Higher Modern Studies
The Decision Making Exercise
(DME)
• Paper 2 is the Decision
Making Exercise
• You get 1 hour and 15 mins
in which to evaluate sources
(Q 1-3) and write a report
(Q4) on your decision, based
on the Sources and your
Background Knowledge
(BK)
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The Evaluating questions - Q1-3
•In the DME you are given three sources of information
•Source A gives an overview of the options
•Source B1 gives support to one of the options
•Source B2 gives support to the other option
•Source C gives statistical information about the topic
•You then have to answer 3 questions about these sources that
will help you to understand what the DME is all about
•To answer these, you evaluate the sources given in the
question, without any other knowledge being used
•Answering these will help you to understand the sources and
help you to decide which option to go for in your report
•Go from the statistical source to the text source
2
DME Question 4 - The Report
You must memorise the headings below for the exam!
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Title of report/Memo format
Role and Remit
Recommendation
Arguments to support your recommendation
Dealing with criticisms of your recommendation
(rebuttal)
Conclusion
3
1&2
Title of the Report/Role
and Remit
You could lay your title out like a memo:-
To:
Nicola Sturgeon - Minister for Health &
Community Care
From:
Prof G Mackenzie – Department of Social
Policy, University of West Lothian
Subject:
Advice on “means testing” personal care
for elderly people in Scotland
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3
Recommendation
• In your recommendation you must simply
state which option you prefer, and list the
advantages of that recommendation
• Remember - it is a formal report you are
writing, not an essay! This is the only place
you can use bullet points
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4 Arguments to support my
recommendation
• Under this heading, you now explore each of the
main advantages/good points of your
recommendation, in some detail - giving each
section a sub-title.
• Use the paragraphs in the written sources to give
you the main points
• Between this and the next section, you must refer
to, and quote all of the sources – ‘According to
source A, it is clear that….’ - ‘This is supported by
source C1….’
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4 Arguments to support my
recommendation
• You must also refer to any background knowledge
you have on this area –
‘In my experience/According to an article I read in
the Scotsman/West Lothian Courier/a Panorama
documentary which highlighted this issue…’ etc.
This conflicts with the original aims of the Welfare
State’
‘The elderly are an important group of voters.’
Each time you use background knowledge, put a BK
in the margin.
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5 The Criticisms of my
Recommendation
• Under this heading, you must explain the main
disadvantages/bad points of your recommendation.
• By the end of this stage you must have referred to
all of the sources and included appropriate
background knowledge.
• Anyone writing a real report, would point out
possible criticisms. You must do this in a balanced
way by rebutting these criticisms.
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6 Conclusion
• This is your opportunity to really persuade
the readers of the report, that your preferred
recommendation is the best one. You can
include any extra BK here.
• Reinforce your recommendation by
summarising your arguments.
• At the bottom of the report, print and sign
your name and give your role again.
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Top Tips
• Take in a ruler and two colours of pen and write
out your headings in one colour and paragraphs
in another. Underline your headings to make it
look like a formal report.
• Each time you use a Source or Background
Knowledge, write the Source number or BK in
the margin, to prove to the examiner that you are
using both.
• You will get extra marks for integrating your BK
with the sources. Again show this in the margin.
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