English Extension 2 biased? (1 Viewer)

[the new guy]

Hey everyone,
I just got my marks for Extension 2 and suprisingly i received a very poor mark. 62%(31/50) which is basically a pass. This suprises me because my assesment mark was 94%. I have spoken with my teachers and principal and they are suprised as well...Of the 5 people in my class the top 3 got mid to high 40's for creative and the bottom 2 got low 30s for critical and film works. I believe (and my teachers also) that there may be an inherent bias against non creative writing. I was just wondering what exam marks people got and what type of writing they did (creative/film/critical etc) Please help me out, and get other 4 unit students to post here if you know any. Who knows if my hunch turns out to be true im goin straight to the top babey!!!!

fight the power lol!

 

[kami]

It's important to remember that your internal assessment mark and your external exam(or in this case submitted work) mark judge entirely different things. Your teacher assesses your process whereas the Board assesses your product, there is no reason why they would be at all similar so it is illogical to expect the difference in your external and internal marks to be about bias against certain mediums.

 

[cataleptic]

49/50, I did a short story that was mostly written in poetic prose, that sort of followed a play structure (2 acts and an interlude).

I don't know, I was pretty suprised with my mark. I tore down politics and religion quite a lot, so I must have been lucky enough to get a severely left wing, atheist marker who was on my wavelength.

Haha.

They say there is no bias but... I can't see exactly how they would regulate it.

 

[absolution*]

EE2 external tends to always be fairly inconsistent with internal marking relative to other subjects. I doubt bias comes into it.

 

[glitterfairy]

^ agreed.

A 10+/- mark difference between internal and external marks is definatly not unheard of.

 

[Captain pi]

Ask your principal for an anomalous result inquiry.

 

[the new guy]

EE2 external tends to always be fairly inconsistent with internal marking relative to other subjects. I doubt bias comes into it.

hey dont worry i am not trying to mooch marks or anything but i had my essay proof read by a Uni professor who said it was of better standard than many first year essays, i got it checked and triple checked by numerous english teachers, as far as im concerned it fulfilled all the requirements, i am just baffled as to why it got so mauled.

 

[gorgo31]

While I think that kind of discrepancy is really unfortunate, it is, as glitterfairy and absolution have said, a reality of the course. It is entirely possible to carry out a technically proficient process but ultimately create a work that doesn't reach the same level. In many cases, however, teachers are inclined to intervene to ensure that the rank order submitted to the Board of Studies reflects the individual quality of the major works submitted.

The other possibility, which is more likely, is that you've been delivered the full impact of the course's subjective nature. What you, your teachers and others think about your work could be entirely opposite to how the markers see it. This happens very, very often. Pay for a clerical recheck and see what your Principal can do, but don't get your hopes up. I'd suggest the best idea is just to move on.

 

[glitterfairy]

^ Not only that, but you will ALWAYS run up against subjectivity in anything artistic/creative, whether it's the Board, your teachers, university, or outside critics (whether amateur or professional).

Just because one person likes something doesn't mean someone else will. It's a fact of life, and in things like EE2 where there is no clear "right" and "wrong", you'll really feel it. Sorry dude!

 

[the new guy]

ok thanx yeh im getting a clerical error check done, but yeh you guys are right, just a bummer. o well still did ok overall so im stoked haha

 

[EmMindelan]

That is quite interesting though that you suggest a possible bias against critical works; the greatest disparity in marks that I know of from my school is a whopping 18 mark difference between the internal mark [47] and external mark [29] of one of my friends, who did a critical analysis. Other students doing critical and film MWs also appear to have performed below those doing creative MWs....which is interesting given I was worried that the sheer number of short stories submitted would disadvantage us....

 

[super katie]

Everyone is always so quick to blame the apparant "bias" or "subjectivity" of the subject, but I think that people should also possibly consider the notion that maybe they got a bad mark because *gasp* their mw wasnt all that crash hot. This isnt aimed at anyone specifically, but far out, its gotta be a possibility.

 

[braindrainedAsh]

I did EE2 two years ago and when I only got 36 for my exam mark and 49 for my internal my teachers were very surprised, especially when people in my class who the teachers thought wouldn't do as well got in the 40s. They tried to have it checked, we did a clerical recheck, my english teacher made inquiries etc all to no avail. I was the only one doing poetry in my class though, the others did short stories, so it was hard to compare.

Basically it is the risk that you have to deal with when you do a creative subject where the marking can be fairly subjective.... it sucks, and I know, I remember how upset I was, but I think unfortunately it's the way the cookie crumbles sometimes.

 

[Alimoe_KG]

mate...i think it's because of your concept....

 

[kiteblood]

Well a creative piece is extremely difficult to mark in an objective sense. A critical work, is, I'm guessing, marked in a more rigid fashion, as it's basically an extended essay. With creative writing you have to consider the intent of the author. And let's face it, with this new wave of post modernism it's pretty fucking easy to be pseudo intellectual without realizing it.

Alternately your work might suck balls.

 

[7th Sign]

your school probly overmarked you to start with...

markers look for different things...

some schools think their "kids" my be top in the state when really they are pretty average...

get over it..

I have a shit load of complaints about the hsc aswell

 

[little_lucifer]

I did an essay amd my internal mark was 47/50 and HSC result was 34/50. Therefore I got 40 all in all. I was very dissapointed especially because that meant it didn't count in my UAI calculation.

 

[jaihson]

I think that the reflection statement plays a big part in whether the work is successful or not. It was constantly stressed to us that a great major work can be torn to shreds if it is not supported by a skillfully written reflection statement - one that clarifies everything and draws the markers attention to specific things you've done.