1. St Bernard’s College 1 March 2017 Terry Burrell and Rachael Shaw
Scholarship Biology Thinking Critically and Communicating Coherently
Postdoctoral Research Fellow School of Biological Sciences
Research interests
Animal Cognition, Animal Behaviour, Ecology and Evolution.
St Bernard’s College
1 March 2017
Terry Burrell and Rachael Shaw

2. Outline of this session
A closer look at the Scholarship Performance Standard & Specs.
What is Critical Thinking?
Presentation and workshop with VUW researchers to develop Critical Thinking skills.
Where to from here?

3. Outline of this session
Is an award not a qualification
Will not generate credits
Will appear on Record of Learning
Scholarship Biology Exam date-
Monday 20th November (am)
Results sent mid-February 2018

4. A closer look at the Scholarship standard
Assessment Specification
Scholarship Performance Standard

5. Those performance descriptors
At Scholarship level – the student will demonstrate aspects of high level:
analysis and critical thinking
integration, synthesis and application of highly developed knowledge, skills and understanding to complex situations
logical development, precision and clarity of ideas.

6. Those performance descriptors
At Outstanding performance level– the student will demonstrate, in a sustained manner, aspects of:
perception and insight
sophisticated integration and abstraction
independent reflection and extrapolation
convincing communication

7. Marking of Scholarship Biology
2016 exam -3 compulsory questions of equal value.
Expect 3 eight-mark questions in 2017
Each question marked 0 to 8 = total
All students are ranked then cut-off point for each subject determined.
In 2016 – anything above 14/24 gained a Biology Scholarship

8. 7-8 = outstanding = strong evidence of integration and synthesis, as good as could be expected under exam conditions, coherent, lucid, accurate, comprehensive…
5-6 = clear scholarship level
4 = marginal response
NZQA aim to award up to 3% of each cohort with a scholarship award and up to 0.4% with outstanding scholarship.

9. 2011
2012
2013
2014
Level 3 cohort
8544
8987
9038
9470
Schol Bio Entries
1492
1587
1675
1599
Actually sat Schol Bio
1140
1282
1235
1213
Gained Scholarship
230
288
257
259
Outstanding
scholarship 34 39 31 28
% of Level 3 cohort
2.69%
3.2%
3.03%
2015
10329
1695
1288
288 32
3.10%
2016 data not yet published but:
Roughly 17% of Level 3 students sit scholarship.
% of those who sat Schol Bio gained the award plus another 2.5 % achieved an Outstanding Scholarship

10. Markers report on Scholarship exams
What successful students did well:
Addressed all aspects of each question …
…with some parts of each question in great depth
Gave detailed answers to 2/3 questions
Applied a wide, accurate knowledge of biological concepts… to unfamiliar contexts
Integrated resource material into responses
Did not “brain dump” (TB)
Thoroughly planned answers…Coherent, precise, logical writing…not waffle!

11. What unsuccessful students did:
Did not use resource information given
Lacked breadth and depth in answers
Repeated resource information rather than answering the question (or ignored it altogether)
Wrote biologically incorrect information
Wrote correct but irrelevant information…
“Brain dumped”
Used generalisations and did not define terms
Showed little evidence of planning their answers
Failed to recognise/link key biological ideas…

12. Warning!!! “Student need to write legibly.”
2015 Scholarship Bio marker report (and 2011, 2012, 2013…)
“Some scripts were very difficult to read or words were illegible. In such instances, candidates placed themselves at risk of not having all the evidence or responses acknowledged.”

13. Recommendations from markers:
Students should spend time using the pages provided to plan answers that address the question and follow the question structure…
Do not use long introductions that restate the information in the question or in the resource material.
Link key biological ideas coherently.

14. So what are these key biological ideas that need to be linked together coherently?
Important to “know what you know!!!”
Let’s brainstorm to see what you already know!
Ecological and Evolutionary Concepts and Processes:

15. Lets look at recent Scholarship Questions:
Spot the recurring themes!!!

16. For each question there is a basic principle to discuss, and several key points/concepts/ideas that show the scope of the question/the amount of detail required.
These basic principles are to do with evolution, genetics and ecology (including plant & animal behaviour).

17. So we need to: Sift relevant information from given resource
Identify key biological concepts and processes involved (and terms)
Make connections, spot inter-relationships, see the “big picture”
Consider a range of viewpoints and evaluate bias, validity etc
PLAN a logical, well-sequenced answer before writing

18. When writing: Follow the plan/answer the question
Incorporate given information/examples
Integrate knowledge from beyond the question
Use appropriate biological vocab
Be coherent and concise
Avoid repetition and irrelevancies
Balance time between questions

19. So what is critical thinking?
Dr Rachael Shaw
Postdoctoral Research Fellow School of Biological Sciences
Research interests
Animal Cognition, Animal Behaviour, Ecology and Evolution.

20. So what is critical thinking?

21. So… questions will be about: evolution, genetics, ecology and behaviour…
This seems to cover a huge amount of information – but you already know a lot!!!

22. Need to apply
Critical thinking
to what you already
know!

23. Good luck on Scholarship day
Enjoy!!!