EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS CURRICULUM SUPPORT
Scottish
Baccalaureate
Get Ready for your
Languages Baccalaureate
Interdisciplinary Project
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the arrangements for National Qualifications. Users of
all NQ support materials, whether published by
Learning and Teaching Scotland or others, are
reminded that it is their responsibility to check that the
support materials correspond to the requirements of the
current arrangements.
Acknowledgement
Learning and Teaching Scotland gratefully acknowledges this contribution to the National
Qualifications support programme for Scottish Baccalaureate.
The publisher gratefully acknowledges permission to use SQA material © Scottish
Qualifications Authority in this resource. Thanks are also due to the Goethe Institut for their
willingness to share their resource.
© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2011
This resource may be reproduced in whole or in part for educational purposes by educational
establishments in Scotland provided that no profit accrues at any stage.
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Contents
Welcome to this support guide for the Interdisciplinary Project of the
Scottish Languages Baccalaureate
4
1.
Introduction
5
2.
Objectives of the interdisciplinary project
7
3.
Study skills for the interdisciplinary project
11
4.
Learning diary
19
5.
The project proposal
21
6.
The project plan
23
7.
Producing the project
25
8.
Project evaluation
27
9.
Self-evaluation
28
10.
Resources
31
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WELCOME
Welcome to this support guide for the Interdisciplinary
Project of the Scottish Languages Baccalaureate
This guide is designed to provide materials and guidelines for students and
teachers involved in the IP of the Languages Baccalaureate.
It provides activities and information in the following sections:
1.
Introduction
What you will have to do for your IP and how best to use this resource
2.
Objectives of the IP
Introduces the aims of the IP as well as its interdisciplinary nature
3.
Study skills for the IP
Provides activities and resources to train the central skills needed for
the IP
4.
Learning diary
Introduces keeping a diary about your own learning process along with
relevant materials
5.
The project proposal
Gives ideas on how to approach writing a proposal for the IP
6.
The project plan
Provides materials and ideas for writing an IP project plan
7.
Producing the project
Gives advice on the production of the IP project and plagiarism
8.
Project evaluation
Highlights aspects of and provides materials for this stage of the IP
9.
Self-evaluation
Talks about learning styles and how to assess your own work/learning
10.
Resources
Gathers together the help sheets and templates referred to throughout
the guide
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INTRODUCTION
1. Introduction
The activities in this resource have been developed to support teachers and
students in their work on the Scottish Languages Baccalaureate IP. Students
are required to be studying either English or Gàidhlig plus two other eligible
languages, with at least two of these languages being studied at Advanced
Higher level and the other at Higher – see part 9 of the resources section for
details. If students are successful at the end of the process, they will be
graded A, B or C.
1.1 What is an interdisciplinary project?
When we think of the word ‘interdisciplinary’, we often assume that we have
to combine other subject areas, or ‘disciplines’ into our studies. As mentioned
above, the requirements for undertaking for the Scottish Languages
Baccalaureate are that students are studying two modern languages and
English or Gàidhlig. While you are by no means discouraged from looking
beyond languages in your IP, it should be remembered that the main
interdisciplinary nature of the project is the fact that you will be developing
your skills in areas other than linguistics.
By the end of working with these materials you will have developed your
skills in:
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researching, selecting and recording information
putting information in a logical structure
critically discussing information and the views of others
presenting views and information in different media
working with feedback from others on their work
reflecting about the process of working on this project
recording your reflections on your own work according to set standards
working on your own using different tools and media
setting your own goals and timelines.
You should come back to this list at the end of your work on the IP and check
whether you have actually achieved all intended learning outcomes.
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INTRODUCTION
1.2 What do I need to do and how will I be assessed?
The end product of an IP can take various forms – you may wish to produce a
written report, a website, an audio recording, a video, an oral presentation or
just about any other appropriate medium you can think of. It can be an
investigation or a practical assignment. However, the focus of your
assessment and how successful you are is on the project as a process. Your
success will therefore be determined as much by your planning and reflection
as by the end product itself. Note that the IP can be undertaken by an
individual or in a group, provided that each member has clearly defined and
distinct roles.
You will be assessed on:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
the project proposal
the project plan
the presentation of your project
project evaluation
self-evaluation of your own skills development.
In addition to these five things, you should also produce:


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
a
a
a
a
learning log/diary
contacts list
list of references
timeline.
We will look at these requirements in turn from section 4 onwards in this
guide.
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OBJECTIVES OF THE IP
2. Objectives of the interdisciplinary project
This section will look in more detail at what ‘interdisciplinary’ means, what
career and personal development benefits doing your IP will bring and also
consider some preliminary suggestions about what your IP might be about.
2.1 What does ‘interdisciplinary’ mean?
Building on our brief definition in the introduction, this activity is designed
to help you focus on what the IP actually means, what criteria you have to
work towards, what the outcome of this project ought to consist of and how it
will help you develop your skills.
The activity has two parts:
 Read and listen to information about interdisciplinary work, the Languages
Baccalaureate and the curriculum for the IP.
 Take notes and summarise the information. Add some of it to your notes
and share these with your teacher and fellow students.
Can you describe what ‘interdisciplinary work’ in the context of the
Languages Baccalaureate means?
To prepare your answer:
(a)
If you have access, search on YouTube for the clip entitled
‘Interdisciplinary Education’. It should be the first or second short clip
that appears and lasts 1 minute and 7 seconds.
(b)
Now read this summary of an article that can be read in full on the
Scotsman website:
Scotland’s brightest students will have their abilities in languages and
science stretched by education’s newest qualifications since the
introduction of the Advanced Higher in 2001.
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OBJECTIVES OF THE IP
Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning,
revealed the constituent parts of the new Scottish Languages
Baccalaureate and Scottish Science Baccalaureates , which have been
created to build on the back of the Advanced Highers ’ success. Ms
Hyslop said: ‘The baccalaureate awards aim to encourage more of our
young people to study more science and language courses in the later
stages of secondary school, raise the status of S6 and assist our young
people in making the transition from school to higher and further
education and employment.’
An example of a topic in the Languages Baccalaureate is how tourism
and cultural provision is perceived by speakers of other languages and
global citizenship issues.
http://news.scotsman.com/scotla nd/New-baccalaureate-exam-unveiledto.4735986.jp
(c)
Search for definitions of ‘interdisciplinary’ on the web.
Using these three sources, write a fitting definition of interdisciplinary work
in at least 150 words.
2.2 Information on how this project can support your career
choices
In order to find information on this topic read this quote from president of the
Institute of Career Guidance.
Vivienne Brown, Skills Development Scotland – and ICG President –
said:
‘Employers seek these high-order skills. Working in an interdisciplinary
way provides the learning vehicle to develop transferability skills and
optimise mobility in future career opportunities as the labour market
will increasingly demand.’
Add your findings to your notes on the activity in section 2.1.
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OBJECTIVES OF THE IP
2.3 How to carry out the project
Read the extract from the Arrangements for the IP produced by the SQA,
which can be found in parts 1a and 1b of the Resources section at the end of
this guide. Make a list of the aspects that are the mos t important for you and
which you think you will have to revisit during the project.
Read the extract from the SQA Unit Specification document, which gives
information about the different parts of the IP, their purpose and how to
approach working on them. It can be found in part 2 of the Resources section
at the end of this guide.
2.4 Bringing together information
Now re-read all your notes and think about what is most important for your
work and how you want to approach working on the IP. Speak to your teacher
about this and make a concrete plan for your IP together. We will come to
further detail about planning in section 3.
2.5 Your project idea
You now need to think about the focus and the content of your project. The
areas of study open to you are as varied as your imagination, but remember
that there should be a clear relevance to at least one of the languages you are
studying and it should have an interdisciplinary aspect. It also has to fit into
one or more of the following broad categories : citizenship, enterprise,
employability, economic development and sustainable development.
The following list is by no means exhaustive, but might give you some
starting points:
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recent historical or political events in the country whose language you
study
popular culture
the arts
environmental issues and how a country is facing up to these
multicultural and immigration issues
the place of your country of study in Europe or the world
commercial issues concerning trade with Scotland
poverty or disease
the place of language learning in the world.
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OBJECTIVES OF THE IP
(a)
Start thinking about what aspects interest you about the countries or
areas of the world where the languages you study are spoken.
Alternatively, think about a topic in which one of these countries or a
native speaker of your languages plays or has played an important role.
It could be an artist, scientist, politician, sports person.
(b)
Search for relevant information on this topic area and try to narrow
down the focus of your research.
(c)
Reflect carefully on what you are proposing to investigate. Have you
come up with a topic that lends itself to interdisciplinary study? In what
ways will you be challenged in your generic skills (co nsider again the
bullet points on page 5 of this guide). List the interdisciplinary aspects
you can identify.
(d)
Find and share with your class useful links to information on the web
about your topic/their topics or the IP.
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STUDY SKILLS FOR THE IP
3. Study skills for the interdisciplinary project
You should now have a general idea of what theme or topic you h ope to
investigate for your IP. Before launching yourself straight into the project
proposal, it will be helpful to consider developing your skills at finding and
recording information. This section is geared towards helping you to learn
how to work on such a complex project as your IP. You will therefore find
activities that ask you to reflect on how you learn and how you could improve
your study skills.
3.1 Finding information
One of the keys to success with this project is your search for relevant
information. In order to help you with this and give you some advice on good
strategies, complete the questionnaire below.
Finding information – study skills
1.
Imagine your teacher gives you the task of gathering information on a
historical aspect of a country whose language you are studying. You
have until the next day to complete the task. Which of these do you do?
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2.
Ask my parents.
Ask fellow students.
Go to the school library and ask the librarian.
Search the books in the local library.
Go online and do a Google search or use another search engine.
Go to Wikipedia.
Imagine you have found a list of websites on Google. How do you
proceed from here?
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I
I
I
I
I
go to the first one and use information from there .
open the first four or five and select the most interesting one.
read the information on a number of sites .
copy an article from Wikipedia.
take notes from different websites.
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STUDY SKILLS FOR THE IP


3.
I just read some articles on different websites and hope to
remember what I need.
I copy quotes from a foreign language website.
Do you compare information you find on one website with that of
others in order to verify if the information is correct?
Yes No
4.
Do you copy and paste text from websites into your own documents?
Yes No
5.
Have you heard about plagiarism?
Yes No
If yes, can you briefly explain what it means?
6.
When looking for information do you ...
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7.
Which of these do you use when searching with a search engine?
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8.
only look for text?
look for videos as well?
look for audio too?
look for images?
search the websites of big news broadcasters such as the BBC or
foreign language TV stations?
The advanced search option on Google.
Carefully selected key words for your topic.
The ‘site:’ function in Google.
Boolean logic.
Do you sometimes read websites in other languages too?
Yes No
9.
Do you know about foreign language versions of Google,ie
www.google.de, www.google.fr, www.google.ch, www.google.it, etc?
Yes No
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STUDY SKILLS FOR THE IP
10.
Which websites of non-English TV and radio stations or newspapers do
you know?
Now discuss the responses with your class and your teacher , and talk about
the best strategies for finding exactly the infor mation you need. Which
strategies have you never thought of, or perhaps never heard of? Find out
what the unfamiliar ones are. Highlight the strategies you think will be useful
and try them out! If you have access, try searching on YouTube for ‘advanced
web searching for students’.
3.1.1
Primary versus secondary research
An important point to bear in mind when researching is whether the research
you are undertaking is primary or secondary. Primary research is when you
are starting from scratch and have no one else’s data to work from. Secondary
research is when you are pulling together others ’ research and data, and
drawing your own conclusions. Both are entirely valid – don’t feel that you
always have to start from scratch! Primary may be much more timeconsuming, but be more targeted at what you actually need to find out.
Consider this when you are planning your research.
3.1.2
Undertaking primary research
You will probably need to undertake at least some primary research during
your project. This might take the form of interviews, surveys or observations.
Interviews provide a lot of information from a small number of people and
are useful when you want to get a focused or expert opinion on a subject. You
can pick up nuances of feeling in what people tell you.
Surveys give information quickly from a large group of people, but it is very
difficult to write a survey that gives accurate information about how people
feel. Online surveys are very quick and easy to set up, send out and collate,
but they can give misleading information. You should always test your
questions and multiple-choice answers first with a friend face-to-face, to see
how they react, then modify your survey accordingly before sending it out en
masse. Search online using ‘free online surveys’ for templates and more
advice.
Observations involve taking organised notes about what is happening in the
world. They often avoid the bias that might influence you in an interview.
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STUDY SKILLS FOR THE IP
3.2 Reading strategies
You will need to do some research on websi tes in foreign languages. In order
to make it easier for you to read and understand texts in these languages, you
can apply some specific strategies. There are ten top tips to remember.
3.2.1
General understanding
Do not try to read word for word and translate every single word. Use your
own knowledge of the subject as well as the language to help you understand.
3.2.2
Previous knowledge
First try to find out what subject area a text is about. You will be surprised to
discover how much you then know about the type of text you are looking at:
you probably know more about the content than you think. The following
questions might be helpful too:
 Who wrote it?
 Who is it written for?
 What might be the author’s aim?
3.2.3
Headings
The heading is an important ‘signpost’ for you. It tells you more about the
topic of the text. You will have previous knowledge about many topics.
3.2.4
Form
The layout of a text can tell you much about its content. Is it an article in an
academic journal, a newspaper or a magazine? Are there big headings,
different fonts, many images? Is it an email, a letter or a poem?
3.2.5
Key words
Key words are words that carry special importance in a text. These words can
help your global or overall understanding of a text and its main messages.
3.2.6
Images
Images related to the text give you a very good and quick first impression
about possible content areas and messages.
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STUDY SKILLS FOR THE IP
3.2.7
International words
When reading a text in a foreign language for the first time look out for so called international words or words that you recognise from your own
language. You might know these words from other languages, e g common
terms such as restaurant, computer, telefon etc.
3.2.8
Context
If there is a foreign word that you do not recognise look at the context first
before looking it up in a dictionary. What do the sentence s before and after
this word say? Have you identified the verb in the sentence? The verb often
carries the main meaning of a sentence. Often you can guess the meaning by
looking at the context a word is used in.
3.2.9
Structure
You can also use the structure of a text, the way it is designed and put
together in paragraphs etc, to identify aspects of its meaning. For example,
you can use a diagram like the one below to record key ideas and ho w they fit
together or if you are reading a story you can list main characters and their
relationships this way.
3.2.10
Linkages
The ways in which the elements that connect sentences or paragraphs in a text
are used play a key role in the understanding. Such elements are conjunctions
like and/or/because/if or demonstrative pronouns like this/that, referring back
to a whole section of text, and transition adverbs like
however/nevertheless/moreover.
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STUDY SKILLS FOR THE IP
3.3 Mind maps
Once you have gathered a quantity of data you need to start thinking about
how you can keep a record of it without losing track of what you have got and
where you found it.
At the same time, it is useful to think about a structure in to which your
information would fit. This simple structure could form the basis for the order
in which you want to present your findings at the end. This structure will also
help you think about and discover possible connections between the different
aspects of your project.
Many people find mind mapping a brilliant tool when it comes to gathering
and sorting ideas. There is much help available online. You can find some
useful examples here:
 Mindmaster collaborative mind mapping: Users create mind maps together
and you can get help with planning a project here too. Google ‘mindmaster
free download’ and you can create up to three mind maps at no cost. It is
also available as an App for Apple compatible devices.
 On Paul’s E-Learning Wiki you can find free software programmes that
allow you to create your own mind maps easily. There is also a link to a
good introduction video to mind mapping by its inventor, Tony Buzan. Go
to http://sites.google.com/site/technologyenhancedlearning/mind-mapping.
3.4 Scheduling your project
Your project is a major undertaking and planning a time schedule to ensure
you have all things covered is itself a major factor in how successful your IP
will be. There are various planning methods employed by people undertaking
projects, some of which may suit your learning style and your project more
than others.
A Gantt chart is one of these methods. It is basically a bar chart showing how
long each element of your project should take and how th ese various elements
might have to overlap each other. A Gantt chart can be produced using
Microsoft Project, or there are online templates that allow you to make one in
Excel. Simply search for ‘Gantt chart’ online and you will find various
examples.
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STUDY SKILLS FOR THE IP
Throughout the process, it may also be beneficial to undertake a SWOT
analysis. This is a self-evaluation method that helps you to highlight and
identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Again, there are
many examples and free templates to be found online.
3.5 Presenting ideas
Finally, here is one more aspect to think about. You have gathered a lot of
information for your IP. Now you need to put the findings into a format that
makes this information accessible to others. Think about how you can present
ideas, information, images etc most effectively.
You may, for instance, decide to do an oral presentation with slides. Have a
look at the following summary of ideas on how to give a successful
presentation based on a post by blogger Ben Nadel, and see what you think.
Have you ever been at the receiving end of a PowerPoint presentation where
these guidelines have not been followed? How did that make you feel?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Have at least two ‘Ah ha!’ moments to help keep your audience
engaged.
Keep your slides minimal so that your audience is listening to you, not
just reading.
Never read off your slides – if necessary, have your own notes to
complement your slides.
Have pictures – they are worth a thousands words.
Use humour carefully – it can really engage your audience, but it should
illustrate your message, not detract from it .
Tell short stories – it helps people to relate to the concepts.
For the full blog entry go to http://www.bennadel.com/blog/1639-PresentingIdeas-vs-Teaching-Techniques.htm.
Make sure you have a clear idea what format your IP will eventually take,
then make a first plan for the way in which you might want to present it . Will
it be a written text, PowerPoint slides or a short video?
Your choice of medium defines how you can highlight your thoughts and the
type of materials you need to find or produce to incorporate in the
presentation, so think about this early and save time later.
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STUDY SKILLS FOR THE IP
What about other media? We have already considered some golden rules
about presenting using PowerPoint. Try to come up with a similar guide to
how best to use each of the following media:
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
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18
written report
video
website
audio recording.
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LEARNING DIARY
4. Learning diary
The IP is designed to encourage you to think more precisely about your own
learning, therefore the final result and grading of your IP is based on :
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how you plan your work
how you plan your time
how you manage to find information
how you filter, select and combine information
how you critically discuss information
how you present your work orally as well as in other formats
how you think about what you do and why
how you are able to think critically about your own work and improve it
how you discuss your work with others and are able to comment on their
projects.
One task you have to do during the IP is to keep and update a reflective diary
throughout your work on the project, which will help you when producing
your five key pieces of evidence. This diary r eflects your work process, how
your thoughts and ideas have developed over time , and how you managed to
go over your work and change it. It should be both practical (‘Sent a letter to
xyz today’) and reflective (‘This is going really badly and I feel like I am
sinking. What can I do to sort this out?).
The diary can take a variety of formats:

You could keep a blog using the facility available in Glow or one of the
many other blog providers online (eg Edublogs) .

You could write a so-called micro-blog in twitter – a very up-to-date
diary, with many short entries, links, ideas etc
(http://twitter.com/AbsorbAnywhere).

You could produce a Word document like the example reflective diary in
the Resources section of this guide.

Or maybe you have an idea for a different format altogether?
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LEARNING DIARY
If you haven’t already started your reflective learning diary, start now by
going back over the notes you have already made while working through this
guide. You could mention:
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20
what ‘interdisciplinary’ means
how you hope to benefit from undertaking th e IP
what skills you feel you lack
what new research methods you have already met .
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THE PROJECT PROPOSAL
5. The project proposal
You have now come to the point in the course when you prepare to i ntroduce
your project to others.
This relates to the first stage of the IP Arrangements, when you have to come
up with a project proposal. Remember that this is a very important stage in
the course – if you work thoroughly here you will save a lot of ext ra time and
work later.
Before presenting your idea in the form of a project proposal, make sure that
you have considered all the points you worked on in this activity when
planning the proposal. If you find that you have not taken all points into
consideration, change your proposal accordingly. Think about an appropriate
format for the proposal. This could be audio , text, video or PowerPoint slides
etc. Be sure to highlight the interdisciplinary aspect of your work.
Things to consider for your project proposal:
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

There are many synonyms for the word ‘proposal’. They all describe a
proposal as the presentation of an idea: abstraction, aim, apprehension,
approximation, brainstorm, concept, conception, design, estimate, form,
hypothesis, intention, plan, theory, thought, view, vision
In the context of the IP the proposal needs to encapsulate what you are
trying to achieve, how and why.
The added component is the interdisciplinary work, which needs to show
why it is necessary to combine aspects from different subjects in your
project. In what way can this combination of subjects support the
objectives of your project?
To help you further with this, a number of templates are supplied by the SQA
that you should use as guidance as to what to include in your proposal. You
should also discuss the use of the project proposal template with your teacher.
This template can be found in parts 4a and 4b of the Resources section of this
guide.
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THE PROJECT PROPOSAL
Remember:





Think carefully how you can present your idea or plan.
Maybe you want to record an audio file or produce a short PowerPoint
presentation or write a brief but clear and well -structured Word
document.
Think about how you can best visualise the planned structure of your
project, ie with numbering, images, animation etc.
Make sure your ideas are logically presented and your objectives are
clear.
Look back at the advice given in section 3.4.
Now present your IP proposal and discuss it with your teacher and your class.
 Listen to what the others have to say about your project i dea.
 Take notes of suggestions for any changes.
 Think about how you can implement these changes in your project.
 Help the others in your class by commenting on their ideas and things you
know about their topics.
 Read and look at the ideas of your peers and comment on these or ask
questions. This is very important since it shows people whether they can
explain and present their ideas in a way that is easy to follow and
understand.
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THE PROJECT PLAN
6. The project plan
The next big step towards finishing your proj ect is the drafting of a plan.
What do you think needs to be part of this plan? Which aspects do you need
to incorporate?
Remember, this plan will be a key tool until the end of the IP.
1.
Think about the questions above for a few minutes and then write a
short text listing what you think makes a good, effective and logical
plan.
2.
Let your class and your teacher read this text and ask them for
comments. Take some notes and change your initial text accordingly.
3.
If you are not sure about how to start your plan and which aspects to
focus on, consider these points:
 the three Ws:
- Why are you doing this project?
- What impact do you hope it will have?
- Who is your target audience?
 create spider/mind maps
 create a flow chart or bullet list
 use sticky notes with one aspect on each so you can rearrange the
order as necessary
You will find further useful advice on this BBC website
(www.bbc.co.uk then search for ‘skillswise words planning your
writing’). Please note that this website mentions planning an essay but
most of the hints and tips can apply to the planning process of a project
as well.
4.
Now think about your own project and draft a project plan for it.
It is very important not only to plan content but also the ti ming of your
activities. Use the SQA template to help you structure the plan – this
can be found in the Resources section of this guide.
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THE PROJECT PLAN
5.
Show your plan to your teacher, who will give you some feedback. You
may then need to make some changes to the plan.
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PRODUCING THE PROJECT
7. Producing the project
Here are some tips for producing your IP:
 Keep all the advice and help you have received so far in mind when you
are carrying out your project.
 Keep your plan at hand so that you can remind yourself of what steps you
were planning to take and in what order.
 Do not forget your objectives and what you want to show and achieve with
your project.
 Think carefully about the mode in which you want to present your ideas.
 If you need help or support, think about who can be helpful, and how. Try
to think beyond your school, class or teacher and move into the world of
work.
 There is one other thing you should not forget – make sure you identify
which ideas are your own and which are the thoughts of others.
7.1 Plagiarism
One very important thing you have to keep in mind when working on your
project is that you have to distinguish between your own ideas and the ideas
of others. Naturally, you can use both kinds of ideas , but you must not forget
to indicate which ideas are not your own.
In the questionnaire in section 3.1 of this guide you attempted a definition of
the term ‘plagiarism’. Plagiarism is considered a serious offence and if your
teacher suspects you have committed plagiarism you can fail your
baccalaureate. It is therefore essential that you know exactly what it is and
how it can be avoided.
1.
If you have web access, go to these websites and read the information
there carefully: http://kidshealth.org/kid/feeling/school/plagiarism.html
http://www.bobbyelliott.com/Plagiarism.htm
2.
Note down three ways in which you can avoid plagiarism and either
show your notes to your teacher or discuss them with your class.
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PRODUCING THE PROJECT
3.
Now read the five scenarios below and decide whether or not each one
describes a case of plagiarism. You will see that the answer is not
always easy or clear. Once you have made your decision share it with
your class or your teacher, and discuss everyone’s choices.
7.1.1 Scenarios
(a)
You work in a team with the rest of your class and you note down some
things the others say in a discussion. You use these notes for your final
essay and copy the sentences there.
(b)
You work with the others in your class in a forum online. Some have
very good ideas and you copy some of their sentences into your essay.
(c)
You copy an extract of 200 words from a website into your essay and
mention who said it on the website in the text but do not give the link to
the website in a footnote.
(d)
You read a good text in one of the languages you study and translate
some sentences yourself and write these into your essay.
(e)
You summarise something your teacher said and mention this in your
essay.
7.2 Interim review
Your teacher will agree an appropriate point in your project when you should
undertake an interim review. See the SQA template in the Resources section
of this guide for advice on how you might record this review.
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PROJECT EVALUATION
8. Project evaluation
The aim of the IP of the Languages Baccalaureate is not only for you to
produce a piece of work about a specific topic. As we have mentioned before,
the assessment also allows you to show that you can reflect on your work and
examine it critically. Read section 1 of this guide again.
In this activity you will think about the positive and the negative, the easy
and the hard aspects of the work you did.
1.
Have a think and make some notes about how it felt to work on such a
complex task and try to establish why you felt the way you did.
2.
Again, discuss your experiences with your class and your teacher , and
comment on the views of the others. There will be lots of things to talk
about and you might discover that it was not only you who found this
an interesting but hard task.
3.
Think about and discuss in the group:
 what you liked about your work
 what aspects you think could have been improved.
Prepare for this discussion by compiling a list of positive and negative
aspects regarding your project and be ready to presen t the main ideas
and findings to the group. In the discussion you should try to give each
other advice on how to approach possible solutions to the problems you
have encountered. During the discussion you can take notes and use
these for the project evaluation you will have to submit.
4.
Think about the best form for this evaluation document. Do you want to
write an essay, do you want to work in a table format, do you want to
add the information to your planning document or do you want to
prepare a presentation of some kind? See the SQA template Project
evaluation in the Resources section of this guide for advice on how you
might record this review.
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SELF EVALUATION
9. Self-evaluation
Congratulations! In the last few months you have been working on a very
complex task and you have produced your first piece of work of this nature.
During that time you might have had moments when you felt like giving up,
but you will also have had times when you were very happy about having
achieved so much and worked on a new level o n your own and with others.
In your project evaluation you reflected on the product of your work, but an
essential element of the IP is to reflect on what you have learned during this
process. When you think about this you will not only consider the new f acts
and information you have come across on the topic of your choice. A very big
part of your learning curve was that you developed new ways of working on
your own and in a team related to:




methods of finding information
ways of gathering and summarising this information
presenting your findings
critically evaluating information in the context of your topic.
However, the IP is also about:




how
how
how
how
you
you
you
you
managed to communicate with others about your work
gave advice to others
gathered information in a group
helped each other along the way.
In short, it is not just what you learned but also how you learned during your
IP that will be crucial components for success in studying in the future. Once
you have discovered which way of learning works best for you, you can
become a much more efficient and successful student.
The following activity will help you determine what kind of student you are
and which ways of learning you should use in the future to be successful at
school and at university.
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SELF EVALUATION
9.1 Learning styles
A.
First of all, read a bit more about different ways or styles of learning.
There are many different approaches to this topic. Here is an example
that shows you key ways which define how different people learn.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Linguistic: This type of student loves to read, write and tell
stories.
Logical: These students enjoy solving problems, particularly if
they are maths related.
Spatial: These students are visualisers who enjoy any type of
creative endeavour.
Musical: These students learn best through rhythm, melody, music
or by learning songs.
Bodily: This type of student thrives on active learning, rather
than, say, reading.
Interpersonal: This type of student will do best in a group
situation as they compare, share, relate and interview other
people.
Intrapersonal: These strong-willed people work best alone.
We all have elements of each learning style, but usually one or two
types stand out in each of us. You can read an article about this here:
http://www.lessontutor.com/sm1.html.
Think about which style might apply best to you. Ask the others in your
class and your teacher and see if they agree!
B.
There are also many helpful quizzes online that allow you to find out
which way of learning suits you best. For example, Google ‘learning
style test’ or go to http://www.open2.net/survey/learningstyles/.
C.
Now think about your work on your project. Can you think of five key
things (or more) you learned? These should be facts as well as ways of
working. Also think about why these things were especially important
during the work process. Write down these points and present the m to
your class and your teacher.
You could also mention:




what
what
what
what
you
you
you
you
found most challenging
enjoyed most
would do differently in the future
would do again in the same way.
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SELF EVALUATION
D.
Now listen to the others’ presentations. Compare their views to your
own. Have you got anything in common? What are the main
differences? Comment on what the others have said , taking into
consideration the following:
 how you found the collaborative work on the project, ie did you find
particular comments from the others helpf ul and why
 whether you found that presenting your work to the group was
helpful
 whether the information and ideas others presented helped you to
develop your own project
 whether there were any aspects of working together that you did not
like so much, ie presenting work to others and being apprehensive
about their comments, the use of computer technology etc.
E.
Now write your self-evaluation in the light of what you have learned
throughout the project. You should refer again to the SQA template for
ideas about how to structure this, which can be found in parts 8a–e of
the Resources section of this guide.
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RESOURCES
10. Resources
1.
Extract from G9CW47, ‘Arrangements for the Scottish Baccalaureate in
Languages’, two pages (1a and 1b).
2.
Extract from ‘Unit Specification – Languages: Interdisciplinary Project
(Advanced Higher)’, Scottish Qualifications Authority.
3.
Reflective diary/journal template and supplementary sheet (3a and 3b).
4.
Project proposal template (4a and 4b), extract from SQA Assessment
Support Pack, Section 10.
5.
Project plan template (5a and 5b) , extract from SQA Assessment
Support Pack, Section 10.
6.
Interim review, extract from SQA Assessment Support Pack, Section
10.
7.
Project evaluation, extract from SQA Assessment Support Pack, Section
10.
8.
Self-evaluation (8a–e), extract from SQA Assessment Support Pack,
Section 10.
9.
Requirements for the Scottish Baccalaureate, extract from SQA
Baccalaureates Information Leaflet, page 5.
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RESOURCES
1a
Extract from G9CW47, ‘Arrangements for the Scottish
Baccalaureate in Languages’
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RESOURCES
1b
Extract from G9CW47, ‘Arrangements for the Scottish
Baccalaureate in Languages’, continued
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RESOURCES
2
Extract from ‘Unit Specification – Languages:
Interdisciplinary Project (Advanced Higher)’
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RESOURCES
3a Reflective diary template
7. What did I learn?
Date: ____________
8. What are my next steps?
2a. Whose fault (if relevant)? Now
move on
Date each entry – add new reflections any time
6. How would I improve on this?
1. What happened/what did I do?
2. How did I feel/do I now feel?
It’s okay to keep some/all of your reflections private, although feedback can be helpful
5. What went not so well?
4. What went well?
3. Unemotional view, including
causes
Quick notes template – where necessary use supplementary sheets and refer bac k to this template. Keep in a ring-binder or electronically
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RESOURCES
3b Reflective diary/journal – supplementary sheet
Reflection stage: ___________________________ Date of entry
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
36
Each stage is optional – seek feedback where helpful.
Date each entry – add new thoughts later.
Use the quick notes template for each issue/event .
Use supplementary sheets as necessary.
You can use different coloured text, eg red: priority, green: positive etc.
Try to focus on things you can change and accept those you cannot .
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Date: ___________
Reflection stage: ___________________________ Date of entry
RESOURCES
4a
Project proposal
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RESOURCES
4b
Project proposal (continued)
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RESOURCES
5a
Project plan
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RESOURCES
5b
Project plan (continued)
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RESOURCES
6
Interim review
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RESOURCES
7
Project evaluation
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RESOURCES
8a
Self-evaluation
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RESOURCES
8b
Self-evaluation (continued)
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RESOURCES
8c
Self-evaluation (continued)
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RESOURCES
8d
Self-evaluation (continued)
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RESOURCES
8e
Self-evaluation (continued)
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RESOURCES
9
Requirements for the Scottish Baccalaureate in Languages
48
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