James Woods High School Assessment Task –

Preliminary Course (Year 11)

Subject: Year 11 Standard English.

Teacher: H. Nanai Notification Date: Term 2, Week 5;

Fake.emailforthis@det.nsw.edu.au 26/05/2020
Module/Unit: Contemporary Possibilities Task Due: Term 2, Week 10;
2/07/2020
Task: Multimodal Presentation Weighting (%): 30%

Submission: Presentation during English period- a copy of the presentation must be emailed to
the classroom teacher on the due date PRIOR to the English Period.

Task Description:
Rationale: You must research a contemporary issue or current affair that has drawn your
attention within the last three months. In the course of your research, you are to locate and
explore two texts from different mediums that have been used to present the issue/story. These
could be film, television, websites, online news and specific social media platforms.
Instructions: You must create a 4-5-minute multimodal presentation of your understanding of
the issue/story that you have researched, using a presentation medium of your choice. You must
present the issue in your own informed way. You should use the following guidelines as well as
the marking criteria when composing your presentation.
Scaffold:

 The appropriate medium for the presentation should be negotiated with the teacher, but the
must include the student’s audio and/or visual presence, and direct address to its audience.
 This presentation must include at least two expressive language modes (any combination of
writing, speaking and representing).
 The presentation must be no longer than 5 minutes in duration.
 As part of your presentation, you must reflect on your own process of learning, using the
following questions as guide:
o Which resource was the most useful in your research of this topic and why?
o Evaluate how effectively your presentation has explored the current issue you have
researched.
Outcomes to be assessed:
EN11-1 Responds to and composes increasingly complex texts for understanding, interpretation,
analysis, imaginative expression and pleasure.
EN11-2 Uses and evaluates processes, skills and knowledge required to effectively respond to
and compose texts in different modes, media and technologies.
EN11-3 Analyses and uses language forms, features and structures of texts, considers
appropriateness for purpose, audience and context and explains effects on meaning.
EN11-5 Thinks imaginatively, creatively, interpretively and analytically to respond to and
compose texts that include considered and detailed information, ideas and arguments
EN11-7 Understands and explains the diverse ways texts can represent personal and public
worlds.

Multimodal Presentation
Marking Criteria Mark

 Demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of a current issue,

including consistent evidence of substantial research.
 Delivers an engaging multimodal presentation with skilful control of
expression and a range of highly effective and appropriate language 25-30 Marks
forms and features.
 Skilfully evaluates the presentation and its exploration of the
complexity of the current issue, including analysis of a wide range of
language forms and features.

 Demonstrates a well-developed understanding of a current issue,

including evidence of substantial research.
 Delivers a clear multimodal presentation with well-developed control
of expression and a range of appropriate language forms and 19-24 Marks
features.
 Effectively evaluates the presentation and its exploration of the
complexity of the current issue, including analysis of a range of
language forms and features.

 Demonstrates a sound understanding of a current issue, including

evidence of research.
 Delivers a multimodal presentation with sound control of expression 13-18 Marks
and multiple appropriate language forms and features.
 Evaluates the presentation and its exploration of the complexity of
the current issue, including analysis of multiple language forms and
features.
 ● Attempts to demonstrate an understanding of a current issue,
including some evidence of research.
● Attempts to deliver a multimodal presentation with some control of 7-12 Marks
expression and some use of simplistic language forms and features.
● Attempts to evaluate the presentation and its exploration the
complexity of the current issue, possibly with general reference to
aspects of the presentation.

● Makes little to no attempt to demonstrate an understanding of a

current issue. Possibly no evidence of research.
● Makes little to no attempt to deliver a multimodal presentation. 1-6 Marks
Possibly demonstrates significant difficulty with expression of ideas.
● Makes little to no attempt to evaluate the presentation.

● Presents nothing of relevance to the task/non-submission. 0 Marks

MARKING GUIDELINES/ CRITERIA:

PLAGIARISM will result in zero marks being awarded and the student will be required to
redo the task. I acknowledge that this assessment is all my own work. Any references have
been cited.

Student signature: _________________________________________

 Critical Discussion and Professional Reflection

”NSW schools are taking more responsibility for their own performance, are subject to closer public
scrutiny and are finding new ways of improving student outcomes in a world of ever-more demanding
standards”(Smith, 2005, p. 42).

With regards to the importance of assessment and approaches to feedback, teachers

throughout the world employ a range of different approaches/strategies to challenge the
needs of the different individuals in their classrooms. Assessment then is important for
teachers if we are to truly appreciate, and evaluate our students understanding on the
subject, as well as understanding areas where we can improve our lesson and assessment
designs. Feedback is also crucial as we help students identify their strengths and
weaknesses, and the feedback we get from the assessment overall helps teachers design
assessments more attuned to the student’s needs, goals and capabilities.

Assessments are designed by teachers to not only challenge students, but to see
how the student’s learning is progressing throughout the unit. It also provides an
opportunity for the student to use the information gained throughout the unit to create
something new and informative. As teachers we determine how well students need to
perform on their assessments in order comprehend how well and effective our own
teaching styles are, and where we can make improvements [CITATION Lar16 \p 68 \l 1033 ].
Assessments is then crucial as it provides a level of achievement to the students, and is
measured towards the learning outcomes based on the syllabus. For assessments to be a
truly reliable source of student achievement, it should be modelled around a framework
that provides consistency, and legitimacy. Both caregivers and administrators are
increasingly asking “for evidence of student learning and/or justification for student grades”
[CITATION Mer14 \p 15 \l 1033 ], and providing transparency towards grades with the marking

criteria in this assessment ensures this.

When teachers start designing an assessment with its outcomes, it should follow a
framework that ensures consistency, and validity towards the task at hand. This framework
should incorporate what educators would consider ‘valuable elements’ when designing an
assessment. These valuable elements include; Validity (is the assessment itself the best way
of measuring evidence of achievement with regards to the intended learning outcome),
Reliability (how well different assessors would agree on the mark/grade awarded for the
students’ work so that it is indeed fair and just), Authenticity (real world relevance the
assessment has on the students’ career after leaving the educational institution),
Transparency (how well students can see the assessment working in practice, and how the
marking occurs), lastly, Inclusiveness (how well the assessment can be taken by the diverse
range of students with additional needs, and how it can minimise unfair discrimination
towards students with those particular needs) [CITATION Rac14 \p 33 \l 1033 ]. Creating an
assessment based on these elements ensures to the students that they are being properly
assessed, as well showing caregivers that the students are being equally marked and
graded. This assessment that was created was built upon these elements, as it’s valid
towards the intended learning outcomes, students are fairly graded towards a marking
criterion, is purposeful towards their future goals, and is inclusive and transparent towards
all students of different learning needs.

With these elements in mind, designing an assessment that meets the diverse range
of learners in a classroom is considered very significant. As teachers, we take into account
the range of diverse learners in the classroom, and when constructing an assessment, we
have to keep this in mind as we should model an assessment based on the student’s
capabilities and strengths. To ensure that all students have the opportunity to succeed the
educators must guide instruction and learning that is effective, and aligned to the student’s
needs. Applying a cognitive model approach, educators must provide information in the
assessment that is beneficial in an instructional context to the students in order to meet the
diverse range of learners in the classroom, and provide them the opportunity to succeed
[CITATION Kan14 \p 121 \l 1033 ]. This assessment provided has information about what is be

done and is divided up between instructions, rationale, and scaffold in order to create
transparency that is valuable, and recognizable to the different range of student needs.

This assessment created was based on the syllabus and content provided by the
NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA). Providing the outcomes in the task description
demonstrates what is expected to be learnt as they progress through this assignment, with
regards to the curriculum being taught [ CITATION NES15 \l 1033 ]. When designing an
assessment, educators make sure that the curriculum being taught is properly being
assessed, and linking the assessment to the outcomes ensures this. As educators we create
assessments for the purpose of increasing our own knowledge, and extending our
professional experience in the teaching area. With increased knowledge comes increased
salary as we are able to meet standards set out by the Australian Institute for Teaching and
School Leadership [ CITATION AIT10 \l 1033 ]. When designing assessments, educators make
sure that the curriculum being taught is aligned to the content provided by their
governmental institutions, and designing also ensures that the educators further their
knowledge and professional experience in the field. The assessment created does this, as it
is aligned to the syllabus outcomes provided by NESA, and improves on my own professional
experience as a future educator.

When designing an assessment, the most important part that is crucial for the
students understanding of their progress and achievement in the unit is feedback. We must
understand that feedback is crucial as it is able to “facilitate students’ development as
independent learners who are able to monitor, evaluate, and regulate their own
learning”[CITATION Eva13 \p 72 \l 1033 ]. Providing feedback also is the “most powerful single
moderator that enhances achievement” and impacts and improves the education of the
students [CITATION Hat92 \p 9 \l 1033 ]. Feedback is important in assessments as it provides
students information on their progress, and also gives valuable information to both students
and caregivers on what direction is needed in order to improve on the students overall
learning. This assessment provides descriptive indicators throughout the marking criterion
that show students and caregivers the different things we as educators assess, and justifies
the mark being given in a fair manner.

Feedback is also very useful for self-assessment, as students are provided a rubric
that is useful towards this life skill. The criteria used within the rubric should be
“comprehensible and useful, (and) the rubric was also used to: assess progress, structure
the work and to reflect on their own competency in completing the work” [CITATION
Coc18 \p 11 \l 1033 ]. With this in mind, the rubric/marking criteria provides the students the
ability to track their progress, and is useful towards their educational goals. It also enhances
and improves upon the relationship between the educators and the students as it creates a
shared meaning about the assessment, and expectations between each other [ CITATION
Coc18 \l 1033 ]. Rubrics are great tool for students to self-assess themselves which helps
develop their self-regulating skills, and self-managing skills. These are important skills to
have outside an educational context, and applies to real life situations where they can self-
regulate themselves in order to improve in their field of work.

In conclusion, when designing this assessment itself, we ensure that students

understand how their learning is being assessed, so that there is some form of transparency
for them and their caregivers. It should also incorporate the elements provided before as it
fairly grades students in the classroom as a whole, and provides a fair marking system that is
inclusive to all students regardless of their additional needs. The students’ are provided a
marking rubric, and the outcomes related to the syllabus ensures the validity of the
assessment, and provides a great amount of feedback in order to improve the students
development as individual learners. This assessment created also meets the requirements
that need to be met by NESA in order to qualify for a Higher School Certificate in Australia,
and adds to my professional development as a teacher with regards to AITSL.
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