George MacLean
About
George MacLean is a professor at the University of the Ryukyus. He has taught at primary-junior high and university levels in Japan and in the international school system. His research interests include SLA and ICT implementation. He is active in the Japan Association of Language Teachers (JALT) at a local and national level, and regularly presents at national and international language teaching and technology events.Sessions
Presentation Triangulating Assessment with Cloud-Based Tools for Collaborative Learning more
This presentation showcases how cloud computing can streamline multifaceted assessment (instructor, self, and peer) for group and individual language learning activities, such as oral presentations. Traditional reliance on instructor-only evaluation often overlooks collaborative dynamics and ignores other feedback opportunities. Peer and self evaluations augment the saliency and legitimacy of the assessment of students’ efforts. Moreover, they provide a useful means for instructors to determine whether students are perceiving the requirements of a given assignment such as the instructor envisioned. Using Google Workspace (Forms, Sheets, Drive), we will demonstrate a practical system to collect, weigh, and analyze diverse feedback sources efficiently. Rubrics guide peer and self-assessments, while Sheets calculate weighted scores, ensuring fairness and transparency. Drawing from our tertiary-level experience, we will share strategies to process data meaningfully, showing which inputs best reflect student achievement. Our presentation will explain and demonstrate a technology-enabled approach that aims to triangulate assessment and enhance feedback’s educational impact. We will demonstrate how to use cloud tools to create multi-faceted feedback from the perspectives of the teacher and peers, and how to deliver this on a timely basis. Participants will explore hands-on templates and leave with actionable insights to refine assessment practices in their classrooms.
Presentation Leveraging Cloud-Based Peer Assessment to Enhance Participation in Oral Presentations more
This presentation explores integrating student peer evaluation into participation scores for oral presentations using Google Workspace tools, addressing the critique that students often disengage after presenting. Building on years of classroom experience, we will demonstrate how Google Workspace applications (e.g., Forms, Sheets) can collect and quantify peer feedback, incorporating it into a transparent grading system. Participants will learn step-by-step on how to design forms for peer ratings, process data in spreadsheets, and calculate participation scores—requiring no prior technical knowledge. This approach promotes active engagement and reflective learning, through the use of cloud computing. By involving students in evaluating their peers, this will encourage sustained focus and interaction throughout the presentation process. Outcomes include practical skills to create dynamic, data-driven participation tracking and best practices for promoting a collaborative classroom environment where feedback drives improvement. This presentation may assist practitioners by offering a scalable method to assess engagement beyond traditional approaches, enhancing pedagogical transparency and student accountability. We aim to address a persistent gap in presentation-based activities by blending peer assessment with cloud-based tools, providing educators with an innovative, accessible solution to enhance classroom participation.