English Communications Overview and External Assessment (Folio)

English Communications Overview and External Assessment (Folio)
SAETA Refresher Course 2015

Important Documents English Subject Outline 2015
Stage 2 English Communications Subject Operational Information for 2015 Chief Assessor’s Report Annotated Work Samples All available online: SACE contact: Meridie Howley phone:

Key dates Term 1 – Learning and Assessment Plans by Feb 6
Terms 1& 2 – Clarifying meetings (see next slide) Term 3 – Teachers use Schools Online to access folio result sheets in week beginning 7 Sept (Week 8) Term 3 - Folios (all students) collected Wednesday 23 Sept (Week 10) Term 4 - Moderation materials (sample) collected Thursday 13 Nov (Week 5) Teachers are required to use Schools Online to access external and school assessment result sheets. See English Communications Subject Operational Information for 2015 for full details.

Clarifying Meetings 2015 Metro: April 2 am April 9 pm April 29 am May 4 am Country – Riverland, date tbc Bookings can be made later in February on SACE website.

Course structure 20-credit English Communications has four assessment types: Text Analysis (3 tasks) 20% Text Production (3 tasks) 20% Communication Study (2 tasks) 30% Folio (2 tasks) 30% 10-credit English Communications has three assessment types: Text Analysis & Text Production (3 tasks) 40% Communication Study (1 task) 30% Folio (1 task) 30%

Assessment Two types of assessment:
School based assessment (70%) - moderated Sample moderation for Text Analysis, Text Production & Communication Study. Students in sample are selected by SACE Board. External assessment (30%) Folio for all students is externally marked. No student or school names, SACE numbers only. Verification forms to be signed by all students and kept by teacher at the school.

Assessment type 4: Folio
Two tasks: Part 1 - one written response to an example of communication. Part 2 – one written text production with writer’s statement. Combined word count is maximum of 2000 words. Word count does not have to be equally divided across the two parts.

folio Avoid connecting the two parts of the folio through genre or style. Difficult to achieve highly in: KU1 – ways in which texts are shaped… An1 – conventions of different text types… Ap3 – use of structural, conventional, and textual features of different text types… Ap4 – production of texts for different contexts, audiences, and purposes. Avoid a situation where Part 1 and the Writer’s Statement discuss similar material.

folio Some limiting combinations: Part 1 – response to a sport article
Part 2 – a sport article Part 1 – response to an print advertisement Part 2 – a persuasive speech Part 1 – response to a horror short story Part 2 – a horror short story Part 1 – a film review Part 2 – a concert/music/on-line game review

Folio ‘The folio must be a product of independent study, but it is appropriate for teachers to advise and support students in choosing an example of communication as well as to provide a structure for the text production.’ (Subject Outline, p24)

Text choice Steer students away from texts that are:
very familiar, eg a favourite film, a favourite song, on-line games include more than 1 text, eg a television series, an album, a group of advertisements, a series of books, a magazine famous speeches found on-line Responses tend to be based on content or the ideas in the texts rather than language techniques/stylistic features and their effect on the audience.

Text choice Texts that allowed students to achieve well
included texts that were new or relatively new to the student (literary or non-literary), eg novels films short stories persuasive articles speeches from TED Talk.

Level of independence Folio Part 2
Allow wide range of choice or a text type that has opportunity for individual choice Eg narrative persuasive allow choice – form & content informative Personal recounts tend to produce good writing but less effective writer’s statements.

Scaffolding It should be evident across a class group that teachers have not approached each part as a class exercise. Avoid a template structure for Part 1 use of the same terminology for Part 1 use of a single stimulus for writing in Part 2. Reducing independence usually indicates a greater level of scaffolding.

Folio Part 1 Key phrases:
‘Students write a response to an example of communication.’ do not choose more than one text ‘In their response students explore the success, or otherwise, of the example in meeting the expectations of the intended audience.’ ‘…. a knowledge and understanding of the stylistic features of the text, and their effects on the reader or listener.’ responses must demonstrate an understanding of audience ‘…comment on the language techniques used by the creator(s) of the text to appeal to the audience.’ avoid texts that have limited written language film techniques qualify as language techniques

Folio Part 2 Key phrases: ‘Students compose a written text ...’
‘Explain the creative decisions they made...’ Making deliberate choices about form gives students a good basis for the writer’s statement Written text can be creative or functional. Written text can be of a type produced in Text Production. Not intended to be a response to text (eg a film or music review).

Folio: Breach of Rules Word count – markers and moderators are instructed to read the first 2000 words only. If students write more than 2000 words, Part 2 writer’s statement will be only partially read or not read at all. Plagiarism – from internet (especially film reviews, famous speeches, brochures, celebrity articles)

Assessment design criteria and the Folio
The following specific features must be assessed in the Folio: Knowledge & understanding – KU1, KU2, KU3, KU4 Analysis – An1, An3 Application – Ap1, Ap2,Ap3, Ap4 Communication – C1, C2 Note: An2 must be assessed in the School Assessment Component.

Performance standards
See Subject Outline pp To be used at the completion of each of the four assessment types. Use the grade calculator on SACE website to calculate the school-based assessment types, ie Text Analysis, Text Production and Communication Study, using A+ to E-. Clarifying meetings to be held in terms 1& 2 to help apply performance standards to student work.

Operational advice write the question or topic at the top of each task
font size should be 11 points line spacing should be at least 1.15 word count should be recorded at the end of each item of work remove any staples that impede easy reading of the work teacher comments, performance standards and marks should not appear on folio pieces copies of the texts analysed should not be included in the folio student names, school names, teacher names and school numbers should be removed from all folio pieces.

Support Materials Marked and annotated assessment types of student work for the A, B, C, grade bands. See SACE website: Subjects/Stage 2/ English/English Communications/Stage 2/Support Materials Best viewed with Performance Standards.

ENGLISH COMMUNICATIONS
School-Based Assessment

English communications
Two types of assessment: School-based assessment (70%) - moderated Sample moderation for Text Analysis, Text Production & Communication Study. Identify by SACE number or name Students selected by SACE Board. External assessment (30%) Folio for all students is externally marked. No student or school names, SACE numbers only. Verification forms to be signed by all students and kept by teacher at the school.

School-based assessment - overview
Best success for students was linked to comprehensive knowledge of course requirements by teachers The importance of task design The importance of the relationship between student cohort and assessment design criteria as outlined in the Subject Outline Task design considering full range of performance standards

School-based assessment - overview
The importance and accuracy of teacher data prior to moderation Assessment is not predicted – it must be accurate No opportunity to adjust your assessment decisions Use the SACE assessment grade calculator ( Verification – required prior to moderation

School-based assessment – text analysis
Focus – development of a ‘personal and critical understanding of the ideas, values and beliefs represented in a range of texts. It is also important for students to recognise the connections between their own ideas, experiences, values, and beliefs, and those explored in texts.’ Consideration of student need, ability and interest Importance of text choice and task design Importance of adhering to the four prescribed text types – novel, poetry, film, drama Importance of course design and selection of course assessment criteria

Importance of the provision of a range of diverse and challenging texts Teachers offered a range of forms for response enabling students to demonstrate a ‘range’ of skills in relation to analysis and conventions of forms Increase in response to dramatic text as performance Increase in the option of independent choice for novel, poetry and film Two written responses and one oral response In consultation with the teacher one written response may become a multimodal presentation - increased in 2014

An2 – the ‘analysis of connections between the ideas, experiences, values, and beliefs of students, and those explored in texts’ TEACH EXPLICITLY AND CONSIDER AS SOLE CRITERIA Must be evident and match your plan An1, 2 and 3 are equally important Use of evidence in responses

Poetry Selection of texts Consider as a group of two or more poems as opposed to individual texts Student selection from a range as opposed to same three texts for the class Song lyrics

School-based assessment – Text production
Three texts (1000 words or 6 minutes) Three distinct purposes: ‘to entertain or engage’ ‘to persuade or communicate a point of view’ ‘to communicate observations or information’ Teachers to distinguish purposes in course and task design Not restricted to list of suggested forms in Subject Outline Emphasised that it is ‘essential that the form students choose should allow the text to achieve its intended purpose for the intended audience.’

School-based assessment – text production
Only one task must be a 90 minute supervised written assessment under test conditions without help from the teacher Remaining responses can be oral, multimodal or written Students may know the general requirements Students may not know the topics/tasks/questions beforehand Students should not be able to return to this task to edit or proofread it Students should not have access to the internet Use of computer – spelling-check/grammar check Handwriting

School-based assessment – communication study
Two parts: 1. A comparison of two examples of communication Choice of ONE of five categories 2. a practical application Choice of ONE of eight options Throughout students should explore form, purpose, audience, language and context Practical Application – demonstrate knowledge and understanding of a particular aspect of language and communication

Ensure that texts selected for the comparative task come from ONE if the five specified categories Ensure that students are provided the opportunity to explore and compare the relationship between: Form Purpose Audience Language Context Remember comparison in responses and the importance of synthesis of text analysis This response can be an oral or multimodal presentation

A demonstration of: Knowledge and understanding Analysis application Communication Importance of KU2 – ‘knowledge and understanding of the ways in which creators and readers of familiar and unfamiliar texts use a range of language techniques and strategies to make meaning’ Students to consider purpose and effect

Practical Application - eight choices Unique requirements for each option Every option consists of two distinct components Reflection is equally important and requires same consideration with regard to tasks in this Assessment Type Encourage student choice and control in selection of topic and form Evidence of the practical application reflection - provide– transcript, printed PowerPoint slides, RECORDING

Application choice Writing for Publication the most popular option Workplace writing, film-making, investigating, language, multimedia web authoring, oral language and interacting Language choices and decisions Explicit understanding of the development of writing to publication standard Less emphasis upon the processes

School-based assessment – operational advice
Check SACE requirements carefully via website for submission dates and instructions Work organised according to assessment type and labelled clearly with SACE numbers or names of students to ensure accurate confirmation SACE nominate the sample Less number of cases where non-nominated student work was submitted Authentication made difficult due to incorrect and sometimes incomplete materials Provide what is required – no need for anything else

What to include: Learning and assessment plan Addendum if necessary Context sheets assist Missing work means a Variations in Materials for the Sample for Final Moderation form from the Learning Area Manual Indicate if work has not been completed Adjust marking to reflect the absence of work that has not been completed Use performance standard criteria to determine reduction in marks – not a mathematical system of reduction

Adherence to the SACE Word-count policy or time limit Plagiarism continues to be a concern in a minority of cases Authentication of the originality of student work in progress is important to avoid the submission of plagiarised scripts Recommendation of internal moderation in order to ensure the consistency of marking standards Particularly important for schools with multiple classes in a single assessment group Consider the benefits of this decision if it is difficult to communicate regarding standards and meet to read student samples across classes

ENGLISH COMMUNICATIONS
Task Design

Assessment Type 1: Text Analysis
Choose 3 out of the 4 text types: an extended prose, verse, or multimodal text (e.g. a novel, a graphic novel, a collection of short stories, a biography or other non-fiction prose text) a selection of poems – must be more than one (e.g. poet study, anthology, theme study, song lyrics) a film or a television mini-series a drama text or a drama performance (the success of responses to live performance was commented upon most favourably by moderators) you cannot choose two texts from the same category (eg. a novel and a collection of short stories)

Task requirements Two written responses and one oral response
In consultation with the teacher, one of the written responses may be a multi-modal presentation (an increase in this option was apparent in 2014)

Task design is important
Tasks should enable students to demonstrate a repertoire of skills in relation to analysis and conventions of text types. Moderators commented favourably on task design such as film responses that encouraged students to analyse a film in terms of its construct and the ways this was linked to theme through technique. “Show how the director uses 3 of the following techniques to communicate their ideas within the film – setting, imagery, narrative perspective, cinematography, sound, dialogue and props.”

A range of forms can be offered to students as opportunities for response:
blogs interviews with author or director traditional analytical essays speeches/presentations with student as author letters poetry comparison paragraphs short answer questions (2 or 3 questions works best) visual scrapbook page as a response writing an additional scene or chapter a diary entry from the perspective of a character Teachers are asked to consider carefully the wording of tasks and the form of response offered in their course design within this assessment type.

Moderators noted that high achieving students often addressed one of the three analysis criterion in each response of this assessment type: An1 Analysis of authors’ use of the conventions of different text types to communicate ideas and influence readers’ response. An2 Analysis of connections between the ideas, experiences, values, and beliefs of students, and those explored in texts. An3 Analysis of the ideas, experiences, values, and beliefs explored in texts. Trying to address An2 superficially across all 3 tasks generally disadvantaged students.

Assessment Type 2: Text Production
Students compose 3 texts the composition of the 3 texts should be produced for 3 prescribed purposes Task design is important here in encouraging students to demonstrate diversity in writing skills.

NOTE Aside from the supervised written assessment under text conditions, the remaining texts may be produced in written, oral or multi-modal form

Some Suggestions: expository
A recount or narrative (the 2 most popular text types in 2014) expository visual stimuli as a prompt (eg. photos and art work) multimodal texts, including film digital narratives short persuasive films to communicate a point of view (eg. zero tolerance for bullying) 2 tasks of the same text type (eg. a report and 2 recounts) picture books as narratives biography

SUCCESSFUL TASK DESIGN
Tasks that offered some degree of choice for the class Where tasks had been designed with the interests and abilities of the cohort in mind Where task construction of the three tasks enabled students to succeed across all levels of achievement, including those at the highest standard where they are to provide evidence of a “range” and “variety” in knowledge and understanding, application and communication skills

Assessment Type 3: Communication Study
Part 1: A comparison of two examples of communication chosen from one of the five specified categories Students are expected to explore and compare the relationships between: Form Purpose Audience Language Context

Do not select the comparative texts across two of the categories (e. g
Do not select the comparative texts across two of the categories (e.g. mass media & personal communication) Students experienced success when task design for part 1 encouraged comparison throughout the entire response (paragraph by paragraph) Students who analysed texts separately and kept comparison to a minimum (often only in the final paragraph) did not achieve as well.

Popular tasks: Hard copy advertisements (with substantial written elements) Travel programs Cooking programs Car programs Film Trailers (best if a point of similarity existed) Comparison of 2 TV shows (such as the British Sherlock Vs the American Sherlock)

Considerations for Teachers
Students should mention specific language features, demonstrating their knowledge of their purpose or effect rather than just listing them (to meet KU2) Teachers are reminded that their notes provided as the only evidence for oral presentations are insufficient evidence for the moderation process. The most reliable sources of evidence to include are: Transcripts Student notes Printed slides Recordings

Part 2: the Practical Application
Can be selected from the 8 applications offered Students who considered the production and the reflection parts of this task with equal importance achieved most consistent results

Most Popular Application in 2014:
WRITING FOR PUBLICATION Original texts (verified by the teacher)- best if students had some form of independence rather than topic prescribed for whole class Reviews (high risk of plagiarism) Children’s Books (students distracted by presentational devices at the expense of language) Brochures (high risk of plagiarism)

Note to teachers Familiarise yourself with individual requirements of the applications offered within your task design – they vary between applications If choosing “Writing for Publication” be aware that only the final written product should be sent in for moderation – not the processes or drafts preceding it (i.e.. avoid display folders containing developmental stages of work)

Assessment Type 4: Folio (External)
The Folio is “a product of independent study” Folios where Part 1 & Part 2 were connected in some way were not as successful at meeting the performance standards to a high degree (e.g. responding to a persuasive speech and writing a persuasive article) Students do best when they demonstrate they can write for two purposes and audiences across the folio.

Part 1: Response to an example of Communication
Responses that were guided by a well-worded topic or question were the most successful Questions that contained words such as “language techniques”, “appeal to the audience,” “stylistic features” or “effects on the reader or listener” directed students most appropriately. For example – “Discuss the effectiveness of the film techniques the director uses to explore the idea of …..”

Observations: The better responses focused on specific structural and language features and their connection to the audience (with close reference to their chosen text). An entire essay devoted to the student’s opinion of the text does not display knowledge about how the text was constructed. Students who named the creator of the text, outlined what techniques they were discussing and mentioned audience in the introduction, steered the response to meet the performance standards at the highest levels.

*These all have significant language elements.
Popular Choices film texts novels plays poetry articles speeches film trailers documentaries *These all have significant language elements.

Problem Choices: Texts with minimal language elements eg. Advertisements with strong visual compositions on-line or computer games song lyrics music videos apps for phones and ipads DVD covers packaging of consumable items an entire television series

Part 2: Text Production with Writer’s Statement
Students were most successful when they chose a style of writing that allowed them to employ a range of stylistic features that they could then discuss and justify in the Writer’s Statement. Independent choice is important here – students should have the opportunity to showcase their skills in a particular genre or area of interest.

Successful choices original articles for magazines play scripts opinion pieces (to persuade or communicate a point of view)) taking students to a specific location and using it as a prompt for their writing (creative or functional) Narratives poetry vignettes

Problem Choices: letters of complaint picture books simplistic poetry
brochures (riddled with plagiarism) letters of complaint picture books simplistic poetry stories based on the paranormal (lacked a unique voice) writing that relied heavily on factual or researched information Video games

Writer’s Statement words seemed the most successful length the more successful students clearly identified the intentions behind the writing and their target readers – explaining the language techniques they had used with examples Weaker students used this section to focus on the form rather than the language used Dot points should be avoided as they do not allow for a cohesive discussion. Students are advised to avoid a lengthy explanation of the ideas behind the writing at the expense of justifying the language decisions made

English Communications Overview and External Assessment (Folio)

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