Outcome 2
Interpret information from texts and write responses in Spanish
Details of the task
Responses to specific questions or instructions using information extracted from written, spoken and viewed texts on the selected subtopic.
Step 1: Define the parameters of an outcome and its related assessment task options the VCE Spanish Study Design provides details of the key knowledge and skills related to Unit 3 Outcome 2 and the common areas of study. In order to plan and conduct an assessment for this outcome it is necessary to be familiar with the key knowledge and skills. It should be noted that each key aspect of knowledge and 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 skills.
Assessment tasks should be a part of the regular teaching and learning program and should not add unduly to student workload. It is recommended that assessment tasks be completed in class under supervision within a limited timeframe. 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. It is expected that students will respond in the language to all assessment tasks in Units 3 and 4.
Schools may determine the conditions for this task. Students should be advised of the timeline and conditions under which the task is to be completed.
The study design identifies the task that must be used to assess this outcome. Teachers should be familiar with the essential requirements of each task.
This task may be completed under teacher supervision in 80 minutes of class time. Students may hear the listening text more than once with a pause between readings. Students may use dictionaries.
Step 2: Determine teaching and learning activities
Teachers need to unpack the performance descriptors because they provide a clear indication of qualities and characteristics that they are looking for in a student response.
When deciding on the theme, topic and subtopic for the teaching and learning associated with this outcome, reference must be made to the VCE Spanish Study Design.
The subtopic must allow for the development of an appropriate sequence of teaching, learning and assessment of the outcome. Teachers should plan a sequence of teaching and learning activities that will enable students to develop knowledge and skills. The teaching and learning activities should be designed to develop, maintain and extend student proficiency in all of the macro skills – listening, speaking, reading, writing and viewing.
Students will synthesise information from the written, spoken and visual texts. They will connect and compare ideas and identify different points of view in the texts. Suitable texts could include extracts, articles, blogs, webpages, postcards, stories, podcasts, songs, plays, news items, films, photographs and maps.
The skills and knowledge required for the successful demonstration of this outcome must relate to the specific subtopic chosen. For example, vocabulary and structures should build on previous learning, and reflect and extend those needed by students to participate in activities related to the subtopic.
Activities designed to elicit the students’ understanding and use of the skills and knowledge required for this outcome should be included; for example, learning activities that progressively develop their ability to identify the overall meaning and specific detail from the selected texts. As the response required for this assessment task is in Spanish, students will also need to extend their skills in conveying relevant information in Spanish.
Students may be given revision exercises and activities in preparation for the assessment task.
Step 3: Design the assessment task
Students respond to specific questions or instructions using information extracted from written, spoken and viewed texts on the selected subtopic. Students complete the task individually and under teacher supervision in class time.
One approach to constructing the assessment task: Unit 3 Outcome 2
In the following example, the theme is 'The Spanish-speaking communities', the topic is 'Historical perspectives', and the subtopic is 'An historical event'. These are drawn from page 11 of the VCE Spanish Study Design.
For this example, students view a series of historical photographs or paintings that depict the historical event. They listen to a podcast about the historical event and read a short text about the historical event. Students extract information from the historical photographs or paintings, the podcast and the text and then respond to specific questions in Spanish. Students hear the recording of the podcast twice, with a pause between each listening, to allow for note taking. Student responses are required in Spanish, and they have 80 minutes in which to respond to all of the questions.
In order to prepare for this task, teachers need to provide the historical photographs or paintings, the podcast and the short text that will be used for the task. The teacher develops the task and students should not have seen it previously.
Allocation of marks: This task is worth 15 marks towards the total of 50 marks allocated to School-assessed Coursework for Unit 3.
The teacher must decide the most appropriate time to set this task and inform the students of this date/time. This decision is the result of several considerations including:
- the estimated time it will take to teach the key knowledge and skills for the outcome
- the likely length of time required for students to complete the task
- when tasks are being conducted in other subjects and the workload implications for students.
Where there are multiple classes in Spanish, a common School-assessed Coursework schedule is advisable.
Duration of task: This sample task is designed to be completed in class under teacher supervision in an 80-minute lesson.
Materials: Students may use a monolingual and/or bilingual dictionary in the completion of this task. Their responses will be written on the assessment task sheet and submitted at the end of the session.
Student responses
In order to successfully demonstrate the skills and knowledge required for this outcome, the task set should allow students to demonstrate knowledge of the ideas and concepts related to the selected subtopic. The task should allow students to interpret information from the texts chosen, using Spanish, and identify main points as well as specific detail. The task should also require students to connect and compare ideas and identify different points of view. Students need to be able to link ideas and information from the texts in a logical way. The task may be a series of questions, some of which require paragraph responses.
The task should be unambiguous and all instructions should be clear.
Marking the task
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 starting the task.
Outcome 2
Analyse information from written, spoken and viewed texts for use in a written response in Spanish.
Details of the task
An approximately 250-word written response for a specific audience and purpose, incorporating information from three or more texts.
Step 1: Define the parameters of an outcome and its related assessment task options.
The VCE Spanish Study Design provides details of the key knowledge and skills related to Unit 4 Outcome 2 and the area of study. In order to plan and conduct an assessment for this outcome it is necessary to be familiar with the key knowledge and skills. It should be noted that each key aspect of knowledge and 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 skills.
Assessment tasks should be a part of the regular teaching and learning program and should not add unduly to student workload.
It is recommended that assessment tasks be completed in class under supervision within a limited timeframe. 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. It is expected that students will respond in Spanish to all assessment tasks in Units 3 and 4.
Schools may determine the conditions for this task. Students should be advised of the timeline and conditions under which the task is to be completed.
The study design identifies the task that must be used to assess this outcome. Teachers should be familiar with the essential characteristics of each type of writing.
This task may be completed under teacher supervision in 90 minutes of class time. Students may hear the listening text more than once with a pause between readings. Students may use dictionaries.
Step 2: Determining teaching and learning activities
Teachers need to unpack the performance descriptors because they provide a clear indication of qualities and characteristics that they are looking for in a student response.
When deciding on the theme, topic and subtopic for the teaching and learning associated with this outcome, the task for Outcome 2 may focus on the same subtopic selected for Outcome 1. The subtopic must allow the development of an appropriate sequence of teaching, learning and assessment tasks for the outcome. The teaching and learning activities should be designed to develop, maintain and extend student proficiency in all of the macro skills – listening, speaking, reading writing and viewing.
The skills and knowledge required for the successful demonstration of this outcome must relate to the specific subtopic chosen. For example, vocabulary and structures should build on previous learning, and reflect and extend those needed by students to participate in activities related to the subtopic.
For Outcome 2 teachers need to provide three or more stimulus texts on which students can draw, and a specific task to which they can respond. The set task should specify an audience and purpose. The task may require students to identify and understand they key ideas presented in the texts. Students may also be asked to recognise aspects of culture, language use or contextual aspects regarding the texts. Comparisons between the key ideas may also be a focus of the task. The task should reflect an aspect of the language and culture of the Spanish-speaking world.
Teachers plan a sequence of teaching and learning activities that will enable students to develop knowledge and skills. They include activities that are designed to elicit the students’ understanding and use of the skills and knowledge required for this outcome; for example, they provide learning activities that progressively develop the ability to analyse and present, in writing, information extracted from written, spoken and viewed texts in Spanish. Viewed texts may include photographs, drawings, maps, films or posters. The texts should provide insights into an aspect of the Spanish-speaking world. Students can make comparisons between cultures, places or times.
Step 3: Design the assessment task
Students are required to analyse information from written, spoken and viewed texts for use in a written response in Spanish. Students should produce an approximately 250-word written response for a specific audience and purpose, and it should incorporate information from three or more texts.
Students complete the task individually and under teacher supervision in class time.
One approach to constructing the assessment task
In the following example, the theme is 'The world around us', the topic is 'Global and contemporary society' and the subtopic is 'Volunteering'. These are; drawn from page 11 of the VCE Spanish Study Design.
For this example, students listen to a podcast about an organisation that uses volunteers in its workplace, read a letter to the editor about a successful example of someone volunteering their time for this organisation, and view a graph or pie chart summarising the work of another organisation that uses volunteers. Students hear the podcast twice, with a pause between each listening, to allow for note taking. Students are required to produce an extended response in Spanish, and they have 90 minutes in which to respond to the task.
Students analyse the information that they extract from the three texts and use it to respond to the task. The task may require students to identify relationships and make comparisons between the key ideas and perspectives expressed or observed in the texts.
In order to prepare for this task, teachers need to provide the podcast, the letter to the editor and the graph or pie chart that will be used for the task. The teacher develops the task and students should not have seen it previously.
Allocation of marks: This task is worth 15 marks towards the total of 50 marks allocated to School-assessed Coursework for Unit 4.
Date for completion: The teacher must decide the most appropriate time to set this task and inform the students. This decision is the result of several considerations including:
- the estimated time it will take to cover key knowledge and skills for the outcome
- the likely length of time required for students to complete the task
- when tasks are being conducted in other subjects and the workload implications for students.
Duration of task
This sample task is designed to be completed in class under teacher supervision in a 90-minute lesson.
Materials
Students may use a monolingual and/or bilingual dictionary in the completion of this task. Student responses will be written on the assessment task handout and submitted at the end of the session.
Student responses
In order to successfully demonstrate the skills and knowledge required for this outcome, the task should allow students to analyse information from written, spoken and viewed texts in a written response in Spanish.
Clear instructions should be given regarding the requirements of the task as well as the audience and purpose of the written response. An approximately 250-word written response is required.
The task should be unambiguous, and the requirements of the response should be explicitly stated. The task should also give the student the audience and purpose required in the response.
Marking the task
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 starting the task.