2 hours, 3 essays (1 Viewer)

[flynn]

Why, oh why, is our skill in HSC English tested by well we can write three essays in two hours under stressful conditions, having to memorise quotes (memorising quotes can't be an english skill can it?) and write short essays that don't come near the actual knowledge of the topic that we really have?

My mark is going to reflect my ability to write fast, memorise quotes and techniques, deal with the stress, and manage time, not actually my abilities in the general area of English and English literature. Some people I know are so insightful in class when it comes to English, yet in an essay they cannot memorise everything. Some people can memorise everything, or memorise essays, and get great results in exams. The few times when we have been assessed (internally) on other abilities (pre-prepared orals, etc.), the marks people received were different to those in exams.

Since when were these conditions essential English skills that make the subject so vitally important it has to be compulsory? You may say that these conditions are the same for all students, and the test is therefore fair, but different students will cope differently, some better than others, and seeing as they are unfair conditions in the first place, the marks that supposedly measure our skills in English will also be unfair.

I'm not being very coherent, but I hope you understand.

 

[jumb]

Why, oh why, is our skill in HSC English a test of how well we can write three essays in two hours under stressful conditions..

Let ME ask YOU a theoretical question:

How do you tell who is better, out of 2 people getting 100%?

You cant, so they apply these time limits give a wider range of marks. If we had more time, almost everyone would get 100%.

This is the only way to do it. Case closed.

 

[ur_inner_child]

yeah i've always figured that the english exams tested us on how much of a "parrot" we are and our ability to regurgitate everything later at a specific moment...

I mean, I think every single person has the ability to write a perfect essay. We have a whole year, and teachers to talk to.

But it's a matter of whether you can write it on THAT moment. Same with music/drama pracs. We KNOW our piece. We've done it perfect a hundred times. It comes down to luck - that you don't make a mistake on the actual exam.

It sucks, and that's why they're changing the HSC course in a few years.

 

[ur_inner_child]

EDIT MY LAST POST: It sucks, as in the HSC english course.

ANyways, I think jumb has a point too.

Enough english. I'm off.

 

[flynn]

Let ME ask YOU a theoretical question:

How do you tell who is better, out of 2 people getting 100%?

You cant, so they apply these time limits give a wider range of marks. If we had more time, almost everyone would get 100%.

This is the only way to do it. Case closed.

YOU missed my point Jumb...

The application of these other conditions is unfair, as it is not an English skill. More ridiculous, but exactly the same thing, would be if they did the exams and then tested us to see how fast we can sprint 100 metres, and used that to differentiate between 100% students. I'm not saying I can think of an alternative, but I'm sure the Board of Studies could if they applied their academic minds to it.

 

[jumb]

I understand what you're saying.

I agree, it does suck that it come down to how fast you can write. But theres no better way to mark the exam.

However, it's not just how much you write, it's also about the quality of your work. Such as marking a 10 page essay thats crap, compared to a 10 page thats good quality.

 

[Not-That-Bright]

You do not need to write that much... if you cannot write fast enough to get down the size essay they'd probably recommend (5 pages or something) then i'd say you should apply for special provisions and get a writer.

 

[+GriM ReApeR+]

heh, I agree with not-that-bright...since when is being able to write pages and pages of regurgitation an english skill?

oh well, its over now, dont worry ^^

 

[Sarah168]

I think it's more of a test of your ability to think clearly and be articulate under pressure through the CONCEPTS you have learned rather than demanding you to be a parrot...Im not saying it's easy but I definately think the Modules paper is a good one. As for Aos....<insert swearing>

 

[coroneos]

was it supposed to be in first person?

 

[Finchster]

And I ask you this question.

Would an employer want to hire someone who can complete 100% of an exam in the fastest time possible and get 50% of it correct.

Or would they rather the person who took their time and only completed 50% of the exam and got 100% of it right?

 

[lucyinthehole]

an employer wants someone who completes 100% in the fastest time possible, and gets 100% right....

 

[ur_inner_child]

Or would they rather the person who took their time and only completed 50% of the exam and got 100% of it right?

Technically then, for the HSC, your final result would be 50% right.

Tee hee. I see your point, I'm just being technical for some reason.

 

[Finchster]

Never in your career will you do something like the English exam, never again in your life will you be under the pressure of forty-minutes and be forced to recall three essays consecutively within the span of two hours.

The board of studies should be preparing us for the workplace, it is where we are headed not to a literary analysists college.

Its bad enough that they make this English course compulsory and disadvantage the scientifically and mathematically gifted people let alone put every student throughout the state through this ridiculous testing process that will be of no value to anyone.

 

[lucyinthehole]

i don;t know about that. i don't think it's BOS's job to prepare us for the workplace. and keeping that inmind, they have VET courses for that kind of thing. but rather, i think their job is to educate us, and intellectually stimulate us. and analysis of texts is not completely useless in that respect. what happened to the idea of knowledge for the sake of knowledge?

 

[Finchster]

The point of school is to get the UAI to get into university to get a job or to get a HSC and to get a job. Either way their duty should be to prepare us for the workplace because thats what education culminates to. Knowledge for knowledge's sake is fair enough but uninteresting and not useful knowledge is kind of pointless in the grand scheme of things,

 

[coroneos]

that eng test was srsly warped though. People I know got totally wasted... Some only wrote 1 page for the last question.

 

[..:MizJay:..]

title

why dont they change the name of the course from English to something to do with memories.. i dun know!!

 

[ignorance=bliss]

someone mentioned a change in the hsc course/....

does anyone have any idea on how & when the syallbus n the whole hsc thing is gunna b scrapped/altered? im really interested to know what they plan to replace/alter it with, when, why & if it will be more benefical/fair for furture students.

anyone with info plz post back

 

[ur_inner_child]

does anyone have any idea on how & when the syallbus n the whole hsc thing is gunna b scrapped/altered? im really interested to know what they plan to replace/alter it with, when, why & if it will be more benefical/fair for furture students.

anyone with info plz post back

think it was 2010