The Interactive Oral Assessment (IOA) project: Using Talkback® for practice and assessment of listening and speaking skills in languages

The Open University has always sought to exploit new technologies to deliver its language modules more effectively. Although students are offered regular tutorials (face-to-face and online) and work through a series of speaking activities on DVD-ROMs, oral practice is a crucial issue in distance learning. In collaboration with Learnosity, we offered a 6-week free pilot module aimed at two groups of students who had just completed French Beginners or level 1 English for Academic Purposes (EAP). We designed activities practising oral competency by using Talkback^® (powered by Learnosity). Students accessed them on their mobile, landline, Skype or through an iPhone App. Recordings were instantly available on the Learnosity website to both students and tutors, who could mark and provide feedback. Both groups reported weekly via short online questionnaires recording their experiences. This paper discusses the findings of the project and their implications.