102090 – Curriculum 2A Assignment 2

Secondary
Curriculum 2A -
Biology
ASSIGNMENT 2 – PORTFOLIO ARTEFACTS AND CRITICAL
REFLECTION

Irvin Cisneros
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Holy Hallows Science Faculty

Year 12 Biology Assessment Task 2
HIGH SCHOOL
Student Name:
Teacher(s) Name:
Class:
Assessment Task Title: Public Service Announcement – Preventing the
Spread of Infectious Diseases
Module to be Assessed: Module 7: Infectious disease
Type of Assessment: Individual – Take home, Video presentation
Weighting: Total: 30% (Part A – 20%, Part B – 10%)
Date of Issue: Term 2, Week 2 – 14/05/2018
Date of Draft Due: Term 2, Week 5 – 11/06/2018 (Part A and B)
Date Assessment Task is Due: Term 2, Week 7 – 25/06/2018 (Part A and B)
8:45am

Stage 6 Biology Outcomes Assessed

BIO12-14 Analyses infectious disease in terms of cause, transmission, management and the
organism’s response, including the human immune system
BIO11/12-2 Designs and evaluates investigations in order to obtain primary and secondary data and
information
BIO11/12-3 Conducts investigations to collect valid and reliable primary and secondary data and
information
BIO11/12-5 Analyses and evaluates primary and secondary data and information
BIO11/12-7 Communicates scientific understanding using suitable language and terminology for a
specific audience or purpose

Submission Instructions:
Student assessments are to be submitted electronically via Microsoft One Note before or by 25 June
2018 at 8:45AM. Assessments must include a completed submission cover sheet as well as the student
evaluation forms.
Illness/ Misadventure Appeals Process
If you do not submit the assessment by the due date, then you must follow the APPEALS PROCESS as
outlined in the academic school policy for assessments. You MUST lodge an ‘Illness/Misadventure
Appeals form’ to the Deputy Principal.

The failure to lodge an Illness/Misadventure Appeal form will be automatically recorded as a

non-attempt for the assessment task.

You will be issued with a ‘Warning Letter’ and the percentage weight of the assessment task will be
accumulated on top of other non-attempts. Any applications for extensions MUST use the

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‘Illness/Misadventure Appeals form’, any extensions will only be granted under significant
circumstances such as ongoing illness.

Marks Allocation and Assessment Weighting

The total weight of this assessment task is 30% with Part A contributing to 20% and Part B 10%. The
total marks to be allocated for Part A will be 50 and for Part B 25.
Weighting % Total Marks
Part A – 20% ___/50
Part B – 10% ___/50

Task Rationale:
With the spread of ‘Fake News’ and the rise of anti-vaccine movements, diseases that were once
thought eliminated have started to resurface around the world and threaten the health and safety of
everyone. It is vital that the wider public critically analyses the evidence in the literature to make an
informed decision on the best methods of controlling and preventing the spread of infectious diseases.
Task Description:
The NSW Government Department of Health has reported a measles outbreak in Western Sydney, with
twenty-three confirmed cases of measles in April of 2017. It is now 2018 and the NSW Department of
Health has issued a measles alert for the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney following a fifth confirmed
diagnosis for the disease.

You are employed by the NSW Department of Health and have been tasked to create a two-part
informational package to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
 The first part of this assessment requires you to create a critical report that will be used as an
information resource on the Department of Health website. This report is aimed at preventing
and controlling the spread of infectious diseases in NSW with a particular emphasis on a chosen
infectious disease.
 The second part of this assessment requires you to make a one-minute informational video
which will be played as a Public Service Announcement (PSA) on TV, along with other popular
video streaming sites like YouTube. This video requires you to analyse the spread of an
infectious disease and provide information on the necessity of controlling the spread of the
infectious disease.

Note: You will be provided in-class time to complete this assessment task, but you are expected to
complete the majority of it in your own time. For more information, refer to the Detailed task
Description section below.

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Detailed Task Description

The entirety of this assessment task is to be completed independently by each individual student. You
are first tasked to choose an infectious disease that would be the focal point of the entire assessment.
Some examples of infectious diseases may include:
 Measles
 Mumps
 Rubella
 Meningitis

Assessment Task Part A – Evidence Based Report (50Marks)

Weight: 20%
Due: 25/06/18
What you need to do:
Part A of this assessment requires you to work independently to create a critical report. This report
MUST provide information on the nature of infectious diseases and the best methods to prevent or
control the spread of your chosen infectious disease. The word limit for this report is to be 1000 words
(±10%).
What you need to submit:
You will need to submit a critical report which includes:
 A completed and signed Submission Coversheet.
 Your student number and full name.
 Title of the assessment and your chosen infectious disease.
 The following sections and categories:
o Introduction
o Background information regarding infectious diseases
o Background information of your chosen infectious disease
o Analysis
 Prevention – How can you prevent the spread of the disease?
 Treatment – How can you treat the disease if you are infected?
 Control – How can you control the spread of the disease from
o Evaluation of social issues regarding vaccinations.
o Evidence based recommendations to improve the health and wellbeing of the public.
o Conclusion
o Reference list WSU Harvard style.
Additional Information:
 Reference list must include a minimum of 3 references.
 Include the Student Evaluation Feedback Form with this report.
 Reports that are not within the word length (±10% words) will not be graded and will receive a
non-attempt.

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 You are to submit the completed report electronically via One Note under the Assessment 2
Folder.

Assessment Task Part B – Informational Video (50 Marks)

Weight: 10%
Due: 25/06/18
Part B of this assessment task requires you to work independently to create an informational video that
analyses the prevention, treatment and control of your chosen infectious disease. The information in
your video must be supported by scientific evidence and provide recommendations to improve the
health and wellbeing of the public.
What you need to submit:
 A video presentation that is one minute long which MUST include the following sections:
o Section 1: Title (not included in time limit)
 Clearly shows your name and student number.
 The title of the assessment
 The infectious disease you will be covering
o Section 2: PSA – Informational Portion of infection control (one-minute time limit ± 10
seconds)
 Briefly discuss your chosen infectious disease and its visible symptoms.
 Analyse the effect of your chosen infectious disease on the health and safety of the
public, this includes:
 How to prevent and control the spread of the infectious disease
 How to treat the disease
 Include in text citations for any scientific evidence
o Section 3: References (not included in time limit)
 Include a reference list using Harvard referencing.
Additional Information
 Your video must include audio and adhere to the fair use policy set by the Australian Copyright
Council
 The format of the video presentation is not restricted but you must adhere to the Holy Hallows
School guidelines for suitable content.
 You are free to choose the format of your informational video and some examples include:
o The use of Prezi or PowerPoint
o Reporter style with you in front of the camera
o A video animation
 The format of your informational video is subject to approval by your teacher.
 Videos that are not within the one-minute mark ± 10 seconds will not be graded and will receive a
non-attempt.
 You are to submit Part B along with Part A under the Assessment 2 folder in One Note.

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Guide to get you started

1. Choose an infectious disease, preferably one that was thought to be eliminated but has seen a
recent increase in patient diagnosis.
2. Create a schedule of tasks of when you should have certain sections completed
3. Conduct an investigation research on the topic and gather information such as:
a. A brief history of your chosen infectious disease
i. Is it a prevalent disease today?
ii. Was the disease considered eliminated at some point?
b. If the infectious disease has seen an increase in patient diagnosis, why did it occur and
where was the disease transferred from?
c. How do you prevent, treat and control the spread of the infectious disease?
d. Are there any contrasting information within the literature?
4. Compile your research and start writing a draft report.
5. Ask feedback from the teacher regarding your report.
6. Start gathering ideas on how to best present the information required for Part B.
7. Plan and start filming your video.
8. Get feedback from your teacher regarding your video and to see if it aligns with your report.

Additional Resource: Harvard Referencing guide

This assessment requires you to use WSU Harvard Referencing style to acknowledge sources of
information. These are examples that are used within the reference list and in-text citation:

Books:
Reference list:
Bagshot, B 1947, A History of Magic, Little Red Books, United Kingdom.

In-text citation
Bagshot (1947) states that…
Or
It has been suggested by renowned…(Bagshot 1947)

Academic Journals:
Reference list:
Dumbledore, APWB & Grindelwald, G 1958, ‘The Twelve Uses of Dragons Blood’, The Journal of
Wizarding Magic, 4,1. DOI: 10.2478/jccm-2018-0002.
In-text citation

Dumbledore and Grindelwald (1958) states that…

Or
It has been suggested by renowned …(Dumbledore & Grindelwald 1958)

For a comprehensive guide please visit the Western Sydney University Library Website:
https://library.westernsydney.edu.au/main/sites/default/files/cite_Harvard.pdf

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Additional Resources: KEY HSC Verbs used by NESA within this assessment
Analyse To identify various components and distinguish the relationships and implications.
Evaluate Make an informed judgment based on certain elements of a topic or issue.
Investigate Formulate a plan which will inquire and draw conclusions on a topic or issue.
Recommend To provide reasons which are in favour of a position.
Synthesise To combine various elements of a topic to make a whole
Additional metalanguage used in the assessment
‘Eliminated The disease was eradicated and has not been seen in the public for more than
‘Disease twelve months.

Additional Resource: Helpful links to start

 2018 Infectious Disease Alerts:
http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/alerts/Pages/2018.aspx
 2017 Infectious Disease Alerts:
http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/alerts/Pages/2017.aspx
 What are Measles: http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/diseases/Pages/measles.aspx
 HSC Key Verbs: http://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/11-12/hsc/exam-
advice-resources/glossary-keywords
 CDC FAQ on Measles: https://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/faqs.html
 TIME Health: http://time.com/5175704/andrew-wakefield-vaccine-autism/
 Emerging Issues and Controversies regarding infectious diseases:
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/187008?redirect=true
 World Health Organisation regulations:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1950178/

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Marking Criteria – Part A – Critical Report (20% - 50 Marks)

K&U Outcomes Criteria Non-attempt Limited Basic Sound High Outstanding
40%
BIO12-14 Includes background The student has not The background Includes background The background The background The background
attempted or reached information provided is information of information of information of information of
Analyses description of infectious the minimum vague and not accurate infectious disease but infectious diseases is infectious diseases is infectious diseases is
infectious diseases standard required for with errors. accurate. wide and accurate. comprehensive and
disease in the task. accurate
terms of
(0 Marks) (1 Marks) (2 Marks) (3 Marks) (4 Marks) (5 Marks)
cause,
Includes a description of chosen The student has not The background Includes background The background The background The background
transmission, attempted or reached information provided is information of the information of the information of the information of the
management infectious disease the minimum vague and not accurate chosen infectious chosen infectious chosen infectious chosen infectious
and the standard required for disease but with errors. diseases is accurate. diseases is wide and diseases is
organism’s the task accurate. comprehensive and
accurate
response,
including the (0 Marks) (1 Marks) (2 Marks) (3 Marks) (4 Marks) (5 Marks)
human Includes information on the The student has not Identifies the Describes the Outlines the Analyses the Evaluates the
immune attempted or reached prevention, treatment prevention, treatment prevention, treatment prevention, treatment prevention, treatment
prevention, treatment and the minimum and control of chosen and control of chosen and control of chosen and control of chosen and control of chosen
system control of their chosen standard required for infectious disease but infectious disease. infectious disease. infectious disease. infectious disease.
infectious disease the task with errors.

(0 Marks) (1 Marks) (2 Marks) (3 Marks) (4 Marks) (5 Marks)

Discusses the social issues
regarding vaccinations.
The student has not Identifies the social Describes the social Outlines the social Analyses the social Evaluates the social
attempted or reached issues regarding issues regarding issues regarding issues regarding issues regarding
the minimum vaccinations vaccinations and makes vaccinations and makes vaccinations and makes vaccinations and makes
standard required for an informed judgement an informed judgement an informed judgement an informed judgement
the task for improvement using for improvement using for improvement using for improvement using
research research evidence-based evidence-based
research research

(0 Marks) (1 Marks) (2 Marks) (3 Marks) (4 Marks) (5 Marks)

WS BIO/12-1 Critical Report is formatted to The student has not The report is not The report has most of The report is formatted The report is formatted The report is formatted
attempted or reached formatted correctly sections but is missing correctly to suit a effectively, includes all effectively, includes all
60% BIO/12-7 suit the Department of Health the minimum and is vague. a few things and has Government website the required sections, the required sections,
Website standard required for errors. and includes all the easy to follow and easy to follow and
the task required sections sequenced well sequenced logically.
(0 Marks)
(2 Marks) (4 Marks) (3 Marks) (4 Marks) (5 Marks)
BIO/12-1 Effective use of metalanguage to The student has not Demonstrates a limited Uses metalanguage to Uses metalanguage to Effectively uses Effectively uses
attempted or reached level to use communicate communicate metalanguage to metalanguage to
BIO/12-2 communicate the information. the minimum metalanguage to information. The information. The communicate communicate
BIO/12-3 standard required for communicate information can be information provided is information. The information. The
BIO/12-7 the task. information and ideas. understood. clear and easy to information provided is information provided is
understand. clear, accurate and easy clear and coherent,
to understand.

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accurate and easy to
understand.

(0 Marks) (2 Marks) (4 Marks) (5 Marks) (4Marks) (5 Marks)

BIO/12-1 WSU HARVARD referencing The student has not Incorrectly uses WSU Correct use of WSU Correct use of WSU Correct use of WSU Correct use of WSU
attempted or reached Harvard Referencing Harvard Referencing Harvard Referencing Harvard Referencing Harvard Referencing
BIO/12-2 style is used and Academic the minimum Style which includes 1 which includes at least which includes 4 which includes 4 or
BIO/12-3 Writing. standard required for information sources. 2 information sources. information sources. more information
BIO/12-7 the task sources.

The student The student Student demonstrates a Student demonstrates a Student demonstrates
demonstrates a limited demonstrates a basic sound level of academic high level of academic an outstanding level of
capacity to effectively level of academic writing which conveys writing which conveys academic writing
use academic style of writing. information clearly. information clearly and which succinctly
writing coherently. conveys information.

(0 Marks) (2 Marks) (4 Marks) (3 Marks) (4 Marks) (5 Marks)

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Marking Criteria – Part B – Informational Video (10% - 50 Marks)
K&U Outcomes Criteria Non-attempt Limited Basic Sound High Outstanding
40%
BIO12-14 Includes background The student has not The background Includes background The background The background The background
attempted or reached information provided is information of information of information of information of
Analyses description of infectious the minimum vague and not accurate infectious disease but infectious diseases is infectious diseases is infectious diseases is
infectious diseases standard required for with errors. accurate. wide and accurate. comprehensive and
disease in the task. accurate
terms of
(0 Marks) (1 Marks) (2 Marks) (3 Marks) (4 Marks) (5 Marks)
cause,
Includes a description of chosen The student has not The background Includes background The background The background The background
transmission, attempted or reached information provided is information of the information of the information of the information of the
management infectious disease the minimum vague and not accurate chosen infectious chosen infectious chosen infectious chosen infectious
and the standard required for disease but with errors. diseases is accurate. diseases is wide and diseases is
organism’s the task accurate. comprehensive and
accurate
response,
including the (0 Marks) (1 Marks) (2 Marks) (3 Marks) (4 Marks) (5 Marks)
human Includes information on the The student has not Identifies the Describes the Outlines the Analyses the Evaluates the
immune attempted or reached prevention, treatment prevention, treatment prevention, treatment prevention, treatment prevention, treatment
prevention, treatment and the minimum and control of chosen and control of chosen and control of chosen and control of chosen and control of chosen
system control of their chosen standard required for infectious disease but infectious disease. infectious disease. infectious disease. infectious disease.
the task with errors.
infectious disease
(0 Marks) (1 Marks) (2 Marks) (3 Marks) (4 Marks) (5 Marks)
Discusses the social issues The student has not Identifies the social Describes the social Outlines the social Analyses the social Evaluates the social
attempted or reached issues regarding issues regarding issues regarding issues regarding issues regarding
regarding vaccinations. the minimum vaccinations vaccinations and makes vaccinations and makes vaccinations and makes vaccinations and makes
standard required for an informed judgement an informed judgement an informed judgement an informed judgement
the task for improvement using for improvement using for improvement using for improvement using
research research evidence-based evidence-based
research research

(0 Marks) (1 Marks) (2 Marks) (3 Marks) (4 Marks) (5 Marks)

WS BIO11/12-1 Informational Video is engaging The student has not The video is vague, The video meets the The video is engaging. The video is engaging The video is highly
attempted or reached confusing and standard criterion and demonstrates engaging and
60% BIO/12-7 and captures the viewers’ the minimum unengaging. required for the task imagination and demonstrates
attention standard required for creativity. imagination, creativity
the task and flair.

(0 Marks) (1 Marks) (2 Marks) (3 Marks) (4 Marks) (5 Marks)

BIO/12-5 Information provided by The student has not Demonstrates a limited Uses metalanguage to Uses metalanguage to Effectively uses Effectively uses
attempted or reached level to use communicate communicate metalanguage to metalanguage to
BIO/12-7 students is accurate and is the minimum metalanguage to information in the information in the communicate communicate
coherent and easy to standard required for communicate video. The information video. The information information in the information in the
the task information and ideas can be understood. provided is clear and video. The information video. The information
understand. in the video. easy to understand. provided is clear, provided is clear and

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accurate and easy to coherent, accurate and
understand. easy to understand.

(0 Marks) (2 Marks) (4 Marks) (5 Marks) (4Marks) (5 Marks)

BIO/12-1 Effectively uses Audio and The student has not There is limited use of There is basic use of There is some use of The student The student
attempted or reached audio and visual visual and audio visual and audio demonstrates a high demonstrates an
BIO/12-3 Video techniques to enhance the minimum editing techniques. The editing techniques. techniques which helps level using several outstanding level using
BIO/12-7 the videos appeal standard required for techniques used make make the video audio and visual a wide range of audio
the task the video confusing engaging. techniques to enhance and visual techniques
and/or unappealing. the video. to enhance the video.
(0 Marks)
(2 Marks) (4 Marks) (3 Marks) (4 Marks) (5 Marks)
BIO/12-7 WSU HARVARD referencing Incorrectly uses WSU Correct use of WSU Correct use of WSU Correct use of WSU Correct use of WSU Incorrectly uses WSU
Harvard Referencing Harvard Referencing Harvard Referencing Harvard Referencing Harvard Referencing Harvard Referencing
style is used. Style which includes 1 which includes at least which includes 4 which includes 4 or Style
information sources. 2 information sources. information sources. more information
sources.

(2 Marks) (4 Marks) (3 Marks) (4 Marks) (5 Marks) (5 Marks)

FEEDBACK & Results

You will receive your marked assessments by the end of Week 9 of Term 2 and will be viewable to see annotated feedback via the One Note
Assessments Folder. You will get a total grade mark for both parts A and B (__/100 + ___/50).

Review of Grade
Requests for review of grade will need to be completed within seven days of receiving your grade mark. You must follow the APPEALS process and
lodge a completed form to the Science Head Teacher. Please see the Assessible Tasks section in the School Policy for more information.

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Student Self Evaluation Form

This form is to be completed and submitted with your assessment task.

For the following questionnaire, place a tick in the box where you feel you most align with the
question, where 1 you strongly disagree with the question and 5 where you strongly agree with the
question.
Statement Strongly Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly
Disagree Agree
1 2 3 4 5
I produced the highest quality
work possible for this
assessment.
I had to ask for help from the
teacher regarding the
assessment
I have an interest in the topic
of infectious diseases
I now have a greater
understanding on the topic of
infectious diseases
The instructions provided
were easy to understand
I managed my time effectively
and efficiently
I submitted a draft and
utilised feedback

What did you like about this assessment?

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What would you change to improve the assessment?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Holy Hallows
Year 12 Biology Assessment Task 2
Submission Cover Sheet
HIGH SCHOOL
THIS COVER SHEET MUST BE COMPLETED AND ATTACHED TO THE FRONT COVER OF THE
ASSESSMENT TASK THAT IS TO BE SUBMITTED FOR GRADING.

Details:
Student Name: Student Class:
Assessment Task Public Service Due Date: June 25, 2018
Title: Announcement –
Preventing the Spread
of Ebola
Module to be Module 7: Infectious Date Submitted:
Assessed: disease

Student Declaration
Malpractice
Academic honesty is an integral part of Holy Hallows High School and all assessable tasks submitted
for marking must be the students own independently created work or where group work is involved,
the student groups own work.

By submitting this assessment task, I acknowledge that the subsequent statements are true (please
tick):
 I hold a copy of the assessment in the event that the original is stolen or lost.
 The entirety of this assessment submitted for marking is my own work and provides the proper
acknowledgement of all sources used.
 This assessment task has not previously been submitted as an assessable task in this school course
or any other institution.
 I am aware that the assessment may be submitted to anti-plagiarism detection software for the
purpose of detecting any possible form of plagiarism.
 If evidence of malpractice is shown, I am aware that I will receive an Official Warning Letter and a
non-attempt grade which will accumulate with any other non-attempt grade.

Student Signature: _________________________ Date: _________________________

Assessment Task Receipt Slip (proof of submission, students are to keep)
Student Name: Weight: 30%
Assessment Name: Due Date: June 25, 2018, 8:45am
Received by: Date Received:
Teacher Signature Time Received:

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Discussion
According to Smith (2005), the NSW education system is consolidating its accountability to enrich

student learning and improve educational outcomes. This is accomplished through self-evaluation of the

current programs that are in place, as well as data gathered from assessments. The continual goal to

deliver improved academic outcomes for learners in NSW is clearly evident with large scale educational

reforms that introduces a new syllabus to cater for the changing needs of the 21st century (Lemaire,

2017). This is highly evident in the new HSC Stage 6 Science syllabus which has changed its teaching and

learning structure to accommodate more Working Scientifically skills. Furthermore, the new Science

syllabus for Biology has changed the assessment procedures which the NSW Education Standards

Authority (NESA, 2018) states, helps to provide students more time for learning. Data retrieved from

assessments is pivotal to effectively implement any changes to the teaching and learning space,

assessments provide diagnostic data to educators and learners on the performance of the student and

whether there needs to be a change in learning instruction. Assessment is the key component which links

the syllabus outcomes and standards, to the learning instructions and activities (Cummings & Maxwell,

2004; Pellegrino, Chudowsky & Glaser, 2001; Gupta, 2016; Wiggins, 2011). NESA (2018) outlines the

three types of assessments evident in the NSW education system, they include Assessment as Learning,

Assessment for Learning and Assessment of Learning. Nicols & Macfarlane-Dick (2017) describe how

effective assessments are those that enrich the learning experience for students, assessment tasks should

be fair and give learners the chance to demonstrate what they have learned in an environment that is

supportive and free from bias.

The updated NSW Science syllabus has been in development ever since 2014, only seeing its

implementation in NSW schools at the start of 2018 for Year 11 students. According to Mr. Rob Stokes,

this new syllabus aims to ““...promote opportunities to develop the next generation of Nobel Prize

Winning scientists and world leading researchers right here in NSW” (DEC, 2017). This is evident within

the new Science syllabus with an increased emphasis on Working Scientifically skills which will account

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for 60% of the total outcomes, while Knowledge and Understanding is accounted for 40%. Additionally,

the educational reforms have led to a structural change in the assessment tasks. There is an addition of

depth studies which NESA (2018) argues to provide learners an opportunity to assess their critical

thinking skills, breadth of knowledge and problem-solving skills. The improvements made onto the new

syllabus is to reflect the stronger HSC Standards outlined by NESA and its continual goal to improve the

academic performance of students while enhancing the learning environment. Furthermore, NESA

(2018) argues that the assessment tasks within the Stage 6 Science syllabus has been developed to cater

to a wide variety of students. This variety ranges to include students that have learning difficulties and

require special education needs, to gifted and talented, high achieving students and for students that are

learning English as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D).

As outlined earlier, assessment is the key component that provides a clear link between the teaching and

learning instruction and the outcomes. When used effectively, assessment can provide valuable data

which can be used to differentiate instruction to better cater for the diverse needs of all students. The

literature often distinguishes assessment into three components, assessment as learning, assessment for

learning and assessment of learning (Corrigan, Gunstone & Jones, 2013; NESA, 2018; Pellegrino et al.,

2001; Trauth-Nare & Buck, 2011). Assessment as learning is described by Corrigan et al., (2013) as a

self-reflective tool which learners use to assess their own learning, it is not weighed towards a particular

grade but is a method in which the student can contemplate the best path to success. When effectively

implemented, assessment as learning improves student independence and self-efficacy. Gupta (2016)

adds to this notion and outlines how this form of assessment enhances the learner’s ability to understand

and retain new knowledge, as well as apply the new concepts they have learned into new situations.

Additionally, it has been shown to promote higher order, critical thinking and improve the metacognition

of learners (Corrigan et al., 2013; Gupta, 2016). However, although the onus is on the students to be self-

reflective, the process of assessment as learning also involves the teacher. It is vital that student-teacher

discussions take place so that teachers can provide support and help direct students to help achieve their

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learning goals. Assessment as learning is an effective strategy which is primarily used in higher

education. However, Rourke (2013) argues that reflexive practices of teachers and students in secondary

education would be a valuable tool to enhance the teaching and learning space. Furthermore, Rourke

(2013) suggests that developing reflective and reflexive practices at an earlier age would help improve

the academic outcomes of all learners.

Similar to assessment as learning, the second type of assessment discussed in the literature is assessment

for learning (Corrigan, Gunstone & Jones, 2013; NESA, 2018; Pellegrino et al., 2001; Trauth-Nare & Buck,

2011). Assessment for learning is a term synonymous with formative assessment, Corrigan et al. (2013)

discusses how formative assessments are deeply imbedded within pedagogy and occurs when educators

make decisions for the direction of learning based on qualitative and quantitative data derived from

assessment. In addition, Trauth-Nare & Buck (2011) discusses how the teaching and learning space is

shaped due to formative assessments, the information gathered from students helps to inform both the

teacher and student on their learning and how it matches with the desired outcomes. This notion is

reflected throughout the literature (Corrigan et al., 2013; Pellegrino et al., 2001; Trauth-Nare & Buck,

2011; Development, O., & Centre for Educational Research Innovation, 2005; Rodwell & Sale 2011) which

further describes how formative assessments gauge current student learning and understanding and

assesses whether differentiation in instruction is necessary, or whether the student is on the right path

towards meeting the desired syllabus outcomes. Assessment for learning is similar in nature to

assessment as learning due to the reflexive nature of the practice. However, the main difference is that

the reflexivity of student learning is largely directed towards the teacher, the teacher is the expert that

must make changes according to the data they receive from formative assessments (Rodwell & Sale,

2011). In addition, formative assessments can be formal or informal, meaning that teachers can choose

the level of assessment and its worth; formative assessments could be weighted towards an outcome but

are generally lower-stake compared to summative assessments (Corrigan et al., 2013). Formative

assessments are usually frequent and occurs throughout the teaching and learning process, it also greatly

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enhances the metacognition growth of students as feedback is very quick and helps guide learners

towards the appropriate path to meet the learning intentions (Corrigan et al., 2013; Rodwell & Sale,

2011; Trauth-Nare & Buck, 2011).

The final form of assessments highlighted in the literature is related to assessments of learning (Corrigan,

Gunstone & Jones, 2013; NESA, 2018; Pellegrino et al., 2001; Trauth-Nare & Buck, 2011). Assessments of

learning is synonymous with the term summative assessment and usually occurs at the end of a topic,

subject or unit (Corrigan et al., 2013; NESA, 2018; Kibble, 2017). Summative assessments are always

weighted towards the syllabus learning outcomes and are considered high-stakes in contrast to

formative assessments (Kibble, 2017; NESA, 2018). Additionally, summative assessments are designed to

provide conclusive information on the skills and knowledge gained during the teaching and learning

process, the data retrieved is used by educators to formulate a learning pathway plan for students to

cater for their specific needs and future learning endeavours (Corrigan et al., 2013). It is important to

note however; the effectiveness of summative assessments is heavily dependant on the design of the

assessible task. Kibble (2017) outlines how effective assessments are those that are designed to provide

a fair opportunity for students to demonstrate their learning which is feasible and cost effective to

implement. Additionally, the data gathered is accurate and valid, reliable and enhances the learning

outcomes for students (Kibble, 2017). Kibble (2017) further describes reliability as the ability to

accurately reproduce the measurement; validity refers to whether the purpose of the assessment is

achieved. Feasibility and cost effectiveness as described by Kibble (2017), refers to the appropriateness

of the assessment with regards to the school/local context, it is unfeasible to design an assessment which

discusses topics that students have not covered throughout the learning process (Kibble, 2017). These

descriptions of an effective summative assessment are echoed throughout the literature (Corrigan et al.,

2013; Cumming & Maxwell, 2004; Rodwell & Sale 2011; Pellegrino et al., 2001; Trauth-Nare & Buck,

2011). Pellegrino et al. (2001) adds to the notion and suggests that summative assessments should be

designed to include authentic tasks which are engaging, clear and coherent for the learner to understand

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and should be fair as to not purposely, or accidentally give an unfair disadvantage to any minority

(Pellegrino et al., 2001). The key aspect within all three forms of assessment is feedback and Hattie &

Timperley (2007) explains how the impact of feedback can be positive or negative to the educational

outcomes of the learner. It is important that timely feedback is provided within all three forms of

assessment so that students are aware of their current understanding and whether adjustments must be

made so that they can reach the desired learning outcomes stated in the syllabus (Hattie & Timperley,

2007; Ndisang & Benson, 2014). Furthermore, Hattie & Timperley (2007) suggests a model for feedback

which discusses with the students the learning goals, their current position and how to move forward.

To conclude, the assessment processes that have been outlined is a vital component within the teaching

and learning space. The introduction of the new Science syllabus has provided educators the opportunity

to design effective assessible tasks which are fair, valid and provides learners with the opportunity to

demonstrate their knowledge and understanding as well as working scientifically skills, in a safe and

supportive learning environment.

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References
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Cumming, J., & Maxwell, G. (2004). Profiles of educational assessment systems worldwide. Assessment in
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Dann, R. (2017). Developing Feedback for Pupil Learning: Teaching, Learning and Assessment in
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