Claire Stafford History Assessment 2 18869561

Year 12 Ancient History Task Three

Task: 3

Teacher: Miss Stafford

Date Due: Term Three Week 5

Weighting: 10%

Mark: _____/ 20

Unit Addressed: Personalities in their Time

Outcomes:

AH12-6 - Analyses and interprets different types of sources for evidence to support an historical account or
argument.
AH12-8 – Plans and conducts historical investigations and presents reasoned conclusions, using relevant
evidence from a range of sources.

Rationale:

In this assignment you are asked to research the impact an individual had on their society. This assignment
asks you to analyse not only the contributions of Agrippina the Younger on society and the way of life, but also
the impact she had on the society.

Task Description: Source Analysis Word Length: 1000 words

You are a historian and need to write a paper for the ‘Journal of Ancient History ‘on the influence of Agrippina
the Younger. You have been given four sources by a fellow historian and need to pick two for your paper.

You are asked to write a 1000-word source analyses that discusses the usefulness and reliability of two
sources. You must state why these two sources would be reliable and useful in showing the influence of
Agrippina he Younger on her time and society.

Source A: Cassius Dio, Roman Histories, 62.3.2

… ‘At first Agrippina managed for him all imperial business… negotiating with embassies, and corresponding with
communities, foreign magistrates, and kings.’

Source B: Tacitus, Annals 13.2

…. ‘They had both alike to struggle against the domineering spirit of Agrippina, who inflamed with all the passions of
an evil ascendency had Pallas on her side, at whose suggestion Claudius had ruined himself by an incestuous
marriage and a fatal adoption of a son. Nero's temper however was not one to submit to slaves, and Pallas, by a
surly arrogance quite beyond a freedman, had provoked disgust. Still every honour was openly heaped on Agrippina,
and to a tribune who according to military custom asked the watchword, Nero gave "the best of mothers ."’
Claire Stafford History Assessment 2 18869561

Source C: Relief from Aphrodisias in Turkey depicting Agrippina the Younger placing a crown on Nero’s head

Source D: Relief from Aphrodisias in Turkey depicting Agrippina the Younger and Emperor Claudius
Claire Stafford History Assessment 2 18869561

Marking Guidelines

Marks Criteria
16-20
 Demonstrates extensive knowledge of the types of sources and their importance
 Provides a comprehensive consideration of reliability and clear understanding of
perspective when using sources
 Is coherent and well-structured with excellent written expression using student’s
own words
13-16
 Demonstrates a well-developed knowledge of the sources and their importance
 Provides a detailed consideration of reliability and clear understanding of
perspective when using sources
 Is well structured with very good written expression mostly using student’s own
words
9-12
 Demonstrates a reasonable understanding of the types of source and their
importance
 Provides some consideration and evaluation of the usefulness of one source to the
question and its perspective and reliability
 Is generally well structured with good written expression, much of it in student’s
own words
5-8
 Demonstrates limited understanding of the types of sources and their importance
 Generalises about the usefulness of the source(s) with fell links to either reliability
or perspective
 Has some structure with reasonable written expression with some use of student’s
own words
1-4
 Demonstrates little if any understanding of the types of sources and their
importance
 Little mention of the usefulness of the source(s) with no links to reliability and
perspective
 Has little if any structure with poor written expression with little use of student’s
own words
Claire Stafford History Assessment 2 18869561

Title: Creator:
EVALUATING SOURCES
Type of Source: Date of Creation:

WHO:

What do you know about the

person who created the
source.
Think about:
 Age
 Gender
 Occupation
 Position in society
 Religious background

WHEN:

What was life like when this

source was created

Think about:
 Significant events
 Political/environment
 Common prejudices
 Social norms

WHY

What is this creator’s purpose?

Why did they create this work?

Was it to:
 Influence people? Sell
something?
 Tell their version of
events?

Reliability and usefulness?

Is this source reliable?

Is this source useful?
Claire Stafford History Assessment 2 18869561

Part B: Assessment Question

Effective assessment, feedback and assessment design are integral for a successful pedagogy. As Smith (2005)
states, not only do schools need to find new and innovative ways of improving school outcomes and
achievement, but they are constantly being watched and analysed over their methods and use of the
standards. Assessment is an effective tool used by teachers to judge not only the students’ abilities but also a
beneficial tool to judge the progress, capability and knowledge of students throughout their learning.
Assessment for learning, assessment as learning and assessment of learning are all different methods teachers
use to measure and improve students’ abilities through topics and at the completion of learning. The inclusion
of standardised testing such as NAPLAN allow teachers and schools as a whole to take responsibility for the
improvement or decline of students and provides a guide to their abilities over the years they are in school.
Furthermore, standardisation can impact the way teachers create assessments and changes the way teachers
educate students in class resulting in students who are only prepared for tests rather than the outside world.
In essence, teachers should create assessment for students as a tool to further their education and cement
their knowledge. In creating assessment, teachers must follow the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA)
which promotes a standards-referenced approach to assessing and reporting student achievement (NSW
Educational Standards, 2018)

Assessment in education involves judging learner’s abilities, fitness, sustainability and potential against some
criteria, standards or norms (Gobby & Walker, 2017). Decisions about what to assess, and how to assess reflect
the knowledge, beliefs and priorities of educators and policymakers, with assessment decisions exerting a
powerful influence on how education is organised. The purpose of assessment is commonly thought to be to
understand, support and enhance a child or young person’s learning. Educators and education systems assess
students’ learnings to diagnose what learners know and do not know or can and cannot do, to inform
curriculum planning, to facilitate learning and to provide feedback on the effectiveness of teaching and
learning strategies. Through the use of the NSW History Syllabus, teachers are given a tool that aids with
assessment design by outlines the outcomes and expectations of assessment for students (NSW Educational
Standard, 2017).

There are four types of assessment predominately used in education. These are diagnostic (assessment before
learning), summative, (assessment of learning), formative (assessment for learning) and self-assessment
(assessment as learning) (Harlen, 2007). Lastly there are standardised assessments, which are administered in
a standard way, where all test-takers answer the same questions in the same way and the tests are marked in
a pre-determined consistent manner. The assessment scores are compared to the norm score. For Australia,
this form of standardised test is executed through NAPLAN (National Assessment Program Literacy and
Numeracy) (ACARA, 2016). The use of NAPLAN in schools has created an environment where everything is out
in the open for parents, teachers and students to see, and as result teachers are changing the way they teach
to ensure that their students, their teaching practices and their school as a whole perform well (Gobby &
Walker, 2017). According to Fogarty (2013), schools are spending less time on curriculum areas not included in
NAPLAN, and that teaching to the NAPLAN test has a negative impact on classroom creativity and student
engagement. It has also led to a more teacher-centred approach rather than the student-centred approach
that is highly favoured in history teaching as well as other curriculums. Although it does make teachers and
schools take more responsibility for their teaching pedagogies, the repercussions on both assessment and
classroom engagement is not beneficial for students or teachers alike.

Traditionally, assessments in education includes the well-known examination or written test which identifies
good or bad grades. This method is said to have limited validity in informing the teacher as the means by
which the student has learned (Flores, Simao, Barros & Pereira, 2015). They can also be seen as a means of
punishing mistakes without seeking the means to understand and improve the learning process. Cradock and
Mathias (2009) assert that the use of different assessment methods is a good practice in order to respond to
students’ different learning preferences and abilities. Furthermore, it is stipulated by Flores et al (2015) that
traditional assessments and tests lead to the tendency for students to learn only for the purpose of
assessment rather than to retain and build on knowledge gained in class. The continual scrutiny by the media
and parents mentioned by Smith (2005) means that this form of assessment needs to drastically change to
ensure that students are not only learning and retaining the information learnt in class and can demonstrate
this in an assessment, but that the way teachers assess this knowledge needs to evolve and incorporate the
needs of multifaceted learners. It is because of this that the way teachers develop and design their
Claire Stafford History Assessment 2 18869561

assignments needs to be changed to reflect the needs of the students in their class but also to show that they
have achieved the outcomes and standards. It is argued by Wen & Tsai (2006) that it is imperative that
educational systems become creative with regard to diverse and innovative assessment practices that gauge
the abilities of students in order to enhance learning and academic achievement in response to criticisms of
traditional examinations and their shortcomings.

Assessment design is integral to the success of students. It is important to create an environment where
students have a more active involvement and responsibility for their learning. Faculty needs to develop
assessment and pedagogical practices that foster self-regulatory competencies in the students. Opinions and
directions on how assessments should be done are given by schools and systems often through standards and
policies and the community generally through media. It is the educators’ role to build on each learner’s
strengths within the context of meeting requirements set by schools, governments and their political agenda
(Gipps, 2008). Educators needs to understand students experience, knowledge and the cultural influences that
students bring to their learning and how thus may influence their assessments. To cater for the diverse
learning needs in classrooms, teachers need to provide multiple and varied opportunities for students to
demonstrate their learning, both individually and in groups (Gobby & Walker, 2017). This means that when
designing assessments, teachers need to ensure that assessments are delivered multimodally and not just
through written assessments. Teachers must also remain knowledgeable and current in their understanding of
how their students learn and use assessment methods to develop a broad range of life skills such as teamwork
problem-solving, creativity, critical thinking as well as social, decision making and communication skills (Gobby
& Walker, 2017). This can be achieved through teachers constantly referring to the history syllabus as well as
the assessment and reporting documents produced by NESA which give assessment breakdown, weighting and
task information (NSW Education Standards, 2018). Assessment design should not only help the students with
their learning but also help teachers make better educational decisions in the future concerning how they
deliver content and how they measure the students’ knowledge of this content (Popham, 1999).

Feedback is an essential element of the student learning process and of student self-reregulation. It allows for
student involvement and collaboration and for a greater contact between students and faculty. At a glance,
feedback should indicate clearly how to improve a student’s learning and to encourage them to reflect and
improve in the future based on the feedback that has been provided (Flores et al. (2015). As a result, it is
important to put into practice assessment methods that requires the continuous active involvement of the
students and to analyse the adequacy and coherence of existing methods in regard to the aims and purposes
of history. The role, means and timing of assessment practices need to be understood within a clear and
transparent framework for both faculty and students. Effective and informative feedback practice in schools is
necessary for enhanced learning. One way to ensure that feedback is useful to students is to ensure that the
way students interpret and perceive feedback is also how the teacher intended. Teachers must give feedback
that is clear, reasoned and offers direction for improvement (Gobby & Walker, 2017). It is important for
educators to understand how students convey their learning and learning needs to the teacher and how
students perceive the teacher responding to their needs. By situating the student at the centre of their
learning these forms of feedback encourage students to be actively involved and engaged in the assessment
process, shifting power over learning and the judgment of progress from the teacher to the students
(Flachikov, 2003)

Assessment, feedback and assessment design are integral teaching pedagogies that need to be utilised by the
teacher to better the learning experience and process of the students. Assessment is a way for teachers to
gauge the ability of students and to assist student learning. As teachers are under constant scrutiny from
parents, their peers, and the media, the assessment design is crucial in ensuring that students are able to show
their knowledge of the content and their ability to progress as a learner. The teacher needs to incorporate
students background, and ability into assessment and ensure that the assessments are relatable to students.
Furthermore, feedback is an integral tool that can be utilised by the teacher to comprehend how much the
student understood of the assignment and to see how the assessment informed the student learning.
Together, assessment and feedback should be a tool that both student and teacher use to progress their
learning and to assess ability and knowledge.
Claire Stafford History Assessment 2 18869561

Reference List

Changes to Stage 6 Assessment from 2018. (2018). Retrieved from

http://syllabus.nesa.nsw.edu.au/assets/global/files/guide-to-changes-to-stage-6-assessment-from-

2018.pdf

Craddock, D. & Mathias. H., 2009. Assessment options in higher education. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher

Education 34, no. 2: 127–40.

Falchikov, N. (2003). Involving students in assessment. Psychology Learning and Teacher, 3(2), 102-108

Flores. M, Simão. A, Barros. A & Pereira. D (2015) Perceptions of effectiveness, fairness and feedback of

assessment methods: a study in higher education, Studies in Higher Education, 40:9, 1523-1534, DOI:

10.1080/03075079.2014.881348

Fogarty, M. (2013). Teaching NAPLAN fails students. Australian Educational Research Journal, 30(3), 8.

Gobby, B. & Walker, R. (2017). Powers of Curriculum: Sociological Perspectives on Education, Australia: Oxford

University Press.

Harlen, W. (2007). Assessment of learning. London: SAGE Publications

Ancient History | NSW Education Standards. (2018). Retrieved from

http://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/11-12/stage-6-learning-areas/hsie/ancient-

history

Popham, W. (1999). Classroom Assessment: What Teachers Need To Know (2nd ed.). Boston: Allan & Bacon.

Wen, M.L, & C.C. Tsai. 2006. University students’ perceptions of and attitudes toward (online) peer

assessment. Higher Education51: 27–44

Claire Stafford History Assessment 2 18869561