Grid |
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Making
Use of Grid Match Files |
The
order in which exercise types are displayed on the Grid Match
front page does not represent a particular sequence. It was
never intended that students should attempt all of the exercises
for a particular file in a particular sequence. In fact, nor
was it intended that students should attempt to complete all
of the available exercise types for a particular file. |
Users
of TaskMagic (teachers & students) should select the most
appropriate exercise types available depending on: the context;
whether they are using a whiteboard or individual PCs in a
computer room (or at home); the level of text input; the type
of information being presented; the point they are at in the
learning sequence; whether it’s for a starter, a plenary,
a presentation or the main element of a lesson; the time available
etc. |
When
working with an interactive whiteboard, the teacher has total
control over the exercises and activities selected. When working
in an IT room, however, it is important for teachers to maintain
control over the exercises and activities that the students
attempt. It was never intended that students should be told
to open a particular file and then attempt the available games
in any order they like. Teachers should make it clear to students
which activities they are to attempt and in which order, or
alternatively they should make it clear which activities they
don't want them to attempt.For example, many teachers tell
their class to start with Multi-Match and not to move on to
the next exercise until they have a 100% score. The activities
you choose will depend on your own professional appreciation
of the value of each activity bearing in mind all of the factors
mentioned above (time, context, stage etc.). A useful strategy
is to reserve many of the more game-based activities (such
as Maze, Invaders, Pool etc.) until the end of the session,
then allow students 5 or 10 minutes to choose freely from
the activities available. It is also possible to limit the
exercises available by making direct hyperlinks to individual
game files - these can be created in TaskMagicCreate - or
by limiting the list of activities available when you create
your TaskMagic file. |
This
section looks at all of the exercise types available in Grid
Match and attempts to put them into some sort of order of
difficulty. This is very difficult to do, however, as various
elements need to be weighed up in deciding just how difficult
a particular exercise is:
- the level of support (e.g. number of options in match activities)
- the type of activity (eg. matching, reordering, text input)
- time pressures
- penalties for incorrect answers
- whether items are displayed in a particular order or randomly
The following list is just a suggestion / a guideline / a
starting point. Some of the activities, such as Flashcards
and Jumbled Words, are appropriate for different stages of
the learning process, while others, such as Doors, combine
different types of linguistic challenge within the same activity. |
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This is probably the easiest of the exercises.
- 1 in 3 multiple choice activity.
- If a student answers incorrectly, they can keep trying
until they get the correct answer.
- There is no time pressure.
- Items appear in their original sequence.
Can be used on individual PCs or on interactive whiteboard.
IWB options:
- invite/select students to give
answers
- invite/select students to come to the board
- students write answer on mini-whiteboards or in books
before checking answer and moving to next question
- a Multi-Match worksheet is also available to print
from within the TaskMagic program |
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1 in 3 multiple choice activity dressed as a Maze game.
The aim is to steer the yellow prompt onto the green block
containing the correct match.
- There is a time pressure - students have 60 seconds
to get the correct answer (but usually get it in about
10 seconds).
- An incorrect answer results in the loss of one of the
three lives.
- Items appear in random order.
- Requires the use of the keyboard.
Suitable for use on individual PCs, not for interactive
whiteboard. In
terms of linguistic demands, this game is one of the
least challenging, and for this reason it appears number
two in this list. It is probably best not to use Maze
as the next step up from Multi-Match, however, as students
are likely to spend a lot of time on this because of
the game element. |
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1 in 4 multiple choice activity, where the aim is to
answer 15 questions in a row and build a 15 storey tower
block.
- No time pressure.
- 1 incorrect answer results in the Tower crumbling
and the student has to begin again.
- There is support in the form of four ‘play safes’,
where clicking on an incorrect answer incurs no penalty.
- This exercise requires a minimum of 8 inputs.
- Items appear in random order.
Can be used on individual PCs or on interactive whiteboard.
IWB options:
- invite/select students to give answers
- invite/select students to come to the board
- students write answer on mini-whiteboards
or in books before checking answer and moving to next
question
- play the game as if it were "Who
wants to be a millionaire?", with the teacher offering
a "50/50", students showing hands or using
mini-whiteboards for "ask the audience", or
choosing a class mate for "phone a friend" |
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1 in 4 multiple choice activity.
- Steer the man around the room jumping from platform
to platform, avoiding monsters and other hazards.
- Multiple levels with different hazards.
- Time pressure - oxygen levels run out if you don't
get a correct answer..
- Incorrect answers result in oxygen levels dropping
drastically.
- Items appear in random order.
Suitable for use on individual PCs, not for interactive
whiteboard.
In
terms of linguistic demands, this game is one of the
least challenging, and for this reason it appears early
on in this list. Students are likely to spend a lot
of time on this because of the game element. |
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1 in 6 multiple choice.
- No time pressure to answer the questions, but a time
limit to pot the ball.
- 1 incorrect answer incurs a 15 second time penalty.
A second incorrect answer results in the loss of that
ball (ie. the student doesn’t get to play) and the
student is shown the correct answer.
- The ball has to be potted in the pocket over which the
correct answer was located. Potting the ball in the wrong
pocket or potting the white incurs a 100 point penalty.
- Items appear in random order.
Can be used on individual PCs or on interactive whiteboard,
although it may be a bit time consuming in a whole-class
environment.
IWB options:
- invite/select students to give answers
- invite/select students to come to the board |
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Multiple choice, with up to 12 answers to choose from.
- A football game for 2 players or teams.
- There is a time pressure to answer the questions, as
failing to answer in the time provided results in play
passing to the other team. The speed for answering questions
can be changed using the difficulty setting before starting
the game.
- Players can opt for a timed game or a ‘first to…’
game.
- During play, the ball doesn’t always go to the
intended player when you pass or shoot. Shorter passes
or shots have a higher chance of being successful, so
students are encouraged to make short passes and therefore
answer more questions.
- Items appear in random order. Can
be used on individual PCs, with students working in
pairs, or on an interactive whiteboard, where the class
is split into 2 teams.
IWB options:
- for each pass or shot, invite an answer from a member
of the relevant team. The teacher clicks the text as
suggested by the student. If they are wrong, they lose
the ball to the other team. Quickly invite an answer
from a member of this team. etc
- for each pass or shot, invite/select a student from
each team to come to the board. The student with control
of the ball has the first go at the question. etc.
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Up to 16 items are on display, so the level of difficulty
depends on the total number of matching items. If more
than 16 matching items are included, 16 are selected randomly
from the list.
- No time pressure.
- No penalty for incorrect answers, as incorrect answers
are removed when ‘Check’ is clicked, leaving
only the correct ones in place. Can
be used on individual PCs or on interactive whiteboard.
IWB options:
- invite/select students to give answers
- invite/select students to come to the board
- students write answers on mini-whiteboards
or in exercise books. Once they have finished the written
exercise the teacher can go through the answers in class,
either by inviting answers or calling students up to
the board
- a Matching worksheet is also available
to print from within the TaskMagic program
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For 2 players or teams - like Os and Xs, but the game
continues until the grid is finished.
- All of the items are on display.
- No time pressure.
- An incorrect answer means that player doesn’t
put his O or X in the grid.
- You can flip the grid items and the text at the bottom
by clicking the ‘Flip’ button. It is preferable
to have the prompt at the top and the target response
at the bottom.
- This exercise requires at least 9 inputs. Can
be used on individual PCs, with students working in
pairs, or on an interactive whiteboard, where the class
is split into 2 teams.
IWB options:
- invite/select students from each team to give answers
- invite/select students from each team to come to the
board
- students draw mini 4x4 grids in their
exercise books (or use a mini-whiteboard). They take
turns to play the game in pairs, using the IWB screen
display as the basis for their game. Students have to
agree on which is the correct answer each time. Teacher
can go round class and monitor performance
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Up to 16 items are on display.
- Time pressure - the aim is to make all of the matches
before the time runs out. The time available depends on
the number of matching items.
- No penalty for an incorrect answer. Can
be used on individual PCs or on interactive whiteboard.
When used in an IT room, it is a good idea for you to
keep a record on the board of the fastest times for
a particular file, to introduce an element of competition.
IWB options:
- invite/select students to give answers
- invite/select students to come to the board - this
will involve a lot of moving around the room quickly
in order to get the matches before the time runs out
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Up to 16 target items are on display, with one prompt
appearing at a time. Essentially a multiple choice activity
with up to 16 possible answers.
- Time pressure - if the prompt falls to the coloured
bars, one of the three lives is lost. The speed of the
dropping item increases the closer you get to the end
of the game. You can choose a difficulty setting, which
alters the drop speed but also affects the score available.
- An incorrect answer deducts points from the total score.
- Items appear in random order.
Can
be used on individual PCs or on interactive whiteboard.
IWB options:
- invite/select students to give answers
- invite/select students to come to the board - this
will involve a lot of moving around the room quickly
in order to get the matches without losing a life
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All of the target items are on display, with one prompt
appearing at a time. Essentially a multiple choice activity
with up to 16 possible answers.
- Time pressure - if you don’t shoot the correct
answer in time, one of the three lives is lost.
- An incorrect answer causes one of the three lives to
be lost.
- Items appear in random order.
- Requires the use of the keyboard.
Suitable for use on individual PCs, not on interactive
whiteboard.
Because of the time pressure, and the fact that a life
is lost for an incorrect answer, students will find this
a difficult exercise to complete. It is a good idea for
you to keep a record on the board of the highest score
for a particular file, to introduce an element of competition. |
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Memory game - finding the matching pairs.
- No time pressure.
- Keeps a record of the number of attempts, so the aim
is to find all of the matches in the lowest number of
attempts. Can
be used on individual PCs or on interactive whiteboard.
When used in an IT room, it is a good idea for you to
keep a record on the board of the students who manage
to find all the pairs without any incorrect guesses,
to introduce an element of competition.
IWB options:
- invite/select students to give answers
- invite/select students to come to the board
- a Pelmanism sheet can also be printed
out from within the TaskMagic program, allowing students
to play the game using cut-out paper squares
- a Dominoes sheet can also be printed out from within
the TaskMagic program, allowing students to play in
pairs or small groups
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Memory game for 2 players or teams.
- No time pressure.
- Players / teams take alternate turns irrespective of
whether or not they find a pair.
- The winning player / team is the one with the most correct
matches. Can
be used on individual PCs, with students working in
pairs, or on an interactive whiteboard, where the class
is split into 2 teams.
IWB options:
- invite/select students from each team to give answers
- invite/select students from each team to come to the
board
- a Pelmanism sheet can also be printed
out from within the TaskMagic program, allowing students
to play the game using cut-out paper squares
- a Dominoes sheet can also be printed out from within
the TaskMagic program, allowing students to play in
pairs or small groups
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A bit like a game of ‘Snap’ - you click when
you recognize a correct match.
- Time pressure - you have three seconds to recognise
a correct match. If you don’t click in this time,
the game moves on to another pair.
- A record of correct and incorrect clicks is kept, and
these are combined to give a total score.
- Items appear in random order.
- The speed of the activity can be increased or decreased.
Can
be used on individual PCs or on interactive whiteboard.
IWB options:
- invite choral “sí” / “oui”
/ “vrai” etc from class, each time the items
change, if there is a correct match (a bit like “repeat
if it’s true”)
- invite/select students to come to the board in turns
until they have found a True match
- playing Pelmanism in pairs using the
Pelmanism sheet (which can be printed out from within
TaskMagic) is a good way for students to play True or
False? together
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The target word or phrase is blanked out, but the shape
of the word or phrase is shown. (If the word or phrase
is longer than 10 letters, then a group of 10 letters
is blanked out.)
- The missing letters are displayed underneath the game
box in random order, and students have to click them in
the correct order.
- Time pressure - the student must click all of the letters
before the blocks fall to the bottom.
- 5 incorrect letter attempts results in all the blocks
falling.
- Items appear in random order. Can
be used on individual PCs or on interactive whiteboard.
When used in an IT room, it is a good idea for you to
keep a record on the board of the the highest scores
for a particular file, to introduce an element of competition.
IWB options:
- invite/select students to give answers
- invite/select students to come to the board - best
to have the next student ready to ensure a swift changeover
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The target word or phrase is blanked out, but the shape
of the word or phrase is shown.
- The missing letters are to be found in the grid in snake
form. The grid is made up mainly of letters which appear
in the answer, which helps the student to think of the
answer, but not in the same way as with Invaders II.
- The aim is to click and drag through the missing letters
in the correct order.
- Time pressure - 40 seconds are available. After 10 seconds
the first letter is displayed. After 20 seconds the shape
of the word snake is shown. After 40 seconds the answer
is given. The score depends on how quickly the correct
answer is found.
- No penalty for incorrect answers.
- Items appear in random order. Can
be used on individual PCs or on interactive whiteboard.
When used in an IT room, it is a good idea for you to
keep a record on the board of the the highest scores
for a particular file, to introduce an element of competition.
IWB options:
- invite/select students to come to the board - best
to have the next student ready to ensure a swift changeover
- a Snake worksheet is also available
to print out from within TaskMagic. The worksheet includes
a list of prompts and all of the answers hidden in snake
form in the printed grid
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The target word or phrase is blanked out, but the shape
of the word or phrase is shown. (If the word or phrase
is longer than 10 letters, then a group of 10 letters
is blanked out.)
- The missing letters are to be found in the game grid.
The grid is made up mainly of letters which appear in
the answer, which helps the student to think of the answer.
- Time pressure - running out of time results in the loss
of one of the three lives, as does being caught by the
monster(s).
- An incorrect letter click results in the player getting
stuck for 2 seconds, increasing the risk of their being
caught.
- Items appear in random order.
- Requires the use of the keyboard.
Suitable for use on individual PCs, not interctive whiteboard.
Because of the time pressure students will find this a
difficult exercise to complete. It is a good idea for
you to keep a record on the board of the highest score
for a particular file, to introduce an element of competition. |
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All of the items are on display (up to 16).
- The shape of the target word or phrase is shown, but
no other support is given.
- A score is kept, which is the percentage of correct
letter attempts.
- No time pressure.
- An incorrect letter causes the text to go red and stops
the typing. Incorrect letters are shown in the letter
grid on the screen. The student cannot proceed until they
find the correct letter. Can
be used on individual PCs or on interactive whiteboard.
When used in an IT room, it is a good idea for you to
keep a record on the board of the the highest scores
for a particular file, to introduce an element of competition.
IWB options:
- invite/select students to come to the board
- students can write answers to specific questions (as
suggested by the teacher) on mini-whiteboards; students
can then be invited to the board to check their answer
- students can write answers to all questions as a written
activity in their exercise books, before going through
the exercise to check answers using the IWB
- a Type worksheet can also be printed out from within
TaskMagic. As with the screen version, this contains
the left-hand prompts and the shape of the required
answer. Students could complete the worksheet before
checking answers in class using the IWB
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The student answers questions in order to open doors,
in order to collect the 6 items required to move on to
the next level. A plan of all of the rooms is shown at
the top of the screen. The higher the level, the fewer
the doors available, so it becomes more of a maze.
- Doors uses a variety of question forms / linguistic
demands, depending on the level:
Level one is a 1 in 10 multi choice.
Level two takes letters from the word or phrase, which
must then be clicked in the correct order (eg. as with
Invaders II)
Level three shows the shape of the word or phrase but
requires the student to type in the missing information.
Higher levels combine elements of all of the above.
- Time pressure - you are being chased around the maze
of rooms by a death figure. At first he moves very slowly,
but he gets progressively quicker.
- Penalty for incorrect attempt: the door doesn’t
open. Can
be used on individual PCs or on interactive whiteboard.
When used in an IT room, it is a good idea for you to
keep a record on the board of the the highest scores
for a particular file, to introduce an element of competition.
IWB options:
- invite/select students to give answers
- invite/select students to come to the board
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This is a classic Noughts and Crosses game, where the
first player / team to get 3 squares in a row wins.
- No time pressure.
- Penalty for incorrect answer: your opponent can steal
your square.
- No support is provided in terms of the length or shape
of the answer, or any of the letters it contains.
- Requires keyboard input.
- This can be a very quick game, and remember that, as
with the pen and paper version, very often there is no
winner with noughts and crosses.
Can
be used on individual PCs or on interactive whiteboard,
although on an interactive whiteboard you will need the
facility to insert text either by using the generic floating
keyboard or handwriting recognition tools provided along
with the whiteboard.
IWB options:
-
invite/select students from each team to give answers
- invite/select students from each team to come to the
board
- students
draw mini 3x3 grids in their exercise books (or use a
mini-whiteboard). They take turns to play the game in
pairs, using the IWB screen display as the basis for their
game. Students have to agree on which is the correct answer
each time. If the teacher prefers, students can write
the correct answer so that the teacher can go around class
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This is a 3 in a Row game on a large scale (depending
on how many rows and columns are included in the exercise
file).
- Each block of 3 squares in a row - horizontally, vertically
or diagonally - scores a point.
- No time pressure.
- Penalty for incorrect answer: your opponent can steal
your square.
- No support is provided in terms of the length or shape
of the answer, or any of the letters it contains.
- Requires keyboard input.
- This can be a very long game, and it's probably best
to impose a time limit.
Can
be used on individual PCs or on interactive whiteboard,
although on an interactive whiteboard you will need
the facility to insert text either by using the generic
floating keyboard or handwriting recognition tools provided
along with the whiteboard.
IWB options:
- invite/select students from each team to give answers
- invite/select students from each team to come to the
board
- a blank grid
can be printed out in TaskMagic (from the Grid Match
worksheet screen) so students can play in pairs in class.
Students
have to agree on which is the correct answer each time.
If the teacher prefers, students can write the correct
answer so that the teacher can go around class and monitor
performance.
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This is a 3 in a Row game with a difference. Each player
/ team only has 5 counters to play with. So once they
have used all five counters, they have to use counter
number 1 for their next move, and so on. This means
that blank squares are constantly appearing in the grid.
- Each block of 3 squares in a row - horizontally, vertically
or diagonally - scores a point.
- No time pressure.
- Penalty for incorrect answer: your opponent can steal
your square.
- No support is provided in terms of the length or shape
of the answer, or any of the letters it contains.
- Requires keyboard input.
- This can be a very long game, and it's probably best
to impose a time limit.
Can
be used on individual PCs or on interactive whiteboard,
although on an interactive whiteboard you will need
the facility to insert text either by using the generic
floating keyboard or handwriting recognition tools provided
along with the whiteboard.
IWB options:
-
invite/select students from each team to give answers
- invite/select students from each team to come to the
board
- a blank grid
can be printed out in TaskMagic (from the Grid Match
worksheet screen) so students can play in pairs in class.
Students
have to agree on which is the correct answer each time.
If the teacher prefers, students can write the correct
answer so that the teacher can go around class and monitor
performance.
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Flashcards simply runs through the matching items, showing
them either in the original sequence or in random order.
- It can be used to present new language to the class
using a whiteboard or projector, or for individual work
at a PC.
- When used on a PC, it allows the student to test themselves
(by saying or thinking what the correct match will be)
to see if they know the answers.
- First look at the information in sequence, then again
in random order. You can do the same thing with an interactive
whiteboard.
- No penalty for getting it wrong, as there is no input
to be assessed.
- When working alone with a PC, the student can click
the "correct answer" button if they knew the
correct answer, or click the "wrong answer"
button if they didn't know it or were unsure. Wrong answers
are then repeated later
This is possibly the most difficult exercise in terms
of its linguistic demands, as no support is provided at
all, although there is no requirement to spell the words,
and no evidence of a 100% score is shown. From a 'test
yourself' perspective, it could be seen as the end objective
of the TaskMagic session. IWB
options:
- present the language in sequence
- at the end of a session (as a plenary) or to revise
previously taught language as a lesson starter: run
through the information in random order and invite/select
students to provide an answer
- students could write the answer for each question
in exercise books or on mini-whiteboards, before checking
the answer and moving on to the next question
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Trainer
can be used in 2 ways: as a practice session or as a
test.
Practice session:
- Runs through the items in random order.
- Provides feedback for incorrect answers - guidance
intended to help the student arrive at a correct answer.
- Hint and Skip buttons available.
- If an answer is incorrect the first time, or the Hint
or Skip buttons are pressed, that question is repeated
again later (and then again, as necessary for the student
to answer the question without errors, hints etc.)
- Scores are given for the first answer typed in each
round.
- Students can view their scores / progress at any time.
- Students can print a record of their practice session
(name input required). Print-outs give details of answers
given, scores, time taken etc.
- The practice session is designed to focus on accuracy
and spelling, and ensuring that the new vocabulary is
truly learned.
Test:
- Runs through the items in random order.
- No feedback is provided during the test.
- One answer is recorded per question.
- Choice of scoring formats, e.g. case-sensitivity,
100% score for whole answer, only correct words, only
100% correct answers.
- Choice of the number of items to include in a test
(the maximum being the number of items in a particular
file).
- Feedback is given at the end of the test: total score,
time taken, score per question etc.
- Students can print out their test result (name input
required). Print-outs give details of answers given,
scores, time taken etc.
Trainer is the most difficult activity in terms of linguistic
demands, as the student has to answer each question
without support in order to score full marks. Trainer
is excellent for focusing on spelling and accuracy,
and ensuring that the new vocabulary is truly learned.
IWB
options:
- invite students to the board to type in answers
- at the end of a session (as a plenary) or to revise
previously taught language as a lesson starter: run
through the information in random order and invite/select
students to provide an answer
- students could write the answer for
each question in exercise books or on mini-whiteboards,
before checking the answer and moving on to the next
question
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