1. CPD Geography GCSE spec A Autumn 2012 Controlled Assessment
Developing decision making skills

2. Step 1 Choose a context where there is no clear best decision
Candidates need to be challenged to consider the merits of each option.
They must weigh up the evidence rather than simply describe it.
Sorting / sifting / prioritising / ranking are all higher order skills and should be clearly evident in level 3 and 4.

3. Step 2 Choose an issue where people have different opinions
Candidates can engage with different opinions even at lower levels and use them as part of their decision making process
At higher levels candidates should comment on bias / vested interest of a range of stakeholders
group
Option 1
Option 2
Option 3 A Y N B C D

4. Encourage students to demonstrate decision making skills

5. The development compass
NATURE How will the landscape, wildlife, ecosystems, air or water be affected? N
ECONOMY
What are the positive or negative multipliers? Will the economic benefits be short or long term?
WHO are the:
stakeholders?
decision makers?
gatekeepers? E W S
SOCIETY How will different groups of people be affected?

6. Banning fishing on sections of the reef that have suffered overfishing
Diamond ranking
Allowing one area to become sacrificed to visitor pressure eg the reef at Cancun
Banning visitors from damaged sections of the reef to allow times for recovery
Restricting the number of divers to some fragile sites, perhaps by increasing the cost of access to the reef
Conservation and restoration of the ecosystem. This includes careful monitoring of the effects of pollution and diving on the corals.
Educating divers and tourists to be more sensitive to the needs of the environment
Offering alternative employment to fishermen, eg as visitor guides
Spreading visitors over a wider area so that their impact on each section of reef is minimized
Making rainforest sites, such as Bermudian Landing, much more accessible to tourists

7. Cost / benefit analysis
Advantages
Disadvantages
SOCIAL
ECONOMIC
ENVIRONMENTAL

8. Sequence of six thinking hats (De Bono)
Develop goals/objectives
Outline reactions to the problem. Who is affected and how?
What is the solution?
What do we know about this solution?
What are the advantages? Who benefits?
What are the potential problems and for whom?
Which solution best meets the objective? Why?