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Secondary education

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Original poster

GCSE Coursework 'virgin'

13 replies

katiestar · 24/09/2009 22:49

My eldest is is Y10 and has just started GCSE courses.In my (O level) days there was no coursework at all ,so this is all new to me !
The first piece of Coursework that has come up is in English Language where he has to do a piece of original writing about a childhood memory.He has done the draft this week and has to hand it in to the teacher to mark.So where will he do the actual finished version.At school or at home?Also the fact that he has done the draft at home means it could be written by anybody at all and then handed in for marking (thus able to incorporate teacher's comments into final version )seems really odd.Is coursework really one big cheat ?

OP posts:
mumeeee · 24/09/2009 23:35

He will have to finish his coursework at school. It used to be done at home but that is changing now.

Original poster
katiestar · 24/09/2009 23:44

Will he have his draft versions to hand when he does it though.Because if so he might as well have done it at home ?Not that I'm complaining but it just seems that this sort of thing is a pretty obvious reason why grades have gone up so much since the 80s

OP posts:
Bellabellabella · 24/09/2009 23:45

The teacher will not actually 'mark' the work, they can only do this once. They may give suggestions etc on what could be done to improve the c/w.

brimfull · 24/09/2009 23:47

When dd was doing gcses I had absolutely no input or even idea she was doing coursework.

lazymumofteenagesons · 25/09/2009 19:12

coursework has changed this year. For example, none in maths and most of the rest is done on lesson time supervised, not at home.

Cortina · 03/10/2009 08:09

This seems mad to me, how much harder were O'levels? But perhaps I am missing something.

Those that are tutored our have a parent to get deeply involved to 'help' with this draft surely have a massive advantage?

The more time spent on the draft the better the final version, surely?

And if the draft can be used you would simply copy it to produce 'final' version in class?

Are English O'level was extremely tough in comparison. Timed comprehension which meant you needed to understand words like loquacious, garret etc! That's without the timed summary and directed writing test and composition.

Is it true you can also re-do it if you don't do well?

Have it all to look forward too, it's not too far away

Cortina · 05/10/2009 08:30

Really curious about this, if anyone can explain would be grateful, thanks!

thepumpkineater · 05/10/2009 08:50

Yes, lots of students cheat with coursework, and lots of parents don't admit it. Hardworking, neat and tidy girls tend to love it. Boys tend not to love it.

Obviously those with parental input, tutoring etc have a massive advantage.

I think it is very, very unfair and I wish it didn't exist OR it is done in controlled cirumstances in school time, so those students who genuinely fare better in non-examination situations, get a fair crack at top grades.

Other than that I think it is a pain for the students and a pain for the parents too.

Cortina · 05/10/2009 09:12

Not facing it yet but it seems a v unfair system indeed if what people have said is correct. If you can really take in a draft that you can copy exactly, that seems nuts to me, what's the point?

MissAnneElk · 05/10/2009 09:23

At DDs school course work is done at home. the teacher does mark it and gives current grade and suggestions on how to improve it. It can then be redone and given back for final marking. Yes, it's very unfair and I do believe coursework is one of the reasons why results look so much better these days. Maths is now 100% exam. I could never understand the logic of Maths coursework anyway. Science coursework does tend to be done in school.

I do think coursework does make the students work harder (unless of course it is being done by the parents). They also sit modules in Maths and Science which means the exam pressure is there throughout the two years of GCSEs.

gingertoo · 05/10/2009 09:24

When I worked with year 10 and 11 (as a TA) I couldn't believe how much help pupils got with their coursework.

In English, for example, they were asked to write an essay about 'Of Mice and Men'
They were given a 'guidance sheet' which practically told the pupils what to write paragraph by papargraph. As the teacher went through the guidance sheet she wrote specific examples and quotes on the board that should be used in the essay (this did of course rely on the pupil listening and taking notes so did not benefit every pupil!)After the 'first draft' the teacher added comments to improve the piece of writing - writing things like 'at the moment this is a 'C' but if you change this and this it will be a 'B'

I obviously don't know whether this happens in all schools but it did happen in several subjects in the school in which I worked...

Cortina · 05/10/2009 12:30

So essentially it rewards diligence?

thepumpkineater · 05/10/2009 15:31

Yes. But the whole education system these days is just about ticking boxes to pass the exams. Hence the high grades from some very average pupils.

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