The Controlled Assessment

1. Edexcel GCSE HistoryControlled Assessment Network Event Autumn 2011The materials for this event are available to download from the GCSE History Qualification Page under Controlled Assessment then Exemplar Materials

2. The Controlled Assessment • Controlled Assessment is not the same as coursework; it is a new element in the GCSE specifications. • Both teachers and students had to cope with a new concept – representations as portrayals. • And new arrangements – controlled conditions. GCSE09 History l Controlled Assessment Network Event

3. Aligning the marking • Although a great deal of support material was made available, it was obviously not possible to supply teachers with exemplar material for the ‘live’ tasks at INSET. • In the summer 2011 series work from 1,244 centres and almost 67,000 candidates was submitted for moderation, covering all 13 options. GCSE09 History l Controlled Assessment Network Event

4. Adjustments & E9 reports • As summer 2011 was the first time most teachers had marked and submitted controlled assessment it is not surprising that there were changes to marks. • This is no reflection on the ability or professionalism of the teachers concerned. • In many cases where marks were changed, the marking had not reflected the importance of the strands within the mark scheme. • Wherever changes were made, the E9 moderator’s report should have indicated the reasons, and the Principal Moderator’s Report also discussed the most common issues that arose this summer. GCSE09 History l Controlled Assessment Network Event

5. Part A • The enquiry focus should be seen in combination with the chosen bullet point. • This indicates the approach needed for Level 4, eg an evaluation of the extent of success, whether an event was a turning point, the extent of change etc. GCSE09 History l Controlled Assessment Network Event

6. Assessment of the essay • In general terms, the assessment of the answer matches the mark scheme for question 5b and 6b in SHP Unit 1 & 2: • Level 1 – simple or generalised answer with limited detail • Level 2 – descriptive answer, providing information about the topic • Level 3 – analysis, supported by relevant detail • Level 4 – evaluation supported by sustained analysis and precise detail. GCSE09 History l Controlled Assessment Network Event

7. Approaches to Level 4 • Students are not expected to write about both bullet points in the enquiry. • An answer which shows the significance or importance of an event by comparing it with another event is one way of evaluating importance. • An equally valid way is to focus on the single event and show its significance because it produced a range of effects. GCSE09 History l Controlled Assessment Network Event

8. Personal Enquiry • The second strand of the mark scheme requires evidence that the student has carried out a personal enquiry. • Listing works in a bibliography is not evidence that these works have been used. • The candidate needs to show that a range of sources of information (approx 5) has been consulted and used (eg textbooks, documentaries, websites, historians, museums etc). GCSE09 History l Controlled Assessment Network Event

9. Part B • This focuses around the concept of portrayal. • The representations are interpretations of an issue. • They are not building blocks to be used as sources of evidence. • They are the constructed edifice and it is the impression they create that must be the focus of Part B. GCSE09 History l Controlled Assessment Network Event

10. Common Problems • Many students treated this as a source exercise and evaluated the representations for reliability. • This question does not ask why they differ, so a discussion of reliability or the context in which they were produced (eg nature, origins or purpose) is not appropriate. GCSE09 History l Controlled Assessment Network Event

11. Purpose • The use of ‘purpose’ as a suggested criterion in Bii needs to be linked to the idea of portrayal. • ‘Purpose’ will affect the creation of the representation: a cartoon is usually intended to be a political comment; a television programme may be intended to be funny; an historian may write a piece intending to challenge an accepted view. All of these may distort the portrayal of the issue and are appropriate comments to make. • However, if purpose is seen in terms of reliability and the use the historian would make of the source, the candidate has not understood that Part B is focused on the concept of representation. GCSE09 History l Controlled Assessment Network Event

12. Objective • Similarly, some students took ‘objective’ to mean the aim / purpose of the author and again discussed reliability and utility. • Here it should be applied to the portrayal – is it neutral / balanced? • The answer needs to be based on an analysis of the representation, not on reasoning about the author’s likely purpose or bias. GCSE09 History l Controlled Assessment Network Event

13. Focus • When considering the ‘best’ representation, candidates may want to discuss its focus. • Is an in-depth piece on a narrow aspect of the issue ‘better’ than a broad overview? • Frequently, the application of different criteria will result in different judgements. GCSE09 History l Controlled Assessment Network Event

14. Bi • Students are asked to compare the representations. • ie the portrayal of an issue. • Comparison of detail within the representations will remain at Level 2. • For the full 10 marks, a judgement should be reached about the extent of difference in the portrayal of the issue. GCSE09 History l Controlled Assessment Network Event

15. Bii • Students are asked which representation is ‘best’. • To evaluate them, the criteria must be clear. • Criteria used to evaluate sources (eg reliability, usefulness, NOP) are not appropriate here. • The criteria must be about the interpretation being offered – eg is it accurate, complete, objective; how has the portrayal been affected by purpose of focus? GCSE09 History l Controlled Assessment Network Event

16. Contextual knowledge • It is not enough to state that a representation is accurate – own knowledge is needed to show which aspects are accurate / inaccurate. • Comments about the comprehensiveness of the representation should not be based on what is in each representation – it is not a cross referencing exercise; own knowledge needs to be deployed. GCSE09 History l Controlled Assessment Network Event

17. Common Problems • Evaluating the representations as sources – comments about their usefulness to the historian have misunderstood the concept of representation. • Not supporting comments with additional contextual knowledge. • Blurring the boundaries between criteria – 3 criteria have to be clearly applied for Level 4 but many answers ran accuracy and comprehensiveness together. GCSE09 History l Controlled Assessment Network Event

18. Next steps • This inset should leave you feeling confident that: • you can avoid many of the problems identified in the June 2011 Examiners’ Report • you have a good understanding of the mark scheme and can apply it to your own students’ work • your teaching can successfully prepare your students to achieve their full potential in the CA. GCSE09 History l Controlled Assessment Network Event