114 replies to this topic

[Jenjane]

A good question; like much of the markscheme for this unit you might as well ask 'how long is a piece of string?' I'd be intersted in other colleagues' comments.

I am thinking that 'sound' means that they show you they can do it and you are conviced they understand what evaluation is is. It's not just happened through luck and happens in 3? places (number from thin air BTW). They won't show anything ground breaking or probably have evaluation in all possible places, but it is there and they have done it by choice and planning.
Anyone else?

[Simon Ross]

Following up a comment in the January Examiner's Report (online since Friday) about the need for a 'Candidate Assessment Form' I looked for mention of this document in the spefication and the coursework guidance. I also looked on the OCR website and on interchange without luck. I emailed the coursework service on Monday but have received no response yet. However, my exams officer phoned this morning as was told that the form referred to was the 'Record of Programme of Study' on p115.

But now I see (thanks to the helpful posts here) that there is also a 'Candidate Authentication Statement' that needs to be completed. Again there is no mention of this form in the coursework guidance or specification. It is not on the History page of the website and doesn't appear as a linked document on interchange. My school has paid considerable amounts for each of the stages of INSET provided by OCR and I'm just horrified that I'm having to use a public forum to work out the forms to fill in! As to the mark scheme, and the exemplar material at the INSET sessions I better not get started. Suffice to say one of the big messages was that this was to be a tick free zone, but when looking at the exemplar material from the INSET leader's school, yup, there were ticks everywhere and the course leaders were reluctant to even give specific marks!

Hey ho, I think we might be switching board in the not too distant future!

Simon

Edited by Simon Ross, 05 May 2010 - 10:06 PM.

[Mark H.]

As I said , we're moving to AQA next year. None of the exam boards are perfect, but we've finally had enough of OCR. I know from my contacts that other centres have done likewise as e.g. the takeup for the AQA A2 Historical Investigation Unit (aka Personal Study) has been swelled by a significant number of ex-OCR customers.

[Simon Ross]

COnsultant response received today:
>>>>>
This refers to the Record of Programme of Study forms – apologies for the confusing change in terminology. The Record of Programme of Study form is on page 115 of the specification.

You will be sent MS1s and address labels shortly – they may have already arrived in your centre so please check with your Exams officer. You send one copy to OCR and one to the moderator. When the moderator has processed your marks, you will receive a specific sample request. You should then despatch the work, together with the Record of Programme of Study forms for those candidates in the sample and the Centre Authentication Form, to the moderator.

I hope this helps but let us know if you have further queries.
<<<<<<

No mention of the candidate authetication forms mentioned on this thread but think we will get them to fill them in anyway!

[Jenjane]

we used the coursework consultancy service and the first time they sent one back and said that it had been overmarked. When I asked what this meant (and perhaps that they should tell me by how much) I was given a reply (well over 3 weeks later) that basically said the answer could be justified to be in 3 levels! (In a typically vague and misleading way).
We moderated the other day and all came up with similar marks. Hurah!
However, we all did agree that this meant nothing as based on experience of OCR. We will see come results day what OCR think, and that really could be anything. To be on the safe side we haven't said ANYTHING at all to the students about their marks! One too many times that's come back to bite us where it hurts!
Jane
(Don't forget to mark in red pen either!!!)

[CD McKie]

we used the coursework consultancy service and the first time they sent one back and said that it had been overmarked. When I asked what this meant (and perhaps that they should tell me by how much) I was given a reply (well over 3 weeks later) that basically said the answer could be justified to be in 3 levels! (In a typically vague and misleading way).
We moderated the other day and all came up with similar marks. Hurah!
However, we all did agree that this meant nothing as based on experience of OCR. We will see come results day what OCR think, and that really could be anything. To be on the safe side we haven't said ANYTHING at all to the students about their marks! One too many times that's come back to bite us where it hurts!
Jane
(Don't forget to mark in red pen either!!!)

I also used the coursework consultancy service, sending three Investigation scripts. The comments I received were quite helpful, but it took them over 4 weeks to reply. In the meantime, I had marked many other scripts.

My main gripe with OCR is that in their training events, the sample material provided was inadequate. No top level Interpretations scripts were available. Quite apart from anything else, the scripts were from the old syllabus and not as much use as they could have been. Why hold training events when we are actually in the midst of teaching the module? We have to do some planning to deliver courses! I know it would have taken some effort and organisational efficiency on their part, but the whole process has been rather shambolic. The word count and documentation issues testify to this as well.

Rant over!

[nath]

Hello,

I completed the marking of my Year 13's coursework last week. Well give me strength!!! Just like the rest of you on here, I think OCR have been absolutely shocking. Sadly I was unable to go to the INSET provided by OCR so contacted them and asked if they would be placing exemplar materials on their website - nothing!! The markscheme - what the hell?!?

Thankfully me and the HoD agreed on the marks given, but we shall wait and see if OCR agree. If they do not I will be looking for a change in exam boards!

[johnwayne]

hi all - is this coursework unit - a moderated unit or an examined unit? This info is needed for the forms?

[Mark H.]

It's moderated, as every boards' A-Level History coursework is now. Although if it's the same people who marked the old OCR Independent Investigations they'll probably scrap all the centre marks anyway and decide the grades by picking numbers out of a hat.

Edited by Mark H., 14 May 2010 - 05:10 PM.

[johnwayne]

thanks mark!!!

[Jenjane]

Oh, they used a hat!
We thought they threw darts at a dartboard as they seemed to think that giving out marks was a game!

[Mark H.]

Actually it could have been a dartboard, or maybe a bingo ball machine. Certainly it often didn't seem to involve any actual assessment of the worth of the studies produced by the candidates! Someone I met at a conference was convinced (quite seriously) that they didn't actually look at most of them and just gave them a spread of marks based on a probability distribution.

Edited by Mark H., 16 May 2010 - 04:14 PM.

[MrsCMG]

All I can say is that I am now sick of seeing the color Red due to marking 37 students pieces of work all by myself :-( I think I am now the world expect on the OCR Specification - Just put the mark you think and expect the examiner to comeplete reverse the numbers on you. We are staying with the board for the current AS but then moving to AQA - whole lot easier. Am in the middle of organising the SOW. For those doing OCR F964 Germany and F961 domestic issues I will upload the SOW for you just to help (We got 86% pass rate with Germany last year)

[johnwayne]

Actually it could have been a dartboard, or maybe a bingo ball machine. Certainly it often didn't seem to involve any actual assessment of the worth of the studies produced by the candidates! Someone I met at a conference was convinced (quite seriously) that they didn't actually look at most of them and just gave them a spread of marks based on a probability distribution.

Can anyone remind us - how much is the A2 coursework worth please - having a bad day so far.

[MrsCMG]

20% of the overall A level but 40% of the A2 grade