Accumulated Questions and Answers About the New Study Design

Accumulated QUESTIONS and ANSWERS about the new Study Design

The following are questions asked by members of the Network and answers by Ann Osman of VCAA.

Outcome 2 Task 1 (p 16) - the second activity which looks at bacterial responses - the descriptors do not seem to be relevant to the task. Also, most of the Designing the assessment task (p 16) are not relevant to bacterial responses.

The descriptors are meant to be sufficiently general to cover any and all likely expts that may be done or could be done given the ‘broad content’ area covered in the possible tasks.

Remember that not all key knowledge and key skills in a particular area of study are meant to be covered in any one or any combination of assessment tasks.

The descriptors give examples of the typical level of response expected.

Organism covers plant, animal and bacteria. Homeostasis is used broadly to cover regulation and coordination including response to stimuli.

Outcome 2 Task 2 (p 18) - the Designing the assessment task and the Descriptors require much more to be done than just "... one aspect of the immune response."

Also not all of the descriptors may necessarily apply to every task. A similar issue occurs in VCE Psych where for example the teachers can choose an ERA for any one of three outcomes. Each descriptor mentions research of some type to allow for this. Where a teacher has not used and ERA this particular sentence in the descriptor does not apply.

On p 14 of the Assessment Handbook, what is the relevance of dot point 4 re protein synthesis to SAC 1 of unit 3? Should it be there?

This is an example where the biochemical process the teacher chose involved proteins. If the biochemical process you choose does not include protein synthesis then this dot point would not apply and would be replaced by one specific to the practical activity you chose.

Not all point included in the descriptors will apply to all tasks nor be of the same/similar emphasis/’value’. For example if for the practical activity you chose you gave the students the method you may decide to place less emphasis on this point and more on the collection and analysis of results. Another teacher in another school may have chosen a practical; activity where emphasis was placed on the methodology rather than the results. Both approaches are acceptable and allow you to exercise your professional judgment and provide tasks which best suit your students and allow them to demonstrate achievement of the outcome. This is the key- whatever tasks you choose should provide sufficient opportunities for your students to achieve the outcome. The descriptors are designed to be written in general terms to accommodate the different types of suitable practical activities available. The descriptors provide the general characteristics that a piece of work given a particular mark would have. Also remember that one particular assessment task is not meant to address all the key knowledge and the set of key skills.

Please could you give more details of what is expected in a written report?

This could be the ‘traditional’ formal science report or a research report. You could provide your students with a template that you want them to use

as opposed to a summary report?

This places greater emphasis on display of data collected and detailed analysis and evaluation of these results and the links to particular biology concepts. You could allow provide students with a proforma for them to use including a couple of questions to guide their analysis/evaluations of results or pose a ‘what if …….’ type of question to test their understanding.

Sample material will be there shortly, delayed due to server problems.

There don't seem to be any examples on the VCAA website yet (nor the sample exams)

try under sample exams. The material for Unit 4 is due late February

Please could you advise how the SAC descriptors are meant to be used? We assume that we mark the SAC /25 and then look to the descriptor to check that all those points are relevant to the student's SAC. However, what if say one point isn't true of the SACbut all the rest are?Refer first question/response or if one or more points are relevant to the SAC score numerically and the others are relevant to a higher category?

Refer p34 of Assessment Handbook for Biology. (You may also look the assessment handbooks for Physics, Environmental Science and Psychology for further examples)

One possible way

Choose the activity/task you want your students to undertake and decide if student response is as a written report or summary report
List the key knowledge and key skills involved/associated with the activity /task that you want the students to address
Read the descriptors and decide what 4 (or 5) items listed are the most important and relevant to the task- eg collection and analysis of data, evaluation of experimental procedure, understanding of the theory addressed by the activity/task (eg enzyme action), and application of theory in other situations (answers to questions you set). Align these to the key knowledge and key skills listed above. The set of descriptors show what level/quality is expected for a particular mark range.
Decide how many marks each of the items listed is worth to give a total of 25 marks. This could form a grid you could use to record marks as you assess the student’s work and/or provide to students to assist them complete the task
Assess the student’s work using this grid. Your professional judgment (assessment) will then provide students with a particular mark.
Use the descriptors as a ‘check’ to confirm the mark you have given the student’s work

on the VCAA website, in the very useful Mapping of Key Knowledge and Key Skills, under unit 3 p7 next to hormonal control of plant responses, should 'plant trophism' read 'plant tropism'? The latter seems more relevant.

Thanks for this an editorial spelling change done without contacting me.

Technical problems have delayed the posting of the sample exam advice for Unit3. It should be posted this week.

Some of your questions were addressed in the VCAA August bulletin 2005 pp5-7

For example

Calvin and Kreb’s cycles is addressed in Q6
Synthesis of biomacromolecules is addressed in Q3
With the proteins students would be expected to identify the 4 levels of structure.

I am unable to make any comments regarding the textbooks.

Thank you for your previous reply. I did already have the information in the August bulletin from the VCAA website, which I check every couple of days.

I have been working on my own and with another biology teacher, and have a couple more queries, please.

On p 14 of the Assessment Handbook, what is the relevance of dot point 4 re protein synthesis to SAC 1 of unit 3? Should it be there?

Not all points included in the descriptors will apply to all tasks nor be of the same/similar emphasis/’value’. For example if for the practical activity you chose you gave the students the method you may decide to place less emphasis on this point and more on the collection and analysis of results. Another teacher in another school may have chosen a practical; activity where emphasis was placed on the methodology rather than the results. Both approaches are acceptable and allow you to exercise your professional judgment and provide tasks which best suit your students and allow them to demonstrate achievement of the outcome. This is the key- whatever tasks you choose should provide sufficient opportunities for your students to achieve the outcome. The descriptors are designed to be written in general terms to accommodate the different types of suitable practical activities available. The descriptors provide the general characteristics that a piece of work given a particular mark would have. Also remember that one particular assessment task is not meant to address all the key knowledge and the set of keyskills.

On page 17 of the Assessment Handbook, under the words Outcome 2 it refers to an organism's responses to antigens at the molecular level. This doesn't seem to relate to the topics listed on page 16 under Task 1 but more to Task 2?

Remember the outcome statement refers to the entire area of study and can be address only one section of the outcome statement or one small set of key knowledge and key skills. An assessment task is NOT expected to address all the key knowledge and set of key skills listed for a particular area of study.

For the 4th SAC ie Outcome 2 Task 2, I'm not sure how much detail of the overall immune response is needed. The task says it is one aspect but the descriptor says 'comprehensive knowledge of the structure and function of the immune response' ie implying an overview.

Remember the descriptors must be able to be applied to any organism’s immune response- teachers are able to choose the task.

I was tentatively thinking of doing something along the lines of asking students to explain the difference between the first and second lines of defencefor a particular organism or group of organisms? Would they need to do the third line as well then? Therefore then it isn't one aspect.

Perhaps one aspect in detail –how the first line of defence works and one question as to how this system is made more effective(students could then mention second and third lines of defence where applicable).

In Unit 3 Outcome 1 SACs 1 and 2, is there a problem if the Summary Report is done for the osmosis SAC and the Written Report is done for the biochemical process SAC? Most teachers would do an enzyme prac for the biochemical process and that lends itself to writing a more detailed report than the other. This is the prac that would be used for students to design their own experiment.

Yes it does matter. Summary report must be for biochemical process and written report must be for movement across the membrane.

Remember students do NOT have to design their own experiment in Unit 3. They can but this is a teacher choice/professional judgment.

The student designed task is listed for Unit 1 Outcome 1 refer p15 of study design.

re DNA/RNA in Unit 3 - how much detail is required here?

Students need to be able to recognise the structure of DNA/RNA and what these do in the cell. Details of their role in molecular genetics is in Unit 4.

Please could you clarify the distinction between unit 3 and unit 4in this regard.

Refer to sample exam advice for both units.Exam 2 should be posted in the next 2 weeks.

For example, do we need to include chemical structure to the level of purines and pyrimidines? Do students need to be able to identify the amino acid coded for by a triplet / codon and use the tables for this? And be able to identify the effect of a mutation on what amino acid is coded for?

Mutations are included in Unit 4.

How much detail of transcription and translation are needed if protein synthesis is part of unit 4, which says 'principal events in transcription and translation'?

Transcription and translation in detail is covered in Unit 4 p27 of the study design. In Unit 3 the emphasis is on the chemical nature of the cell and what happens to proteins as well as other molecules as listed p 22 of the study design.

The different texts have differences in what they have covered here.

The study design is independent of textbooksand as such I cannot make any comment regarding the content of the textbooks. I tend to regard the textbooks as ‘resource book’ meaning these often provide much additional information designed to both improve and extend students’ understanding of key concepts. (I have not seen any of the textbooks)

The table from the VCAA website giving what is where now has water balance and regulation of body temperature and blood glucose as part of unit 2, but unit 3 includes 'principles of homeostasis:....negative feedback model - so are students meant to understand how homeothermy is maintained in mammals, for example, and diabetes?

As per p23 of the study design it is the principles of homeostasis that are required in Unit 2. Teachers as professionals could choose particular examples that they consider best illustrate this.

What about kidney structure related to water conservation as part of homeostasis? - The structure part is unit 1 but what about the homeostatic role?

Is transpiration still relevant?Could this be considered as an example of a transport system in Unit 1?

I think part of the problem is that structure and function are so closely linked that it is hard to say where one stops and the other starts!

I am also concerned that sample course outlines show a 17 week semester whereas the reality is less than this, about 14 weeks with Easter and school activities (eg athletics carnivals, staff days) meaning classes are missed; these never seem to be allowed for but are a grim fact.

The sample, outlines are provided as examples and possible starting points and were prepared by experienced teachers and members of the review panel. Each school is different both in duration and number of lessons. Teachers as professionals and will use the sample outlines as they wish

I have not found the sample written reports on the VCAA website; am I just looking in the wrong place? If they are there please could you direct me to the location?

There will not be actual examples of written reports as these could possibly ‘copied’ and used. Instead there will be examples of the types of activities that are suitable for each assessment task. Due to server difficulties this will not be loaded on the VCAA VCE Biology site until later this week

Below is a statement from Brian Stevenson which you will find most helpful.

Dear Colleagues.

I hope this helps. This was my understanding of "DNA" in Unit 3. I suggest others are wrong to say they have to teach transcription and translation - it is not in Unit 3.

Unit 3 requires teachers to teach the location, forms and structure of the information molecules, DNA and RNA and describe their function - that is their chemical structure codes information. So we talk about base pairs as the means by which information is coded. We also compare DNA and RNA and show how the molecules are polymers, we explain the monomers. We also say that this code is written as a triplet code. Three bases indicate a particular amino acid. Students will know about amino acids from their work on proteins which logically should come first. We can define a gene as a sequence of bases. We tell students that the process by which the code assembles the amino acids is gene expression (transcription and translation) whichthey will come to in Unit 4. This is also the approach in textbooks, but of course they may not discriminate clearly.

Brian Stevenson.

GTAC

Dear all

I think that Brian’s explanation covers the intent of the Study Design exactly. To add one more dimension – knowing the principle that genes code for proteins (gene expression) means that DNA can be manipulated to produce/code for ‘designer’ proteins for particular purposes (Unit 3) as described in the introduction to Unit 3. HOW this is done (T&T) is in Unit 4.

Anne Semple

I have a query about the level of detail that is required when teaching biomolecules in Unit 3. Many of the textbooks go into the chemical structure of these molecules i.e. structural formulae and some discuss isomers of glucose.At a conference at Melb Uni in December last year there was some discussion about this matter between teachers and Dawn Gleeson. Do students need this level of chemical detail? Are they required to know the general formulae for the biochemicals - e.g. proteins?

Do they need to know the chemical details for condensation and hydrolysis reactions OR just the concepts of these reactions?

ALSO ...on the VCAA web site there are examples of exam questions. Could I request that the answers to these questions are added to the site? It would give teachers an idea of the level of detail that the examiners require. (I apologies if the answers are already on the site - but I cannot seem to find them.)