Stuart McMahon – 2A Assessment Task 2 - 18377822

Sample Formal Assessment Task Notification – Part A

Modern History – Year 12
Core Study: Power and Authority in the Modern World 1919–1946
Sample for implementation for Year 12 from 2018

Context

In class, students have investigated the nature of power and authority through a broader transnational
perspective. Students have a thorough understanding of the rise of dictatorships following World War 1 and
the Nazi Regime to 1939. This task presents an opportunity for students to investigate through the lens of a
prominent Individual (Hitler) how democracy can collapse, how dictators can achieve power and the impact
this has on a society. Students have the opportunity to evaluate the role of Hitler through methods of
historical investigation and integration of evidence than present their findings/judgements to their peers.

Task number: 1 Weighting: 30% Timing: Term 4, Week 8

Outcomes assessed
A student:
MH12-2 proposes arguments about the varying causes and effects of events and developments
MH12-3 evaluates the role of historical features, individuals, groups and ideas in shaping the past
MH12-6 analyses and interprets different types of sources for evidence to support an historical account or
argument
MH12-8 plans and conducts historical investigations and presents reasoned conclusions, using relevant
evidence from a range of sources
MH12-9 communicates historical understanding, using historical knowledge, concepts and terms, in
appropriate and well-structured forms
Nature of the task

“Evaluate the Role of Hitler in achieving and consolidation of power in Nazi Germany 1918-1939”

This task is comprised of two sections. Students are required to investigate and research this question and
present their findings in the form of a presentation.

Part A: Research Task (700-1000 words) (Due in Week 8)

Equivalent to 1000 words, this section requires you to show your findings in the form of a mini-essay. It
does not need to address all your findings, but what you evaluate as important to the research question.
This part may include:
 The initial rise of the Nazi party in the 1920s
 The fall of the Weimar republic
 The charismatic nature of Hitler
 Nazi ideology and Nationalism
 Initial consolidation of power
 Various methods used by the Nazi regime to exercise control
 How the Nazi State was run, Hitlers involvement.

You may address a few, all or find more reasons outside of these that may assist you in answering the
research question. You may see Hitlers role as critical or just as a figured head for the Nazi party, it is your
decision as long as you back up your arguments with relevant evidence.

Part B: Presentation (2-3 Minutes) (Due in week 9)

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Stuart McMahon – 2A Assessment Task 2 - 18377822

You are to present your findings for a minimum of 2 minutes and maximum of 3 to the class in a
presentation form of your choice, Check with your teacher. Your findings need to be presented in clear and
succinct manner and you must include and discuss a minimum of THREE (3) primary sources as evidence.
In your presentation, consider:
 the methods you will use to present e.g. Video, PowerPoint, animation, role play, speech. You are not
limited, you can present your findings in any way you feel is best.
 Your arguments are logical, clear and concise.
 Communication is clear and effective in delivering your arguments
 Your incorporation of sources is clear an evident and contribute to your arguments
Marking criteria
You will be assessed on how well you:
 Conduct an historical investigation and present reasoned conclusions, using evidence.
 Form judgements about the role and causes of a historical individual and movements
 Communicate a logical, structured and cohesive response, using historical knowledge, concepts and
terms.

Feedback provided
 The teacher will provide written feedback outlining strengths and areas for improvement in students
evaluating the role of prominent individuals/events, communicating historical understanding, the
analysis of sources and the integration of evidence, to guide future learning.

Marking guidelines

A student: Mark range

 presents sophisticated arguments for the causes and effects of events and
developments in Germany 1918-39.
 forms sophisticated judgements about the role of Hitler
 presents a comprehensive analysis and interpretation of relevant sources in support of 25-30
an historical argument
 presents clear and sophisticated conclusions to support an historical argument through
the use of relevant evidence from a range of sources
 communicates high level historical understanding in an appropriate form

 presents arguments for the causes and effects of events and developments in Germany
1918-39.
 forms judgements about the role of Hitler
 presents an analysis and interpretation of relevant sources in support of an historical 19–24
argument
 presents clear and concise conclusions to support an historical argument through the
use of relevant evidence from a range of sources
 communicates thorough historical understanding in an appropriate form

 presents some arguments for the causes and effects of events and developments in
Germany 1918-39.
 presents some judgement about the role of Hitler
 presents a sound analysis and interpretation of a range of sources in support of an 13–18
historical argument
 presents general conclusions to support an historical argument through the use of some
evidence from sources

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Stuart McMahon – 2A Assessment Task 2 - 18377822

 communicates some historical understanding in an appropriate form

 presents limited arguments for the causes and effects of events and developments in
Germany 1918-39.
 presents information relating to the role of Hitler
 attempts to analyse and/or interpret sources in support of an historical argument 7–12
 attempts to presents conclusions to support an historical argument through the use of
evidence from sources
 communicates basic historical understanding through descriptive texts

 presents no arguments for the causes and effects of events and developments in
Germany 1918-39.
 presents limited to no information relating to the role of Hitler
 makes limited to no use of sources 1–6
 presents limited to no conclusions to support an historical argument through, no
incorporation of evidence from sources
 displays limited historical understanding

Part A - Scaffold

Writing my Paragraphs for My Mini Research Essay Question

“Evaluate the Role of Hitler in achieving and consolidation of power in Nazi Germany 1918-1939”

Introduction

In the period of 1918-1938 Germany was a society of political, social and economic turmoil, providing ideal
conditions of Hitler and the Nazi party to achieve power. This paper will follow the idea that Hitler was
________ to the Nazi effort to achieve and consildate power within Germany. Hitlers ________ and ______
was critical, and this can be seen in ___________, ____________, ___________________.
Without/because of Hitler the Nazis would _______________ .

Paragraph One – Topic Example/Evidence Explanation Link back to

Sentence Initial rise of introduction/Thesis
the Nazi Party
Hitlers Speeches in the Without Hitler the initial Hitler was central in
Hitlers charismatic nature Bars, use for the stab in the rise of the Nazi party may the initial rise of the
in the early days of the back myth, allowed him to have been ignored as Nazi party, without
Nazi party allowed the gain support and followers. just another radical party. him its possible it
Nazi party to gain His ability to tap into the would never of been
momentum following hearts and minds of the formed.
World War 1. German people kept this
movement alive.
Paragraph Two – Topic Example/Evidence Explanation Link back to
Sentence Nazi Ideology introduction/Thesis

Paragraph Three – Topic Example/Evidence Explanation Link back to

Sentence introduction/Thesis

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Stuart McMahon – 2A Assessment Task 2 - 18377822

Paragraph Four – Topic Example/Evidence Explanation Link back to

Sentence introduction/Thesis

Conclusion

Therefore it is clear that by examining _____________________, ____________________,

_________________ and __________________ that Hitler was ___________ to the Nazi party achieving
and consolidating power in Germany 1918-39.

Part B- Scaffold – PowerPoint (You do not have to use this)

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Stuart McMahon – 2A Assessment Task 2 - 18377822

“NSW schools are taking more responsibility for their own performance, are
subject to closer public scrutiny and are finding new ways of improving student
outcomes in a world of ever-more demanding standards” (Smith, 2005, p. 42).
Evaluate the importance of assessment and approaches to feedback and
assessment design that will inform your practice in your teaching area.

Assessment is an essential component of the teaching and learning cycle,

assessment data determines future instruction, indicates the effectiveness of our teaching

practice and is key measurement tool in Australia’s standards-based education system.

Competence in assessment has been identified as a key element in a teacher’s professional

success in an educational setting as assessment has become a complex issue that is under

intense public scrutiny (Schneider & Bodensohn, 2017, p.127). It is professional expectation

that a graduate teacher has the capacity to assess, provide feedback and report on student

learning as evidenced in standard 5 of the Australian professional teaching standards for

teachers (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, 2011, p.16). This paper

will evaluate the importance of assessment and approaches to feedback and assessment

design which will inform my own practice. It will also discuss issues with HSC assessment

and the impact on student outcomes with high stakes testing, two contemporary

educational issues related to assessment.

Assessment for, assessment as and assessment of learning are “approaches that

enable teachers to gather evidence and make judgements about student achievement”

(NESA, 2012). Assessment for Learning (formative assessment) is a co-operative adventure

that occurs throughout the teaching and learning process with its first and foremost priority

being to promote and enhance student understanding (Hooker, 2017, p. 441). Assessment

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for learning differs from accountability and ranking but provides the opportunity for student

self-assessment, the evidence is then used to modify activities to meet their learning needs

(Hooker, 2017, p. 441). With advances in technology, online e-portfolios can be used as an

engaging and innovational method to demonstrate and document student learning (Hooker,

2017, p. 441). Feedback on student work is essential to student learning and effective

comments on student work are considered an aspect of quality teaching practice (Grainger,

2014, p. 89). Effective feedback motivates the learner to improve is critical to formative

assessment, computer-based feedback maintains anonymity and does not expose ones

need for help to their peers (Timmers, Braber-van Den Broek, & Van Den Berg, 2013, p.26).

Without Formative Assessment guiding classroom instruction that can lead to higher levels

of achievement, learning can stagnant and as educators we will be unaware if what we are

teaching has any real effect on our students. Assessment as Learning is when students

become their own assessors, where their take responsibility and monitor their own learning,

the activities involved can take the form of short collaborative performance tasks (Gupta,

2016). In the context of a History classroom, this can occur during a source-based activity

with class-wide peer tutoring (CWPT) implementation. Class Wide Peer Tutoring (CWPT)

involves forming tutoring pairs, providing tutors with academic scripts e.g. sources with

answers, tutors then provide praise for correct answers and immediately correct errors,

while the teacher monitors the pairs (DuPaul & Weyandt, 2006). This encourages students

to develop their own assessing abilities by providing both formal and informal feedback, and

undertaking both peer/self-assessment (NESA, 2012). If we treat the curriculum as the bare

minimum we must teach, then it’s evident that through assessment as learning we go above

and beyond. There is a tremendous depth of skills and knowledge for student to be gain

while undertaking activities within this type of assessment. Assessment of Learning

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Stuart McMahon – 2A Assessment Task 2 - 18377822

(summative assessment) “assist teachers in using evidence of learning to assess

achievement against outcomes and standards, this occurs at the end of a unit of work/term”

(NESA, 2012).

Australia’s Government continued push for high stakes testing is “driven by the

desire to meet public accountability, demonstrate transparency and maintain public

confidence in schooling” (Klenowski & Wyatt Smith, 2012). Debates continue about the

influence of high stakes testing on teaching and learning an whether they achieve the

intended increases in student achievement in targeted areas. For an international

perspective the New York State Education Department compared studies that attempted to

understand the relationship between high-stakes testing and test scores. They found that

“in every comparison, test score increase was greatest in testing states and overall the rate

of improvement in the cohort of high-stakes states was roughly double that of the

comparison group of non-testing states” (NYSED, 2003, p.5). These studies occurred early on

when High-stakes testing was being implemented, initially the pressures of the test

motivated students to study and prepare improving their outcomes. However, the nature of

high -stakes testing has shifted and become something it was never intended to be. The

publicising of NAPLAN results on MySchool lead to issues of public accountability as Gredley

(2018) states “no significant change from last year amid concerns over trialling an online

system”. Cook (2018) argues that due to NAPLAN “parents' trust in the state school system

has taken a hit, with only 51.7 per cent reporting high levels of confidence in the sector”

(Cook, 2018). The increases public pressure on principals, teachers and students has

distorted the purpose of learning and limited the potential for student academic

achievement to solely achieve well in a single standardised test. This paper argues that

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there is an overemphasis on the importance of high-stakes testing and it should be used as a

diagnostic tool at best. That the direct and indirect limitations of high-stakes testing is in

fact holding back learners from reaching their maximum potential. There are well-

recognised concerns about “under-utilising the professional abilities of teachers and

focusing disproportionate resources on borderline students to raise their achievement

outcomes” (Klenowski & Wyatt Smith, 2012). Classroom environments for gifted students

have become increasingly unresponsive to their academic needs, the external pressures of

high stakes testing have forced the teacher to turn their focus towards struggling learners

and away from already proficient learners (Jolly, 2015). This leads to an “overemphasis on

basic skills and a concurrent neglect of higher order and critical thinking in both testing and

classroom practice” (Klenowski & Wyatt Smith, 2012; Jolly, 2015). The format of these

testing conditions, the limitations of current print-dependent testing has excluded twenty-

first-century skills, including working in teams and online to use and create knowledge.

(Klenowski & Wyatt Smith, 2012). The nature of high stakes and high accountability nature

of testing gives prominence to a narrow set of outcomes which end up shaping teaching and

learning within the classroom setting (Klenowski & Wyatt Smith, 2012). Teaching for high

stakes testing is occupying significant time in an already crowded curriculum, influencing

teaching strategies making learning less engaging and ‘fun’ (Polesel, Rice & Dulfur, 2013)

These “hyper-narrowed curriculums utilise often commercially produced collections of pre-

packaged texts and resources targeted solely at the skills and content to be covered on the

various high stake’s tests” (Healy, 2008). Students become disengaged with learning,

affecting their academic performance, they learn a narrowed curriculum installing

educational barriers within classrooms. High-stakes testing may be necessary to improve

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equality in education but due to lack of resources, time and energy there are and for the

near future will always be more negatives than positives to high-stakes testing.

The implementation of strong HSC standards reforms was designed to help motivate

and challenge students to achieve at their highest possible level, reduce excessive stress and

give students more skills and career options (NESA, 2018). The redesigned HSC assessment

will require students to not only test their recall of facts but also their ability to apply

knowledge and skills (BOSTES, 2018). This will ensure students will have to focus on more in-

depth analysis rather than pre-prepared answers, this will assist in cases arguing that the

students knew the answers but were confused or overly anxious on the day. (Klenowski &

Wyatt Smith, 2012). Adapting the curriculum to focus on depth rather than breadth will

allow students to develop a mastery in a subject rather than overloading on content. A

flexible curriculum that allows increased opportunity and is constantly reviewed so that it

remains relevant and contemporary. The New standards set high minimum literacy and

numeracy standards, so students are provided the opportunity to develop, succeed and

cultivate their personal potential and gain employment (BOSTES, 2018).. Providing students,

the skills and knowledge tin stem focused areas which is a high demand sector of society.

The main objectives of these new reforms are to renew and refresh components of the HSC

while retaining its strengths and rigour. Assessment reforms will focus on improving student

learning and has the potential to reduce student stress, too often students are over-

assessed In conditions that mimic the HSC structure, instead of focusing on the power of

feedback. Guidelines will be implemented to ensure that there is maximum number of

assessments, and the length, type and style of the task itself (BOSTES, 2018).

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References

Board of Studies Teaching and Educational Standards, (2018). Stronger HSC Standards
Blueprint. Retrieved from
http://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/wcm/connect/d210fd41-8c61-4754-
aa45-7476b9305b1d/stronger-hsc-standards-bostes-
blueprint.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CVID=

Dupaul, G., & Weyandt, L. (2006). School‐based Intervention for Children with Attention
Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Effects on academic, social, and behavioural
functioning. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 53(2),
161-176.

Gupta, K. (2016). Assessment As Learning. The Science Teacher, 83(1), 43-47.

Grainger, R, P., (2014). How do preservice teacher education students move from novice to
expert assessors?. Australian Journal of Teacher Education (Online), 39(7), 89-105.

Gredley, R. (2018). Initial NAPLAN results show no improvement. AAP General News Wire, p.
AAP General News Wire, Aug 27, 2018.

Hooker, T. (2017). Transforming teachers' formative assessment practices through

ePortfolios. Teaching and Teacher Education, 67(C), 440-453.

Healy, K. C. (2008). Reading first, federalism second? How a billion-dollar NCLB program
disrupts federalism. Columbia Journal of Law and Social Problems, 41, 147–175.

Jones, M. Gail, Jones, Brett D., Hardin, Belinda, Chapman, Lisa, Yarbrough, Tracie, & Davis,
Marcia. (1999). The Impact of High-Stakes Testing on Teachers and Students in North
Carolina. The Phi Delta Kappan, 81(3), 199-203.

Klenowski, V., & Wyatt-Smith, C. (2012). The impact of high stakes testing: The Australian
story. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 19(1), 65-79.

The Impact of High-Stakes Exams on Students and Teachers, New York State Education
Department, (2004) Retrieved from
http://www.oms.nysed.gov/faru/TheImpactofHighStakesExams_files/The_Impact_o
f_High-Stakes_Exams.pdf

The cost of high stakes testing for high-ability students. (2015). Australasian Journal of
Gifted Education, 24(1), 30-36.

Jolly, J., (2015). The cost of high stakes testing for high-ability students. Australasian Journal
of Gifted Education, Vol. 24, 30-36.

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Stuart McMahon – 2A Assessment Task 2 - 18377822

Polesel, J., Rice, S., & Dulfer, N. (2013). The impact of high-stakes testing on curriculum and
pedagogy: A teacher perspective from Australia. Journal of Education Policy, 29(5), 1-
18.

Schneider, C., & Bodensohn, R. (2017). Student teachers’ appraisal of the importance of
assessment in teacher education and self-reports on the development of assessment
competence. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 24(2), 127-146.

Timmers, Braber-van Den Broek, & Van Den Berg. (2013). Motivational beliefs, student
effort, and feedback behaviour in computer-based formative assessment. Computers
& Education, 60(1), 25-31.

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