VCE Religion and Society School-based Assessment 2019 Leonie Brown VCAA Curriculum Manager – Humanities March 2019

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Aim to build teacher capacity within schools to develop and apply VCE assessment tasks that are compliant, engaging, rigorous and accessible

What is School-based Assessment?

School-based Assessment Purpose: to determine a student’s level of achievement in Units 3 and 4 can provide evidence that contributes to the determination of achievement of outcomes and completion of a unit The decision about satisfactory completion of a unit is distinct from the assessment of levels of achievement

School-based Assessment In Units 3 and 4, specified tasks and task types are set out in the VCE Study design Teachers and schools are encouraged to develop their own assessment tasks based on the VCE assessment principles

VCE assessment principles Assessment is an integral part of teaching and learning that at the senior secondary level: identifies opportunities for further learning describes student achievement articulates and maintains standards provides the basis for the award of a certificate

VCE Assessment principles VCE assessment be valid and reasonable equitable balanced and efficient.

VCE Assessment principles Valid Equitable fair and reasonable designated task type conducted under fair conditions for all students clear instructions included accessible to all students doesn’t privilege or disadvantage certain groups of students tasks are comparable in scope and demand

VCE Assessment principles Balanced Efficient variety of task types used variety of conditions used allow students to demonstrate different levels of achievement suitable criteria, descriptors, rubrics or marking schemes used outcomes, key knowledge and key skills are assessed minimum number of assessments set precision vs efficiency Minimise undue workload/stress on students part of the regular teaching and learning program avoid under or over assessment of the outcome completed mainly in class and within a limited timeframe

School-assessed Coursework (SAC) is derived from designated assessment task types specified in the Study design is developed and administered to meet needs of the student cohort monitors student work and progress within the cohort provides important feedback to individual students

Authentication Moderation Measures are in place ensuring that the students’ work is genuinely their own Moderation Appropriate cross-marking or internal moderation procedures are followed if there is more than one class or more than one teacher

Approaches to developing school-based assessment tasks Developing tasks that are compliant, engaging and rigorous Approaches to developing school-based assessment tasks

Developing School- assessed Coursework (SAC) Ensure appropriate depth in assessment of key knowledge, key skills, outcome statements and unit introduction content and context of the task provides opportunity for achievement of highest level of performance assessment is appropriate and understandable for the student cohort wording /language is clear and appropriate for VCE students tasks reflect terminology in Study design

Outcome Statements Unit 3 Religion and Society Area of Study 1 Area of Study 1: Responding to the search for meaning Outcome 1 Discuss and analyse the nature and purpose of religion and religious beliefs Focus Discuss – What does this mean? Analyse – What does this mean? nature of religion and religious beliefs purpose of religion and religious beliefs Which key knowledge and key skills relate to this?

Type of task – choice of one or more of : Report Essay Advice for teachers (Aft) Unit 3 OC3 p28 Case Study Analytical exercises Structured questions (Advice for teachers) Unit 3 OC1 p27 Extended responses (Advice for teachers)Unit 3 OC1 p27-28 Unit 4 OC2 p32-33

Developing a School-based Coursework (SAC) task 25-50-25 rule of thumb high / medium / lower order thinking multiple entry points accessibility differentiate extend the top end

Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? Consider the cohort of students Consider the Outcomes being assessed What? Consider the timing of the task When? Consider the conditions of assessment Where? Consider the purpose of the task Why? Consider the task type How?

Commercially-produced tasks Responsibility of the school and teacher to: check that a commercially-produced task is compliant with VCAA requirements. ensure authentication of student work Commercially-produced tasks MUST be adapted School-assessed Coursework tasks need to be UNIQUE to each individual school

Developing a school based assessment task - process Identify Units Areas of study Outcomes to be assessed Key knowledge Key skills Task type (from Study design) Task design Compliant Engaging Rigorous yet accessible Note :School-based assessment be not be modelled on the examination

Developing a School-based Coursework (SAC) task Consider the following- minimise reading place stimulus material and other information close to the item stimulus, if included, must be used in the response place easier items earlier in the task where possible use a range of assessment types (use a taxonomy, Blooms, SOLO, etc) to ensure a spread of responses make sure the typical student can finish the SAC in the time available

Hints: Question and Task design When designing questions requiring a shorter response Ensure question is answerable within a few lines Ensure the wording enables higher marks to be awarded for demonstration of higher order thinking expressed succinctly, rather than simply a series of discrete lower order responses that accumulate Where more than one question is linked to a common stimulus, avoid duplication of the question type and or content required to respond

When designing sequential questions of multiple parts with a common stimulus Minimise the sequential aspects where the answer of one part of a question is dependent on coming to a correct answer in another WHY? This will disadvantage the student who may have made a simple error in the first part but may have been capable of answering the second (and following) parts otherwise Consider introducing an alternative entry point Increase the level of difficulty: Place less difficult questions first, progressively increase in difficulty

When designing questions that require an extended response Ensure adequate line allocation to indicate the extent of writing required to respond in full Ensure wording is understandable and clearly communicates the requirement of the question (Comprehensible to a VCE student) Be aware: Questions are increasingly marked globally. Focus on the overall features and qualities of a response NOT simply an aggregation of expected points, with designated marks allocated to each Ensure each question option is of equal level of difficulty and scope

Key resources VCE and VCAL Administrative Handbook 2019 Current study design for Religion and Society 2017-2021: Advice for Teachers advice on construction and design of assessment tasks performance descriptors School calendar and assessment policy Statistical moderation reports School-based assessment audit reports Examination reports FAQs The school teaching and learning program School-based assessment tasks used in previous years and those on file VCAA Curriculum Manager – Humanities

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VCAA Curriculum Manager - Humanities Contact Leonie Brown VCAA Curriculum Manager - Humanities Phone 960 37923 Mobile 0407 279 470 Brown.Leonie.J@edumail.vic.gov.au