Implementation workshop
VCE Biology 2013−2016
July 2012
Purpose
The aims of this session include:
• to provide specific information regarding
changes to curriculum and assessment for VCE
Biology 2013−2016 as a result of a move to a
single end-of-year examination of two-and-ahalf hours duration
• to gather feedback/questions/comments
regarding implementation in order to produce a
set of FAQs to support delivery of the revised
study design for VCE Biology from 2013.
Online publication of VCE Study Designs
• From 2013, all VCE study designs, advice for
teachers, resources and assessment
handbooks will be available in an online format
only (i.e. no hard copies)
• Online publications will include a
publication/update date
• Teachers will be advised of major updates
through the VCAA Bulletin VCE, VET and VCAL
Summary of changes
A number of key knowledge points across Units 3 and 4
have been edited for clarity and scope, and changes have
been made to School-Assessed Coursework. These have
been published in the VCAA Bulletin VCE, VCAL and VET
Supplement 1, No. 97, July 2012.
Reminder: teachers may subscribe to the VCAA Bulletin Online – refer
to VCAA home page.
Teaching and learning resources
• Changes to the study design have been made with the
intention that teachers may continue to use existing
teaching and learning resources
• The Summary of changes for VCE Biology on the VCAA
website should assist teachers to identify study content
and sections in current texts which may no longer be
applicable to the accredited 2013–2016 course
• Teachers should note that some publishers are
producing revised materials. It is a school/teacher-based
decision as to whether new resources are purchased
and/or utilised
Overview of changes
Curriculum changes:
• Greater specification of extent of key knowledge points
to clarify scope, for example:
- photosynthesis excluding CAM, C3 and C4 plants
- coordination and regulation at the cellular level
- apoptosis moved to Unit 3, linked to regulation
Assessment changes:
• Single end-of-year examination of 2½ hours duration
• Examination:SAC = 60:40 (changed from 66:34)
• SAC tasks and mark allocations have changed
• Increased focus on practical work
Changed Unit 3 Outcome
Current Unit 3, Outcome 2:
On completion of this unit the student should be able to
describe and explain coordination and regulation of an
organism’s immune responses to antigens at the
molecular level
Revised Unit 3, Outcome 2:
On completion of this unit the student should be able to
describe and explain the use of the stimulus-response
model in coordination and regulation and how the
components of the human immune system respond to
antigens and provide immunity
Changed Unit 4 Outcome
Unit 4, Outcome 2:
On completion of this unit the student should be able to
analyse and evaluate evidence for evolutionary change
and evolutionary relationships, and describe
mechanisms for change including the effect of human
intervention on evolutionary processes through selective
breeding and applications of biotechnology
Key Knowledge: deletion and modification
Examples
Deletion
• Deletion of the key knowledge dot point: “applications of
molecular biology in medicine including the design of
drugs and in medical diagnosis”
Modification
• Rational drug design is linked directly to enzyme action:
Current: enzymes as organic catalysts
Revised: the role of enzymes as protein catalysts, their
mode of action and the inhibition of the action of enzymes
both naturally and by rational drug design
Key knowledge elaboration: Unit 4, AOS2
Current:
• hominid evolution: patterns, origin
• interrelationships between biological, cultural and
technological evolution
Revised:
• hominin evolution:
- shared characteristics which define primates, hominoids
and hominins
- major trends in hominin evolution from the genus
Australopithecus to the genus Homo including
morphological, structural and cognitive development
resulting in cultural evolution and the rise of technologies
FAQs
A set of Frequently Asked Questions will
be published on the VCE Biology study
page of the VCAA website to support
implementation of the revised study design
2013−2016
School-assessed Coursework
• contributes 40 per cent to the study score
- Unit 3 SAC: 20 per cent
- Unit 4 SAC: 20 per cent
• should form part of the teaching and learning
program, both in terms of formative (including
diagnostic) and summative assessment
School-assessed Coursework: Practical investigations
•
•
Assessment tasks include reports of three practical activities
in Unit 3 and 4
- values practical work
- supports an inquiry approach (continuum from teacherled inquiry through to student-designed experiments)
- develops key skills (refer to page 12 of study design)
Given the topics in Unit 4, the investigative nature of
‘practical activities’ may involve the use of data, simulations
and/or models as an alternative to laboratory experiments,
in line with available school resources
Advice for Teachers
• The Advice for Teachers has been updated
to include relevant employability skills
derived from the Employability Skills
Framework against specified assessment
tasks for Units 1−4
Assessment Handbook
The Assessment Handbook for VCE Biology
2013−2016 will be available from the VCE Biology
study page prior to Term 1 2013.
Resources
• The list of resources will be updated annually by
the VCAA and will be available from the VCE
Biology page
• Educators may submit suggested references for
inclusion on the resource list to the Curriculum
Manager for Science at the VCAA
Examination conditions
• 15 minutes reading time
• 150 minutes writing time
• Question and Answer book + Multiple
Choice answer sheet
• 60 per cent contribution to Study Score
Examination content
•
•
•
•
All outcomes in Units 3 and 4
All the key knowledge and key skills
Students will be required to apply Biology
knowledge and skills to both Unit 3 and to Unit 4
Some questions may include content from more
than one Area of Study within a Unit and/or
content which may cross both Unit 3 and 4
Examination format and mark allocation
Two sections
•
Section A
- 40 multiple-choice questions
- one mark each
•
Section B
- short answer questions
- 70 marks total
Examination will be out of 110 marks
Section A
TOTAL MARKS: 40
• multiple choice
• all questions compulsory
• all Areas of Study will be approximately equally
represented
• some questions built around a scenario
• questions will be answered on a Multiple Choice
answer sheet
Section B
TOTAL MARKS: 70
• short answer questions
• students will respond to a series of items
related to all four areas of study in Units 3
and 4
• all questions will be compulsory
• content of some questions may cross
Units 3 and 4
Approved examination materials
Approved:
• Stationery: pens, pencils, highlighters, erasers,
sharpeners and rulers
Not approved:
• Blank sheets of paper
• Correction fluid
• Calculator
Examination Advice
•
•
•
The examination will follow the examination
specifications and will test a representative
sample of the key knowledge and key skills
The number of marks provides a guide to
the complexity of the expected answer/s
Students may be asked to draw on their
practical experience when answering
questions
Sample examination paper
•
•
•
•
•
Sample examination paper is composed largely of past examination
questions
Solutions to past examination questions can be accessed by
referring to the relevant Assessment Reports available on the
VCAA website
Some questions were specifically developed to illustrate that
questions can draw upon understanding of concepts across Units 3
and 4
Students may be asked to draw on their practical experience when
answering questions
Sample examination paper will be published on the VCE Biology
study page of the VCAA website
Contact
VCAA branch
Science Manager
Contact Details
Curriculum
Maria James
Tel: 9651 4655
Email:
james.maria.m@edumail.vic.gov.au
Assessment
Simona Wengritzky
Tel: 9225 2357
Email:
wengritzky.simona.d@edumail.vic.gov.au
© Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority 2012