CSEC ENGLISH SCHOOL BASED ASSESSMENT (SBA) OUTLINED
Paper 031, School-Based Assessment – (SBA – 21% of Total Assessment)
One SBA will be required to complete both aspects of the English Syllabus: English A and English B.
A student who does English A only OR English B only OR English A and English B will be required to submit ONLY one SBA. The SBA will be credited for both English A and B.
The SBA is expected to be done by each student working as an individual, and as a member of a small group approved by the teacher where:
- Individual refers to each student, who has responsibility for his/her own portfolio;
- the group refers to 4 – 5 students sharing a general topic and working together to brainstorm, discuss and solve problems research information, explain ideas, proofread each other’s work, learn from peers, improve oral skills, and practice social skills and leadership roles and compile written reports.
N.B. Group work is not optional. It is a part of the process of the SBA.
ASSIGNING MARKS:
The marks assigned to a student will consist of:
- his/her individual mark (Plan of Investigation, Oral Presentation, Reflection, Participation Measure):
- the mark assigned to the group (Quality of Group Behaviour, Written Report).
THE SBA OUTLINE
Students and/or teachers can create a number of themes (drug abuse, violence against women, natural disasters, etc.)
Each group will select a theme. Each student in the group will select a sub-theme based on the group theme.
Teachers can guide students to identify sub-themes through brainstorming the theme.
For example:
The Main Theme: Drug Abuse
The Sub-Themes can be:
- drug abuse treatments
- the effects of drug abuse
- how drug abuse contributes to crime
- how drug abuse affects teenagers
RESEARCH
After sub-themes have been selected, students will now find their three (3) pieces of data/artifacts that further explains the theme. These pieces of data (artifacts) can come in the following formats: a document (articles, tables, audio {a recording}, video, an interview, etc.). The student will select materials, that is, they can write a reflection on.
One of the three pieces must be print. Your audio can be placed on a CD or Flash Drive.
Students should not do any interviews or questionnaires for this research.
PORTFOLIO
Each student will create a Portfolio on an issue/topic/theme/event selected by the students in the group and approved by the teacher. The issue/topic/theme/event will also be orally presented. The issue/topic/theme/event selected should allow for meaningful research and presentation.
The Portfolio should include the following:
PLAN OF INVESTIGATION
An introduction to the issue/topic/theme/event (A satisfactory response should be no more than 100 words).
- Why did you choose this issue/topic/theme/event?
- What are the expected benefits to you as a student of English?
- How do you intend to collect relevant information on your issue/topic/theme/event and use this in your presentation?
- PARTICIPATION MEASURE – A measure of the candidate’s individual participation assessed by self and teacher.
- INDICATORS OF GROUP ACTIVITY:
A minimum of THREE pieces of material, for example, print, audio, visual media must be collected and presented in the Portfolio and should address the issue/topic/theme/event selected.
One of the three pieces must be print.
These pieces will form the basis for the process of inquiry and group work activities {cognitive, psychomotor, and affective} in which students will become aware of and practice English language skills.
- REFLECTION (150 words for each)
Students will then write their reflection of how the document/artifact shaped their thinking about the sub-topic they are exploring.
Students will then examine how the language helped them to further understand the sub-theme/topic.
Students will write a reflection based on EACH of the data/artifacts that they will use in their portfolio.
The final piece of reflection should state how doing this SBA or Sub-theme helped the student to become a better person or improve his/her attitude. (This can be done at the end of the year.)
The entire group will have 12 pieces of data/artifacts in total. Students must use their own pieces of material. Students should not have the same reflections. Each reflection must be individual.
These reflections should be written in class.
STRUCTURE OF THE REFLECTION
PARAGRAPH 1
State how the data/artifact has inspired you, affected you, impacted on you, and what does it remind you of.
PARAGRAPH 2
Comment on the use of language. Are the languages formal, informal, jargons, slangs, technical or distant tone? State how the language aid in your understanding of the sub-theme/topic.
PARAGRAPH 3
State how the sub-theme/topic helps you to become a better person, shape your attitude, etc. (This should be done at the end of the term.)
- WRITTEN REPORT (300 words)
A written report of the investigation should be a summary of the processes. Procedures and outcomes of the research.
It should include the material collected, reasons for selection and analysis of the material.
A satisfactory report should be about 250-300 words in total.
You can answer these questions in your written report.
- What steps have you taken to get your work done?
- How did you collect the data?
- Are you happy with the pieces you have done?
- Are you happy working as a group?
- Did you learn individually or as a group?
- Did you meet as a group?
- Do you think the group was effective working together?
This report should be written as a group.
- ORAL PRESENTATION (3-5 minutes)
This is individual’s personal contribution to the theme/sub-theme.
Students can write and present a poem, drama piece, or prose piece, or speech, or argument, or exposition – Students’ creative response after a brief overview of the research process.
A brief plan of the oral presentation must be submitted in the portfolio. This must be a part of the presentation.
This should be done in Standard English. Teachers will mark the presentation. Record this presentation and place it on a CD or Flash Drive.