Testing speaking online can be tricky and many don't even attempt it. One of the reasons testing speaking on computers is tricky is because you have to deal with synchronous versus asynchronous testing methods. Testing someone's speaking skills requires that there is output or production from the student, something not seen directly in listening or reading tests. To test speaking in Moodle, we need to be creative and willing to try new things. We can set up Skype for real-time speaking activities (synchronous) or we can set up a variety of other recording modules to review and/or respond to later. What we will look at here are ways to test speaking using both concepts and some of the modules available to do this.
One of the things we will look at in this chapter is NanoGong, a simple recording device where conversations over time can be had. Another thing we will look at is a new module called Voiceshadow and its partner Voiceboard. This is a great resource for...