From 2006-2008, Beth Trudell was an English Language Fellow with the BRAC Institute of Languages (BIL). Since then, she has returned intermittently to work on special projects. Last year, she arrived in October, 2018, and she spent time on the alternative assessment program for ENG101 (Fundamentals of English). She led the project design team during her last visit, and when she returned, she observed the assessment classes and talked with the students. Beth discovered that the teachers are doing a wonderful job facilitating the classes, and the students are learning how to work together in groups to accomplish an academic writing objective. This is an important training for students not just for their time at BRAC University, but for their career or advanced education goals. Many of the students said that this assessment process has taken the fear out of exam time.
Beth has been working with a team and updating the ENG101 lesson plans to ensure that they are learner-centered and include sufficient details for the new teachers. Updating lesson plans is an ongoing practice because students’ needs change as do teaching and assessment practices. Student reflection on what and how students have learned has been a new addition to ENG101.
Also, Beth oriented new BIL teachers and the new Bangla language and literature teachers who teach in Savar. The new teachers have been learning about facilitation skills, critical thinking activities, and providing feedback on writing assignments.
BRAC Institute of Languages (BIL) conducted sessions on ‘Teaching English Language’ in Faculty Development Training for the faculty members of Midwifery Program under BRAC James P. Grant School of Public Health of BRAC University. The training began on January 08, 2019, and continued till January 10, 2019. The sessions were conducted by Mr. Mohammad Aminul Islam, Mr. Md. Abu Sufian, Mr. Md. Mahbubul Islam and Mr. Moshiur Rahman, who are faculty members of BIL
BIL arranged a workshop titled 'Creating and Using Rubrics'' on January 17, 2019. The three hour workshop was conducted twice (9 am – 12 am and 1 pm – 4 pm) by Dr. Sharmin Khan from San José State University, California, USA. The purpose of the workshop was to develop professional skills in designing assessments and evaluate students' tasks. All BIL faculty members, including Director of BIL Lady Syeda Sarwat Abed, participated in the various activities during the workshop. The session involved group discussion on the definition and variation of rubrics, including their criteria and function in the assessment of students. Finally, each group chose a topic for assessment to create their own rubric and shared peer evaluation on the effectiveness of the rubrics and areas of improvement.