 |
)
)
)
)
An edited version of the following letter was published in The Courier-Mail of Monday 9 February 2015. Underlined words were deleted and bracketed ones inserted. The paper's heading was "School-based tests better".
1950s style exams don't suit 21st century
Norman Hunter (Letters, Feb 6) is to be commended for sensibly reminding readers that it would be unwise to update Queensland's tertiary entrance system by a knee-jerk reversion (reverting) to an outmoded past in the form of external examinations (exams).
If the Core Skills Test is to abandoned, it would be appropriate to substitute some alternative form of external assessment but this should be a minor component, worth no more than 25% (per cent).
External exams are high pressure, one-off activities while school-based assessment involves tasks done under a variety of conditions at several points in the academic year.
In the digital age, pen and paper handwriting marathons are not the appropriate way to measure student learning in quite a few subject areas.
And if there is to be any scaling, external results should be scaled against moderated school-based assessment, not the other way around.
Part of the previous government's response to the report of the Australian Council for Educational Research review was that some of the proposed new procedures be trialled in maths and science subjects. It is imperative that any trial also involves some humanities and social science subjects as well. Otherwise, we could end up with a system that does not suit a large chunk of the curriculum.
Garry Collins
Immediate Past President, English Teachers Association of Queensland
 "Garry Collins, ETAQ Immediate Past President")
Author:Garry Collins, ETAQ Immediate Past President| Tags:Assessment |
Teacher event - external assessmentThe second series of pre-external examination events will be held for teachers on Saturday 7 August as a face-to-face event and online. Recorded materials will remain available to all participants online until the examination week in October. The program for the morning will address: Learnings to date: messages from QCAA, Adv... | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
| Register | ||||||||||||||||||
Darling Downs Branch presents
The Darling Downs Branch will present Everything about the external exam on Wednesday 11 August from 3:30 to 5:30pm.
Join us for an afternoon to reconnect with English colleagues, engage in discussion and explore ideas on how to prepare students for the external exam. | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
| Register | ||||||||||||||||||
Grammar PD term 3To assist attendees to develop their understandings of grammar in order to fully comprehend and to effectively teach the Australia Curriculum: English (AC:E), a further session will be held on Saturday 28 August at a venue (to be announced) in the metropolitan area. Download the flyer for further details. If your school is inter... | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Register | |||||||||||||||
Student event - external assessmentFlexible modes of delivery will allow you and your students to engage with the materials at a time that suits you. Once again this event will be fully online to cater for all members and their students. This year the materials will come to you live in the afternoon of Wednesday 8 September and again in the morning of Saturda... | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
| Register | ||||||||||||||||||
Pre-service teachers presentTownsville branch will present EMBEDDING INDIGENOUS PERSPECTIVES IN AUSTRALIAN SHORT STORY UNIT. by a group of pre-service teachers on Saturday 16 October 2021 from 9 am till 11 am. See the flyer for more details. Registrations will open on 1st September. | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Register | |||||||||||||||
This is the first time I have been to an ETAQ conference and it was really sensational to get so much at all of the sessions.
ETAQ conferences always have sessions that make me excited to be a teacher.
I know that ETAQ conferences in the past have never disappointed - valuable, relevant, practical, inspiring so I came again.
Read All
PO Box 3375, STAFFORD,
Queensland, Australia, 4053
(07) 3284 3718
ABN: 17 689 278 512
Connect to a great range of people who are passionate about English and have their finger on the pulse.
Home | Contact Us | Site Map | Print this page | RSS | |
