ABOUT THIS COURSE

This new course focuses on developing a deeper understanding of assessment in OCR A-Level History and provides opportunities to explore strategies to enhance exam performance for all students. The course will enable teachers to develop their understanding and skills needed to assess student responses to the different question types on OCR A-Level History exam papers. The course will also emphasise those teaching and learning strategies which will best facilitate improvement in student performance with a focus on the role of assessment for learning

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BENEFITS OF ATTENDING

• Develop a deeper understanding of the assessment demands in OCR A-Level History
• Discover what examiners are looking for in top band answers
• Improve your ability to assess and improve student responses
• Strengthen your approach to producing high level work for the NEA
• Take away strategies and approaches to maximise students’ marks in the exams
• Find out more about how to give the most effective feedback to students

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Introduction and the Assessment Criteria

10.00 – 10.30am

• Develop a critical understanding of exam board assessment standards Gain an appreciation of the precise demands of the exam papers
• Understand how to use the exam report feedback Assessment objectives and the implications for teaching and learning
• Creating effective student accessible mark schemes which will ensure enhanced learner engagement and appreciation of assessment criteria.

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Effective Assessment of Extract Questions

10.30 – 11.15am

• Understanding the requirements of extract exercises
• Approaching interpretations: Identify, assess, evaluate
• What is meant by “convincing argument”?
• Analysis of where marks are lost. How your students can avoid missing out on marks
• Focus on the effective use of annotation
•  Examine exemplar feedback summation frameworks which facilitate successful student feedback

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Break

11.15– 11.30am

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Effective Assessment of Source Questions

11.30 – 12.2opm

•  Understanding the requirements of source exercises What is meant by effective interrogation evaluation? How to produce a convincing argument of value
• Analysis of where marks are lost. How your students can avoid missing out on marks
• Focus on the effective use of annotation
• Examine exemplar feedback summation frameworks which facilitate successful student

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Lunch

12.20 – 1.20pm

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Effective Assessment of Essay Questions

1.20 – 2.10pm

• Gain a working understanding of the concept of placing responses within levels
• How to instil an appreciation of the differing requirements of breadth and depth essays
• Enhance understanding of the requirements of higher-level responses to essay questions
• Selection and application of appropriate knowledge. What is meant by precise knowledge?
• Using annotations for effective student feedback

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Afternoon Break

2.10– 2.15pm

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Achieving the highest levels in the Non-Examined Assessment

2.15– 3.00pm

• The most effective methods of structuring the NEA, how much focus should there be on each Assessment Objective?
• Getting the most out of sources and interpretations in the context of the NEA
• How to demonstrate an understanding of the nature of history as a discipline
• Consideration of what constitutes a fully analytical response
• Practical guidance on the practicalities of delivering the NEA

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Strategies for integrating assessment into examination preparation

3.00 – 3.40pm

• Developing an effective skills-based curriculum with an emphasis on assessment
• Strategies for promoting student engagement in the assessment process
• Maintaining a monitoring strategy which has an impact across the entire course
• Enabling students to conduct an effective skills audit and set individual targets which will have a measurable impact on performance.

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