How teachers will combat cheating as VCE students work remotely
Teachers will use a series of verification tools to ensure pupils are submitting their own work as VCE students face working remotely during their most stressful school year.
Advice
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Stressed VCE students are facing extended remote learning amid the COVID-19 crisis but teachers have been told they must use strategies to authenticate students’ work.
While the Easter break officially starts this weekend, students are likely to resume school via remote learning platforms in mid April.
Many students were due to complete school assessed coursework (SACs) this week but some were rescheduled with the decision to bring forward the Easter holidays to Tuesday.
The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) said it was providing advice to schools on how to manage assessment tasks should remote learning continue into next term or students are required to self isolate.
VCAA said it was clear about the need for teachers to ensure work done during remote learning was the student’s own work.
“To assist with the authentication of this work, it is recommended that teachers monitor and record each student’s progress through to completion,” the VCAA said.
“This requires regular sightings of the work by the teacher and the keeping of records in the Authentication Record for School-based Assessment form.”
The VCAA said the formative SACs could be the tasks already developed, or a modified version that is more suited to remote delivery.
“The data collected from these formative assessment activities may be validated at a later date, when schools return, or form the basis of a school-based, assessment-derived score if a validation activity is not possible.” it said.
Teachers have flexibility to select the type and form of SAC that can be adapted to remote learning.
They have been asked to look carefully at instructions to students to ensure they are “clear and not open to misinterpretation”.
Teachers also have the flexibility to adjust the time allocated for a SAC as work done via remote delivery may require more time.
Instruction is regarded as more important than ever so students working off site know when work needs to be done.
“These instructions may also detail how important it is for the student to be in an environment free from potential distractions or interruptions during the time allocated to the task.”
Depending on what online platform schools are using when delivering through a learning management tool, there is the ability to open, give students access, close and remove access to the assessment activity.
Teachers also could include an email read receipt to track SACs and see when the student accessed them if the activity has been delivered through email.
“Students must be made aware they will have a limited window of time to complete and return the assessment.,” VCAA said.
Teachers have been advised that if they are delivering the SAC using a text book resource or worksheet it should not be given to the student until the SAC is scheduled for delivery.
After assessment tasks are submitted and marked, teachers should provide feedback to students, which might include advising them on particular problem areas, how they can improve and report a Satisfactory or Not Satisfactory outcome.
Many schools, teachers, students and parents are anxious about how students will manage the year amid the uncertainty. Schools have had to axe formals, sports carnivals and events that provided some light relief for the students in what is an intense year.
The VCAA said it is taking a “flexible and agile approach to meeting emerging issues”.
Former principal and education consultant Peter Hutton has launched a Change.org petition calling for VCE exams and ATARS to be axed this year. saying the disruption students are expected to ensure as the COVID-19 virus runs it course will be extensive.
Nearly 3000 people had signed the #NOATAR2020 petition by Wednesday night.
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