How the TFI Method Works

It's all that simple: Do! Discover! Re-build!

THE TASK-FEEDBACK-INSTRUCTION METHOD

Online Exam Training employs the TFI (task-feedback-instruction) method—the same method used by institutions offering courses in skill-based areas such as exam preparation and teacher training. Students are instructed to pre-designed tasks and receive feedback on their performance, leading to further instruction from the tutor on how to do the next tasks better.

Although this method of instruction and learning seems simple, it requires a carefully designed program, highly knowledgeable and experienced tutors, and students' commitment to their learning and progress—things that Online Exam Training has in store for students looking for success on the TOEFL iBT® or IELTS™ test.

1. Completing Tasks

As soon as your course begins, you will be assigned tasks along with the information on what each task entails and what criteria you are expected to satisfy. You are expected to complete the tasks before the deadlines in the course schedule.

The tasks are designed to familiarize you with the test structure, what is expected in each test section, and the common approach to providing the most relevant and most accurate response to each task or test item. In other words, you will learn how to deal with each test section step by step. Later in the course, you will provide complete answers to task questions or full test sections, implementing all the techniques you have learned in the previous course tasks.
2. Tutor Feedback

You will receive your feedback on an online private platform which only you, your tutor, and the lead tutors can see. Your tutor will provide you with a complete analysis of your performance and your potential score on the test, pointing out your strengths and weaknesses, occasionally assigning homework, and introducing resources to help you build on your strengths and improve your weaknesses.

You are expected to complete the next tasks while keeping in mind the feedback from your tutor. The better you apply the tutor's feedback to the next tasks, the higher grade you will receive on your performance. Your grades demonstrate your progress throughout the course.
3. Instruction

Your tutor's feedback will not be the only way we will guide you through the course. You will receive instructions and practice tasks on Skype, get more feedback via audio logs recorded by the lead tutors, and receive links or files to valid resources to expand your knowledge of the areas you need to improve.

You will also be provided with model answers with your tutor's comments to better grasp how to complete TOEFL iBT® or IELTS™ tasks in order to achieve higher scores.

Why the task-feedback-instruction method?

A great number of students today prefer online Skype classes or recorded video instructions.
But why does the online task-feedback-instruction method prove superior?

✅ In skill-based courses, students learn better by doing than by being merely instructed.

TOEFL iBT® and IELTS™ are skill-based exams, where examinees' English language proficiency is tested in terms of the four language skills (reading, listening, speaking, and writing). Not only do students need to have a good level of English proficiency for higher scores, but they must also possess the skills to organize their ideas, express or argue their points, and provide relevant responses to test questions. By completing the task—rather than simply watching a tutor explain—students get involved in the learning process and become better able to notice their weaknesses and strengths.

✅ Tutor feedback is to the point.

No matter if you are participating in a face-to-face or online class, the only way a teacher is able to provide you with feedback on your accuracy and progress is by observing your performance on the course tasks. Skype lessons or recorded video instructions can be very useful; however, they are not enough to help students notice their strengths or address the weaknesses they may have in speaking, writing, and answering reading or listening questions. By completing numerous tasks, students enable their tutor to analyze what they need and how they can improve their performance in different tasks and their skills in answering questions faster with more accuracy.

✅ Students have a higher sense of achievement.

During a course, a sense of confusion is the worst thing for a student to go through. Whenever students do not receive the right, timely feedback from their tutors, it is natural that they fall into a spiral of unsuccessful attempts to better their performance on the next tasks. This results in frustration and a significant decline in their motivation to continue the course. On the other hand, the task-feedback-instruction method enables students to notice their strengths, embrace their weaknesses, and work hard towards achieving better results in the next tasks.