The Language of Measurement

What does precision mean to you? Exactness is what it means to me. I think of precision engineering and I imagine things that need to be made to exact measurements with a low margin for error.

What about accuracy? To me, if something is accurate then it is both exact and true. But is there really a great distinction between accurate and precise?

Repeatable? Repeatable means that I can do something again, but does it mean that I get the same results each time, it does in science education.

I find the language stifling. The fact that during the nine years I have been teaching It has changed three times and that prior to 2011 there was no consensus on the use of terms shows what a difficult topic it can be.

I worry that there is too much emphasis on using certain, contrived, key words to score marks when we should be concentrating just as much on the thoughts of the student as on the accurate way they communicate them.


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Location:South West, UK

Improving our controlled assessment results

One thing I am certain of is that doing the same thing again (crossing or fingers and sailing very close to the wind) is not going to improve controlled assessment results. I don't like to use this phrase, but we have to train our students to pass them.

Is this a bad thing? Not necessarily as it does require students to be exposed to a variety of situations that will make them thing, compare and contrast, all thinking skills they would benefit from developing anyway. And it will mean we do more practical work and data work.

How will I train students to do well in their controlled assessment? And how will I ensure that the whole faculty are able to implement what I want?

I believe that the students should be exposed to each section of the controlled assessment mark scheme in chucks, and in a variety of ways. Doing it themselves, looking at other examples, and deciding on their own idea of what is a good piece of work. I think looking at work and being able to make up their own mind about the quality is important as they will have to decide themselves in the "real" controlled assessment.

We need to be very clear in our own minds about the language of measurement and correct the use of these key words in the work and conversations of the students. The conversations of students right from year 7. I just hope that the key terms and their meaning will remain fixed as this constant revision of the meanings causes unnecessary issues.

I do think that the new science GCSE is not easier than the previous ones, and it is much harder than the course I completed in 1996. The controlled assessment is a real step-up from the POAE we used pre-2006. I am starting to think a written exam would be preferable to the hell that is controlled assessment.

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Location:Rudgleigh Ave,Easton-in-Gordano,United Kingdom