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

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

4. What is School-based Assessment?

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

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

14. 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

15. 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?

16. 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 p Unit 4 OC2 p32-33

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

18. 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?

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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

25. Key resources VCE and VCAL Administrative Handbook 2019
Current study design for Religion and Society :
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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27. VCAA Curriculum Manager - Humanities
Contact
Leonie Brown
VCAA Curriculum Manager - Humanities
Phone
Mobile