Unit 3 SACs Ross Down & Erin Wilson

Administering School Assessed Coursework in the new Units 3 & 4 Psychology Study Design. What has to be done?

i.e. one pair of tasks per Outcome and 4 tasks per Unit A general overview of Units 3 & 4 in the new Study Design before focussing exclusively on Unit 3. Students will have to undertake a pair of tasks to meet each of the two Outcomes for each unit. i.e. one pair of tasks per Outcome and 4 tasks per Unit

Unit 4 Unit 3 Outcome 1 Outcome 1 Outcome 2 Outcome 2 T T Task 1

Unit 3 (p. 27) & Unit 4 (p. 33) in the Study Design. Pairs of tasks must be chosen from the lists of tasks in Pair A and Pair B outlined for Unit 3 (p. 27) & Unit 4 (p. 33) in the Study Design.

Remember: There are now only 2 Areas of Study per Unit. It doesn’t matter whether you choose 2 tasks from Pair A or Pair B for Outcome 1, but you must then choose 2 tasks from the other pair for Outcome 2 in the Unit. Remember: There are now only 2 Areas of Study per Unit.

In both Units 3 & 4, Pair A contains a mandated task. For Unit 3 the mandated task is a Report of a Research Investigation conducted by the student. In Unit 4 the mandated task is an Annotated Folio of Practical Activities.

This may cause us to think about which of the 2 Outcomes we’ll choose choose for the mandatory task. i.e. the very nature of these mandatory tasks may influence the Outcome to which you choose to attach it.

Now…….let’s focus our thoughts on Unit 3

Given that the mandatory task in Unit 3 is a Report on a Research Investigation conducted by the student, you may find it easier to administer this task with Outcome 2: ‘Memory’, than with Outcome 1: ‘Mind, Brain & Body’.

If so, then the other task for Outcome 2 must also be chosen from Pair A. The choice is from: a data analysis a media response, or a test

What will influence which of these three options you choose? Ease of the task for you to administer? Ease of the task for students to undertake?

Potential for students to achieve the highest grade? Ability of the task to address most of the components of the Outcome or at least those not yet addressed by the Report on a Research Investigation? Ease of correction of the task?

Our final decision might be driven by a combination of these factors - an Outcome that’s good for you, good for the VCAA, and good for your students.

Most research is specific in the content it addresses, so there is probably a lot of the Outcome still to address. Teachers are meant to try and address most components of any given Outcome.

This may mean that many teachers will choose a Test because it’s easier to be comprehensive with a Test.

Teachers sometimes feel that Tests provide the best preparation for examinations. However, it is important to consider the different learning styles and abilities of your students. Ideally, we should provide a range of tasks to fulfil the Outcomes throughout the unit. Annotated Folio Data analyses Tests of practical activities Oral presentation Essays Visual presentations Experiments Evaluation of research

Assessment of SACs

A set of generic principles apply to all forms of VCE assessment : SACs, examinations, oral presentations, solo and group performances, folios of work, etc.

VCE assessment will be valid VCE assessment should be fair and reasonable VCE assessment should be equitable

VCE assessment will be balanced VCE assessment will be efficient

Making SAC assessment part of teaching and learning

Step 2: Examine the assessment advice. The following four steps are crucial in developing an appropriate and effective SAC task. Step 1: Define the parameters of an outcome and its related assessment task options. Step 2: Examine the assessment advice. Step 3: Determine teaching and learning activities. Step 4: Design the assessment task

Outcome statement Key knowledge Key skills Performance descriptors – generic statements of achievement for different levels of performance within a given outcome – i.e. they apply to whichever tasks are used for an outcome.

Outcome Based SACS VCAA Psychology Assessment Handbook The most important publication to refer to for all assessment information for both School- Assessed Coursework and the Examinations.

Includes advice on VCE assessment principles School-assessed Coursework Scope of tasks Designing the assessment tasks Making assessment part of teaching and learning

Plus: School-assessed Coursework Unit 3 Performance descriptors Sample approaches to School-assessed Coursework

Let’s have a look at how the assessment handbook outlines how to best design SACs that cater for the outcomes in Units 3 & 4 Psychology. A few steps to consider in designing outcome-based SACs

Step 1: Define the parameters of the outcome and its related assessment task options. For Outcome 1: Explain the relationship between the brain, states of consciousness including sleep, and behaviour, and describe the contribution of selected studies and brain research methods to the investigation of brain function.

Bloom’s Taxonomy, and the instruction/command terms within each outcome, give us an idea of the requirements and types of questions we should develop for students in the task itself.

To explain students should be able to access the understanding thinking skills in Bloom’s taxonomy - interpreting, summarising, paraphrasing, classifying, explaining To describe, students should be able to access the remembering thinking skills in Bloom’s Taxonomy – Recognising, listing, describing, retrieving, naming, finding

Then select the pair of tasks for the Outcome Let’s select Pair B Two of the following tasks: an evaluation of research, an essay, a media response, an annotated folio of practical activities, an oral presentation using two or more data types, a test or a visual presentation (25 marks each).

Task Selection The tasks you will select will depend on your students and how you believe you can best cover all aspects of the outcome. The tasks you select will not need to necessarily cover every single key knowledge dot point or every single key skill but it should be:

a fair representation of the outcome (cover all aspects in the outcome) and allow the students to demonstrate the highest level of performance.

There should also be a wide variety of tasks chosen where possible to allow all students to demonstrate the highest level of performance. The Unit 3 examination is the task designed to be the assessment task that assesses students on every key knowledge dot point and key skill.

What tasks could suit each outcome? Thinking about including a wide range of tasks for the first part of Outcome 1, ‘Explain the relationship between the brain, states of consciousness including sleep, and behaviour, probably lends itself to a test or visual presentation (annotated poster)

The second part of Outcome 1, describe the contribution of selected studies and brain research methods to the investigation of brain function, probably lends itself to an evaluation of research or media response task.

For Outcome 2 Compare theories that explain the neural basis of memory and factors that affect its retention, and evaluate the effectiveness of techniques for improving and manipulating memory.

To compare, students should be able to access the analysing thinking skills in Blooms taxonomy - Comparing, organising, deconstructing, interrogating, finding To evaluate, students should be able to access the evaluating thinking skills in Blooms taxonomy - Checking, hypothesising, critiquing, experimenting, judging

As pair B was selected for Outcome 1, pair A must be used for Outcome 2 a report of a research investigation conducted by the student (30 Marks). And one of the following tasks: a data analysis, media response or test (20 Marks).

The first part of Outcome 2, ‘compare the theories that explain the neural basis of memory and factors that affect its retention’, really lends itself to any of the three options – media response, data analysis, test

While the second part of Outcome 2, ‘evaluate the effectiveness of techniques for improving and manipulating memory’ definitely lends itself to the report on a research investigation

Step 2: Examine the assessment advice. The performance descriptors in the assessment handbook should be referred to and be fully understood They give a clear indication of qualities and characteristics that you are looking for in a student response.

Marking the task should be based on the performance descriptors in the Assessment Handbook. The performance descriptors can be adapted into a marking scheme, which should be explained to students before starting the task.

What do the performance descriptors look like? Outcome 1 MARK RANGE DESCRIPTOR: typical performance in each range 25–30 marks/21–25marks/17–20 Comprehensive and accurate explanation of the role of the brain in relation to states of consciousness and behaviour. Accurate and coherent description of how brain research methods are used to investigate brain function. Accurate and thorough description of how selected studies have contributed to an understanding of brain function. Advanced skills in scientific investigation and inquiry. Comprehensive and insightful application and communication of psychological information and understandings.

Outcome 2 MARK RANGE DESCRIPTOR: typical performance in each range 25–30 marks/21–25 marks/17–20 Thorough and accurate explanation of the theories of the neural basis of memory formation. Comprehensive and detailed comparison of models for explaining human memory. Sophisticated understanding of factors that affect memory retention. Critical and insightful evaluation of the effectiveness of techniques for improving and manipulating memory. Advanced skills in scientific investigation and inquiry. Comprehensive and insightful application and communication of psychological information and understandings.

Step 3: Determine teaching and learning activities. Pre-task teaching and learning activities should also develop skills of: investigating and inquiring scientifically, applying psychological understandings and communicating psychological information and understandings.

Step 4: Design the assessment task. Following are examples of two teachers and the assessment tasks they decided on after completing Steps 1, 2 & 3.......

Teacher A decided on: Outcome 1: Part 1 – Visual Presentation & Outcome 1: Part 2 – Evaluation of Research Outcome 2: Part 1 – Test Outcome 2: Part 2 – Research Investigation

Teacher B Outcome 1: Part 1 – Test & Outcome 1: Part 2 – Data Analysis Outcome 2: Part 1 – Media Response Outcome 2: Part 2 – Research Investigation

Let’s have a look at how we could design one of Teacher A’s SACs

Teacher A Outcome 1: Part 1 – Visual Presentation Explain the relationship between the brain, states of consciousness including sleep, and behaviour, Which performance descriptors relate best to this aspect of the outcome?

Highest performance descriptor for Outcome 1 Comprehensive and accurate explanation of the role of the brain in relation to states of consciousness and behaviour. Accurate and coherent description of how brain research methods are used to investigate brain function. Accurate and thorough description of how selected studies have contributed to an understanding of brain function. Advanced skills in scientific investigation and inquiry. Comprehensive and insightful application and communication of psychological information and understandings.

If we then take those two performance descriptors: Comprehensive and accurate explanation of the role of the brain in relation to states of consciousness and behaviour. AND Comprehensive and insightful application and communication of psychological information and understandings.

Which key skills and key knowledge are you going to cover in the visual presentation task?

Need to also consider that for the students to be able to meet the highest performance descriptor they need to be able to give: ‘comprehensive and accurate explanation’ and ‘comprehensive and insightful application and communication’

Most likely key skills and key knowledge?..........

The next thing to decide is the format of the visual presentation……….. Powerpoint Graphic Organiser Pamphlet Poster, etc.

Then to covert the performance descriptors into a marking scheme out of 25 marks There are a number of ways of doing this........

Assigning individual marks for particular knowledge skills Use of a rubric Other suggestions?

The most important things to consider when developing outcome-based SACs are: - advice contained in Assessment Handbook - 4 steps involved - using a range of assessment tasks to cater for all students learning styles - providing students with the opportunity to demonstrate the highest level of performance