We’ve recently finished a Certificate in TESOL course here at Active Language and the end of the course always means one thing: moderation. The moderation process ensures we’re providing a quality training experience to our trainees as well as including a standardized, external assessment of one of the course elements.
Sampling
Before the moderator meets the trainees, he spends a significant amount of time looking over course documentation and sampling the trainees work. Looking at course documentation, he can be assured that the trainees we’ve accepted onto the course had the necessary qualifications to be able to complete the course, as well as checking the timetable meets trainees’ needs and covers the required elements of the Trinity syllabus. When he samples the trainees’ work, it ensures that we’re grading to a standardized level, in line with other Trinity centres.
The Group Interview
At the end of the course, trainees talk to the moderator in small groups. This 30-minute chat is an opportunity for the moderator to check that the input has been delivered to a high standard and that trainees have had a solid introduction to ELT during their pre-service course. This part of the moderation is more of a quality control assessment of Active Language as a course provider and the trainees are in no way assessed during this phase.
The Materials Interview
One of the Trinity CertTESOL course units is the Materials Assignment, for which each trainee must create, deliver and evaluate a piece of material. During moderation, this assignment is externally assessed, as the moderator reads through each trainee’s assignment and holds a ten-minute interview with them about it.
Course Director’s Meeting
When all trainees have been externally assessed, the moderator meets with Dani, our course director. During this stage, he provides feedback on the course and trainees’ achievements. It is also an opportunity for him to provide suggestions or recommendations for how the course could be improved. The moderator of the subsequent course will look through the moderator’s report to check we’re making appropriate adjustments following this feedback.
So, if you’re looking for a quality pre-service qualification, find out about how the course itself is assessed and whether there is any external feedback and quality control.
