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Moderator's Newsletter - Mathematics
September 2008
From the Moderator
Introduction
This newsletter is the first in a series alerting the sector to issues relating to assessment and external moderation.
This newsletter focuses on 3 issues:
- guidance to students
- assessment schedules
- curriculum level.
Guidance to students
Teachers need to be aware of the degree of guidance that can be given to students.
For standards that specify method selected is appropriate to the problem, or a similar phrase, students must choose the method to solve problems in the task.
For example:
US5248 version 3, Use sequences and series to solve problems
Element 1:
Performance criteria 1.1 Method selected is appropriate to the problem.
It is not appropriate to instruct students how to solve the problems or to provide a marker box with question numbers matched to particular situations. Students should be using their own understanding to make their choices.
For AS90149 version 2, Solve problems involving measurement of everyday objects, it is not acceptable to give the formula to be used within the questions, name the shape or instruct learners to include units with their answers.
For AS90289 version 2, Simulate probability situations, and apply the normal distribution, students need to design a simulation and this includes designing their own method of recording results - providing a table for the results is not appropriate.
Assessment schedules
Evidence statements are examples of student answers that will be accepted (or not accepted) for each grade level. Judgement and sufficiency statements interpret how the final grade will be awarded. Sufficient detail is required for clarity about what evidence is expected, how answers will be marked and grades awarded. For measurement standards the actual measurements and a tolerance for the measurements are required. In the case of many of the statistics standards, acceptable statistics and graphs and examples of acceptable comments for each aspect are required.
Curriculum level
Teachers are reminded that the demands of a task and the student responses are expected to match the curriculum level of the standard.
- Level 1 standards reflect up to Curriculum Level 6
- Level 2 standards reflect Curriculum Level 7
- Level 3 standards reflect Curriculum Level 8
Last updated: 23 September 2008