VCE Literature Units 1 and 2: 2016–2020; Units 3 and 4: 2017–2020
ADVICE FOR TEACHERS
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Melbourne VIC 3000
ISBN: 978-1-925264-05-0
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VCE Literature Units 1 and 2: 2016–2020; Units 3 and 4: 2017–2020
ADVICE FOR TEACHERS
Contents
Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 1
Administration .............................................................................................................................. 1
Curriculum..................................................................................................................................... 1
Developing a course ................................................................................................................... 1
Text selection .............................................................................................................................. 1
Units 1 and 2............................................................................................................................ 1
Units 3 and 4............................................................................................................................ 3
Employability skills ...................................................................................................................... 3
Resources ................................................................................................................................... 4
Assessment................................................................................................................................... 4
Scope of tasks ............................................................................................................................ 5
Units 1 and 2 ............................................................................................................................... 6
Units 3 and 4 ............................................................................................................................... 6
Authentication ............................................................................................................................... 8
Learning activities ........................................................................................................................ 9
Unit 1: Approaches to literature ................................................................................................... 9
Unit 2: Context and connections................................................................................................ 13
Learning activities and School-assessed Coursework (SAC) ................................................. 17
Unit 3: Form and transformation ................................................................................................ 17
Unit 4: Interpreting texts ............................................................................................................ 21
Performance Descriptors ........................................................................................................... 25
Appendix: Employability skills .................................................................................................. 29
VCE Literature Units 1 and 2: 2016–2020; Units 3 and 4: 2017–2020
ADVICE FOR TEACHERS
Introduction
The VCE Literature Advice for teachers handbook provides curriculum and assessment
advice for Units 1 to 4. It contains advice for developing a course with examples of teaching
and learning activities and resources for each unit.
Assessment information is provided for school based assessment in Units 3 and 4 and
advice for teachers on how to construct assessment tasks with suggested performance
descriptors and rubrics.
The course developed and delivered to students must be in accordance with the VCE
Literature Study Design Units 1 and 2: 2016-2020, Units 3 and 4: 2017–2020.
Administration
Advice on matters related to the administration of Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE)
assessment is published annually in the VCE and VCAL Administrative Handbook. Updates
to matters related to the administration of VCE assessment are published in the VCAA
Bulletin.
VCE Literature Study Design examination specifications, past examination papers and
corresponding examination reports can be accessed at:
www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Pages/vce/studies/Literature/exams.aspx
Graded Distributions for Graded Assessment can be accessed at
www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Pages/vce/statistics/2013/index.aspx
Curriculum
Developing a course
A course outlines the nature and sequence of teaching and learning necessary for students
to demonstrate achievement of the set of outcomes for a unit. The areas of study describe
the learning context and the knowledge and skills required for the demonstration of each
outcome.
Teachers must develop courses that include appropriate learning activities to enable
students to develop the knowledge and skills identified in the outcomes in each unit.
Text selection
Units 1 and 2
The requirements for text selection for Units 1 and 2 are provided on page 8 of the VCE
Literature Study Design.
Students are encouraged to read widely in Units 1 and 2 to support the achievement of all
outcomes.
© VCAA 2015
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VCE Literature Units 1 and 2: 2016–2020; Units 3 and 4: 2017–2020
ADVICE FOR TEACHERS
A range of texts that could be considered are provided below.
Unit 1 Area of Study 1
Brittain, Vera, Testament of Youth (non-fiction)
Drewe, Robert, Stories of the Beach (short stories)
Fitzgerald, F. Scott, The Great Gatsby (novel)
Frame, Janet, An Angel at my Table (non-fiction)
Funder, Anna, All That I Am (novel)
Garner, Helen, Postcards from Surfers (short stories)
Kinsella, John, Peripheral Light (poetry)
Lanagan, Mango, Black Juice (short stories)
Levi, Primo, If This Is A Man (non-fiction)
Miller, Arthur, A View From the Bridge (play)
O'Brien, Tim, The Lake of the Woods (novel)
Pierre, DBC, Vernon God Little (novel)
Poetry of TS Eliot
Poetry of Dorothy Porter
Poetry of Glen Harwood
Rayson, Hannie, Glass Soldiers (play)
Salinger, JD, Catcher in the Rye (novel)
Winton, Tim, Scission (short stories)
Zusak, Markus, The Book Thief (novel)
Unit 1. Area of Study 2
Altmann, Robert, The Player (film)
Austen, Jane, Pride and Prejudice (novel)
Bennett, Alan, The History Boys (play)
Bolt, Robert, A Man For All Seasons (play)
Camus, Albert, The Outsider (novel)
Capote, Truman, Breakfast at Tiffany's (novella)
Dickens, Charles, A Christmas Carol (novel)
Hamid, Mohsin, The Reluctant Fundamentalist (novel)
Heiss, Anita, I'm Not Ugly (poems)
Jolley, Elizabeth, The Newspaper of Claremont Street
(play)
Sophocles, King Oedipus (play)
Shakespeare, William, Much Ado about Nothing (play)
Tan, Shaun, Tales from Outer Suburbia (graphic text)
Torday, Paul, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (novel)
Walker, Alice, The Colour Purple (novel)
Williams, Tennessee, A Streetcar Named Desire (play)
Unit 2, Area of Study 1
Abouet, Marguerite, Aya of Yop City (graphic text)
Akutagawa, Ryunosuke, Rashomon and Other Stories
(short stories)
Allende, Isabelle, Of Love and Shadows (novel)
Becket, Samuel, Endgame (play)
Conrad, Joseph, The Secret Agent (novel)
Durrenmatt, Friedrich, The Visit (play)
Eliot, George, Silas Marner (novel)
Fo, Dario, Accidental Death of an Anarchist (play)
Fugard, Athol, Master Harold and the Boys (play)
Huong, Duong Thu, Paradise of the Blind (novel)
Ibsen, Henrik, A Doll's House (play)
Kafka, Franz, Metamorphosis (short story)
© VCAA 2015
Lahiri, Jhumpa, Interpreter of Maladies (short stories)
O'Brien, Tim, The Things They a Carried (novel)
Poetry of Emily Dickinson
Poetry of William Blake
Poetry of William Wordsworth
Rostand, E., Cyrano de Bergerac (play)Satrapi, Marjane,
Persepolis (graphic text)
Sophocles, Antigone (play)
Takahata, Isao, Grave of the Fireflies (film)
The Best Stories of Edgar Allen Poe (short stories)
Wharton, Edith, Ethan Frome (novel)
Yoshimoto, Banana, Kitchen (novella)
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ADVICE FOR TEACHERS
Unit 2, Area of Study 2
Austen, Jane, Emma and McCall-Smith, Alexander, Emma
Austen, Jane, Pride and Prejudice and Fielding, Helen, Bridget Jones' Diary
Barker, Pat, Regeneration and the poetry of Wilfred Owen
Bradbury, Ray, Fahrenheit 451 and Orwell, George, Nineteen Eighty-Four
Bronte, Charlotte, Jane Eyre and Rhys, Jean, Wide Sargasso Sea
Capote, Truman, In Cold Blood and Garner, Helen, Joe Cinque's Consolation
Forster, EM, A Passage To India and Jhabvala, Ruth Prawer, Heat and Dust
Lawrence, Ray, Jindabyne and Carver, Raymond, So Much Water So Close to Home
Malouf, David, Ransom and Atwood, Margaret, The Penelopiad or Homer, The Iliad or Carey, Peter,
The Greek Tyrant
Milestone, Lewis, All Quiet on the Western Front and Malouf, David, Fly Away Peter
Russell, Willy, Educating Rita and Ibsen, Henrik, Peer Gynt
Shakespeare, William, Hamlet and Stoppard, Tom, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
Shakespeare, William, Richard III and Tey, Josephine, The Daughter of Time or Loncraine, Richard,
Looking For Richard or Willimon, Beau, House of Cards
The poetry of Yeats and The Waterboys, An Appointment With Mr Yeats
Units 3 and 4
The requirements for text selection for Units 3 and 4 are provided on page 15 of the VCE
Literature Study Design. The prescribed lists of texts for each year are published on the
study page on the VCAA website.
Students are expected to read widely in Units 3 and 4 to support the achievement of all
outcomes.
Employability skills
The VCE Literature study provides students with the opportunity to engage in a range of
learning activities. In addition to demonstrating their understanding and mastery of the
content and skills specific to the study, students may also develop employability skills
through their learning activities.
The nationally agreed employability skills are: Communication; Planning and organising;
Teamwork; Problem solving; Self-management; Initiative and enterprise; Technology; and
Learning.
© VCAA 2015
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ADVICE FOR TEACHERS
The table links those facets that may be understood and applied in a school or nonemployment related setting, to the types of assessment commonly undertaken within the
VCE study.
Resources
A list of resources is published online on the VCAA website and is updated annually. The list
includes teaching, learning and assessment resources, contact details for subject
associations and professional organisations.
Assessment
Assessment is an integral part of teaching and learning. At the senior secondary level it:
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identifies opportunities for further learning
describes student achievement
articulates and maintains standards
provides the basis for the award of a certificate.
As part of VCE studies, assessment tasks enable:
 the demonstration of the achievement of an outcome or set of outcomes for satisfactory
completion of a unit
 judgment and reporting of a level of achievement for school-based assessments at Units
3 and 4.
The following are the principles that underpin all VCE assessment practices. These are
extracted from the VCAA Principles and guidelines for the development and review of VCE
Studies published on the VCAA website.
VCE assessment
will be valid
This means that it will enable judgments to be made about demonstration of the
outcomes and levels of achievement on assessment tasks fairly, in a balanced way and
without adverse effects on the curriculum or for the education system. The overarching
concept of validity is elaborated as follows.
VCE assessment
should be fair and
reasonable
Assessment should be acceptable to stakeholders including students, schools,
government and the community. The system for assessing the progress and
achievement of students must be accessible, effective, equitable, reasonable and
transparent.
The curriculum content to be assessed must be explicitly described to teachers in each
study design and related VCAA documents. Assessment instruments should not assess
learning that is outside the scope of a study design.
Each assessment instrument (for example, examination, assignment, test, project,
practical, oral, performance, portfolio, presentation or observational schedule) should
give students clear instructions. It should be administered under conditions (degree of
supervision, access to resources, notice and duration) that are substantially the same
for all students undertaking that assessment.
Authentication and school moderation of assessment and the processes of external
review and statistical moderation are to ensure that assessment results are fair and
comparable across the student cohort for that study.
VCE assessment
should be
© VCAA 2015
Assessment instruments should neither privilege nor disadvantage certain groups
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VCE Literature Units 1 and 2: 2016–2020; Units 3 and 4: 2017–2020
equitable
ADVICE FOR TEACHERS
of students or exclude others on the basis of gender, culture, linguistic background,
physical disability, socioeconomic status and geographical location.
Assessment instruments should be designed so that, under the same or similar
conditions, they provide consistent information about student performance. This
may be the case when, for example, alternatives are offered at the same time for
assessment of an outcome (which could be based on a choice of context) or at a
different time due to a student’s absence.
VCE assessment
will be balanced
The set of assessment instruments used in a VCE study will be designed to provide a
range of opportunities for a student to demonstrate in different contexts and modes the
knowledge, skills, understanding and capacities set out in the curriculum. This
assessment will also provide the opportunity for students to demonstrate different levels
of achievement specified by suitable criteria, descriptors, rubrics or marking schemes.
Judgment about student level of achievement should be based on the results from a
variety of practical and theoretical situations and contexts relevant to a study. Students
may be required to respond in written, oral, performance, product, folio, multimedia or
other suitable modes as applicable to the distinctive nature of a study or group of
related studies.
VCE assessment
will be efficient
The minimum number of assessments for teachers and assessors to make a robust
judgment about each student’s progress and learning will be set out in the study design.
Each assessment instrument must balance the demands of precision with those of
efficiency. Assessment should not generate workload and/or stress that unduly diminish
the performance of students under fair and reasonable circumstances.
Scope of tasks
For Units 1–4 in all VCE studies assessment tasks must be a part of the regular teaching
and learning program and must not unduly add to the workload associated with that
program. They must be completed mainly in class and within a limited timeframe.
Points to consider in developing an assessment task:
1. List the key knowledge and key skills.
2. Choose the assessment task where there is a range of options listed in the study design.
It is possible for students in the same class to undertake different options; however,
teachers must ensure that the tasks are comparable in scope and demand.
3. Identify the qualities and characteristics that you are looking for in a student response and
design the criteria and a marking scheme
4. Identify the nature and sequence of teaching and learning activities to cover the key
knowledge and key skills outlined in the study design and provide for different learning
styles.
5. Decide the most appropriate time to set the task. This decision is the result of several
considerations including:
 the estimated time it will take to cover the key knowledge and key skills for the
outcome
 the possible need to provide a practice, indicative task
© VCAA 2015
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ADVICE FOR TEACHERS
 the likely length of time required for students to complete the task
 when tasks are being conducted in other studies and the workload implications for
students.
Units 1 and 2
The student’s level of achievement in Units 1 and 2 is a matter for school decision.
Assessments of levels of achievement for these units will not be reported to the VCAA.
Schools may choose to report levels of achievement using grades, descriptive statements or
other indicators.
In each VCE study at Units 1 and 2, teachers determine the assessment tasks to be used for
each outcome in accordance with the study design.
Teachers should select a variety of assessment tasks for their program to reflect the key
knowledge and key skills being assessed and to provide for different learning styles. Tasks
do not have to be lengthy to make a decision about student demonstration of achievement of
an outcome. Note that for Unit 2, Outcome 2 students must complete an extended piece of
writing of 1000–1500 words.
A number of options are provided in each study design to encourage use of a broad range of
assessment activities. Teachers can exercise great flexibility when devising assessment
tasks at this level, within the parameters of the study design.
Note that more than one assessment task can be used to assess satisfactory completion of
each outcome in the units.
Units 3 and 4
The VCAA supervises the assessment for levels of achievement of all students undertaking
Units 3 and 4.
There are two main forms of school based assessment: School-assessed Coursework
(SAC) and in some studies, the School-assessed Task (SAT).
School–assessed
Coursework
A SAC is selected from the prescribed list of assessment tasks designated for that
outcome in the study design. A mark allocation is prescribed for each SAC. Teachers
may develop their own marking schemes and rubrics or may use the performance
descriptors
The VCE and VCAL Administrative Handbook provides more detailed information about
School-assessed Coursework.
School-assessed
Task
A SAT is a mandated task prescribed in the study design. The SAT is assessed using
prescribed assessment criteria and accompanying performance descriptors published
annually on the relevant study page on the VCAA website. Notification of their
publication is given in the February VCAA Bulletin. Teachers will provide to the VCAA a
score against each criterion that represents an assessment of the student’s level of
performance. Details of authentication requirements and administrative arrangements
for School-assessed Tasks are published annually in the current year’s VCE and VCAL
Administrative Handbook.
© VCAA 2015
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ADVICE FOR TEACHERS
In VCE Literature the student’s level of achievement will be determined by School-assessed
Coursework and an end-of-year examination. The VCAA will report the student’s level of
performance as a grade from A+ to E or UG (ungraded) for each of three Graded
Assessment components: Unit 3 School-assessed Coursework, Unit 4 School-assessed
Coursework and the end-of-year examination.
In Units 3 and 4 school-based assessment provides the VCAA with two judgements:
S (satisfactory) or N (not satisfactory) for each outcome and for the unit; and levels of
achievement determined through specified assessment tasks prescribed for each outcome.
School-assessed Coursework provides teachers with the opportunity to:
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select from the designated assessment task/s in the study design
develop and administer their own assessment program for their students
monitor the progress and work of their students
provide important feedback to the student
gather information about the teaching program.
Teachers should design an assessment task that is representative of the content (key
knowledge and key skills underpinning the outcome) and allows students the opportunity to
demonstrate the highest level of performance. It is important that students know what is
expected of them in an assessment task. This means providing students with advice about
the outcome’s key knowledge and key skills to be assessed. Students should know in
advance how and when they are going to be assessed and the conditions under which they
will be assessed.
Assessment tasks should be part of the teaching and learning program. For each
assessment task students should be provided with the:
 type of assessment task as listed in the study design and approximate date for
completion
 time allowed for the task
 allocation of marks
 nature of any materials they can utilise when completing the task
 information about the relationship between the task and learning activities should also be
provided as appropriate
Following an assessment task:
 teachers can use the performance of their students to evaluate the teaching and learning
program
 a topic may need to be carefully revised prior to the end of the unit to ensure students
fully understand the key knowledge and key skills required in preparation for the
examination
 feedback provides students with important advice about which aspect or aspects of the
key knowledge they need to learn and in which key skills they need more practice.
© VCAA 2015
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ADVICE FOR TEACHERS
Authentication
Teachers should have in place strategies for ensuring that work submitted for assessment is
the student’s own. Where aspects of tasks for school-based assessment are completed
outside class time teachers must monitor and record each student’s progress through to
completion. This requires regular sightings of the work by the teacher and the keeping of
records. The teacher may consider it appropriate to ask the student to demonstrate his/her
understanding of the task at the time of submission of the work.
If any part of the work cannot be authenticated, then the matter should be dealt with as a
breach of rules. To reduce the possibility of authentication problems arising, or being difficult
to resolve, the following strategies are useful:
 Ensure that tasks are kept secure prior to administration, to avoid unauthorised release to
students and compromising the assessment. They should not be sent by mail or
electronically without due care.
 Ensure that a significant amount of classroom time is spent on the task so that the
teacher is familiar with each student’s work and can regularly monitor and discuss
aspects of the work with the student.
 Ensure that students document the specific development stages of work, starting with an
early part of the task such as topic choice, list of resources and/or preliminary research.
 Filing of copies of each student’s work at given stages in its development.
 Regular rotation of topics from year to year to ensure that students are unable to use
student work from the previous year.
 Where there is more than one class of a particular study in the school, the VCAA expects
the school to apply internal moderation/cross-marking procedures to ensure consistency
of assessment between teachers. Teachers are advised to apply the same approach to
authentication and record-keeping, as cross-marking sometimes reveals possible
breaches of authentication. Early liaison on topics, and sharing of draft student work
between teachers, enables earlier identification of possible authentication problems and
the implementation of appropriate action.
 Encourage students to acknowledge tutors, if they have them, and to discuss and show
the work done with tutors. Ideally, liaison between the class teacher and the tutor can
provide the maximum benefit for the student and ensure that the tutor is aware of the
authentication requirements. Similar advice applies if students receive regular help from a
family member.
© VCAA 2015
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ADVICE FOR TEACHERS
Learning activities
Unit 1: Approaches to literature
Area of Study 1: Reading practices
Outcome 1:
Examples of learning activities
Respond to a range of texts
and reflect on influences
shaping these responses.
 create a grid listing similarities and differences between genres after
studying an array of different texts or text extracts; the texts should
represent a variety of cultural and historical contexts, and different stylistic
and structural techniques
 keep a reading journal that documents responses to ideas, character,
setting and events in text/s; select one text and examine and discuss how
ideas, characters, settings and events are developed through:
 the structural, linguistic and literary choices of the author
 the patterns of language created by the author, for example through
speech, punctuation, assonance, rhyme.
 the features and conventions of the text and the impact on the shaping
and creating of meaning
 select a text and distribute examples of different viewpoints about the text
(for example extracts from review articles, academic journals or blogs);
place these viewpoints on a continuum that makes clear the degree to
which they either agree or disagree about aspects of the text; individually,
explain and justify the perspective of each viewpoint; write a short comment
about the text that can be displayed in the classroom
 listen to interviews with the author about the text or to critics reviewing the
work; reflect upon and explore the ways in which the views presented
coincide with or differ from the views held within the classroom
 conduct a book forum and share responses to a text; the moderator would
need to be prepared and able to move the participants (class members)
beyond an examination of the characters; through discussion and
questioning, encourage participants to question and examine where their
responses to the text come from; that is, what beliefs, values and
understandings of the world influence the way they respond to the text
 create a class blog or electronic discussion board for a selected text;
individually, initiate and respond to a prescribed number of discussion
points
 respond to a text by reconstructing part of the text in a different genre; for
example, reconstruct part of a narrative as a script, or a play as a poem;
reflect on what was endorsed or left unquestioned in the selection of the
narrative, and consider the values and ideas revealed in the interpretation of
the original text
 take notes on initial impressions formed from reading a text; reconstruct
these impressions in either an interview or letter to the author, which
challenges and/or endorses aspects of the text and assumptions made
about the writer’s intentions
 offer an interpretation orally or in writing of a text or section of a text and
explicitly identify the personal influences that have shaped this response to
the text
 undertake a close reading experience of key passages/scenes/aspects of a
text; identify the features of the text, including the way the text is presented,
that influence this perspective of the text’s ideas and concerns
© VCAA 2015
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ADVICE FOR TEACHERS
Detailed example
CLOSE READING EXPERIENCE
1. Provide students with key passages or scenes from a text or texts studied.
2. Develop a range of guiding questions that support students to identify and analyse the linguistic, tonal,
structural and contextual features of the text/s. Possible questions include:
 What are the concerns of the text? Are these concerns presented as turning points in the narrative?
How does the writer serve to identify their importance over other events in the narrative? What are the
characteristics of these concerns that separate them from other concerns in the text? How has the
writer’s focus influenced your perception of the text?
 What does the text reveal about the characters and character relationships? Select particular lines and
phrases to illustrate your ideas.
 How would you describe the mood of the passage? What particular words and lines help to convey this
mood? Is this similar or different to other parts of the text? How has the mood of the text influenced
your reading of the text?
 What, if any, images are used? How do you interpret them? Are they repeated or developed elsewhere
in the text? How do these images influence your reading of the text?
 From whose point of view is the text narrated? What is the narrator’s attitude to the subject? How can
you tell? Is this the same as the author’s/ how can you tell? How has this method influenced your
reading?
 What other features or qualities of the language are apparent in this passage? Think: nouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, punctuation, structure, length of sentences etc.
 Does this extract/s remind you of, or have some parallels with, other moments or aspects in other texts,
such as images, character development, plot or language? What conclusions can you draw from these
parallels?
3. Construct a worksheet using the guiding questions. Students initially work on this sheet in small groups of
two or three people.
4. Students then use the ideas developed through discussion to respond individually in writing. The written
outcome can take the form of answers to the questions listed or one question can form the basis of an
extended written response.
Optional preparatory work:
Give students a series of different extracts from a single or multiple texts to read. In small groups, the
students use the questions above to annotate these extracts. They then share their observations with the
class.
OR
Give students an extract or series of extracts to annotate according to the questions above and then work
through the extract/s on screen as a whole class.
OR
An extract is reproduced on A3 paper and students complete their observations and annotations in groups
for presentation to the class. From this annotated copy, groups or pairs of students produce analytical
paragraphs. Students then work as individuals and identify their personal responses in written form.
© VCAA 2015
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ADVICE FOR TEACHERS
Area of Study 2: Ideas and concerns in texts
Outcome 2:
Examples of learning activities
Analyse the ways in which
texts reflect or comment on
the ideas and concerns of
individuals and particular
groups in society.
 research the historical, social, cultural, economic, political contexts of the
text; present findings in a linear timeline, which establishes links between
certain real events and the narrative of the text, for example the events/
personalities in the French Revolution and the events in Dickens’ A Tale
of Two Cities
 research the author of a text and identify biographical factors (historical,
social, economic, political) that might have had an impact on the context
of the text
 identify possible links between the author’s personal and/or contextual
experiences and those narrated in the text, using evidence from the text
to support these links, for example the ways in which Harper Lee’s
childhood experiences may be reflected in To Kill a Mockingbird
 research the writer’s background and the contextual events relevant to the
time of their writing; using the research, construct an extended piece of
writing adopting the role of the author, speculating about the writer’s ideas
and concerns; this could take the form of a monologue/speech, a letter to a
publisher, an interview or diary entry
 develop a character chart that explores the ways an author has created and
used character/s to explore particular ideas and concerns
 create a chart of the cultural or social institutions that can be identified in a
narrative either directly or indirectly; identify the author’s ideas and concerns
about these institutions both through their representation and their influence
on the narrative, for example the different ways in which the church and the
clergy are represented in Brontë’s Jane Eyre
 in groups, work with chapters/scenes from a text or with poetry; each group
develops a chronological chart of the ideas and concerns of the text,
inferred by examples of the language, in a Google doc or other electronic
format so that members of each group can contribute to the chart
 examine a text for the dominant and silent voices and how these influence
the text; explore the interaction or possible lack of interaction between the
two voices; the dominant voices most often dictate the events and narrative
of the text in a direct manner while the silent voices are those whose actions
or cameos in the text often reveal the wider ideas and concerns of the text,
for example the three philanthropic gentlemen (silent voice) who visit
Ebeneezer Scrooge (dominant voice) in Dickens’ A Christmas Carol
requesting money for the poor, or the influential nature of ‘Tiny Tim’ (silent
voice) on Scrooge’s reformation
© VCAA 2015
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ADVICE FOR TEACHERS
Detailed example
CHARACTER CHART
In this activity, students will complete a character chart that explores the ways that an author has created and
used characters to raise ideas or concerns in a text. As part of this exploration, students should consider the
journey and the fate of the characters.
1. Divide students into small groups of two or three.
2. Allocate each student a character from the text. Ensure that characters from the text are spread across all
groups, as this activity, once complete, is an ideal learning experience to share within a class discussion
framework.
3. Complete the table provided (see below).
4. Once the table has been completed, students should demonstrate their findings and ensure that other
students are able to share in their knowledge by preparing a multimodal presentation of the work.
Sample
Develop a character chart that explores the ways that Tennessee Williams has created and used the characters
to raise ideas or concerns in A Streetcar Named Desire.
Character
Represents
Outcome for the
character
Authorial use (What could
the author be reflecting or
commenting on through
this character?)
Blanche
The damage done by selfdelusion
Loss of identity
Male versus female
perceptions of self. The way
in which power struggles can
be a form of self-destruction.
Destruction of
emotional wellbeing –
the blurring of reality
versus fantasy
Sexuality
Societal expectations of
women at the time of writing
Stella
…
…
…
Stanley
…
…
…
Mitch
…
…
…
Extension activity
Students can use their responses to develop a written analysis of characters in the text. A sample essay topic is:
Write an extended analysis in response to the following question: How does Stanley’s view of life influence his
relationship with Stella and Blanche?
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ADVICE FOR TEACHERS
Unit 2: Context and connections
Area of Study 1: The text, the reader and their contexts
Outcome 1:
Examples of learning activities
Analyse and respond critically
and creatively to the ways a
text from a past era and/or a
different culture reflect or
comment on the ideas and
concerns of individuals and
groups in that context.
 in small groups, construct a visual timeline of the historical events relevant
to the text; where possible, research the details of the particular events on
the timeline, for example the Western Front in Remarque’s All Quiet on the
Western Front
 research the biographical background and cultural/social context of a
writer’s life and consider the influence of the writer’s personal experiences
on a text’s views and values
 identify words and sentence constructions from a text that are particular to
the time in which the text is written; research the selected language, identify
its meaning and function within the context of the text and then find its
modern or cultural equivalent
 analyse the ways in which language can define characters and relationships
in the text, considering how the author’s choice of structure and form reveal
idiosyncrasies of character and dialogue; this can be achieved creatively by
rewriting or reconstructing a particular section or event in the text and using
the language of the text to create interior monologues or dialogue between
characters
 imagine and construct an interview with a character from a text; create the
character’s answers using the views and values on particular ideas and
concerns that are evident in the text
 allocate characters from a text to individual class members and create a
panel made up of these characters (in a forum setting); other class
members question the characters about their views on certain social,
cultural and historical concerns; the characters/class members answer and
debate the questions ‘in character’, according to how they are portrayed in
the text
 research a text from a past era and/or a different culture looking at the way
it reflects or comments on the ideas and concerns of individuals and groups
from that era or culture
 discuss particular moments in a historical novel that might be considered
contentious in the light of the contemporary views
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ADVICE FOR TEACHERS
Detailed example
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
Students discuss particular moments in Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice that might provide a
contentious social concern in the light of contemporary views.
1. Divide students into small groups.
2. Provide each group of students with a specific passage; for example, the opening passage of the novel,
the conversation between Elizabeth and Charlotte Lucas about Charlotte’s marriage to Mr Collins, Lady
Catherine’s visit to Longbourn, Lydia’s elopement and subsequent marriage to Wickham and Elizabeth and
Jane’s conversation about her love for Darcy.
3. Each group should:
a. Identify the ideas and concerns expressed in the given passage and why they might be considered
contentious by today’s reader.
b. Research the relevant social mores of the time to establish why the views and values expressed in the
text might have been of concern to Jane Austen.
c. Consider how Jane Austen’s selection of language and form reveal her attitude to the issue under
examination. Findings should be presented in dot point form with the use of evidence from the given
passage to support viewpoints.
4. Findings can be shared with the class using a multimodal approach such as a PowerPoint or electronic
mind map, which can be added to during the class presentation.
Area of Study 2: Exploring connections between texts
Outcome 2:
Examples of learning activities
Compare texts considering
the dialogic nature of texts
and how they influence each
other.
 examine texts that explore similar concerns and list the common features
and differences between these texts; identify whether texts have been
influenced by one another and whether particular forms of texts are more
successful than others in conveying certain concerns
 explore the connections between Arthur Miller’s plays The Crucible and
A View From the Bridge, and On the Waterfront, directed by Elia Kazan.
Consider how the political context in which the texts were created creates
a relationship between the texts.
 read a short version of the story of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round
Table, for example on the website www.kingarthursknights.com/, and
discuss the issues and problems raised in the narrative; decide on the most
important messages or morals and consider how they could reverberate
with a modern readership or audience; using brief outlines of one or more
of the original Star Wars films, JR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy or
JK Rowlings’ Harry Potter series, discuss which aspects of the King Arthur
story can be identified in these other texts: look at shared views and values
about good and evil, characters constructed similarly to represent particular
values, patterns of plot structures and similarities in uses of tone and
language; having established patterns of similarity, identify the differences
in approaches between the texts
 list written or film texts that rely on similar ideas; demonstrate how key
human behaviours and values are explored in different historical, social and
cultural contexts and highlight how texts can reach both forwards and
backwards in time
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ADVICE FOR TEACHERS
 examine the ways in which texts have been appropriated into popular
culture, for example in ‘The Simpsons’; research which texts have been
referenced in ‘The Simpsons’ and reflect on why the show’s writers chose to
integrate such references
 read and complete the exercises in ‘It’s All an Allusion: Identifying Allusions,
in Literature and in Life’ from The New York Times (February 9, 2012).
http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/09/its-all-an-allusion-identifyingallusions-in-literature-and-in-life/?_r=0
 read and discuss a fractured fairytale such as Roald Dahl’s poem ‘Little Red
Riding Hood and The Wolf’ (in the collection Revolting Rhymes) and
construct a comparative analysis of the original narrative
 research the basic theories behind dialogism (e.g. Mikhail Bakhtin’s and
Julia Kristeva’s theories) and identify why dialogism is considered relevant
to exploring connections between texts
 using the texts listed below, consider the various links between each to
reveal the value of intertextuality to interpretation; look comparatively at
language, ideas, tone, structure and characterisation:
 Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Act 5, Scene 2, Lines 18–47
 An excerpt from TS Eliot’s ‘The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock’
commencing from ‘No! I am not Prince Hamlet…Almost, at times, the
Fool’
 An excerpt from Beckett’s Waiting For Godot commencing ‘Let us not
waste our time…We are waiting for Godot to come –‘ [Act 2]
 An excerpt from Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
commencing ‘Player: We’re actors …We pledged our identities [through to]
…on the road to Elsinore’ [ACT II]
 identify the common historical, social and cultural contexts of set texts by
creating a mindmap of shared features and points of difference; analyse the
ideas and attitudes shared between the texts to establish the main concerns
of both texts
 select a particular scene or event from each set text that explores a
common concern and present a visual analysis, such as a mind map or
table, outlining points of difference in terms of form, voice and language
used
 use two excerpts from two different texts which share a recognisable
dialogic relationship, for example:
 Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen) and Bridget Jones’ Diary (Helen
Fielding)
 A Passage to India (EM Forster) and Heat and Dust (Ruth Prawer
Jhabvala)
 Catcher in the Rye (JD Salinger) and Vernon God Little (DBC Pierre)
 identify the common ideas or concerns across the texts and also the
differences between the two excerpts’ treatment of the ideas; explain in
what ways these ideas have evolved over time and what aspects of the
ideas remain timeless
 identify common historical, social and cultural contexts of set texts in a table
of shared features and points of difference
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ADVICE FOR TEACHERS
Detailed example
For teachers who want to refresh their knowledge of intertextuality see Charles Bazerman’s article
‘Intertextuality: How Texts Rely on Other Texts’ at:
http://cdh.sc.edu/~hawkb/readings/bazerman_intertextuality.pdf
AN ANALYSIS OF THE NATURE OF THE DERIVED TEXT
Texts: The Story of Pygmalion by Ovid (from Book X in Metamorphoses) AND Pygmalion by George Bernard
Shaw AND My Fair Lady directed by George Cukor AND Pretty Woman directed by Garry Marshall
Students identify the common historical, social and cultural contexts of the set texts by completing a table of
shared features and points of difference (see sample table below). Students should then analyse what is
achieved by the derived texts that either enhances or detracts from the qualities of the original text.
Sample
The Story of
Pygmalion
Pygmalion
My Fair Lady
Pretty Woman
Myth
Play
Musical
Film
Setting/Place
Greece
London
London
USA
Time
43 BC – 17 AD
1913
1964
1990
Form of texts
Similarities
Contrasts
Nature of human condition
Protagonists’ relationships with self
Protagonists’ relationships with
other characters
Representation of gender
Social conventions
Life experiences of characters
Interactions with external world
Interior/exterior settings
Way in which characters
communicate
Literary devices and features
particular to each text
Subtext
Cultural contexts
Ideas and attitudes expressed
in each text
Narrative voice
Point of view
Symbolism, imagery, motifs
Language choices
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ADVICE FOR TEACHERS
Extension activity
Students can use their responses to develop a written analysis of the relationship between the texts. A sample
essay topic is:
Write an essay of 1000–1500 words in response to the following:
Discuss the similarities and differences in the ways Ovid, Bernard Shaw and George Cukor portray
the relationships between men and women..
Learning activities and School-assessed
Coursework (SAC)
Unit 3: Form and transformation
Note: In Units 3 and 4 students must study at least six texts, five of which must be selected
from the VCAA Text List. The text used for Unit 3 Area of Study 1 must be an adaptation of
one of the five texts selected from the VCAA Text List.
Area of Study 1: Adaptations and transformations
Outcome 1:
Examples of learning activities
Analyse the extent to which
meaning changes when a text
is adapted to a different form.
 present or perform an aspect of the adapted text for peers; present an
analysis and explanation of the choices made for the performance;
alternatively, present this as a story board rather than a live performance
 select a small section of the original text such as Opening Scene/First
Chapter and Closing Scene/Final Chapter, and compare the section with its
counterpart in the adapted text focusing on how each is constructed
 using tables, explore the way in which meaning has been created in the
original text and in the adaptation; compare the tables looking for
similarities, differences, omissions and additions; write two to three
paragraphs analysing the effect on meaning through the transformation and
adaptation
 research reviews and/or performances of the adapted text and discuss
these in class
 prepare a selection of poems and/or extracts of a play or novel and present
them to convey their meaning in different format/s. Consider how the
differences in form and construction impact on the meaning.
 individually select a particular passage or scene from a text which has been
adapted to another form; use ‘snip’ or ‘grab’ to embed the scene in a
PowerPoint or Key Note presentation; present as part of an oral analysis on
the differences between the adaptation and the original, evaluating what is
achieved or omitted through the transformation of the text
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ADVICE FOR TEACHERS
Detailed example
ANALYSIS OF HOW THE TEXT’S FORM INFLUENCES MEANING
1. Individually, each student creates two tables (see examples below), which identify the main features of
the selected texts (the original and the adaptation).
2. Next, the student fills in the information according to the original text and the adaptation. If the adaptation
is a visual and/or aural text, then the student should complete the table while viewing the text.
3. After the two tables have been completed, the student should then note the differences and similarities
between the original text and its adapted version.
4. These observations form the basis of their analytical response.
TEXT: Do Androids dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
How are the following used to create meaning?
Character
Setting
Plot
Narrative Voice
Style/Structure
Language
TEXT: Blade Runner directed by Ridley Scott
How are the following used to create meaning?
Character
Setting
Plot
Narrative Voice
Style/Structure
Language
Sample assessment task
Written comparative response where the student must examine what meaning is gained and/or lost in the
process of adaptation (800–1000 words).
Director Ridley Scott in the film Blade Runner places more significance on physical landscapes and settings than
on character. Does this alter the focus of the original text’s message?
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VCE Literature Units 1 and 2: 2016–2020; Units 3 and 4: 2017–2020
ADVICE FOR TEACHERS
Note: In Units 3 and 4 students must study at least six texts, five of which must be selected
from the VCAA Text List.
Area of Study 2: Creative responses to texts
Outcome 2:
Examples of learning activities
Respond creatively to a text
and comment on the
connections between the text
and the response.
 reconstruct the ideas and concerns presented in the selected text to convey
to a different audience; the reconstruction should consider the possible
audience/s of the original text and how the ideas and concerns in this text
could effectively be translated to a different audience
 construct an imaginary interview with the author of the selected text to
attempt to establish the purpose and intentions of the text; in the process of
creating the interview, students should try and emulate the author’s style
and tone
 construct a reflective commentary which explains the purpose behind an
imagined adaptation of the whole or part of the selected text; the
commentary should identify the best medium for the adaptation and explain
why the selected approach is the most appropriate; the commentary should
include specific reference to the ideas and concerns represented in the
original text; this is a useful task for creating an adaptation of a whole or
part of a text
 adapt a part of the selected text to a script to be used for either radio, stage
performance or television; the ideas and concerns of the original text should
be made apparent in the adaptation
 insert a new scene/chapter into, or reconstruct a scene/chapter in, the
selected text, which will provide a unique perspective on an aspect of the
narrative
 select a character from the set text and create a perspective from that
character based on the relationships already presented in the narrative
 reconstruct in a new format such as a short story or dialogue, a selected
poem or scene from a set text; present the main ideas and concerns of the
original text
 reflect on an aspect of the selected text by writing a diary or journal which
reveals the ideas and concerns of the text
 manipulate the context and time setting of a set text to provide a more
contemporary perspective of the narrative
 examine and discuss samples of creative responses and reflective
commentaries to a set text, noting the approaches taken; highlight specific
features explored in the samples such as audience, purpose, tone and style
to gain an understanding of the required components of this task (if need
be, gain permission from authors of the sample pieces before using their
work as exemplars)
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VCE Literature Units 1 and 2: 2016–2020; Units 3 and 4: 2017–2020
ADVICE FOR TEACHERS
Detailed example
CHARACTER ANALYSIS AND CREATIVE RESPONSE
1.
2.
3.
4.
Identify the characters that reveal and reflect the views and values examined in the text.
In small groups, examine a character’s construction, function in the text, tone and language. Each group
should create a list of what their character reveals about the text’s ideas and concerns and evidence from
the text to support their list.
Individually, use the character analysis to develop a creative response that expands on the character’s
perspective and demonstrates an understanding of ideas or concerns explored in the text. Students should
be encouraged to consider how different forms allow them to explore the character’s perspective in different
ways. Possible forms include interview, journal, diary, letter, script etc.
In small groups, discuss the decisions made in the creative process and how these impacted on the
meaning.
Sample assessment task
Develop a creative interpretation of In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. Your writing should focusing on a particular
character’s perspective, and you should consider how the form you select impacts on the meaning.
Write a reflective commentary which explains your rationale for your creative decisions include the selection of
form.
Sample response
Barbara’s appeal
Dear Mr Nye,
It was very good of you to attend my home this morning to inform me of your concerns over my little brother
Perry and his whereabouts. I again want to stress that I HAVE NO IDEA OF MY BROTHER’S MOVEMENTS IN
THE LAST FEW YEARS. I want to make this very clear Mr Nye as my husband and I have worked hard to give
our kids a good home and a clean life away from bad influences. It is not that I do not have a ‘family love’ for
Perry as he is my little brother but Perry and I are very different people and he does not respect the same things I
do. We want different things in life so WE DO NOT maintain contact no more. I am ashamed of my brother’s
behaviour and my husband and I do not believe that Perry would bring any good to our lives anymore as we
have moved on to a different life to Perry’s. We love our children and we want to bring them up right to respect
the law and to take responsibility for their behaviour. I tell my kids every day that there will be times when they
will make mistakes and ‘dirty their faces’ with shame but that shame will be removed if they are brave and admit
to their mistakes. I do not believe you can blame others for what has happened to you in life as you must look
after yourself and be responsible. Perry does not hold this view and he cannot get over his bad relationship with
his father so I am concerned that his anger will affect all of us…
Reflective commentary:
I chose to focus my creative response to the text on Perry’s only surviving sister, Barbara. I was taken by the way
Capote constructs Barbara as someone who seems to have fled successfully a traumatic past and yet is unable
to completely absolve herself of her fear of it returning to find her. In many ways she feels quite haunted by
Perry; a mixture of guilt and fear where her ‘love for the little boy weakened until it went quite away’. Capote
presents her as someone who seems quite exhausted by the effort required to hold on to normality and what she
feels is a happy family life. Barbara, like Perry, creates these ‘rules’ for her life; however, their viewpoints are
diametrically opposed. Barbara focuses on conformity and contrition as the ingredients to a successful life as she
reveals in her response to Perry’s letter ‘IT IS NO SHAME TO HAVE A DIRTY FACE – THE SHAME COMES
WHEN YOU KEEP IT DIRTY’. I constructed my response in the form of a letter as I felt it made a good parallel to
the letters written between Barbara and Perry earlier in the text. This letter, however, is not addressed to Perry
but to Nye who had visited Barbara’s home earlier that day to enquire if she had received any contact from Perry.
The interview with the detectives resurrects an anxiety and fear in Barbara that seem to bubble quietly beneath
her existence made seemingly perfect by a home with ‘a white picket fence, and inside it a house for a family
dog, and a sand-box and swings for the children’. Barbara’s letter to Nye has a pleading tone to it as she reveals
© VCAA 2015
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ADVICE FOR TEACHERS
her ever-present concern that Perry will indeed find her new abode and invade it with the same destructive
qualities he has applied to what he perceives as the happiness of others. Capote’s ominous reflection of ‘When
Mrs Johnson bolted the door, she had in mind the dead as well as the living’ provided the stimulus for the idea of
a letter to Nye begging for his assurance to maintain her anonymity. Barbara is genuinely afraid of her little
brother and this manifests itself in the tone of the letter which reveals a mixture of attempted sophistication
compromised by child-like fear. I have adopted Capote’s use of capitalised statements and included them in the
letter as they form a useful highlighting of Barbara’s anxiety and simplistic management code.
Unit 4: Interpreting texts
Area of Study 1: Literary perspectives
Outcome 1:
Examples of learning activities
Produce an interpretation of a
text using different literary
perspectives to inform their
view.
 in small groups discuss the following questions:
 What do we gain from a first relaxed reading of a text?
 What do we add to our knowledge and understanding when we read the
text for a second time?
 Imagine you are writing a review of this text. What would you choose to
identify and ignore?
 consider the question: ‘Why are some books acclaimed and others vilified?’;
research a list of banned books, both past and present, and discover what
criteria are applied when critics decide that a text is unsuitable for public
consumption. Consider how those criteria represent particular perspectives,
views and values.
 consider how the internet has changed the nature of literary criticism, for
example through the proliferation of different perspectives or the
democratisation of literary criticism
 using a selection of critical reviews about one selected text, search for
vocabulary or metalanguage within the literary criticisms that reveal the
critics’ perspectives, for example directed focus on gender, class structure
or social mores; identify the cultural, historical, social and ideological
contexts of each critical review; and examine what assumptions and ideas
about aspects of culture and society are present in each review
 introduce the idea of personal perspectives on a text; write a response to a
text identifying observations of the text’s views and values and how these
concerns are articulated; evaluate what assumptions might lie behind the
perceptions and opinions in the response to the text, for example what did
the response endorse, challenge or leave unquestioned?; introduce the idea
of evaluating another person’s viewpoint on a text by sharing the written
response to the text with other class members who could then apply an
independent analysis of this response; divide the class into small groups to
discuss the similarities and differences in their evaluations of each other’s
writings
 distribute a range of critical perspectives on the text to the class; in small
groups read and evaluate one perspective; use a grid or table to guide
reading of the critical view; present findings to a second representative
group; combine the findings into one grid/table and discuss how the
perspectives might influence a construction of a personal perspective on the
same text
 research a critical perspective on the set text using a range of sources;
summarise findings and present in small groups to discuss
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ADVICE FOR TEACHERS
Detailed example
A CRITICAL EVALUATION OF PERSPECTIVE OF A TEXT
1. The teacher compiles a range of critical perspectives on the text for class distribution. (These extracts may
be sourced from published articles or teacher prepared.)
2. In small groups read and evaluate one perspective. Each group can respond to the grid/table below to
guide reading of the critical review.
3. Present the evaluations on the grid/table to a second representative group. Combine the evaluations into a
single grid or table. Discuss how this range of perspectives might influence their construction of a personal
perspective on the text.
4. Expand the grid/table according to how many critiques are presented. Make these responses available for
distribution to everyone in the class.
The grid below is a useful model for the features students might identify from the critical articles.
Criteria that can be considered
by literary criticism of a text
Literary criticism 1
Literary criticism 2
Author’s life and times
Central ideas
Recurring images
Connections made with other
texts
Characters
Setting
Plot
Structure
Language choices
Assumptions and ideas about the
text’s views and values
Challenges raised by literary
criticism
Endorsements made by literary
criticism
Overall perspective of text
© VCAA 2015
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Personal perspective on
the text
VCE Literature Units 1 and 2: 2016–2020; Units 3 and 4: 2017–2020
ADVICE FOR TEACHERS
Sample assessment task
An assessment task for this activity could take one of the following formats:
Model 1 – The teacher selects a short extract from the set text and two different critical perspectives to prompt
the student’s written interpretation of the set text.
Model 2 – A specific essay topic on the set text that invites a written interpretation requiring the use of two
different critical perspectives.
Model 3 – A single or series of short statements that reveal particular perspectives on the set text. The student
is invited to use one or all of these statements as the basis for a written interpretation using two different literary
perspectives.
Model 4 – Use two short critical perspectives (articles of approx. 300 words each) and invite the student to
develop a written interpretation in response to the perspectives presented in each article and the set text.
Sample task using Model 3
‘The clarity and strength of Charlotte Brontë’s perception of her heroine’s struggle for love is extraordinary.
Yet of all the great novels in the world, Jane Eyre veers the closest towards trash.’ Angela Carter Expletives
Deleted 1992.
‘Altogether the autobiography of Jane Eyre is preeminently an anti-Christian composition.’ Elizabeth Rigby,
Quarterly Review, Massachusetts, March 1848.
In the light of both or either of these views, develop a written interpretation of Jane Eyre. Make reference
to at least two pieces of literary criticism in your response.
Area of Study 2: Close analysis
Outcome 2:
Examples of learning activities
Analyse features of texts
and develop and justify
interpretations of texts.
 read a passage from the selected text which contains a range of structural
and language features employed by the author that reveal the views and
values, and/or creating tone and style; in small groups, identify examples
from the passages/poems using highlighters; use one colour to identify
those features revealing views and values, and another colour to identify
those features which contribute to tone or style
 consider how the writer uses particular language or techniques to
communicate the text’s messages in a particular passage from the text
 analyse three passages that are constructed in a similar manner to focus on
either characters or events in the text; the commonality of the selected
passages should make it easier for students to identify the features of a
writer’s style
 use a grid to identify common and/or different features regarding character
and/or events in a selection of passages; establish patterns across the
passages and use these to construct a written response identifying how
these features contribute to an interpretation of the text
 using three significant passages from a selected text that reveal particular
features of characters or turning points in the text, explain the consistencies
and differences in the passages; identify other moments in the text where
similar features are used by the author and construct an interpretation of
how these features contribute to an understanding of the text as a whole
 in small groups select three passages from one selected text; justify the
selection of these passages by identifying particular features (views and
values, language and tone of the text) and how they contribute to an
understanding of the whole text
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ADVICE FOR TEACHERS
 in small groups, work with three passages to construct a concept map to
establish common features of the passages and identify particular aspects
of the writer’s style; these concept maps should then be presented for
display to the whole class group where they can be further explored through
an oral presentation by each group
Detailed example
CONSTRUCTION OF AN ANALYTICAL RESPONSE
1. Commence this task by demonstrating how to select passages from the text based on identifying the
features of the passages. Using sample passages, explain why the particular passages were selected and
how they contribute to an understanding of the whole text.
2. Students should then be divided into small groups of two or three and asked to select three passages from
across the text. The students should justify the selection of these passages by identifying particular features
(views and values, language and tone of the text) and how they contribute to an understanding of the whole
text
3. Students should compare their passages with another groups’ selection, discussing how each set of
passages represent different features of the text.
Sample assessment task
Respond individually in writing to a set of three passages from the text. Your response should:
 develop an interpretation of the text
 include close reading of the passages provided.
Teachers may consider conducting this assessment under conditions similar to the examination.
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ADVICE FOR TEACHERS
Performance Descriptors
LITERATURE
SCHOOL-ASSESSED COURSEWORK
Performance Descriptors
DESCRIPTOR: typical performance in each range
Very low
Low
High
Very high
Limited recognition of the form
and conventions of the texts.
Some identification of the form
and conventions of the texts.
Clear recognition of the form and
conventions of the texts and how
they affect meaning.
Detailed knowledge of the forms
and conventions of the texts and
how they affect meaning.
Comprehensive knowledge of
the forms and conventions of the
texts and how they affect
meaning.
Limited understanding of the
ways creators of adaptations
present assumptions and ideas.
Some understanding of the ways
creators of adaptations present
assumptions and ideas about
aspects of culture and society
that reflect or are different from
the original text.
Clear understanding of the ways
creators of adaptations present
assumptions and ideas about
aspects of culture and society
that reflect or are different from
the original text.
Detailed understanding of the
ways creators of adaptations
present assumptions and ideas
about aspects of culture and
society that reflect or are
different from the original text.
Thoughtful and complex
understanding of the ways
creators of adaptations present
assumptions and ideas about
aspects of culture and society
that reflect or are different from
the original text.
Limited identification and
discussion of the similarities and
differences between the texts.
Limited provision of textual
evidence.
Some identification and analysis
of the similarities and differences
between the original and the
adapted or transformed text.
Some selection of textual
evidence from the original and
adapted text.
Clear identification and analysis
of the similarities and differences
between the original and the
adapted or transformed text.
Sound selection and effective
use of textual evidence from the
original and adapted text.
Clear and detailed identification
and analysis of the similarities
and differences between the
original and the adapted or
transformed text. Considered
selection and very effective use
of textual evidence from the
original and adapted text.
Clear and highly detailed
identification and analysis of the
similarities and differences
between the original and the
adapted or transformed text.
Highly considered selection and
highly effective use of textual
evidence from the original and
adapted text.
Limited analysis of the ways in
which meaning is altered when
the form of a text is changed
Some analysis of the ways in
which meaning is altered when
the form of a text is changed.
Some understanding of the
construction of the texts.
Clear analysis of the ways in
which meaning is altered when
the form of a text is changed.
Sound understanding of the
construction of the texts.
Detailed analysis of the ways in
which meaning is altered when
the form of a text is changed.
Detailed understanding of the
construction of the text.
Sophisticated and insightful
analysis of the extent to which
meaning changes when the form
of a text is changed. Complex
understanding of the
construction of the texts.
Basic expression of ideas in
written and/or oral form.
Mostly clear expression of ideas
in written and/or oral form.
Generally clear, fluent and
coherent development of ideas
in written and/or oral form.
Expressive, fluent and coherent
development of ideas in written
and/or oral form.
Highly expressive, fluent and
coherent development of ideas
in written and/or oral form.
Unit 3
Outcome 1
Analyse the extent to which
meaning changes when a text
is adapted to a different form.
Medium
KEY to marking scale based on the Outcome contributing 50 marks
Low 1–14
© VCAA 2015
Very low 15–24
Medium 25–34
High 35–44
Very high 45–50
Page 25
VCE Literature Units 1 and 2: 2016–2020; Units 3 and 4: 2017–2020
ADVICE FOR TEACHERS
LITERATURE
SCHOOL-ASSESSED COURSEWORK
Performance Descriptors
DESCRIPTOR: typical performance in each range
Unit 3
Outcome 2
Respond creatively to a text
and comment on the
connections between the text
and the response.
Very low
Low
Medium
High
Very high
Limited commentary on the
connections between the text
and the response. Limited
analysis of the language choices
and literary features of the
original text and how these are
used in the response. Basic
expression of ideas in written
and/or oral form.
Some commentary on the
connections between the text
and the response demonstrated,
through basic analysis of the
language choices and literary
features of the original text and
how these are used in the
response. Mostly clear
expression of ideas in written
and/or oral form.
Sound commentary on the
connections between the text
and the response demonstrated,
through solid analysis of the
language choices and literary
features of the original text and
how these are used in the
response. Generally clear, fluent
and coherent development of
ideas in written and/or oral form.
Considered commentary on the
connections between the text
and the response demonstrated,
through thoughtful analysis of
the language choices and literary
features of the original text and
how these are used in the
response. Expressive, fluent and
coherent development of ideas
in written and/or oral form.
Insightful commentary on the
connections between the text
and the response demonstrated,
through perceptive analysis of
the language choices and literary
features of the original text and
how these are used in the
response. Highly expressive,
fluent and coherent development
of ideas in written and/or oral
form.
Limited use of techniques to
create, recreate or adapt the
original text. Limited awareness
of how these techniques
represent concerns and
attitudes.
Some use of techniques to
create, recreate or adapt a text.
Some awareness of how these
techniques represent particular
concerns and attitudes.
Sound use of techniques to
create, recreate or adapt the
original text. General awareness
of how these techniques
represent particular concerns
and attitudes.
Effective use of techniques to
create, recreate or adapt the
original text to thoughtfully
represent particular concerns
and attitudes.
Highly effective use of
techniques to create, recreate or
adapt the original text in order to
perceptively represent particular
concerns or attitudes.
Limited understanding of the
original text including the point of
view, context, form, features and
the representation of ideas.
Some understanding of the
original text including the point of
view, context, form, features and
the representation of ideas.
Sound understanding of the
original text including the point of
view, context, form, features and
the representation of ideas.
Detailed understanding of the
original text including the point of
view, context, form, features and
the representation of ideas.
Insightful understanding of the
original text including the point of
view, context, form, features and
the representation of ideas.
Limited use of stylistically
appropriate features with limited
written and/or oral language.
Some use of stylistically
appropriate features with some
clarity in written and/or oral
language.
Sound use of stylistically
appropriate features supported
by generally fluent and coherent
written and/or oral language.
Convincing and accomplished
use of stylistically appropriate
features supported by
expressive, fluent and coherent
written and/or oral language.
Sophisticated and highly
accomplished use of stylistically
appropriate features supported
by highly expressive, fluent and
coherent written and/or oral
language.
KEY to marking scale based on the Outcome contributing 50 marks
Low 1–2
Very low 3–4
Medium 5–6
High 7–8
Very high 9–10
Low 1–8
Very low 9–16
Medium 17–24
High 25–32
Very high 33–40
© VCAA 2015
Page 26
VCE Literature Units 1 and 2: 2016–2020; Units 3 and 4: 2017–2020
ADVICE FOR TEACHERS
LITERATURE
SCHOOL-ASSESSED COURSEWORK
Performance Descriptors
DESCRIPTOR: typical performance in each range
Very low
Unit 4
Outcome 1
Produce an interpretation of a
text using different literary
perspectives to inform their
view.
Low
Medium
© VCAA 2015
Very high
Limited understanding,
comparison, analysis and
evaluation of perspectives
presented in literary criticism.
Some understanding,
comparison, analysis and
evaluation of perspectives
presented in literary criticism.
Appropriate understanding,
comparison, analysis and
evaluation of perspectives
presented in literary criticism.
Detailed understanding,
comparison, analysis and
evaluation of perspectives
presented in literary criticism.
Comprehensive understanding,
comparison, analysis and
evaluation of perspectives
presented in literary criticism.
Limited identification and
analysis of the views and values
in the text with limited
understanding of how literary
criticism foregrounds particular
views and questions texts in
particular ways.
Some identification and analysis
of the views and values in the
text supported by some
explanation of how literary
criticism foregrounds particular
views and questions texts in
particular ways.
Sound identification and analysis
of the views and values in the
text supported by a clear
explanation of how literary
criticism foregrounds particular
views and questions texts in
particular ways.
Detailed identification and
analysis of the views and values
in the text supported by a
developed explanation of how
literary criticism foregrounds
particular views and questions
texts in particular ways.
Insightful identification and
analysis of the views and values
in the text supported by a
sophisticated explanation of how
literary criticism foregrounds
particular views and questions
texts in particular ways.
Limited development of an
interpretation with limited
references to the text and literary
criticism. Limited understanding
of how literary criticism informs
interpretations of texts.
Some development of an
interpretation with some
references to the text and literary
criticism. Some analysis of how
literary criticism informs
interpretations of texts.
Appropriate interpretation
developed through suitable
selection and use of some detail
from the text and literary
criticism. Clear analysis of how
literary criticism informs
interpretations of texts.
Thoughtful interpretation
developed through careful
selection and use of detail from
the text and literary criticism.
Thoughtful analysis of how
literary criticism informs
interpretations of texts.
Insightful interpretation
developed through considered
selection and use of significant
detail from the text and literary
criticism. Sophisticated analysis
of how literary criticism informs
interpretations of texts.
Basic expression of ideas in
written and/or oral form.
Mostly clear expression of ideas
in written and/or oral form.
Generally clear, fluent and
coherent development of ideas
in written and/or oral form.
Expressive, fluent and coherent
development of ideas in written
and/or oral form.
Highly expressive, fluent and
coherent development of ideas
in written and/or oral form.
KEY to marking scale based on the Outcome contributing 50 marks
Low 1–14
High
Very low 15–24
Medium 25–34
High 35–44
Very high 45–50
Page 27
VCE Literature Units 1 and 2: 2016–2020; Units 3 and 4: 2017–2020
ADVICE FOR TEACHERS
LITERATURE
SCHOOL-ASSESSED COURSEWORK
Performance Descriptors
DESCRIPTOR: typical performance in each range
Very low
Unit 4
Outcome 2
Analyse features of texts and
develop and justify
interpretations of texts.
Note: This assessment task
will be completed twice for
Outcome 2.
Low
Medium
Little discussion of key features
of the text, using appropriate
conventions. Limited reference
to the effects and nuances of
language, style and form in the
text.
Some analysis of key features of
the text, using appropriate
conventions. Some
consideration of the effects and
nuances of language, style and
form in the text.
Sound analysis of key features
of the text, using appropriate
conventions. Clear consideration
of the effects and nuances of
language, style and form in the
text.
Thorough discussion of key
features of the text, using
appropriate conventions.
Detailed consideration of the
effects and nuances of
language, style and form in the
text.
Thorough and detailed analysis
of key features of the text, using
appropriate conventions. Highly
detailed consideration of the
effects and nuances of
language, style and form in the
text.
Limited understanding of the
views and values presented in
the text and how the writer
reveals these in the text.
Some understanding of the
views and values presented in
the text and limited analysis of
how the writer reveals these in
the text.
Sound understanding of the
views and values presented in
the text and clear analysis of
how the writer reveals these in
the text.
Detailed understanding of the
views and values presented in
the text and thoughtful analysis
of how the writer reveals these in
the text.
Sophisticated understanding of
the views and values presented
in the text and insightful analysis
of how the writer reveals these in
the text.
Limited interpretation
demonstrating limited
understanding of the significance
of the selected passages,
connections between them, the
ways that they reveal
developments in the text and
their relationship to the text as a
whole. Limited use of textual
detail to support the
interpretation.
Some interpretation
demonstrating some
understanding of the significance
of the selected passages,
connections between them, the
ways that they reveal
developments in the text and
their relationship to the text as a
whole. Some use of textual detail
to support the interpretation.
Appropriate interpretation
demonstrating clear analysis of
the significance of the selected
passages, connections between
them, the ways that they reveal
developments in the text and
their relationship to the text as a
whole. Suitable selection and
use of textual detail to support
the interpretation.
Thoughtful interpretation
demonstrating considered
analysis of the significance of the
selected passages, connections
between them, the ways that
they reveal developments in the
text and their relationship to the
text as a whole. Careful selection
and use of textual detail to
support the interpretation.
Insightful interpretation
demonstrating sophisticated
analysis of the significance of the
selected passages, connections
between them, the ways that
they reveal developments in the
text and their relationship to the
text as a whole. Considered
selection and use of significant
textual detail to support the
interpretation.
Basic expression of ideas in
written and/or oral form.
Mostly clear expression of ideas
in written and/or oral form.
Generally clear, fluent and
coherent development of ideas
in written and/or oral form.
Expressive, fluent and coherent
development of ideas in written
and/or oral form.
Highly expressive, fluent and
coherent development of ideas
in written and/or oral form.
KEY to marking scale based on the Outcome contributing 50 marks (25 marks for each text)
Low 1–6
© VCAA 2015
Very low 7–11
Medium 12–16
High 17–21
Very high 22–25
Page 28
High
Very high
VCE Literature Units 1 and 2: 2016–2020; Units 3 and 4: 2017–2020
ADVICE FOR TEACHERS
Appendix: Employability skills
Assessment task
Employability skills selected facets
Analytical response to text/
interpretation of text
Communication (writing to the needs of the audience; reading independently)
Planning and organising (collecting, analysing and organising information)
Self management (evaluating and monitoring own performance; taking responsibility)
Creative response to text
Communication (writing to the needs of the audience; reading independently)
Planning and organising (collecting, analysing and organising information)
Self management (evaluating and monitoring own performance; taking responsibility;
articulating own ideas and visions)
Initiative and enterprise (being creative)
The employability skills are derived from the Employability Skills Framework (Employability Skills for the Future, 2002),
developed by the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Business Council of Australia, and published
by the (former) Commonwealth Department of Education, Science and Training.
© VCAA 2015
Page 29