# Homework Creation Process Documentation

## 📋 Overview
Creation of diagnostic homework assignments for mixed-level English class (SBS2 and SBS8 students) preparing for Chinese English exams.

---

## 🎯 Design Goals

### From DIAGNOSTIC_HOMEWORK_PLAN.md:
1. **Assess student readiness** for English exams (Chinese format)
2. **Identify weak points** in grammar, vocabulary, comprehension, and production
3. **Create personalized prep plans** based on diagnostic data
4. **Use graduated difficulty** to reveal true capability vs memorization

---

## 📐 Homework Structure (Per Level)

### Components:
1. **1 Audio Recording** (~35 seconds)
   - Teacher-recorded custom content
   - Related to chapter theme but independent from text
   - Ends with 2 questions students must answer

2. **1 Written Text** (120-140 words)
   - Uses ONLY vocabulary from their chapter (cumulative)
   - Complex sentences with known vocabulary
   - Tests comprehension, not vocabulary recognition

3. **6 Questions Total:**
   - **2 Audio Story Questions** - Test listening comprehension of story content
   - **2 Audio Questions** - Teacher asks directly in recording (students must understand)
   - **2 Text Questions** - Test reading comprehension
   - **2 Open Questions** - Test creative production and linguistic flexibility

### Student Deliverables:
- **Record themselves reading the text** (pronunciation diagnostic)
- **Record answers to all 6 questions** (oral production diagnostic)
- Submit via WeChat video/voice messages

---

## 🔍 Question Design Philosophy

### Graduated Difficulty (Original Plan):
- **Q1 (Linked):** Directly related to text, builds confidence
- **Q2 (Semi-linked):** Same topic/grammar, new context
- **Q3 (Creative/Free):** Unpredictable, tests true linguistic flexibility

### Adapted Structure:
- **Audio Story (2Q):** Literal comprehension of audio narrative
- **Audio Direct (2Q):** Must understand teacher's questions in audio
- **Text (2Q):** Reading comprehension (literal + detail)
- **Open (2Q):** Creative production reveals true capability

---

## 📚 Content Sources

### SBS2 Level:
**Chapter:** sbs-2-9-fusion.json
**Focus:**
- Locations (restaurant, hospital, school, garage, library, bank, supermarket)
- Where questions (Where is/are, Where does/do)
- Jobs (waiter, doctor, teacher, mechanic, librarian, cashier, bus driver)
- Simple present (works, helps, teaches, fixes, drives)
- Prepositions (at, in)

**Audio:** MyFriends.mp3
- Story about David (nurse/hospital), Sara (chef/restaurant), Tom (bus driver)
- Questions: "Where do you work? Where does your mother work?"

**Text:** "A Busy Day in Our Neighborhood" (130 words)
- Describes various people at their workplaces
- Uses all target grammar and vocabulary

**Creative Question:** "Animals have homes too. Where do you think a fish lives? Where does a bird live?"
- Unpredictable (not "Where does your father work?")
- Forces vocabulary adaptation
- Reveals production vs memorization

---

### SBS8 Level:
**Chapter:** sbs-3-8-fusion.json
**Focus:**
- Clothing (shirt, dress, jacket, pants, jeans, shoes, boots, hat, gloves, coat, suit, tie)
- Colors (red, blue, green, yellow, black, white, pink, brown, gray, purple)
- Present continuous (am/is/are wearing)
- Demonstratives (this/that/these/those)
- Adjectives with clothing

**Audio:** ImWearingClothes.mp3
- Story about teacher's outfit (blue jacket, black jeans, brown boots, gray hat)
- Lisa's outfit (green dress, white shoes, pink coat)
- Questions: "What are you wearing today? What's your favorite color for clothes?"

**Text:** "Fashion Show at School" (137 words)
- Describes Fashion Show Day with multiple people's outfits
- Uses colors, present continuous, demonstratives

**Creative Question:** "Imagine you are designing a uniform for superheroes. What clothes do they wear? What colors?"
- Unpredictable (not "What are you wearing today?")
- Tests creative vocabulary application
- Reveals linguistic flexibility

---

## 🎨 Format Design

### WeChat-Optimized Format:
- **Clear structure** with emoji section markers (🎧 📖 🎤 ✏️)
- **Numbered tasks** for easy following
- **Requirements section** with grammar focus and examples
- **Deadline clearly stated**
- **Bilingual versions** (English instructions + Chinese instructions)

### Why This Format?
- Students familiar with WeChat homework format
- Visual hierarchy with emojis
- Clear submission instructions (video/voice via WeChat)
- Examples provided to guide expectations

---

## 🧠 Diagnostic Value

### What This Homework Reveals:

**Reading Comprehension:**
- Can they understand complex sentences with known vocabulary?
- Literal vs detail comprehension level

**Listening Comprehension:**
- Can they understand teacher's audio story?
- Can they understand direct questions posed in audio?
- No written questions = true listening test

**Pronunciation:**
- Text reading reveals pronunciation issues
- Stress, intonation, phoneme accuracy

**Grammar Accuracy:**
- SBS2: Where questions, to be, simple present, do/does, prepositions
- SBS8: Present continuous, demonstratives, adjective placement, singular/plural

**Production Capability:**
- Q1-4 (Audio/Text): Can they reproduce/answer directly?
- Q5-6 (Open): Can they produce creatively and flexibly?
- Creative questions reveal memorization vs true language ability

**Vocabulary Mastery:**
- Active vs passive vocabulary
- Correct usage in context
- Spelling/pronunciation accuracy

---

## 📊 Next Steps (From Plan)

### Phase 1: Collection
- Students submit homework via WeChat (deadline: Nov 15, 9 AM)
- Teacher collects video/voice responses

### Phase 2: Analysis
- **AI-powered analysis** using LLM (DeepSeek via IAEngine)
- Score comprehension answers (0-100)
- Grammar error detection
- Vocabulary usage analysis
- Generate individual diagnostic reports

### Phase 3: Personalized Prep Plan
Based on diagnostic data:
- **Targeted drill exercises** (weak grammar points)
- **Vocabulary reinforcement** (missed/misused words)
- **Question-type practice** (Chinese exam format)
- **Mock exams** (real format simulation)

### Phase 4: Technical Implementation
To build:
1. **Diagnostic Homework Module** (display text, audio playback, video upload)
2. **AI Analysis Engine** (scoring, error detection, report generation)
3. **Exam Prep Exercise Generator** (targeted drills from weak points)
4. **Mock Exam Module** (Chinese exam format, auto-scoring)

---

## ✅ Success Criteria

### Homework Quality:
- ✅ Texts 120-140 words (SBS2: 130, SBS8: 137)
- ✅ Vocabulary ONLY from chapter content
- ✅ Complex sentences, known vocabulary
- ✅ 6 questions per homework
- ✅ Audio recordings with embedded questions
- ✅ Creative Q6 unpredictable and challenging
- ✅ Clear WeChat format

### Diagnostic Value:
- ✅ Tests all 4 skills (reading, listening, speaking, writing/production)
- ✅ Graduated difficulty reveals true capability
- ✅ Grammar focus aligned with chapter learning objectives
- ✅ Open questions force creative language use

### Pedagogical Alignment:
- ✅ Matches Chinese exam format (recognition > production)
- ✅ Data-driven approach (not guessing student levels)
- ✅ Efficient use of limited prep time
- ✅ Scalable with AI analysis

---

## 🔑 Key Design Decisions

### Why Audio + Text + Questions?
- **Audio:** Pure listening comprehension (no visual support)
- **Text:** Reading comprehension with complex structures
- **Questions:** Production capability at 3 levels (literal, contextual, creative)
- **Recording:** Pronunciation + oral fluency diagnostic

### Why No Written Answers?
- **Video/voice submission:** Tests oral production (more valuable for Chinese students)
- **Pronunciation diagnostic:** Identifies phonetic issues
- **Natural production:** Reveals fluency vs hesitation
- **WeChat native:** Students comfortable with video messaging

### Why Creative Q6?
- **Tests true ability:** Can't memorize answer to "superhero uniform"
- **Reveals flexibility:** Must adapt vocabulary to new context
- **Diagnostic gold:** Separates production from memorization
- **Confidence builder:** No "wrong" answer, encourages creativity

---

## 📁 Files Created

### Homework Assignments:
- `SBS2_Homework_English.md` - English instructions for SBS2 students
- `SBS2_Homework_Chinese.md` - Chinese instructions for SBS2 students
- `SBS8_Homework_English.md` - English instructions for SBS8 students
- `SBS8_Homework_Chinese.md` - Chinese instructions for SBS8 students

### Supporting Documents:
- `Audio_Scripts.md` - Recording scripts for both audio files
- `CREATION_PROCESS.md` - This document
- `DIAGNOSTIC_HOMEWORK_PLAN.md` - Original master plan (moved to folder)

### Audio Files (Teacher Created):
- `MyFriends.mp3` - SBS2 audio recording
- `ImWearingClothes.mp3` - SBS8 audio recording

---

## 🎓 Pedagogical Notes

### Why This Works:
1. **Diagnostic-first approach** - No guessing, data-driven
2. **Graduated difficulty** - Reveals capability spectrum
3. **Exam-format aligned** - Matches Chinese exam style
4. **Personalization ready** - Data enables targeted prep
5. **AI-powered scaling** - Teacher designs, AI analyzes

### Critical Success Factors:
- **Q6 creativity** = reveals linguistic flexibility
- **Text complexity** = tests comprehension vs memorization
- **Audio with questions** = true listening comprehension test
- **Oral recording** = pronunciation + fluency diagnostic
- **No written support** = forces active language use

---

**Created:** November 7, 2025
**Class:** Archie's Mixed SBS2/SBS8 English Class
**Exam Target:** Chinese English Exams
**Deadline:** November 15, 2025, 9:00 AM
**Platform:** WeChat