S.A.T.H Conference. Aims of the session Higher History Overview of where we are What do we do as examiners How are the grades derived Issues arising Paper.

S.A.T.H Conference

Aims of the session

• Higher History

• Overview of where we are

• What do we do as examiners

• How are the grades derived

• Issues arising

• Paper 2: overview and skills

• Workshop

The process• Set paper: Setters, vetters, scrutineer: item

banking; traditional setting • Exam day• Markers’ meeting preparation• Meetings• Marker Check• Grade Boundary Meeting• Finalisation• Awards given• Appeals [last year]

Issues• Have we plateaued?

• Marking up the mark spectrum

• Marking across areas which are unfamiliar to markers

• Paper 1

• Extended Essay

• Paper 2

Paper 2: The Basics

5 periods of Scottish History

– The Wars of Independence, 1286-1328

– The Age of Reformation, 1542-1603

– The Treaty of Union, 1689-1740

– Migration and Empire, 1830-1939

– The Impact of the Great War, 1914-1928

Using the descriptors

• Use of issues – four issues per Special Topic - content linked

• Further definition – 3 sub-issues which together cover an overall issue.

• designed to clarify content to be assessed and used to derive general and discriminating question for the exam paper.

• “Background” and “perspective” are for teaching purposes only and will not be assesse

The Exam Paper• Structure of the exam paper

• Thirty mark total

• Five sources: two primary, two secondary and one other that is either primary or secondary

• Timing – one hour 25 minutes

Structure of the exam

Structure of the exam paper

• Four questions

• Parity of challenge between the five fields of study

• Questions derived from the four identified issues for each topic in the Higher History Arrangements pp43-47

Marking

• Principles of:

– Positive marking

– Clarity

– Equality of demand

The Question TypesQuestion type [1] How useful is Source A in ….

Testing Evaluation skills.

Question type [2] To what extent do Sources B and C agree about…Testing Comparison skills.

Question type [3] How fully does Source D…Testing Contextualisation skills.

Question type [4] How far does Source E…Testing Contextualisation skills.

How do the questions relate to the issues?

Four issues = four items=four questions

• Same order of sampling in all topics

• If issue 1 is How useful then it is a how useful question in all five of the periods of study.

• 2014 could be comparison issue 1 (5), how useful issue 2 (5), how fully issue 3(10) , how far issue 4 (10)

• 2015 could be how fully issue 1(10) comparison issue 2 (5), how far issue 3 (10), how useful issue 4 (5)

Marking Paper 2 (1)

What the SQA says:• This paper examines source evaluation skills, knowledge

and understanding and analysis.

• There will be a set of sources and questions on each of the five Scottish topics. Candidates may answer on any one of the Scottish topics. Candidates will be required to answer all questions on their chosen Scottish topic.

• Questions will be based on a set of five sources; at least two sources will be primary and at least two sources will be secondary.

The Source Evaluation Question

What the SQA says:

The source evaluation question will be worth five marks; there will be up to two marks available for evaluating

• provenance: origin and purpose• content • appropriate recall.

It will relate to one of the issues directly or indirectly.

Type 1 – ‘How Useful..?’

Wording of Questions

Beneath each question you will find the instruction:

‘In reaching a conclusion you should refer to:• The origin and possible purpose of the source;• The content of the source;• recalled knowledge.

• This type of question is worth 5 marks

Marking the How useful qu [1]

• How useful is source A as evidence of..• About a general or specific issue. In general they are more specific

and have been standardised for 2012 and beyond.

• 3 discrete and relevant points of content will be in the source. Also distracters.

• Up to 2 marks for exploring origin and purpose in terms of the posed question.

• Can gain marks for specific points made [i.e. good exploration of Origin then Purpose] or for a holistic judgement as to the effectiveness of the evaluation. Whichever way gets you more marks!

Marking the how useful qu [2]

• Up to 2 marks for explaining why parts of source identified are useful in terms of question.

• Listing points from source will get only 1 mark.

• For 2 marks mention points from source and explain why that evidence makes source useful in terms of question.

• Up to 2 marks for using detailed and relevant recall that

identifies gaps/areas not mentioned, but are relevant to the question.

How useful: Common problems

• No evaluation: listing.

• The source provenance is simply described and not evaluated in terms of the question.

• The source content is simply listed and not commented on effectively.

• Recall is simply listed as not being in the source.

• Possible to get 3/5 here, but no more.

What is evaluation?• ATQ: answer the question.

• Looking for comments on the validity of use of evidence, rather than extended description of content.

• The source content is useful about the experiences of Scots on the Western Front BECAUSE…..

• Must I use the useful word?

• Not necessarily: can comment in other ways effectively.

• The key is to use the information, comment on it and answer the question

Type 2: The Comparison question

What the SQA says:• The source comparison question will be worth five

marks;

• there will be two marks available for an overview

• and four marks available for comparisons of detail.

• It will relate to one of the issues directly or indirectly.

Wording: ‘To What Extent Do Sources A and B

Agree...?’

• Beneath each question you will find the instruction:

‘Compare the sources overall and in detail’.

• This question asks you to compare the opinions of 2 sources overall and in detail. You do not need recalled knowledge to get full marks in this question

• This type of question is worth 5 marks.

Marking the To what extent do… comparison question [1]

• 2 marks are available for the overall evaluation about the extent of agreement or disagreement between the sources.

• 1 mark for identifying agreement/disagreement in an outline way. May be recognition of one area specifically.

• 1 more mark for accurate outline detail from source explaining areas of agreement/disagreement.

• 4 points of direct comparison exist within the two sources.

Marking the To what extent do… comparison question [2]

• MUST explain points of agreement / disagreement made and support this using the content of the two sources.

• Use of content: How much? Use own words/quote directly, but explain. More than a word: short accurate quotes/own word interpretation. Must get a sense the candidate understands.

Comparison: common problems

• Rehearsal of content from A/B without any attempt to comment on what they are about

• Ghost comparisons

• Comparisons the marker did not think of

• Inappropriate marking: i.e. Standard Grade 2 marks for a developed comparison

Type 3+4: The Contextualise question[s]

What the SQA says;

The two source contextualisation questions will each be worth 10 marks.

There will be up to four marks available from the source bearing the question, and up to seven marks for appropriate recall used to support the evaluation.

How fully and How far

Type 3+4 – ‘How Fully/How Far..?’

• Beneath each question you will find the instruction:

‘Use the source and recalled knowledge’.

• This type of question will be worth 10 marks

• The How fully is on an overall issue: The BIG picture.

• The How far is on a sub-issue [3 per overall issue]. The DISCRIMINATING question.

Marking Type 3+4 questions

• Up to 4 marks for identifying relevant points in the source and explaining them in terms of the question.

• Up to 7 marks for including as much accurate and relevant information from your own knowledge as you can.

• This can be through developing points from the source or bringing in new recall points.

• This is the How fully question, so remember the recall can be very general from the issue that is selected.

Contextualise questions: Common problems

• Description rather than some explanation of the point: ‘This shows ……

• Lack of knowledge of key terminology in the sub-issues: radicalism for example

• Muddling of issues: Issues 2 and 4 in Migration for example

• Lack of recalled knowledge

N.A.B.s: how to use them.

• NABs have a 1 hour duration, if used as an internal NAB item.

• Still need the two five mark answers, but omit one of the ten mark items to fulfil the outcomes.

• The obvious thing to do would be to omit the How far question.

ALSO

• NABs are secure• Use in full as prelim. [two birds with one stone!]

The Prelim

• 2011 we rejected 75% of prelims as invalid. 2012 not much better

• Why?

• Paper 1: issues did not match

• Paper 1: pre 2011 papers were used in their entirety

• Paper 1: inappropriate questions: Describe/Explain/Why

• Split prelims with no change in cut-offs

Prelim toolkit

• Must replicate the external examination

• Paper 1. Issues must match for British and European and World

• Paper 2. All four types of question must be asked

• Extended Essay: added value? Question types/valid issues, etc

• Marking Workshop