ST ALOYSIUS COLLEGE

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
HSC STANDARD & ADVANCED COURSES
AREA OF STUDY: DISCOVERY
ASSESSMENT NOTIFICATION
Date(s):
Form:
Time Allowed:
Weighting:

November 22nd 2016 (periods 2, 3, 4 & 5)

Viva Voce Presentation (oral task)
4 minutes, plus 1 minute live preparation time
15

As a response to a question selected from the published question bank,

students are required to demonstrate their understanding of the Area of
Study focus in terms of the various texts studied this term. This will
involve discussing how both the prescribed text and ONE other text of
own choosing contribute to an understanding of the concept of discovery.
Students are encouraged to revise their prescribed and own texts
thoroughly in preparation for the task. This will involve assessing the
perspectives on discovery being presented and the associated ideas
being explored in each. As always, the students ability to weave their
discussion of both texts into a convincing thesis will be crucial to the
response.
A discussion of both the prescribed text and the text of own choosing
must include an expression of how the concept of discovery is being
portrayed. This will involve making reference to any significant language
or structural techniques/devices used by the composer to reinforce this
portrayal. Whether discussing a novel, a memoir, a film, a television
program or a poem (to name only a few), language forms/features and
structures of texts must be addressed.
The students will be required to present their understanding of two texts
by way of a discussion, prompted by one question selected by the marker
from a bank of published questions. The bank of questions will be made
available in week 5 via Canvas. This presentation is not designed to be a
prepared speech that is delivered in a formal manner, but rather a more
fluid presentation of the conceptual understanding of the two texts. The
allocated time for the viva voce presentation is 4 minutes. Students
should be prepared to speak on both their texts in an extended manner in

response to one stimulus question. Once in the assessment room,

students will be invited to sit at the table with the marker. Students will
not be permitted to bring notes or other preparation material into the
assessment room, but a blank piece of A4 paper will be provided for
planning and one minute of planning time provided. The purpose of the
planning time is to ensure a well-considered and well-structured
presentation.
An important part of the marking criteria is an assessment of the
students ability to present an argument in an engaging manner. This will
involve employing effective eye contact, using language and tone
appropriately, offering clarity and variety of argumentative voice and, as
far as students are comfortable, using appropriate gesturing.
All speeches will be presented in the periods indicated at the top of this
notification. For this reason, students will be allocated a time to speak
(rather than selecting times independently). These allocations will take
into account any potential assessment demands of other subjects on
these particular days.
Times and venue allocations will be published by Week 7.
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Marking process
All speech presentations will be video recorded. This is to assist the
marking process by allowing all presentations to be documented and
retained.
All speeches will be assessed live by a primary marker and then played
back and assessed by a second marker.