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Original poster

Why not bring back coursework for GCSEs/A levels?

53 replies

notevenat20 · 10/10/2020 17:45

There seems a serious risk that exams won't run again in Summer 2021. Would it make sense for the govt/examining boards to introduce assessed coursework for this academic year? Maybe also some "controlled assessments"?

If the exams run then these can make up a low percentage of the mark but if they don't they can still awards grades.

Or are those not sensible ideas?

OP posts:
FredtheFerret · 10/10/2020 20:36

20% in History.

It was in response to OP saying 'Why not bring back coursework for A levels'? I was pointing out that it still exists and doesn't need bringing back. I understand Geography, English Lit and PE have it too. Not sure about other subjects.

MrsHamlet · 10/10/2020 20:44

English Lang also has 20%. Computer science too.

StaffAssociationRepresentative · 10/10/2020 20:54

Coursework done away with in most subjects at A Level unless there is a practical elements. BTECs are loaded with coursework those and they have a controlled assessment schedule.

The problem with coursework at gcse level and some A Levels was when parents were upset when they didn’t receive a high enough grade for their efforts 😂

Perihelion · 10/10/2020 20:56

Scotland has cancelled the Nat5 exams, equivalent to GCSEs. Will now be coursework and teacher assessment. Highers and Advanced Highers are still going ahead, starting later than usual.

Original poster
notevenat20 · 10/10/2020 20:59

It was in response to OP saying 'Why not bring back coursework for A levels'?

Yes, I really meant enough coursework that in an emergency (i.e. covid) you could award final grades using them as your basis.

OP posts:
StaffAssociationRepresentative · 10/10/2020 21:08

We have several sets of mocks planned to support CAGs this year - they will be run under exam conditions

MrsHamlet · 10/10/2020 21:17

Because "they" don't like coursework.

x2boys · 10/10/2020 21:23

There is no right. way really is. there ? My nephew did ok in his GCSE,s this year he's a bright kid who could have done very well if he had worked hard but he didn't really work hard and had he done his exams he possibly would have done very badly or. maybe ok if he had applied himself as it happened due to his teachers assessment he got enough to do a Btech which is great but what about those kids who would have pushed themselves to get better grades ?

Original poster
notevenat20 · 10/10/2020 21:41

There is no right. way really is. there?

There is definitely no right way to give grades for an exam only course when people haven't taken the exam. The only solution is to make it not exam only, have modules or anything else that spreads the mark giving out.

OP posts:
MrsHamlet · 10/10/2020 21:48

Modules were also banned. That's why we don't have them. Terminal exam only.

areyoubeingserviced · 10/10/2020 21:55

Too much cheating in coursework.
Agree with the poster who said that modular exams are the way to go.
It’s too late for this year’s cohort though.

Ellmau · 11/10/2020 00:19

Yes I had a friend who paid someone 20 quid to do his. Sadly for him he was caught.

Sadly?

noblegiraffe · 11/10/2020 01:04

Because it’s a fucking stupid idea.

Coursework tasks can’t be magicked, administrated and marked out of nowhere.

Tigerswife · 11/10/2020 01:34

Did GCSE’s the first year they were brought in. Loved the coursework, did much better in coursework as much less stressful than exams. DD should have sat GCSE’s this year but obviously didn’t which was a relief as she hated exams, suffered from anxiety and the stress she was under was ridiculous. Coursework would have been so much better for her. Discussed this with her today and she agreed bring back coursework.

Zoflorabore · 11/10/2020 04:36

Ds doing his A levels and his exams are next summer. One of his subjects is 100% coursework ( photography ) and mocks are next month for all students. His tutors are really pushing the importance of mocks and rightly so but I’m wondering if they’re expecting to have to use them for CAG’s again. I hope not as my ds still has a lot to learn.

LunaNorth · 11/10/2020 04:42

@noblegiraffe

Because it’s a fucking stupid idea.

Coursework tasks can’t be magicked, administrated and marked out of nowhere.

Any need to be so rude and aggressive?
Original poster
notevenat20 · 11/10/2020 06:17

Coursework tasks can’t be magicked, administrated and marked out of nowhere.

In university this is what is happening in several degrees. Is the extra difficulty in schools centralised moderation?

OP posts:
Popcornriver · 11/10/2020 06:41

So why not send the coursework off to be marked by someone independent instead of teachers

Original poster
notevenat20 · 11/10/2020 06:44

Sadly?

He was definitely at least a little bit sad about being caught. It was actually quite fun as the teacher just asked him to explain the first line. He hadn’t even looked at it.

OP posts:
sashh · 11/10/2020 06:44

I'm doing an OU degree. There was supposed to be an exam in May but it was sort of cancelled.

We were given the paper online and had 24 hours to complete it online and submit.

Now I have a number of disabilities that would have been accommodated in an exam by having a scribe and extra time / rest breaks.

These could not be applied.

The OU has given everyone the option of reassessment for this exam by completing an exam designed to be completed online.

If you brought course work back for school exams you would also need to have adjustments for students.

Attempted cheating in coursework is rife, teachers try to stamp it out and BTEC has robust procedures for dealing with it which can include cancelling all students' work from a particular cohort. That's the extreme end and I'm not sure it has ever happened.

KitKatastrophe · 11/10/2020 08:02

@silenceattheback

No, modular exams would be better so students are tested throughout their GCSE years and not all lumped at the end of Year 11 with no real options for retakes.

The current pressure is extreme.

Yes I agree with this. If there had been modular exams, then last years cohort could have had their grades given based on their average performance in the modular exams they had already completed, rather than just teacher assessment.
KitKatastrophe · 11/10/2020 08:11

I used to be a science teacher and the controlled assessments were a joke.

We werent allowed to show them the paper but we could give them a "practise paper" with nearly identicaly questions and give them feedback on it (I.e. tell them what to write). We could say things like "it a questions asks about validity you might want to make these three points" which would be the 3 things on the mark scheme. That sort of thing. We regularly had D grade student achieve an A* for their controlled assessment.

TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross · 11/10/2020 08:12

@Popcornriver

So why not send the coursework off to be marked by someone independent instead of teachers
Who?
movingonup20 · 11/10/2020 08:25

There was controlled assessments 2 years ago in many subjects, new spec so I'm pretty sure it still exists

MrsHamlet · 11/10/2020 09:18

In university this is what is happening in several degrees. Is the extra difficulty in schools centralised moderation?

No. The problem is that these are accredited National qualifications. The one I mark has 500,000 candidates. Coursework is not and never has been an accredited part of it.

So why not send the coursework off to be marked by someone independent instead of teachers

These people exist. They're called moderators. They are trained in what is required for each standard. But there are no standards because Coursework doesn't exist. In theory, the awarding bodies could recruit from their existing pool to moderate, but coursework is a very different ball game to work with than exam marking. I've done both extensively.

BTEC has robust procedures for dealing with it which can include cancelling all students' work from a particular cohort. That's the extreme end and I'm not sure it has ever happened.

All exams with coursework have the same procedures. I know of candidates who have has the coursework mark 0 as a result of cheating.

There was controlled assessments 2 years ago in many subjects, new spec so I'm pretty sure it still exists

Creative imedia still has them. The DT courses still have them. But they're not generally highly weighted and they're not part of all subjects.