Unit 3: Sample approach to developing an assessment task

Area of Study 1: Individual study

Outcome 1

Analyse the ideas and techniques of a classical work and evaluate the relationship of the work to its sociohistorical context.

Structured questions

Analyse an extract/s or image/s from the work studied to answer the structured questions.

Time

This task should be completed in class. The length of time for the task can be determined by the teacher but a suggested guide is 40 to 60 minutes.

Requirements

Students respond to a passage/s or image/s and a series of previously unseen structured questions. Teachers need to consider their authentication procedures if they decide that students are able to access their texts or notes during an assessment task.

Designing the task

When selecting a passage/s or classical artwork and developing a series of structured questions for this area of study, the questions must allow students to draw on the scope of the key knowledge and key skills. When developing questions for a SAC:

• 25% should be lower order questions, such as: list, identify and/or describe
• 50% should be mid-range questions, including: explore, compare and explain
• 25% should be higher order, including: analyse, evaluate, to what extent?

A range of questions in the task ensures the SAC allows for a breadth of student achievement. The passage/s or image/s and questions should provide an opportunity for students to analyse the ideas and techniques of the work studied and evaluate the relationship of the work to its sociohistorical context. Students also need to evaluate the importance of sections of the classical work to the whole work, or the importance of the artwork to its form. The passage/s or image/s chosen and the structured questions must require students to:

• analyse the ideas presented in a classical work
• analyse the techniques used to express the ideas in a classical work
• analyse the relationship between a classical work and its sociohistorical context
• evaluate the importance of sections of the classical work to the whole work, or the importance of the subject of an artwork in relation to its form
• construct an argument using evidence from a classical work.

The following are examples of questions for a passage from Homer’s Iliad Book 6:

1. Who is Hector?
2. What has just happened to cause this response from him?
3. What do we learn about the heroic code in this extract?
4. Explore the techniques used in Hector’s speech.
5. Evaluate the relationship between this extract and the sociohistorical context of the poem.
6. Evaluate the significance of this extract to other parts of the poem prescribed for study this year.

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 they commence the task.

Authentication

The teacher must consider the conditions in which the structured questions are completed using prepared notes or texts. Because students are able to use notes or texts, it is important that the teacher authenticate these notes or texts. It is recommended that the teacher collects and inspects the note sheets in the lesson prior to the task. The teacher can then re-distribute the sheets during the task. The teacher should also inspect any other material (such as texts) at the beginning of the task. Further information regarding the VCAA authentication rules can be found in the VCAA VCE and VCAL Administrative Handbook.