Is it OK to help with coursework?

[longingforsomesleep]

DS's first piece of English coursework is due in this month and I'm wondering if it's OK for me to offer to read through it and make a few suggestions.

All work at GCSE level has been controlled assessment so this hasn't arisen before. Part of me thinks it's wrong for me to get involved with coursework but then I think that if it's being done in an 'uncontrolled' environment then presumably it's expected that students may get input from others.

Any thoughts?

I have no idea on the rights or wrongs, but I will certainly be checking the course work that the DSC hand in. (and by checking I do mean reading through and discussing rather than writing it myself).

If they don't want assistance from parents then I think it should be controlled assessment.

Most parents think this will help but the reality is that coursework is being marked for specific assessment objectives. In other words, the quality of writing, which is what most parents will pick on up, is actually only one component, usually of 4, and is likely to be the least weighted. These vary according to the exam board. The piece will not just be given an overall mark, the mark will be comprised of 3 or 4 different components which will be considered to give an overall mark.

Helping your DC is unlikely to make any difference unless you know exactly what your exam board is looking for and how this should be achieved.

Anything sent home is fair game if DC wants help.

Everyone's brains have been picked about music

Clonakiltylil - that's reassuring, thank you. I've been feeling quite guilty as I have a degree in English and feel I ought to get involved. However, the topic is Twelfth Night - not one of my favourite Shakespeare plays. I had planned to re-read it by now so I could have some meaningful discussion with him but it sounds like I wouldn't be able to help much anyway.

Ds Yr9 (studying GCSE topics already) has had to do two Geography projects for homework last term. An annotated model of a rainforest which covered 4 weeks and a 6 week projected on hot deserts presented at pupils discretion.

In the instructions on what content was expected of the projects there was a suggestion that the pupils got their responsible adult to listen to or read any presentations etc and to give feedback.

With regard to the model rainforest our "help" involved ensuring ds had access to any materials he required and an extra pair of hands for holding things in place for gluing etc. The actual content of the annotations, the most important part, was all done by ds - who I have to admit pleasantly surprised me with the detail he chose to put in and only once did we have to say that he may wish to look at the spelling on one of his labels.

Confused English teacher here - there is no coursework anymore - anything handed to the board must be done in schools as controlled assessments ....

I'm not an English teacher but in my subject, and my understanding of coursework in general, is that it is all now completed in school in 'controlled' conditions i.e. Controlled Assessment/CA. This was brought in by Ofqual to get around the unfair advantage some students - but not all - get from parent & teacher 'help'.

However, again in my subject, students can compile notes to take into the coursework-writing sessions. Ok to help with these I guess?

Yes they can compile notes (hiding as many spellings as possible if, like DD1 they are dyslexic).

They aren't supposed to practice the descriptive writing etc. but nothing stops them writing something very similar.

Music composition is done in school, but their school teachers and instrumental teachers brains get picked. This isn't really cheating as it's a totally new thing.

There is nothing like enough music timetabled lower down the school (and it isn't set) for them to do composition as independently as they would write a essay.

I believe a lot of MFL is still just learnt, parrot fashion and adapted to the actual question.

I think AQA IGCSE Englist Lit has a coursework unit. Otherwise it is worrying if a CA is being done at home! OP, if you know which board your DC is sitting, you can look up the Assessment Objectives/ mark scheme online, this might help you help them.

AQA AS Eng Lit has 2 pieces of coursework (not controlled assessments). Each counts for 20% of the overall marks. I was surprised too as I thought everything was done in a controlled environment now.

Oh, I see it's AS! That makes sense. Lots of A Levels have coursework - I'm an examiner for AQA, you're welcome to PM me if you need any pointers.

Lizzie - I may well take you up on that - thank you!

I helped my DS with English controlled assessment. However if you want to help properly, you do need to understand the exam mark schemes.

Given that ten years have passed since the OP posted and raised this question, I suspect she is probably no longer going to bother trying to understand the mark schemes.