Navigating Changes: ELICOS 2024 and Multi-Level Delivery
The release of the ELICOS Initial Application Form on 27th November 2023 brought a significant change to the application process, replacing the former self-assessment form. In this blog, I'll delve into the adjustments we've made to meet the requirements under the Sufficient and Appropriate Education Resources (SAER) section in the ELICOS Initial Application Form. Additionally, I'll discuss how we've seized this opportunity to address the challenge of delivering multi-level ESL classes in ELICOS.
In the SAER section, ASQA now asks for:
A sample of your organisation’s education resources (minimum 2 x key education resources per subject).
A sample of your organisation’s formative and summative assessment tools (minimum of 1 formative and 1 summative assessment per subject, for both spoken and written English).
This is my first time seeing ASQA specify the number of resources required per subject. While "subject" is commonly used in the High School Preparation course, it's less common in other ELICOS courses. Therefore, I interpreted this requirement as needing a minimum of 2 core textbooks per macro skill (Speaking, Reading, Listening, and Writing), treating each macro skill as a subject for General English and English for Academic Purposes. In simpler terms, if your core text is EnglishFile throughout all levels, you'll need to add another core textbook for all levels to meet the new requirement using my interpretation.
When there is only one core textbook, teachers can easily follow the units in sequence and prepare additional activities using supplementary materials. However, this approach may limit resources and lead to repetitive learning methods. On the other hand, multiple core textbooks offer diverse content, could enhance the learning experience for students, and provide teachers with flexibility in selecting materials. However, using multiple core textbooks poses challenges in streamlining weekly learning outcomes and designing assessment tools.
In adapting to incorporate multiple core textbooks into our curriculum, we found an opportunity to facilitate multi-level delivery by applying synchronised topics for all levels. Providing multi-level classes is common in ELICOS but presents challenges for teachers who must meet the needs of students at different proficiency levels in one class. Therefore, revising the curriculum to be multi-level friendly was crucial.
Regarding assessments, ASQA now requires a sample with a minimum of one formative and one summative assessment per subject for both spoken and written English. Since we have four subjects (macro skills), we've added one formative and one summative assessment sample for speaking and writing tests for each course as part of our curriculum package.
Here's a summary of the changes we've made to our ELICOS curriculum (General English and English for Academic Purposes) to accommodate multiple core textbooks and multi-level delivery this year. If you are considering making similar changes, this information could help you through the process.
Revised syllabus: The syllabus has changed from textbook-based weekly topics to synchronised topics throughout all levels, allowing teachers to focus on one topic each week regardless of the level.
Holistic weekly topics: Applied weekly topics that could align with any core ESL textbooks in the market so colleges can easily apply their current or future textbooks.
Resources mapping: Created a topic-based mapping so teachers can easily select the relevant sections of the textbooks each week.
Grammar point mapping list: Developed a list of grammar points for learners to cover for each level, mapped to relevant grammar textbooks. This allows students to follow a clear checklist regardless of when they start a level, ensuring they cover all necessary grammar points. This makes it easier for teachers to monitor progress and provide individualised support.
Level-based learning outcomes: Updated weekly learning outcomes to a level-based format for greater flexibility in learning and assessment.
After implementing changes, I helped colleges with their Initial ELICOS Application and Addition to Scope this year. While the initial application correspondence with ASQA was efficient, the Addition to Scope application process was less so. The Addition to Scope application for ELICOS, which usually onIy took 6 weeks for approval, the one I submitted in mid-January this year, was only approved this month (April). So, expect some delay.
I hope the information I share here with you helps you with the continuous improvement of your ELICOS delivery for a better student and teacher experience!
