Introduction to the
Content and
Assessment of the
Elective Part
Wan Ho Yin
CDC-HKEAA Committee on
History
( Senior Secondary)
SBA Requirements
(1) ‘Presentation of study outline’
(2) ‘Study report’.
Students should follow this sequence of
tasks, and no marks should be awarded
to those who only complete the second
task without the first one.
Task ONE:
‘Presentation of Study Outline’
10% of the subject mark;
10-minute oral presentation + a study
outline with a bibliography;
To be conducted before the end of S5,
so to secure time for writing and further
researches.
Mark

9-10


7-8
5-6

Expressions are mostly clear and understandable
Shows effort in responding to questions, with elaborate and appropriate
answers
Expressions are acceptable, occasionally marred by vagueness

Responds to questions with appropriate but unelaborated answers


1-2
Shows great effort and eagerness in responding to questions, with elaborate
and insightful answers


3-4
Oral Presentation (max. 10 marks)
Expressions are clear and understandable

Expressions are
communication
vague
and
general
that
substantially
undermines
Shows attempts to respond to questions, but answers are occasionally
incomplete and rough.
Expressions are difficult to follow
Shows attempts to respond to questions, but answers are frequently
incomplete and rough.
Mark

9-10


7-8


5-6


3-4


1-2

Study outline (max. 10 marks)
Presents the topic logically with an approach appropriate to the selected
elective
Displays excellent ability in collecting and making use of source materials
Presents the topic reasonably clearly with an approach relevant to the
selected elective
Displays good ability in collecting and making use of source materials
Shows an attempt to present the topic with an approach relevant to the
selected elective
Displays acceptable ability in collecting and making use of source materials
Shows an attempt to present the topic with an approach relevant to the
selected elective, but marred by obvious mistakes, omissions and/or
irrelevancy
Displays inadequate ability in collecting and making use of source materials
Shows little attempt to present the topic with an approach relevant to the
selected elective
Displays little ability in collecting and making use of source materials
Task TWO:
‘Study Report’
10% of the subject mark;
a report of about 1500-2500 words,
exclusive of punctuation marks, notes
and bibliography.
The report should include a
bibliography.
Plagiarism may lead to zero marks for
this task.
Mark

17-20

13-16

9-12
Shows a clear
grasp of the
requirements of
the elective
Shows an
awareness of
the
requirements of
the elective
Shows a general
understanding of
requirements of
the elective



Description
Balanced and
Well organised,
analytical
clearly
contents,
presented and
analytical
fluent
approach and
effective use of
relevant
material
Fairly balanced
Reasonably
contents, with
well organised,
reasonably
understandable
accurate use of
and fairly fluent
relevant
material
Able to present
Fairly
major historical
understandable
facts, but
but not well
contains some
organised
irrelevant or
wrong material






Free from major
mistakes,
inaccuracies,
inconsistencies
and important
omissions
Occasional
inaccuracies
and minor
omissions
Marred by
inaccuracies,
irrelevancies,
omissions and
inconsistencies
Mark

5-8

1-4
Shows
inadequate
understanding of
the task, with
little efforts to
respond to the
requirements of
the elective
Shows little
understanding of
the task, with no
distinctive efforts
to respond to
the requirement
of the elective


Description
Containing
Poorly
inadequate
organised and
relevant and
barely
important facts
understandable, with
conspicuous
mistakes in
writing/spelling
personal and
place names
Containing very
Very poorly
few relevant
organised and
facts
difficult to
understand,
with annoying
mistakes in
writing/spelling
important
personal and
place names




Contains
fundamental
errors/major
inconsistencies/
gross
irrelevancies
Contains little
that is accurate,
relevant or
worthwhile
Three Electives
Comparative
Issuebased
Local
Heritage
A student may choose a topic not covered in the curriculum,
as long as the topic primarily deals with the twentieth century
and the student demonstrates basic knowledge of it.
Local heritage studies
It is about traditions being maintained, or living
memories of members of a local community.
With diverse and variable interpretations,
heritage is still meaningful to people in the
contemporary world.
‘Local’ should be understood as referring to
Hong Kong that consists of Hong Kong Island,
Kowloon, the New Territories and the outlying
islands, urban and rural.
Heritages may be divided into two categories:
tangible heritage and intangible heritage.
Local heritage studies
Assessment Focuses:
Presenting significant relevant facts.
Providing a brief description of the heritage,
and discussing its changes and development,
and its meaning to the present-day community.
Max.
Mark to
be
awarded
Local heritage studies

17-20

13-16

9-12
5-8


1-4

Produces a detailed description of the heritage and an excellent
account of its changes and development; give a substantiated
discussion of its meanings to the present-day life.
Produces a detailed description of the heritage and a good account its
changes and development; shows obvious attempt to explore its
meanings to the present-day life.
Produces a detailed description of the heritage and a fair account of
its changes and development; shows attempt to explore its meanings
to the present-day life.
Produces a detailed description of the heritage, without any attempt to
explore its meanings to the present-day life.
Produces a brief description of the heritage without any attempt to
explore its meanings to the present-day life; little on its changes and
development; and/or
The chosen object is not up to the definition of heritage.
Cha chaan teng ?????
Although cha chaan teng is popular as a kind of eatery,
as a research topic it needs more cautious delineation,
ina China
or the Industrial
output will bedevelopment
nothing more than
pile of loose
and
SoviettoUnion
1950s
threads.
It isthe
necessary
highlightin
thethe
heritage
aspect
of cha chaan teng in order to fit the requirement
of the elective.
Suggestion: Cha chaan teng: Its evolution and how it
becomes a symbol of Hong Kong culture.
Comparative studies
‘Comparison’ involves the treatment of at
least two comparable items, or one item that
manifested over different time periods and/or in
different territories.
Students should draw valid conclusions about
similarity and difference, and/or change and
continuity.
There are several modes of comparisons:
one topic / theme, different geographical references;
one topic / theme, different time spans;
one topic / theme, different sub-topics / subthemes/cases.
Comparative studies
Assessment Focuses:
Presenting significant relevant facts.
Presenting valid comparisons.
Drawing well-argued conclusions.
Max.
Mark to
be
awarded
17-20
Comparative studies


13-16

9-12
5-8
1-4
Make logical judgments based on substantiated and balanced
comparisons.
Make conscious attempts to make logical judgments based on
balanced comparisons, marred by slight lopsidedness to one of the
subjects.
Presents unbalanced comparisons with substantiated discussions; or

Presents roughly balanced comparisons, marred by narrow focus and
lopsidedness to one of the subjects.
Presents unbalanced comparisons with poor content; or

Makes comparisons in only one aspect; or

Weak comparisons, primarily characterized by narrations


Presents a narrative account of the subject matters without any
comparisons.
Communism in China and
the Soviet Union?????
The topic is too broad as communism in China and
the Soviet Union covers almost all aspects of daily life
Industrial
development
in
China
and government activities of the two countries.
and the
Sovietcapability
Union to
inhandle.
the 1950s
It is beyond
a student’s
A narrower and sharper focus will be necessary.
Suggestion: Industrial development in China and the
Soviet Union in the 1950s
Issue-based studies
‘Issue’ is a matter that reflects controversies.
Such controversies may still linger on till now,
or existed once but have become history now.
Such issues should stretch over a considerably
long period of time. Students should not focus
merely on an event that only last for, say, a few
days, because it is at best an example of the
issue, but not the issue itself.
Issues may be defined in a local, regional,
and/or global scale; they may be political,
diplomatic, economic, social, etc.
The analysis should come with an appropriate
conclusion.
Issue-based studies
Assessment Focuses:
Presenting significant relevant facts on the
issue and its origins and development.
Identifying contrasting views and assessing
their relative validity.
Making logical judgments about the
controversies.
Max.
Mark to
be
awarded
Issue-based studies
•
17-20
•
13-16
•
Make logical judgments based on different aspects of the issue, with
an analysis of how such aspects have led to controversies.
Make conscious attempts to make logical judgments based on
different aspects of the issue, with an analysis of how such aspects
have led to controversies, probably marred by lopsidedness.
Attempts to argue, and the arguments and evidences are primarily
one-sided; or
9-12
•
Attempts to present a two-sided or multi-perspective picture, marred
by underdeveloped viewpoints/discussion.
5-8
•
Attempts to argue, but the arguments and evidences are one-sided.
•
Presents a chronological account of facts; unable to highlight any
controversy
1-4
Governor Chris
Patten?????
What Chris Patten had done in Hong Kong might be
controversial, but ‘Governor Chris Patten’ as a title
Industrial
does not
imply any development
controversy………in China
and the Soviet Union in the 1950s
Suggestion: Is it fair that Chris Patten be named ‘a
criminal of all time’?