1. Assessing and Moderating Independent Study Projects in School
Presented by:
Christine Andrews
(AQA’s Principal Moderator for
The Extended Project Qualification)
Version 3.0
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2. What does The Extended Project Qualification seek to develop?
Independent study skills
Research skills
Academic writing skills
Presentation skills
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3. What is an Extended Project?
Learners are required, with appropriate supervision, to:
Choose an area of interest
Draft a project title and aims for approval by the Centre
Plan, research and carry out the project
Deliver a presentation to a specified audience
Provide evidence of all stages of project development and production for assessment
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4. What are we assessing? Knowledge recall? Specified content?
Skills learned and developed?
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5. The Taught Element Core Skills Required: Time Management Skills
Research Skills and Evaluation of Sources
Report Writing Skills
Referencing and Bibliography Creation
How to avoid Plagiarism
Presentation Skills
Reflection and Evaluation
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6. What else are we assessing?
Decision making
Autonomy
Response to advice
Communication: clarity of expression, logical argument, concision
Ability to develop/expand/focus initial ideas
Ability to draw conclusions based on evidence
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7. Titles that invite Higher Skills?
‘The Psychology of Crime’
‘The Law doesn’t work. Discuss’
‘The Life of a TV producer’
‘Disney Princesses’
‘Formation and Topography of Deserts’
‘Marijuana’
‘How Disability has changed in England’
‘Growth and Development of Major Engineering Firms’
‘The Big Bang, what is it about?’
‘How the Indian Economy has changed in the last 70 years’
‘How is Spain affected by Tourism?’
‘Explore how Cameras Developed between 2000 and 2010’
‘The History of Tartan’
‘The Stem Cell Debate’
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8. Titles that invite Higher Skills?
‘Do Disney films emphasise the importance of segregated gender roles?’
‘Is therapeutic shoeing really necessary for horses?’
‘Does the mathematics curriculum equip students adequately in the 21st century?’
‘What does the Book of Psalms add to traditional Theodicy?’
‘Is there a link between musical education and academic performance?’
‘Should cameras be allowed in English courts?’
‘Why have young Japanese men and women stopped having sex?’
‘Should bankers get a bonus in the current economic climate?’
‘Why do only 1% of UK mothers follow NHS guidelines to breastfeed exclusively for 6 months and how might this statistic be increased?’
‘Is veganism a healthy lifestyle?’
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9. Assessment Objectives
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10. AO1 Identification of topic to be investigated
Appropriate aims and objectives
Project planning
Monitoring progress
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11. AO2 Research Selection of resources Evaluation of resources
Analysis and application of resources
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12. AO3 Decision making Implementation of project plan
Realisation of ‘product’
Changes to and/or development of initial ideas
Synthesis of information from different sources
Communication of findings
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13. AO4 Evaluation of strengths and weaknesses of completed project
Evaluation of strengths and weaknesses of candidate’s own learning
Conclusions reached based on evidence and judgement
Conclusions communicated
Material relevant, well structured and appropriately presented
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14. We are assessing the Application of Skills
Think of the chosen ‘Product’ as merely the ‘clothes horse’ on which the candidate can ‘hang’ or demonstrate the skills they have acquired
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15. Assessment
Assessment is terminal and holistic – evidence for any objective may come in different forms for different projects
The Taught Element is not itself the basis for any assessment evidence – all assessment is from evidence that is the learner’s choice and from the use, by the learner, of Taught Skills/techniques in the course of their project work
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16. The Three Criterion Bands
The Upper Band descriptions are typified by the words clear and detailed. A good project will achieve marks in this band where each criterion is likely to be evidenced in several ways. The upper half of the Upper Band may usefully be related to the available grade description for A*.
The Middle Band descriptions are typified by the word some. The project process is likely to have been successfully completed but with some lack of detail or clarity. Aspects are likely to be evidenced in only one or few ways.
The Lower Band descriptions are typified by the word limited. Attempts have been made at each element of the process that fail to fully achieve at Level 3.
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17. Assessing Work – Questions to consider...
When assessing the work, ask yourself these questions:
What might reasonably be expected at A2 of an advanced level student (16-19)?
Is there evidence of over 90+ hours of independent and autonomous work together with 30+ hours of Taught Skills?
Is the work submitted individual,
extended and does it demonstrate
stretch and challenge?
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18. Assessment
Marking Extended Projects can be very challenging, especially the first time.
Do not attempt to assess projects until you have been ‘standardised’ and feel that you have understood the standard
Try not to work in isolation
Swap projects with a colleague and be brutally honest if you think they have not yet understood the standard.
Beware awarding marks for ‘effort’...submitted evidence is the only permitted basis for assessment.
It is very hard to be truly objective when assessing a candidate’s submission, you have spent the last several months watching this project grow and develop.
Do not interfere in any way with a candidate’s final submission...they are being assessed in part, on choosing appropriate evidence.
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19. Required Assessment Evidence
Project Product Including a written report and any other evidence, as appropriate, depending on the topic or subject area chosen
Production Log & Assessment Record (15 pages) Including the Project Proposal Forms, details of Taught Skills, Presentation Record and Candidate Record Form (all appropriately signed and dated)
Examples of well described Taught Skills packages?
Signing and dating log book pages could be seen as celebration, rather than chore.
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20. Too much material
If a candidate submits too much material, you must mark it... probably both AO3 and AO4 will be affected:
AO3 if the material fails to be logical and coherent
AO4 because inevitably the material will not all be relevant
AO4 may also be affected if the material is not well structured
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21. Too much material
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22. Examples of Helpful Additional Evidence (non essential)
PowerPoint slides printout (if PowerPoint used)
Prezi printout (if Prezi used)
Photo of ‘Market Place’ stand (If presentation was Market Place)
Presentation notes/cue cards
Planning documents (if Gantt chart/action plan/etc. used)
Extract from research journal/blog (if one used)
Evaluation of sources in appendix if not integrated into log/report
Video/photographic evidence of product realisation (especially useful for artefacts)
Single copy of pilot questionnaire plus single copy of finally used questionnaire (if questionnaire used to gather data)
Transcript of interviews (if interviews undertaken)
Risk assessment documentation (if undertaken)
Raw primary data
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23. Evidence must be relevant and the submission should be well-structured
Candidates should choose what to include and how best to structure their submission
Supervisors should not tell candidates what they should include
Supervisors should not tell candidates how to structure their submission
Supervisors should not alter/rearrange/add to/reduce a candidate’s submission
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24. Assessment and Moderation
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25. I think your AO3 mark is spot on!
Internal Moderation
Organised by the Centre Coordinator
May involve all supervisors or just a few
Takes time, please allow for this in planning delivery of the specification
I think your AO3 mark is spot on!
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26. External AQA Moderation
AQA moderators select a small sample to check that the AQA standard has been consistently applied throughout the mark range from a Centre
AQA moderators will write feedback for each Centre highlighting areas of good practice and any areas that might benefit from further development
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27. Thank You
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