1. No category

Positive about Practical
Introduction by Mark Dawe
Positive about practical
Establishing practical work
in science education in
England
Paper
Radical solutions in demanding times
Cambridge Assessment
Tim Oates
Group Director
Assessment Research and Development (ARD)
The ‘objective’
To ensure that courses leading to a recognised national qualification in
science include a rich and rewarding practical experience, leading to the
development of fundamental knowledge, essential skills, and effective
orientation towards scientific endeavour
‘…Skills and abilities such as practical and fieldwork, research, independent
study, extended writing and proof-reading are an integral part of a broad-based
education. They are also skills strongly demanded by Higher Education and
employers. So it is vital that these elements (typically associated, in the past,
with coursework assessment) remain important outcomes of the education
system…’
From
Radical solutions in demanding times: alternative approaches for appropriate placing of
‘coursework components’ in GCSE examinations – Oates 2013
Some statements…
‘…the curriculum is overly-dominated by assessment but if practicals do
not contribute to the grade then we won’t do them…’
‘…schools will simply sack expensive technicians…’
We need to get ourselves out of this dysfunctional set of behaviours
and beliefs
Access to ‘real science’ through assessment of practicals
‘…Science is not a whirlwind dance of excitement, illuminated by the
brilliant strobe light of insight. It is a long, plodding journey through a dim
maze of dead ends. It is painstaking data collection followed by repetitious
calculation. It is revision, confusion, frustration, bureaucracy and bad
coffee…’
Let’s face it, science is boring
New Scientist
Battersby 2009
‘…Often you spend a lot of time taking data that ends up being worthless, or at
least taking data to confirm reproducibility or narrow error. Maybe you even this in
the dark, with no-one else around. Sometimes you perhaps don't get a good
sample for a while (say you're making the samples via some
photolithography/deposition method). Maybe in analyzing your data you fry your
sample or figure out something wasn't turned on or working right, or that another
setting might be better on a certain piece of equipment -- so you have to fix things
and start again. But sometimes if you turn on the music, all this can be tolerable.
I personally tend to get bored doing the same thing for more than two or three
years. If you're lucky in your research position, hopefully you have two or more
things going on and things rotate in and out. This tends to be the case in R&D for
companies or for research labs... or even in academia when you get to supervise
several graduate students. The unfortunate thing is that this isn't usually the case
in graduate school, where you focus on one problem...’
Physics Girl PhD
http://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=323898
accessed 20 12 13
What is the purpose of practical work/coursework
‘…In our view, practical work, including fieldwork, is a vital part of science
education. It helps students to develop their understanding of science,
appreciate that science is based on evidence and acquire hands-on skills that
are essential if students are to progress in science…’
House of Commons Science and Technology Committee (2002)
Quoted in Abrahams, Reiss & Sharpe 2013 The Assessment of practical work in science
For the purpose of designing sound assessment (of practical work), there is a
need to be precise about the construct
Cambridge Approach 2009
What are we doing in ‘school science’ – science
education?
proto-science?
scientific enquiry?
emulating ‘real science’?
making ‘little scientists’?
effective foundational learning?
Rapid acquisition of counter-intuitive ideas and understanding of deeper
structures
Practical investigation
Practical demonstration
Securing precision of the construct
persistence
precision
methods of measurement
experimental design
experimental control and threats to validity
psychomotor co-ordination
principles and practices of safe working – handling equipment and materials
ethics of investigation
observation
recording
reporting
teamworking and collaboration
concepts of proof, adequacy, verification, falsification
rapid acquisition of counter-intuitive ideas and understanding of deeper
structures
specific outcomes – the HE requirement for specific preparation – mastery?
Pedagogic function
motivation and engagement
situated learning – recognition and retention
When we do investigations I’m perfectly honest with the kids. I’ll say to
them that, as a piece of science, I think this is garbage, in terms of getting
coursework marks it’s superb. So we’ll just play the game, we’ll spend two
or three weeks playing the game, getting some good marks, and then we
can move on and do some science again. That’s intellectual honesty.
P 136 Abrahams, I. Z. (2005). Between rhetoric and reality: The use and effectiveness of practical
work in secondary school science. Unpublished PhD thesis, University of York, UK.
Unacceptable and intolerable role conflict professional contradictions exerted on teachers by
‘controlled assessment’
Teachers are expected to achieve annual improvements in grade
outcomes, while acting as awarding body proxies regarding consistent, fair
and accurate marking
Contradictions exerted on awarding bodies
ABs design qualifications to national criteria, some of which lead to highlycompromised qualification structures: the judicial review into GCSE English
in 2012 – which had a 60% coursework component – cited poor design
criteria, emanating from the State, as a principal contributing factor to the
issues surrounding the award.
Exam boards are under pressure from subject organisations and teachers
to include coursework, but at the same time have to ensure dependability,
something which is hugely costly (contradicting pressures to hold or reduce
fee levels) and perceived as draconian and external by schools (producing
tensions around locus of control).
In the current context of drivers and incentives in arrangements (a condition
of hyper-accountability on all parties), coursework assessment exerts
unmanageable contradictions on teachers, and different but equally
unmanageable contradictions on awarding bodies
A solution for our time, and our set of circumstances…
The concept of DAPS and IAPS
Dr Rachael Sharpe
DAPS
Direct Assessment of Practical Skills (DAPS)
Any form of assessment that requires
manipulation of real objects to directly
demonstrate a specific or generic skill in a
manner that can be used to determine their
level of competence in that skill.
IAPS
Indirect Assessment of Practical Skills (IAPS)
Any form of assessment in which a student’s
level of competency, in terms of a specific or
generic skill, is inferred from their data
and/or reports of the practical work that they
undertook
DAPS
What is the principle of the
assessment?
A student’s competency at the manipulation of real objects is
directly determined as they manifest a particular skill
How is the assessment
undertaken?
Observations of students as they undertake a piece of practical
work
Advantages
High validity
Encourages teachers to ensure that students gain expertise at
the practical skills that will be assessed
Disadvantages
More costly
Requires teachers or others to be trained to undertake the
assessment
Has greater moderation requirements
IAPS
What is the principle of
A student’s competency at the manipulation of real objects is
the assessment?
inferred from their data and/or reports of the practical work they
undertook
How is the assessment
Marking of student reports written immediately after they
undertaken?
undertook a piece of practical work or marking of a written
examination paper subsequently taken by students
Advantages
More straightforward for those who are undertaking the
assessment
Disadvantages
Lower validity
Less likely to raise students’ level of practical skills
Driving Test in the UK
An example of the use of both DAPS and IAPS
• Assesses practical skill and conceptual
understanding respectively
• Demonstrate a sufficient level of competency in
terms of practical driving skills out on the road
(DAPS)
• Successfully pass an on-line test to assess their
understanding of how to drive a car safely and
competently (IAPS).
Topology
• Practical skills are, in some cases, better
assessed directly rather than indirectly.
…Whilst a conceptual understanding of the
topology of knots and manifolds might well
be assessed by a written task, the most
effective means of assessing whether a
student is competent in tying their shoe
laces is, we would argue, to watch them as
they attempt to tie them….
The role of a wide practical
experience at A level
“Miss, are we doing a practical today?”
Steve Jones Director
CLEAPSS
Practical work in A level
science…..
…..it’s a good idea!
Practical work is a ‘good thing’
• “Science without practical is like swimming without
water.”
Head of science quoted in SCORE, 2008
• “It’s what science is all about really… science is a
practical subject….”
Teacher quoted in Donnelly, 1995
• “Students in general like practical work in science…”
Millar, 2010
Alternative views of practical work
Not everyone is convinced!
• “Practical work… only has a strictly limited role to
play in learning science… much of it is of little
educational value”
Osborne, 1998
• “Practical work is generally effective in getting
students to do what was intended with physical
objects, but much less effective in getting them to
use the intended scientific ideas to guide their
actions and reflect upon the data they collect”
Abrahams and Millar, 2008
‘Out of the mouths’ of babes..’
“...my heart always sinks when the
equipment comes out in one of our
science lessons. Either the
experiment will work, and show what
we already know or it won't and we'll
have to spend ages explaining why it
didn't....”
Year 11 pupil
So why do we do practical work?
The purpose of practical work is to help pupils make links
between two domains of knowledge:
practical work
objects and
observables
ideas
'hands-on - minds-on'
'We need to increase the 'minds on' aspects of practical work, if
we want to make it more effective.'
Millar and Abrahams, 2009
Why do we do practical work in science?
‐ Key learning outcomes
knowledge & understanding of science
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Propose a question
Plan a strategy
Evaluate risk
Collect relevant data
Present data effectively
Process data
Interpret data
State a conclusion
Evaluate a conclusion
scientific enquiry & process
• State observable features
• State or use a classification system
• State a relationship between variables
• Show understanding of scientific theory
practical skills
“Hands on - minds on”
• Identify equipment
• Use equipment
• Describe a standard procedure
• Carry out a standard procedure
Millar and Abrahams, 2009
Practical work in the new A
levels – A good news story?
•
“ This is a great opportunity to make skills in the sciences for practical
work play a larger role…”
•
“self assessment…gave students a focus on things they needed
to achieve, and generally led to more engagement…”
•
“Students can see how their practical skills relate to the work they’re
doing”
•
Most students felt the new system would be an improvement since
it is not ‘all or nothing’ on one day.
•
“Lab book could be useful for UCAS applications…could also be taken
to an interview, to provide evidence of achievement!”
•
“Students felt that it would make practical work more important to
them to take seriously all the time rather than just during
controlled assessment...”
Feedback on the cross-board trial of the practical endorsement Dec 16th 2014
Increasing the amount of
practical work?
“In the sciences, there will also be a new requirement that
students must carry out a minimum of 12 practical activities,
ensuring that they develop vital scientific techniques and
become comfortable using key apparatus. This will make sure
that all A level scientists develop the experimental and
practical skills essential for further study” Michael Gove, 2014
“…..at A level it is just six over two years …. The reformed ALevel will require a minimum of 12 per subject …”
Glenys Stacey the Guardian, Feb 2015
Not every one is happy
- recent headlines
• “Science A level practicals face axe
despite barage of criticism, says MP”
• “Nicky Morgan calls for Ofqual U-turn on
scrapping science practicals “
• “Ofqual to press ahead with A-level
science reforms despite criticisms”
Some teachers are rejoicing –
possibly for the wrong reasons
"Whoopee! No more expensive and
time-consuming practicals! Theory
lessons and rote-learning all the
way!"
Sci Tech Technicians forum 2014 - A technician reporting a teacher’s comment upon
their return from an awarding body training session
Even some students are at it
“I begged my teachers to stop doing practicals
and teach the syllabus. I wish they would stop
trying to make it fun and just teach it because in
the end all that matters is my grade. My grade
depends on my exams. My exams depend on the
syllabus. Anything else in my opinion is a
complete waste of everyone’s time”
House of Commons select committee “Practical experiments in school science lessons and science field
trips” 2011
How has this happened?
•
•
•
•
•
The rise of high-stakes assessment
Pupil outcomes are everything
A narrow range of measures
Teach what is going to be assessed
If it’s not going to be assessed then its not
worth spending time teaching it...
How to make the most of the
opportunity
1. Be honest about previous attempts to
assess practical aspects of science
2. Reconnect with the real reasons for doing
practical work with pupils
Reconecting...
As the Chinese proverb says
Tell me, I'll forget.
Show me, I'll remember.
Involve me, I'll understand.
CLEAPSS
The Gardiner Building,
Brunel Science Park, Kingston Lane,
Uxbridge, UB8 3PQ
Tel: 01895 251496
Fax: 01895 814372
e-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.cleapss.org.uk
Subject Specialists
CHEMISTRY
BIOLOGY
PHYSICS
The OCR Practical Endorsement
• The OCR Practical Endorsement is a part of each of our accredited specifications • All OCR Biology, Chemistry and Physics specifications are now accredited
• The remaining clarification to be agreed between the awarding bodies and confirmed by Ofqual relates to the assessment criteria and their implementation.
Why we use practical activities in science
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
The introduction to scientific concepts;
Demonstration of physical phenomena; Familiarisation with apparatus, skills and techniques;
Data gathering and analysis;
An investigative approach to science;
Planning scientific investigation.
Main, P. (2014) Thinking like a physicist, design criteria for a physics curriculum, School Science Review, 95(352), pp. 46–52
The OCR interpretation
• All three sciences follow the same model • The model is identical for A & B specs, so the style of practical is not linked to the specification • Based on teaching & learning
• Giving teachers choice
Choice
• Familiarisation with equipment: microscope, burette reading, multimeter
• Structured practical to gather data: V/I characteristic, rate of reaction, respiration rate
• Short activity relating to ideas and concepts
• Class investigation using common equipment
• Individual investigations
• Research and report
Integrated into teaching and learning
the practical assessment siding
the teaching and learning line
the OCR model, practical assessment embedded in teaching and learning Teachers as Professionals
• Teachers plan their lessons to suit their own situation: class; room; timetable; equipment; support
• Teachers can select practical activities already routinely used in teaching and learning as the vehicle for practical assessment
• Teachers have the freedom to teach in differing ways, using defined short practicals or longer open ended investigations, or something in between
The OCR offer
• Twelve practical activity groups are defined and identified throughout the specification • OCR provides three practical activities within each group, including teachers notes and student sheet • Each OCR practical activity is mapped against the specification criteria and the Common Practical Assessment Criteria (CPAC) • Each OCR practical activity gives health and safety guidance and links to appropriate CLEAPSS information Progression
unscaffolded
scaffolded
Launch of Sample Activities
Examples of our practical activities in Biology, Chemistry and Physics are available….
Aims and skills covered
Links to specifications
Mapped to the endorsement criteria
Mathematical skills
Equipment
Health and safety
Notes
Recording
Extension opportunities
access on interchange or email [email protected] for the zip file
The Practical Skills Handbook
This resource has been valued by centres.
It is now being updated
for the new Practical Endorsement
Remember that there is also a Maths Skills Handbook to match the specified content
Success?
• To pass, a student must have demonstrated the appropriate skills and techniques for the subject and met the assessment criteria, having completed a minimum of twelve practical activities An appropriate record
• The student must retain an appropriate record of their practical work Find out more
Training provision:
Introducing the new specification – Biology, Chemistry and Physics
London 4th March
Manchester 17th March
Understanding & delivering the practical endorsement:
Booking now for London, Manchester and Birmingham, other venues to follow.
Regional Network and Cluster meetings:
If you are one of a local group of centres interested in on‐site training email the practical assessment support service [email protected]
Effective monitoring and
teacher workload
Frances Evans
ASE Field Officer
Practical work
• Good quality and effective practical work in science is
key to helping the understanding of concepts and for
creating enthusiasm for the subject
• The skills developed are key to successful progression
in science beyond the sixth form – and many of the
skills developed can be transferred to other disciplines
• Assessing practical work has been a contentious issue
and whether the current model is the best solution is
another debate
• What is essential here is that we make the current
system work for the benefit of the students and
workable for the teachers and technicians
Current situation in many
centres
• In many centres the focus is on the practical
coursework to the detriment of other valuable
practical activities
• The practical required for the coursework may be
limited in the development of a wide range of skills
and does not always provide opportunities for solving
innovative or novel problems/questions
• This may also lead to an intensive period of time in
which other learning within the subject is side-lined.
• This is stressful for teachers, students and technicians
alike
• Teachers can then find themselves stretched to cover
the rest of the specification
Monitoring v Moderation
• The monitoring process is different to
moderation/verification
• Moderation/verification is looking at the detail of how
the student work meets specific criteria
• Some of this is done remotely so the school/college
may not have face to face meetings with the
moderator
• The moderator may not be in a position to give
advice/support if they are not in the institution
• Monitors will have a ‘real’ visit to the school/college
and will take a holistic approach as to whether the
staff are implementing the practical endorsement
effectively
• Monitors will be in a position to offer advice and
suggestions
Role of monitoring
• The monitoring role is to check that the Practical
Endorsement is being implemented consistently across
Centres
• It is anticipated that the monitor will look at:
– How/when the practicals are/will be incorporated
into the scheme of work
– Teacher records of the assessment of skills
– Students records of their practical work
• The monitor will also have a detailed conversation
with staff about how they are implementing the
practical endorsement
• The monitor will also talk to students
How will this impact on
staff?
• Practical work can be spread across the year and be
more closely linked to the theory
• More practical work could be undertaken as part of
normal classes
• The pressure in the ‘assessment window’ has been
removed
• The fact the practicals are spread over the year means
technicians will have a more even spread of workload
• The method of recording of the Common Practical
Assessment Criteria (CPAC) is key to reducing the
workload for the teachers
• Involving the students so they can reflect on how they
are doing, and what they need to do to improve, can
improve the quality of learning and potential attainment
What monitoring is not!
• Even though the negotiated visit may include the
monitor spending time in the practical classroom,
the monitor is not assessing the teacher
• The monitor will not expect records to show all students
achieving a skill at the same time – it is a
developmental process. Some students will take longer
to master a skill compared to others
• The monitor will not expect to see ‘perfect’ student lab
books/records – these should reflect what they are
doing over the year as would be the case in a
research/commercial laboratory
Facts about the OCR model
• This model provides a choice of practical activities
with each of the twelve practical activity groups so
giving choice to the teacher
• OCR has done the mapping already
• There is an option for teachers to use their own
practical activity which then can be mapped
against the criteria
Keeping tabs
Minimum requirements
• documented plans to carry out sufficient practical activities which meet the requirements of CPAC, incorporating skills and techniques detailed, over the course of the A level.
• a record of each practical activity undertaken
• a record of the criteria being assessed in that practical activity
• a record of student attendance
• a record of which student met the criteria and which did not
• student work showing evidence required for the task • any associated materials provided for the practical activity The PAG Tracker
Link to excel spreadsheet
input class lists
to identify attendance at practical activities
tracking competences demonstrated
identify students failing to demonstrate any competence required
to add their own practical activity
to select chosen practicals for the year and check coverage of requirements
to identify individual items required and find practical activities to cover that item
Skills in EPQ and Crest awards
• With the Practical Endorsement separated from the A level, those skills & techniques which are specified in the endorsement can be evidenced in an investigative EPQ.
• Similarly any other award, such as the CREST Gold Award, can provide evidence of skills.
• In each case it is essential that appropriate records are maintained.
Practical Activity Support Service • Centres can submit their own practical activities for mapping against the criteria • Subject specialists advise on carrying out activities for the endorsement • Mapping can be provided for any external practical identified by a teacher • Dedicated Practical Activity Support Service [email protected]
Positive about Practical