You basically proving my point, exam questions like that are aimed at setting the people who KNOW how to "attack" the quetion apart from people who didnt. Band 6's from the band 3's. I may have put it a bit offensivly, but for the people who actually understood what the questions were and Why they had been put in there its way unfair for an appeal to be met JUST because the other people in the exam went in there and were just surprised or "thrown". It's ridiculous that people are complainging that an exam was hard. Exams are supposed to be hard. They are MADE for us to show how we can APPLY our knowlegde. The third section question was made for exactly that, to APPLY our knowlegde, not just spew up everything and anything we've learnt. deal with it, seriously.
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What bos said about the sor 2009 hsc exam (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter mesbaz
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FUN.sized
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- Sep 11, 2008
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- HSC
- 2009
I'm in cahblue's religion class and none of us were thrown by it, I was a bit WTF at it's english/ancient history-esque style of questioning but we all rolled with it well. We're some of the lucky ones I guess.It seems that most people are stressing over the Christianity question, I was looking at that with my grandparents today and without even doing that as a module, I'm pretty sure I could have pulled something out of my ass knowing what about how practices (like the taking of the bread or going to sunday mass) mean to a Christians adherence, simply because I know the significance of Hajj and Buddhist rituals mean to the adherent and their respective communities. So sorry, there's only sympathy from me, NOT empathy.
KillerIsMe
Very Special Master
The questions were bias, they were much easier for Buddhism and Hinduism than the others because they clearly specified what they wanted and were HSC syllabus not prelim.It sucks that for Christianity it was a single dot point in prelim.The issue is: they actually aren't allowed to do this for SOR1.It was 20/50 marks, so 40%They are only allowed to asses 30% prelim work.What a wrought.
Yea I don't thnk you're in the minority. But if you compare the 14000 to the rest of the people who didn't wlecome the q... that's a huge difference. Again, if you compare 14000 who welcomed the q this yr..... to the 100% that wlecomed the questions from the previous years... then that's a worry ... coz that 14000 are probable about 10% of the students sitting the hsc.
I reckon its just that people got heaps freaked by originally reading the question, and then couldnt get out of that mindset. the overall comments at our school was that we all just had to sit back for a moment and really think about the components of it and how it could have related to any of the modules in the course. and thats what i mean about how it set the different bands apart, some people could do that and some couldnt. although..in saying that, our entire class could have easily done it all wrong, and simply thought we were doing the right thing. only time will tell.
Clearly I'm not the idiot because I knew how to answer the question, KIDDING don't kill me. I meant in regards to someone saying "they should have given us a warning they were changing the question". The point of the exams is to test your knowledge and understanding of what you've learnt over the year, and it was a deliberate attempt to stop people from thinking "The essay can be on three things from my tradition so I'll learn a memorised essay for all of them". It's not the BOS fault that you weren't prepared enough to answer a question that asked you to actually use your brain, instead of just reciting information that you'd been told in class.
Okay, I agree exams are made to differentiate the top students from the bottom. But you got to admit, a question like that is a DRASTIC difference from past papers of 07 and 08? I dont know about others, but I've prepared everything within my powers for the SOR 2U exam, (even the 2u essay was full of it) but given a question like that i honestly, did not know how to approach it. Just because I did not know how to approach it does that mean im automatically categorized in the B3 section? Not only me but the 150+ students of my school were left stunned. It is obvious BOS wants to 'have fun' with the exams this year, sure a question that is challenging is all fine, but a question that left thousands of student clueless? There's gotta be a problem. And yes, the way you expressed your post was rude, which prompted me to reply.
i did islam which was just as confusingly worded, but im still in the 14000 that welcomed the question....and all our prelim course is "assumed knowledge", meaning they can ask questions that involve stuff from yr 11 because we HAVE learnt it.
Omggg it wasn't from the preliminary course! Do you actually think the board of studies would be stupid enough to set a paper that assessed more than they are allowed to? The christianity question was asking you to discuss the aspects of your depth study, the depth study that you LEARNT IN YEAR TWELVE.
Fair enough. To me, I didn't understand what they were asking.... did they want us to talk about one of the 3 components... or all three... and the quote (Christianity I'm referring too) I saw had no connection to what I had studied. They should've been more precise like they have been previous years. But you might have seen this differently.. and interpretted it well.
(of course my post was rude, which prompted your reply. i want replys, i want to talk to people abou tit. such is the point of a forum. unfortunetly, if i just put in an opinion nicely, no one talks to it, you dig?)and, seeing as im not so could at putting my point across in a lovely little paragraph, look at the post aboce yous by icla, that is exactly what i think, and is exactly what is right.
I agree with that too. To add on that.... if they wanted to make it a bit different than previous years... they could've approached it in a more simpler manner... because they obviously know we're expecting that they've done previously... sooo they should precisely state that they want us too talk about all 3 components... and whats with the quote as well as speakng about all 3 components as well as assessing... if so, each yr they should alter it slightly.... this yr they altered it wayyy toooo much.
I think thats a bit fabricated with the '14000' exactly, just out of curiosity, how are they supposed to accumulate that number? It must be an estimate. Im sure, students dont call them up and be like 'hey man, great section 3 bro' I gave a call yesterday to BOS the lady told me, they receive around 1,200 calls from students/teachers/parents regarding that section and are expecting more to come. My english tutor who was doing the English helpline receive 25 or so calls regarding religion when the calls are for english. It definitely shows that there are major concerns.
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For everyone thats saying the question required us to ' apply our knowledge ' not ' memorize it ' youre being quite vain.
Yes you understood and answered the questions, but the information you used to answer it is from the content you read/practiced/memorised no ?
this isnt about the content, its about the way the question was set out and the ambigious manner in which they were set out.
If they wanted to test us on all three areas as a ' discriminator ' to see who knows what that is FINE. i would have loved that, but they should have worded it in a way that we could understand ! that is what everyone is complaining about , the way the question was worded.
The subject isnt about your ability to ' understand ' or 'decode' the english language, its about showing your knowledge. and to show your knowledge you need to be asked a question you can answer, or atleast be given a reference to what they want you to answer.
And those people who loved the question you ARE the minority. Clearly you have no knowledge about propaganda or politics. READ BETWEEN THE LINES. you could do it in the test supposedly so do it here too. what miss taylor is saying is that although we have had people complain, not all 14000 have complained. well that is why i started this thread. to inform people that if you want ot be heard you have to take the initiative.
A lot of people a busy with exams right now theyre not surfing these sites.
And don't you dare say that the bands allowed them to distinguish band 3's from band 6's. Every single person who is distraught has studied for this course. wants to get a good atar, wants to get into a good course. if we wanted band 3 we certainly would not care ! All this indicated was your ability to decode a question. Your ability to perform well in studies of religion can only be found when given a fair question that everyone can understand and answer with the knowledge that they have. thats when a real comparison can be made. Not to mention that iv already heard of 10 teachers who themselves said they had no idea what the question was asking. Dont tell me that after studying SOR for two years you think you have more capability and knowledge about it than people who have been teaching the course for years. youve got to be kidding yourselves....
Anyways, this is pointless. the thread was to inform those who cared not those who just want to come here and boast about how well they answered the question.
AND. if i want to complain i will complain. thats a right. its called freedom of speech. if you dont like it youre free to ignore it. but dont come here and tell me that after a years worth of studying and working towards an atar i had my heart set on i should just get over it because YOU are ' sick of people complaining. '
Yes you understood and answered the questions, but the information you used to answer it is from the content you read/practiced/memorised no ?
this isnt about the content, its about the way the question was set out and the ambigious manner in which they were set out.
If they wanted to test us on all three areas as a ' discriminator ' to see who knows what that is FINE. i would have loved that, but they should have worded it in a way that we could understand ! that is what everyone is complaining about , the way the question was worded.
The subject isnt about your ability to ' understand ' or 'decode' the english language, its about showing your knowledge. and to show your knowledge you need to be asked a question you can answer, or atleast be given a reference to what they want you to answer.
And those people who loved the question you ARE the minority. Clearly you have no knowledge about propaganda or politics. READ BETWEEN THE LINES. you could do it in the test supposedly so do it here too. what miss taylor is saying is that although we have had people complain, not all 14000 have complained. well that is why i started this thread. to inform people that if you want ot be heard you have to take the initiative.
A lot of people a busy with exams right now theyre not surfing these sites.
And don't you dare say that the bands allowed them to distinguish band 3's from band 6's. Every single person who is distraught has studied for this course. wants to get a good atar, wants to get into a good course. if we wanted band 3 we certainly would not care ! All this indicated was your ability to decode a question. Your ability to perform well in studies of religion can only be found when given a fair question that everyone can understand and answer with the knowledge that they have. thats when a real comparison can be made. Not to mention that iv already heard of 10 teachers who themselves said they had no idea what the question was asking. Dont tell me that after studying SOR for two years you think you have more capability and knowledge about it than people who have been teaching the course for years. youve got to be kidding yourselves....
Anyways, this is pointless. the thread was to inform those who cared not those who just want to come here and boast about how well they answered the question.
AND. if i want to complain i will complain. thats a right. its called freedom of speech. if you dont like it youre free to ignore it. but dont come here and tell me that after a years worth of studying and working towards an atar i had my heart set on i should just get over it because YOU are ' sick of people complaining. '
well said
.if you dont like our opinion then you are free to ignore them. It is everyones right to come here and say what they feel, thats called freedom of speech. I'll agree that the questions were set in a freaky way, i don't dispute that everyone has a right to complain about that. but what IM complaining about, is the people who are saying that "it wasnt in the syllubus". that is obviously not you, so my opinions do not apply to you, diggit?