School assessments being too easy? (1 Viewer)

[RealiseNothing]

Out of curiosity, how much did you get on his trial paper?

When I went and did it at Parra library I hadn't finished the course yet, so only got like 60 raw (even though 66 was the highest out of everybody who did it).

If I were to attempt it now having completed the course, I'd say about 80-85 within the time limit?

 

[Lieutenant_21]

When I went and did it at Parra library I hadn't finished the course yet, so only got like 60 raw (even though 66 was the highest out of everybody who did it).

If I were to attempt it now having completed the course, I'd say about 80-85 within the time limit?

Nice, expecting a state rank from you! I did that paper not long ago, I thought some questions were very tricky and really require a lot of intelligence to see how to do them.
I also found your complex numbers paper on a thread, have you written solutions to it?

 

[Sy123]

That would cause more trouble I'm afraid. The system itself is as fair as it will ever go in my opinion. It is hard to write one exam for a variety of schools at different stages of the year because schools set topics in different order and learn things differently. Our internal/external system is as fair as it will get.

If we had to have one system to cater all (like we do right now)
Is it fair to lower the quality of a course in order to give people a fair go?

Why does a fair go have to be a priority?

Of course like you have said Spiral, they could make 3U (Non Math) subjects. But look at the school trials for A LOT of the top selective schools. They are all pretty easy. The only respectable papers I have seen are Sydney Grammar ones and the odd one from other schools. So in the end if there are courses that cater to higher-end students, in the end teachers will abuse this and make easy exams for it.

 

[Sy123]

Setting difficult exams may separate the top and average students quite well, but I don't think it will be a good separator for the bottom to average people. But I'm sure students like yourself would love an exceptionally hard test all the time - but not many teachers can actually make hard exams.

Why is it necessary to separate bottom to average students?

 

[RealiseNothing]

I also found your complex numbers paper on a thread, have you written solutions to it?

Haven't written complete solutions, but I can write them to specific questions if requested I guess.

I really want to write a trial but using a proper program so it's format is like the HSC, but not sure if I have the time.

 

[Lieutenant_21]

Why is it necessary to separate bottom to average students?

EXACTLY WHAT I WANT TO SAY. But thought I shouldn't because "the system right now is fair and quite efficient".
Which is more important, separating idiots from average students or average from top students? Think of it this way.

 

[Lieutenant_21]

Haven't written complete solutions, but I can write them to specific questions if requested I guess.

I really want to write a trial but using a proper program so it's format is like the HSC, but not sure if I have the time.

I will do the the complex paper on Sunday this week (have conics test on Friday) and ask you if I need the solutions to any questions

 

[SpiralFlex]

Why is it necessary to separate bottom to average students?

Exact same reason for separating top and average students.

 

[Lieutenant_21]

If we had to have one system to cater all (like we do right now)
Is it fair to lower the quality of a course in order to give people a fair go?

Why does a fair go have to be a priority?

Of course like you have said Spiral, they could make 3U (Non Math) subjects. But look at the school trials for A LOT of the top selective schools. They are all pretty easy. The only respectable papers I have seen are Sydney Grammar ones and the odd one from other schools. So in the end if there are courses that cater to higher-end students, in the end teachers will abuse this and make easy exams for it.

Dude, I 100% agree with you!
There are a lot of things that can be improved in the current system. I can write like 10 pages of potential improvements and methods of teaching the students and prepare them for the actual HSC, not only to "at least pass maths extension because it scales well" but what is the point? Only a few will agree with me...

 

[Lieutenant_21]

Exact same reason for separating top and average students.

Why is separating bottom to average students prioritised?

 

[SpiralFlex]

Mr Sidis, your proposal was for all teachers to be "forced" to make harder exams? Elaborate on how this could be achieved?

 

[SpiralFlex]

Why is separating bottom to average students prioritised?

It's not, but separating top/average students shouldn't either. Is there a solution for this?

 

[Lieutenant_21]

If so, might as well make the HSC exams worth 100% of the HSC mark (no moderated internal school assessment mark).

That will be unfair for students who are not feeling good on the day etc... the point of my idea was to make the ranking process more fair for hard working and smart students, not ones who rote-learn the content to be examined the day before the test.

 

[Lieutenant_21]

It's not, but separating top/average students shouldn't either. Is there a solution for this?

HSC-STYLE EXAMS at HSC difficulty !!!
i.e. first assessment: questions 1-3 from a 4u paper (old format), assessment 2: questions 4-6, assessment 3: questions 7-8 and trials: questions 1-8 =)

 

[SpiralFlex]

That will be unfair for students who are not feeling good on the day etc... the point of my idea was to make the ranking process more fair for hard working and smart students, not ones who rote-learn the content to be examined the day before the test.

That is different to what I was talking about. If this is your opinion I agree. However what I thought you meant was make an exam so difficult that only the top 10% of the state would score highly whilst leaving the remaining students with a lower score.

 

[SpiralFlex]

HSC-STYLE EXAMS at HSC difficulty !!!
i.e. first assessment: questions 1-3 from a 4u paper (old format), assessment 2: questions 4-6, assessment 3: questions 7-8 and trials: questions 1-8 =)

But HOW when some people have inadequate teachers?

 

[Lieutenant_21]

I really want to write a trial but using a proper program so it's format is like the HSC, but not sure if I have the time.

I was reading about this today, you need a font called Computer Modern then you have to make it the difficult MS Word equations font or something, it is complicated I think...
I will ask my tutor, the papers he types are very similar to the HSC.

 

[SpiralFlex]

Use LaTeX it is nicer.

 

[Sy123]

That is different to what I was talking about. If this is your opinion I agree. However what I thought you meant was make an exam so difficult that only the top 10% of the state would score highly whilst leaving the remaining students with a lower score.

I thought 4U maths should be aimed at the higher capable students. i.e. the top 10%.

Just because everyone is doing it now doesn't mean difficulty needs to be lowered.
4U is 4U for a reason.

 

[Lieutenant_21]

But HOW when some people have inadequate teachers?

The teachers, theoretically, have to be adequate. They are preparing the students to sit the HSC exam so they must be able to teach them in a way so that they can do the HSC exam...
Maybe they should do something about the TEACHERS? I have seen teachers who can't do a simple questions in a maths paper lol but I have seen others who can give you the method + the solution by simply looking at the question.