Unit 3 Global Politics

Sample approach to developing an assessment task

Area of study 1: Global actors

Designing the essay question

When developing an essay question for this Area of Study, the question must allow students to draw on the scope of key knowledge and key skills. The essay should provide an opportunity for the student to evaluate the power of a key global actor and assess the extent to which the global actor achieves their aims. The essay question must require students to:

• explain the aims and roles of key global actors
• evaluate the power of key global actors
• assess the extent to which key global actors achieve their aims
• analyse the challenges facing state sovereignty
• evaluate the extent to which global actors are able to challenge the sovereignty of states
• use contemporary examples and case studies to support explanations, points of view and arguments.

A sample essay question could be:

• Intergovernmental organisations face many challenges in seeking to achieve their aims. Discuss.

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 commencing the task. The marks allocated for the essay may be based on the key skills listed for the outcome.

Authentication

The teacher must consider the conditions in which the essay is conducted using prepared notes. As students are allowed to use notes it is important that the teacher authenticate these notes. It is recommended that the construction of notes is supervised by the teacher in class and collected by the teacher in the lesson prior to the task. Further information regarding the VCAA authentication rules can be found in the VCE and VCAL Administration Handbook.