Moderated Evidence Improving Student Learning

Moderated evidence—improving student learning Media and the environment

Assessment event 1 Oral description

The oral description is of the student’s favourite TV program. This event followed about two weeks of ‘field-building’ work in the area of media, specifically TV related media, and a review of work done about description genre. Students shared information about media in their country of origin and participated in a survey about media habits.

Oral description

As part of your assessment this term you will present a 3 minute oral description to the class about your favourite TV program. Your talk should include the following information:

Introduction:  the name of your favourite TV program and the time and channel it is on.

Information:  the censorship rating of the program and what that censorship rating means  the type of program, eg soapie, sports show, music show, nature program, cartoon, etc  what usually happens on the show  the names, looks, features and personalities of the main characters on the show  any other information which helps us to form a good picture of what this TV program is like.

Acknowledgment is given to Adelaide Secondary School of English for the preparation of this material. For the full context in which this material was used, see http://www.sacsa.sa.edu.au/evidence. Moderated evidence—improving student learning Media and the environment

Guide for interpreting evidence Assessment event 1

Secondary Language Assessment Activity—oral description Name of Student: Year Level: Class: Date: Task: Context: Description of activity: The focus is on providing a description of a specific person, place, animal or thing in order to inform, share, categorise, classify, entertain or reflect. Descriptions may have a “personal” orientation (eg descriptions of family, friends) or a neutral, objective orientation (eg descriptions of a particular locality, physical feature, plant or animal). Examples of oral description activities include barrier games, guessing games (eg What am I? Who am I?) and matching games. Criteria (tick appropriate box) Key: [F] = Field Very Competent Limited Not Comments [T] = Tenor competent competence evident [M] = Mode Degree of support required Did the student:  complete the task independently ie with minimal support Schematic Structure Did the student:  provide an introduction establishing the topic and highlighting its most significant feature(s)  provide relevant, accurate information about various aspects of the topic: eg features, behaviour, uses etc  provide sufficient detail to complete the description Language Features Did the student: F  focus on specific participants: eg her best friend, my house  use expanded nominal groups: eg the Maritime Museum F  use topic-specific vocabulary F  use language for comparing/contrasting: eg just like, larger F  use a range of processes (verbs) eg: does, thinks, feels, is F  use a range of circumstances: eg how, when, where, why F  use language appropriate in tenor ie factual/precise for neutral, objective description; emotive words and/or comment for “personal” description T  use appropriate tense: eg is, was, have lived, believed M  use passive voice (if appropriate): eg are used, was built M  use a range of conjunctions: eg and, when, until, so, because M  use complex sentences M  use reference items, substitution, ellipsis: eg this, its M Communicative Effect Did the student: T  speak clearly and audibly  speak fluently ie at a suitable pace and with appropriate use of pausing (without too much hesitation/overuse of fillers etc) T  use body language to engage audience interest/involvement and to support the text eg eye contact, gestures, stance etc T  explain unfamiliar terms T  refer to pictures, realia etc to enhance meaning (optional) T  respond to audience eg answer questions/elaborate T Accuracy Did the student: Comments  use verbs/tense accurately  use agreement ie subject-verb, plurals accurately  sue syntax ie word order accurately and without omissions  use articles, prepositions etc accurately and without omissions  approximate English pronunciation, stress & intonation patterns  self-correct eg “It has three … I mean four …” General comments

Assessment event 2 Oral report The oral report is about a native Australian mammal of the student’s choosing. This report followed about two weeks of work which incorporated a brief introduction to the environment, but which also sustained a current affairs and media focus by participation in activities which, for example, explored how environmental issues are presented and/or are conspicuously absent from Australian media.

During these two weeks (which, for most students, coincides with their third term at the school) the students prepared for and participated in an environment camp at Warrawong Sanctuary. This is a standard occurrence for all classes at this school in Advanced 1. Both during and following the camp they intensively researched Australian native animals in preparation for presenting their oral report.

Assessment event 2 Oral report Secondary Language Assessment Activity—oral report Name of student: Year level: Class: Date:

Task: Context:

Description of activity: The focus is on providing a general classification and description of the phenomena of our world. Reports give factual information about either natural phenomena (eg: living or non-living things such as metals, landforms) or cultural phenomena (eg: social or technological phenomena such as governments, transport systems, computers). Reports focus on classes or groups of things rather than on a specific thing. Examples include : class presentation of a research project. (Tick appropriate box) Key: [F] = Field Very Competent Limited Not Comments Criteria [T] = Tenor competent competence evident [M] = Mode Degree of support required Did the student:  complete the task independently ie with minimum support

Schematic Structure Did the student:  provide a general classification/definition: eg “Frogs are tailless amphibians…..”  provide relevant, accurate information about various aspects of the topic: eg features, behaviour, uses  conclude with a general statement about the topic (optional)

Language Features Did the student:  focus on generalised participants: eg dinosaurs, computers F  use expanded nominal groups: eg a small egg-laying mammal, legless reptiles, large square sails, a coil of special metal F  use topic specific vocabulary F  use language for comparing, contrasting: eg similar to F  use a range of processes (verbs) and circumstances F  use language neutral in tenor: eg avoid personal comment etc T  use appropriate tense ie mainly habitual present: eg eats, is M  use a range of conjunctions: eg and, when until, so that M  use complex sentences M  use reference items, substitution, ellipsis eg: this its M

Communicative Effect Did the student:  speak clearly and audibly T  speak fluently ie at a suitable pace and with appropriate use of pausing (without too much hesitation/overuse of fillers etc) T  use body language to engage audience interest/involvement and to support the text eg eye contact, gesture, stance etc T  explain unfamiliar terms T  refer to visuals to enhance meaning (optional) T  respond to audience eg answer questions/elaborate T

Accuracy Did the student: Comments  use verbs/tense accurately  use agreement to subject-verb, plurals accurately  use syntax ie word order accurately and without omissions  use articles, prepositions etc accurately and without omissions  approximate English pronunciation, stress & intonation patterns  self-correct eg “It has three … I mean four …”

General comments

Assessment event 3 Written argument

The written argument (analytical: ‘persuading that’) is on the subject of keeping cats as pets in Australia. This task followed a number of weeks of work about argument genre and four weeks of introduction to the environment, including a 2 day visit to Warrawong. It was also informed by about six weeks of work on current affairs and the media, culminating in an exploration of features and characteristics of newspapers, particularly ‘Letters to the Editor’, in which writers were stating a position and justifying it (ie argument genre: analytical).

Written argument

As part of your assessment this term you will write a written argument about keeping cats as pets in Australia. Your argument should include the following:  a position statement in which you say whether you are for or against keeping cats as pets in Australia  arguments which support your position statement. Include examples, statistics or other information which you can use as evidence to make your argument strong  a summary which very briefly re-states the arguments used to support your position statement.

Don’t forget to use high modality, some of the technical words we learned at school and at Warrawong Sanctuary, a range of processes (action, mental, saying and relational) and expanded nominal groups. Also remember to use the proper tense (eg has led…, will show…, it uses…, it is...).

Assessment event 3 Written argument Secondary Written Language Assessment Activity—argument (analytical: persuading that) Name of student: Year level: Class: Date: Task: Context: Description of activity: The focus is on persuading the reader that the proposition (ie Thesis) put forward by the author is well formulated. Evidence is provided in order to defend the author’s interpretation of the issue through an appeal to reason, logic and the “truth”. An analytical argument has one line of reasoning. Examples include : academic papers, journals, essays and book reviews. Criteria (tick appropriate box) Key: [F] = Field [T] = Tenor Very Competent Limited Not Comments N.B. * Conjunctions may be implicit or cohesion achieved[M] = Mode competent competence evident through lexical organisation Degree of support required Did the student:  complete the task independently ie with minimal support

Schematic Structure Did the student:  make an opening statement previewing the issue  make a position statement ie Thesis  present relevant arguments to support the position statement  support the arguments with appropriate evidence  anticipate and refute an opposing viewpoint (optional)  summarise evidence consistent with statement of position

Language Features Did the student:  focus on specific & generalised participants: eg the ban, nets F  use expanded nominal groups: eg the logging industry F  use topic-specific/technical vocabulary: eg vivisection F  use a range of verbs/processes: eg is, has indicate, use F  use a range of circumstances: eg how, when, where, why F  use language neutral/impersonal in tenor ie: ie - writer as “expert” : eg focus on facts not attitudes T - avoid using emotive words: eg “seal harvest” not “slaughter” T - avoid suggesting change/inviting responses T  use modality to express certainty/necessity in an impersonal way: eg “It is necessary that …“ not “We must …“ T  use mainly non-human participants / conjunctions and/or nominalised processes in Theme position: eg “Therefore, the continued production of wood chips in Tasmania is …“ M  use nominalisation: eg “The production of wood chips” M  use appropriate tense: eg is, uses, has led, will indicate M  use complex sentences: eg “Rabbit numbers which are now estimated to be x will reach …“, “To address this issue …” M  * use a range of conjunctions: eg while, thus, although, if, so M  use lexical cohesion, reference items, substitution, ellipsis M

Accuracy Did the student:  use verbs/tense accurately: eg “There is pollution” not “There has pollution”, “It is safe” not “It safe”, “has banned” not “has ban”  use agreement accurately: eg subject-verb, plurals  use syntax accurately ie word order (without omissions)  use the following accurately / without omissions: - articles: eg the, a, an - prepositions: eg “the parks in the area” not “at the area” - adverbs/adjectives: eg “grow quickly” not “grow quick”  spell accurately  use punctuation accurately  use paragraphs appropriately General comments

Acknowledgment is given to Adelaide Secondary School of English for the preparation of this material. For the full context in which this material was used, see http://www.sacsa.sa.edu.au/evidence.