In-Service Teacher Training
Assessment in IGCSE Biology 0610
Session 1: Introduction to the Syllabus
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Welcome
• Introductions
• Background
• Aim of training
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Session 1 looks at:
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Syllabus aims
The structure of the syllabus
Assessment Objectives
The development of different skills
The difference between formative and
summative assessment
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Aims of the syllabus (1):
Relevance and application
• Relevance of Biology to everyday life
• Biology and medicine
• The social and ecological aspects of
Biology
• Developments in gene technology
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Aims of the syllabus (2):
Practical skills
• Efficient and safe practice
• Enquiry, initiative and inventiveness
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Aims of the syllabus (3):
Communication and objectivity
• Communication skills are important in
everyday life
• Objectivity is an important part of science
• Science has some limitations and does not
always provide answers
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Structure of the syllabus (1):
Overall structure of curriculum content
• There are four sections covering
classification, physiology, reproduction and
ecology
• Each section is divided into subsections
• The Core curriculum is applicable to all
students
• The Extended curriculum builds on the core
material and the relevant sections are
placed next to each other
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Structure of the syllabus (2):
Overview of curriculum content (1)
• Characteristics and classification of living
organisms
• Cell structure and organisation
• Movement in and out of cells
• Enzymes
• Carbohydrates, fats and proteins as
nutrients and how to test for them
• Photosynthesis and leaf structure
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Structure of the syllabus (3):
Overview of curriculum content (2)
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Human diet and digestion
Transport in animals and plants
Respiration and gaseous exchange
Excretion
Coordination in plants and animals
Homeostasis
Drugs and health
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Structure of the syllabus (4):
Overview of curriculum content (3)
• Asexual and sexual reproduction
• Reproduction in flowering plants
and in humans
• Inheritance
• Variation and selection
• Genetic engineering
• Food chains and nutrient cycles
• Populations
• Human influences on ecosytems
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Structure of the syllabus (5):
Core and Supplement
• What extra knowledge is required for the
Supplement?
• What extra skills are required for the
Supplement?
• Do certain topics appear in more than
one of the syllabus sections?
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Assessment Objectives (1):
General Assessment Objectives
Assessment Objective
Weighting
• Knowledge with understanding
50%
• Handling information and
solving problems
30%
• Experimental skills and
investigations
20%
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Assessment Objectives (2):
The scheme of assessment
Paper
• Paper 1
(multiple choice)
• Paper 2 (theory)
OR
• Paper 3
• Paper 4 or 5 or 6
(practical)
Weighting
30%
Discriminating
grades
C-G
Core or
Extension
C
50%
C-G
C
50%
20%
A-C
*
C + E (theory)
C
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Assessment Objectives (3):
Paper 2 or Paper 3?
• Paper 2 is based on the Core curriculum (80
marks)
Paper 2 targets C-G candidates
• Paper 3 is based on the Extended curriculum (60
marks)
plus 20 marks targeted at the Core curriculum
Paper 3 targets A-C candidates
• Which paper should be chosen?
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Assessment Objectives (4):
Practical assessment
• Paper 4 Coursework
• Paper 5 Practical Test
• Paper 6 Alternative to Practical
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Assessment Objectives (5):
The importance of practical work
Candidates need to be able to:
• Understand how to carry out practical
procedures
• Observe specimens carefully and record
observations as drawings
• Record numerical readings and construct
tables of data
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Assessment Objectives (6):
The importance of practical work
Candidates need to be able to:
• Display data in a suitable form
• Draw appropriate conclusions from results
• Identify sources of error
• Suggest suitable techniques and apparatus
for an investigation
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Assessment Objectives (6):
Coursework (Paper 4)
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There are four strands:
C1 Using and organising techniques,
apparatus and materials
C2 Observing, measuring and recording
C3 Handling experimental observations
and data
C4 Planning investigations
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Assessment Objectives (7):
The role of teachers in practical work
• Provide students with opportunities to develop
their practical skills
• Produce and assist with subjects for
investigations
• Sources of information
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Assessment Objectives (8):
The role of teachers in practical work
• Advise students in the practicality of
techniques they have chosen
• Suggest length of time and general treatment
of the problem
• Exercise continuing supervision of the
assessment
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Formative assessment (1):
Formative and summative assessment
• Summative assessment involves terminal testing
and interim testing
• There is no individual feedback on summative
assessments that involve public examinations
• Formative assessment involves assessing
student progress on a regular basis
• There is always feedback to the student in
formative assessment
• The feedback from formative assessments helps
students improve their performance
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Formative assessment (2):
The nature of formative assessment
• Formative assessment involves an
interaction between the student and
teacher
• The teacher is able to assess progress, for
example by feedback on tests
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Formative assessment (3):
The nature of formative assessment
• The student is helped to assess their own
progress
• True formative assessment encourages
improvement in performance
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Formative assessment (3):
Ways of assessing progress
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Marking
Feedback on tests
Answers given to verbal questions
Target setting
Student self evaluation
Closing comments