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Advice for teachers -
Philosophy

Unit 3 – Sample approaches to developing an assessment task

Step 1: Define the parameters of the outcome and its related assessment options

The VCE Philosophy Study Design (pdf - 161.34kb) pages 22–23 provides details of the key knowledge and key skills related to Unit 3 Outcome 1 and the corresponding area of study, ‘Minds and Bodies’.

Teachers should be familiar with the relevant key knowledge and key skills related to the specific outcome being assessed in order to plan an assessment task. It should be noted that each key knowledge and key skill does not need to be individually identifiable in the task, nor should the task focus on too narrow a range of key knowledge and key skills.

Step 2: Refer to the assessment advice

The performance descriptors provide a clear indication of the qualities and characteristics in a student response at each level of achievement. Teachers may select from a range of specified assessment tasks.

Note that more than one assessment task can be used to assess satisfactory completion of each outcome in the units.

Step 3: Determine teaching and learning activities

Teachers need to relate the key knowledge and key skills to the specific content to be taught and include activities designed to elicit students’ understanding and use of key knowledge and key skills for this outcome.

Step 4: Design the assessment task

It is recommended that assessment tasks be completed in class under supervision and within a limited time frame. The overall assessment program for the unit should include a variety of assessment task formats, include provision for authentication of student work and take into account the overall workload for students.

Schools may determine the conditions for each task. Students should be advised of the timeline and conditions under which the task is to be completed.

The assessment task must directly assess the students’ understanding of the key knowledge and key skills as well as their ability to apply these to the task, and hence demonstrate achievement of the outcome to be assessed.

Clear instructions should be given regarding the requirements of the task, including criteria, time allocation and format. The task should be unambiguous, and the requirements of the responses should be explicitly stated.

The exact dates and times for assessment to take place is a school-based decision that may be determined after consultation with students, VCE coordinators and other key staff.
The marking scheme used to assess a student’s level of performance should reflect the relevant aspects of the performance descriptors and be explained to students before commencing the task.

Sources such as commercially produced School-assessed Coursework materials, textbooks and the media can all be used as stimulus when designing a SAC assessment and developing questions. These materials should be adapted and modified, and used to assist in the development of questions which specifically address and assess students’ understanding and grasp of the key knowledge and key skills.

Unit 3 Area of Study 1

Examine concepts relating to the mind and body, analyse compare and evaluate viewpoints and arguments concerning the relationship between the mind and body found in the set texts, and discuss contemporary debates.

Suggested teaching and learning activities:

Activity 1:

Research and create a glossary for the following philosophical concepts used in discussions related to the mind and body generally, including consciousness and the Hard Problem, dualism, materialism/physicalism, behaviourism, qualia, mental states, monism, immaterialism/idealism, epiphenomenalism, interactionism, parallelism, functionalism. Use a variety of resources to construct the glossary. Use at least one philosophical source such as the Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy (plato.stanford.edu/) and one scientific source such as New Scientist magazine (newscientist.com/). Indicate which terms are relevant to the set texts and explain their relevance to the text with reference to key passages or arguments as relevant.

This activity can help students understand,explain, analyse and apply philosophical concepts’ used in discussions related to the mind and body generally, providing important context for their investigation of such concepts as they appear in the set texts. Note that while some of the concepts identified by the study design appear in the set texts, not all will be apparent or relevant. Nevertheless, this activity can introduce students to the arguments for and against the notion that the mind is to be identified with something physical. It also assists students to clearly explain and analyse philosophical concepts while using appropriate terminology. A discussion of these concepts can help students situate the set texts and their viewpoints and arguments in the contexts of relevant debates as many of the concepts were developed in relation to the strengths and weaknesses of other positions held by philosophers. A discussion of these concepts can help students understand the impact of scientific developments on the topic of the philosophy of the mind and body generally.

Activity 2:

Watch a short video like 'Consciousness and the Brain' by John Searle a TED talk from 2013 or ‘Why there is no mind/body problem’ by Joe Cruz from 2014. Others sources can be curated. Make note of the philosophical concepts used in the selected discussion, specifically: Consciousness, the Hard Problem, dualism, materialism/physicalism, behaviourism, qualia, mental states, monism, immaterialism/idealism, epiphenomenalism, interactionism, parallelism, functionalism. Which of the concepts are mentioned? How are they defined by Searle? How are they used in his own conclusions concerning the relationship between the mind and body? Make a conclusion as to whether Searle/Cruz is a physicalist or a dualist, explaining the reasons for the conclusion held. What other concepts from the list above can be attributed to Searle/Cruz? As a class, discuss the major similarities and differences between the arguments presented by Searle/Cruz and the set texts as relevant.

This activity enables students to engage with contemporary discussions of the nature of consciousness. By focusing on the important concepts related to the mind and body more generally, students can grapple with some of the arguments for and against the notion that the mind is to be identified with the body and that mental events can be explained as physical events. This will enable students to apply an understanding of philosophical concepts to the analysis and evaluation of contemporary debates. Drawing comparisons to the set texts can allow students to make relevant inter-textual links. Importantly, such an activity offers students the opportunity to critically respond to the ideas posed.

Activity 3:

  • Consider the set text by Descartes. Identify the claims made by Descartes concerning the nature of the mind. Locate these in the text and then summarise as a class on a piece of butcher’s paper in standard form. Standard form is a structure for representing arguments which separates the beliefs held (conclusions) from the reasons provided (premises) for the positions argued.
  • As a class, identify any assumptions Descartes make, if any? Consider the strengths and limitations of Descartes’ argument. Add these to the argument representation: strengths on the left-hand side in green and weaknesses on the right in red.
  • Discuss as a class: Can I truly know that anyone else exists if I agree with Descartes’ definition of ‘mind’? How would a scientist respond to Descartes’ argument?

This activity aims to assist students understand the concept of ‘mind’ as it occurs in a set text. It also helps students identify the premises and conclusions of arguments which is important so that students are able to begin justifying critical responses to philosophical viewpoints using clear and precise language. Further questions can be used as prompts to encourage students to think about the relationship between ‘mind’ and ‘body’, the extent to which the mind can be known by self and others which, in turn, can be used as the basis for a discussion on the potential consequences for debates concerning the mind and body.

Activity 4:

Compare Descartes’ argument on the nature of the mind to Smart’s understanding of the nature of the mind. What is similar about the two arguments? What is different? Summarise each in no more than three to four sentences.

This activity seeks to encourage students to compare philosophical viewpoints and arguments. This is important as students strive to offer critical comparisons between the set texts studied. This activity can be extended by asking students to examine key premises or viewpoints selected from the set texts or by constructing a dialogue between the two philosophers which encourages a discussion of the assumptions made and the reasoning used.

Students may be given revision activities and exercises in preparation for the assessment task.

Activity 5:

Structured short-answer questions can be used to gather evidence of students’ understanding of the key knowledge as well as ability to perform the key skills for an outcome. This sample task focuses on eliciting evidence of students’ knowledge of the arguments found in a text, including the key concepts involved, and their ability to analyse and evaluate the viewpoints from the set texts.

The questions below could be drawn on or adapted to develop one or more of the assessment tasks. Please note that these questions are illustrative only and do not necessarily reflect the set texts prescribed annually by the VCAA.

Descartes’ Meditations of First Philosophy

  • Summarise one argument Descartes uses at the end of the Second Meditation to claim that the mind is better known than the body. How convincing is his argument?
  • Does dualism present the best explanation for the relationship between the mind and body?

Nagel’s What Is It Like to Be a Bat?

  • Explain Nagel’s distinction between subjectivity and objectivity. How does this relate to what we can know about the nature of the mind?
  • Why does Nagel use a bat as the basis of his argument concerning the knowledge we can have on consciousness?

Smart’s Sensations and Brain Processes

  • Identify one example or analogy used by Smart. Explain the conclusions Smart seeks to assert from his use of the example or analogy.
  • Summarise one counter-argument to Smart’s conclusions concerning the nature of the ‘mind’ and ‘body’.

Activity 6: 

At least one essay response is mandatory assessment in Unit 3. Essays can be used to assess students’ ability to mount a successful, consistent and well written argument/s in response to the stimulus or prompt. Essay topics can require students to draw upon a range of key knowledge, including application to contemporary debates, and provide evidence of their ability to analyse, evaluate compare and discuss ideas as required by the outcome and reflected in the key skills for the area of study.

The questions below could be drawn on or adapted to develop one or more of the assessment tasks. If providing options for students make sure that they are comparable in scope and demand. Please note that these questions are illustrative only and do not necessarily reflect the set texts prescribed annually by the VCAA.

  • ‘Enough distinctions can be made between the mind and body to show that they must be entirely different kinds of entities.’ Discuss this statement with reference to one or more of the set texts and with reference to at least one contemporary debate.
  • Outline and evaluate the materialist/physicalist conception of the mind. Compare Smart’s arguments in favour of it and Descartes’ arguments against it. Make reference to at least one contemporary debate in your essay.
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