CAFS

HSC Enrichment Day2014

Exam Technique

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Activity 1: Multiple Choice

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Answer the multiple choice questions below. Circle the correct response. Theanswers will be reviewed at the end.

1. What information should a literature review provide?

(A) An analysis of the data collected

(B) A hypothesis with focus questions

(C) A summary of information already written about the topic

(D) An outline of limitations associated with the research procedures

used

2. Which of the following is an ethical matter that should be considered whenconducting research?

(A) Bias

(B) Privacy

(C) Reliability

(D) Validity

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3. Matthew is 15 years old and lives with his mother. They are reliant ongovernment assistance. He plans to leave home and live with friends for awhile.

Which will be the most significant factors affecting his access to resources?

(A) Gender and age

(B) Disability and education

(C) Age and socio-economic status

(D) Gender and socio-economic status

4. Which of the following is an economic preparation for parenting?

(A) Attending pre-natal courses

(B) Investigating maternity and paternity leave

(C) Locating parenting groups in the community

(D) Subscribing to an annual parenting magazine

5. Which of a person’s needs may be the most affected when they have adisability that limits their ability to perform household and family roles

(A) Education

(B) Employment

(C) Safety and security

(D) Self esteem

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Exam Structure

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Section 1: Part A• 20 questions = 20 marks

• Multiple Choice – Can be questions from any of the 3 Cores.

• Some questions apply knowledge. Eg - Interpreting Core 1 graphs/tables

• Questions range in difficulty

Section 1: Part B• Short Answer – Can be questions from any of the 3 Cores

• Questions range in value for marks from 2-10 marks.

• The section is worth 55 marks total.

• Answers are to be completed on the lines provided for each question.

• The lines are indicative of how much information should be provided.

• If required you can use a writing booklet to continue your responses,however, this shouldn’t be necessary as the focus is of course on qualityNOT quantity.

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Section 2• Option question. There will be a short answer question and an extended

response question for EACH option.

• These questions are to be answered in a separate writing booklet.

• Only answer the questions (Eg. Question 29 a & b) for the OPTION you haveSTUDIED. This is an issue for markers and students alike each year. Studentsusually receive significantly lower marks than others that have studied theoption so make sure it is YOUR option. HSC examiners cannot stress this issueenough

Timing

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Board of Studies recommendations for timing breakup

Reading Time: 5 Minutes

Working Time: 3 Hours

Section 1:Part A (Multiple Choice) – 35 MinutesPart B (Short Answer) – 1 Hour 40 Minutes

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Section 2:Option (Short Answer and Extended Response) – 45 Minutes

This is just a recommendation however; the Board of Studies encourages thisallocation of time as a representative of the time that should be spent to achievequality responses.

Mapping Your Time

• Setting allocations for time is VERY important – PLAN to finish early.

• Write on the paper either in the margins or at the end of each question thetime that each section should be completed by (what should the clockread)

• 3 hours = 180 minutes

5 Minutes• Take 5 mins when the exam starts to write your syllabus/dot points for your

short answer questions. Do a quick plan and syllabus map for eachquestion so you can go back to the section you want to start first with afresh head and aren’t worried about forgetting anything.

• Also factor in 5 minutes at the end to review your paper. This time can beused for:

• rereading your answers to see if there is anything else you need toadd or correct anything that is not clear/doesn’t make sense

• completing any of the questions that you drew a blank on or knowthat you weren’t sure about and only got a few basic points downfor

• checking your student number is CORRECT

Reading Time

• 5 valuable minutes of preparation time

• How are you going to use it?

Timing Tips

• If you finish a question in less time than what you allowed for and feel youhave covered everything you wanted and needed to, move to the nextquestion. This time may be needed and utilised in a more complex orchallenging question.

• If you lose track of your timing and you start running out of time, point formyour response. Summarise what you intended to say in point form

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HSC Marking

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The Process of HSC Marking is as Follows:

FairnessThe markers do not check which school you are from or check back at studentnumbers. The goal is to be fair. There are strict guidelines and protocols in placeto ensure that this occurs for students. The goal is for all students to be markedstrictly to the marking criteria and so that students are awarded the mark thatthey deserve.

The Marking CentreThe marking centre is set up in teams. Teams may be allocated one or twoquestions at which they become experts at. They mark only these questions for 10days. The teams are usually groups of up to 10 markers. All markers are briefed onguidelines, schemes and benchmark responses before marking begins.

Pilot MarkingThe focus of this is to achieve consistency across all markers. It occurs on twolevels. There is practice/pilot marking when creating the criteria to ensure that theguidelines and benchmarks accurately reflect what is expected from questionsand so that they cater for all responses.Pilot (practice) marking is also done by the HSC markers. They practice on arange of sample responses drawn from examination centres. They discuss marksthey have awarded to ensure everyone is on the same page when it comes tomarking papers.

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Check MarkingOnce exams are marked, they are passed to a senior marker who check marks.They check the response and that the mark awarded is accurate and fair. If apattern of incorrect use of the guidelines is identified, the re-briefing occurs toaddress this and remarking occurs.

Double MarkingWhere responses need to be subjectively judged, the Board of Studies uses adouble marking system where two markers make independent judgements of astudent’s response. Each marker allocates a mark according to the guidelinesand is unaware of the other marker’s judgement. If there is significant difference,the question will be marked by a third or possibly a fourth marker to ensure a fairand accurate mark is awarded. This is usually done for extended responses notshort answers. In CAFS this is usually for the options.

Question TipsHow are you going to do it??

Read the Question!!!o Often under stress and time constraints students can lose marks by

missing a critical word in a question or misread a question. Don’t waste precious time with “waffle” or rewriting the question Stick to your plan and the PEEL structure (explained later in the booklet) Use syllabus terminology

o Markers look for terminology. Show that you know your syllabus by usingterminology from it. E.g. instead of the “stay at home parent” you may use “primary

carer”. This shows your familiarity with the syllabus, your skills andyour knowledge by incorporating it into the relevant context

Exam Tips What if my mind goes blank

o Take a breath, pen down and relax. If you are in the middle of ananswer, read through what you have already written and then youshould be able to flow into what comes next. Don’t get too anxious –come back to it if you begin to stress. It may pop back into your head asyou continue.

MUST know your SYLLABUSo Acronyms may help you learn and remember it. You must know what

part of the syllabus you are working from to have a foundation for yourresponse.

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You make a mistakeo Don’t scribble or liquid paper your mistakes. Simply place a line across

the mistake. This shows that you have struck it out of your response andbut it is still legible for the marker and may acquire you marks.

You have come across a question you can’t answero Leave it and move on. Don’t stress, you can always come back to it at

the end. If you don’t know the answer but can show syllabus links or havean idea about what they answer may be, write a few key words andmove on. Come back when you have a clearer head.

Write neatlyo It is a simple task and while your writing doesn’t have to be perfect, it

does need to be legible. It can prevent misunderstandings,misinterpretations and makes the response easier to follow and mark.

Exam Considerations for CAFS

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The Importance of Linking to Wellbeing

Below is an example of a HSC marking criteria from the 2010 HSC paper. It appliesto the following option question. You will notice that the question does not referto wellbeing however it is expected to be referred to in responses.

Question: Examine the effects of technology on workplace structure andattitudes towards work. (15 marks)

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Activity 4:Demonstrating an Understanding of Verbs

To demonstrate and present knowledge of the CAFS curriculum, a thoroughunderstanding of the HSC verbs must be achieved so that they may be appliedcorrectly.

Task: Provide phrases or words that link to the HSC verb provided.Select ONE of the remaining three options and complete. If time

permits move onto another.

If you can correctly do this you are demonstrating that you understand the verband its purpose. The first one has been done for you:

Evaluate: Valuable, poor, weak, strong, great degree, lesser extent, effective,ineffective

Compare: Similar to, different from, as opposed to, alternatively, consider, unlike.

Assess: ........................................................................................................................................

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Explain: ......................................................................................................................................

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Analyse: .....................................................................................................................................

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Syllabus Matching

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List all syllabus ‘Student Learn To’ and ‘Student Learn About’s that apply to thequestion in the slide above. Compare your list with the syllabus on Slide 8(presented).

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Activity 3b:

Select a group that you have studied and listed in your syllabus plan above.Identify all content for the syllabus links/components that will need to bediscussed in the response.

Eg: needs (what are the needs that you will discuss)

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Deconstructing a Question

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Based on the modelling in the slide and the demonstration by the presenter,deconstruct the following question.

A couple have just had their fifth child. The other children range in age from twoto twelve years old. One parent is in paid full-time employment and the otherparent is the primary carer.

Explain the impact that time and finances can have on parenting and caring inthis family. (3 marks)

Glossary/Instruction

WordSyllabus Sub topic Examples

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Planning a Response

The process of planning your responses should incorporate or consider thefollowing:

1. Read and interpret the question.

2. Check the marks allocated – this should indicate depth and extent.

3. Underline or highlight (this will narrow your focus):a) HSC Verb/Glossary Term – this is HOW you will present the responseb) Syllabus terms – this is WHAT you are going to present in the response.

4. Identify the syllabus dot points that you will refer to (acronyms will help youremember these) and your discussion/argument/proposal etc.

5. Choose a layout/structure that meets the glossary term. Eg: positives andnegatives, similarities and differences, key features.

Structuring a Response - PEEL

Pointo State your point, argument, position, make a proposition

Explaino Give details about the point you are making. Show the effects of the

point, apply your knowledge to enhance the response Example

o ALWAYS use 1-2 examples to show that you can apply yourknowledge. They need to be relevant, reinforce your point and belikely/probable and easy to relate to

Linko Refer back to the question or show the outcome of your argument

on the question

To achieve higher marks you must show a thorough understanding. Greatanswers are clear and concise demonstrating an extensive understanding of thesyllabus. They provide all the information required on the applicable syllabuspoints and use relevant examples to support.

Weaker responses in written responses seem to “waffle” . They also have minimaldirect syllabus links (they discuss the issue but do not show clear links back to thesyllabus) and examples are personal experiences that don’t relate or link to thequestion or may not support the point that is being made.

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Student Marking

Activity 5:

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Critiquing Different Responses

In pairs, discuss and mark responses 1 & 2 using the marking criteria providedbelow.

• Consider how long it would take to hand write each response.

• Circle any strategies you find in the response.

• Underline the sections in the response where it states how it helps the familyto manage better or improves family situation.

• Give it a mark out of 5.

• Provide a reason for the mark you gave.

• State what was done well in each response.

• Provide constructive feedback for each response.

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Question:A couple have just had their fifth child. The other children range in age from twoto twelve years old. One parent is in paid full-time employment and the otherparent is the primary carer.

Propose and justify strategies for this family to manage their situation effectively(2011 paper – 5 marks)

Marking Criteria

Response 1

This situation could be really hard for the family with so many children and justone income. They need to find a balance or the stay at home parent maybecome drained. This may happen because there are heaps of responsibilitieswith a baby, while also looking after four other children. The parent that is workingmay also want time out but cannot get it because there are so manyresponsibilities and jobs at home that they have too much on their plate and canhave problems. This can cause social and physical problems for the parents andthe family. The stay at home parent may be able to apply for Centrelinkpayments to help with the family’s income and ensure that a budget is followed.This may help the family financially as it can be really hard to make the budgetstretch with only one income and so many kids.

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Time you think it would take to construct: .....................

Mark: ......................

Reason:

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What was done right:

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What could be some feedback you could give to improve on this response:

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Response 2

This family has a number of resources that are being affected through theaddition of a new dependant, which may impact on the satisfaction of needsand the family’s wellbeing.

The availability of time as a resource will be negatively impacted on for bothparents of the family especially the primary carer as a baby is highly dependentto have its primary needs met. Both parents will still have the responsibilities thatthey did prior to the baby however less time in which to complete them.Strategies that may help manage time may include family rosters or timetablesfor when things need to be done and allocating who does them. This will teachresponsibility to all family members and allow for everyone to meet their needsand responsibilities without burning out. Online banking/shopping andtime/labour saving devices such as a microwave or dishwasher will also aid inmanaging time. These strategies allow for tasks to be completed quickly orwithout much labour, freeing up time for family members to be involved in otherthings.

The family’s finances may be impacted upon as a result of another mouth tofeed and specific needs of a baby such as healthcare and costs such as nappieswill all place financial strain on resources. Strategies that may assist the family tobetter manage their financial situation may include bulk buying and accessing

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government payments. These may benefit the family as bulk buying increases thevalue for money that the family is getting for essential products such as food andgovernment payments will increase the budget that the family has to work with,decreasing financial stress.

Energy levels of the family may also be a depleted resource as a result of the 24hrcare that a baby requires and the increased responsibilities involved in having 5dependants. A lack of sleep and increased tasks can have a taxing effect on theenergy levels of the parents in particular. This may be managed throughdelegation of tasks to all family members increasing communication andcohesiveness within the family unit and allowing the parents to have rest whenrequired. This strategy would depend on the age and the capabilities of the otherchildren. Accessing formal resources such as childcare or informal such asgrandparents/friends to assist in caring for dependent children may also give theparents important timeout to allow them to recuperate and keep they energythey need to maintain wellbeing and keep the family unit functioning efficiently.

Time you think it would take to construct: ....................

Mark: ......................

Reason:

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What was done right:

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What could be some feedback you could give to improve on this response:

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Take Home Activities

The following activities can be done at home as part of your study in preparationfor the HSC:

Activity 1: Apply the Workshop

Plan and then answer the following question.

What impact could a child with special needs have upon their family’s timemanagement (4 marks)

Have a partner (at school/class etc) mark and critique your response using themarking criteria below

Then reflect:

• Highlight syllabus terminology used Did you maximise the opportunity to use it?

• Underline your examples Were they relevant?

• Why did you get the mark you did (justify the mark)?• What could you have done better?

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Activity 2: Syllabus Matching

In exam conditions, students are required to recall syllabus information quickly sothat they can best use their time writing responses. This activity will develop skills inrecalling the appropriate information efficiently.

For the following questions:

List the syllabus points that are identified and the relevant syllabus links(other sub dot points) that would need to accompany the response.

The first one has been done for you.

Give yourself 2 minutes to identify the syllabus links and points for theremaining questions.

EXAMPLE:1. Socioeconomically disadvantaged groups have significant needs. Select

TWO of their most significant needs and justify your choice. (2010 paper)

Socioeconomically Disadvantaged – Define and characteristics Needs

o Sense of identityo Healtho Educationo Housingo Access to services Selecto Self esteemo Security and safetyo Employmento Financial support Select

2. Describe TWO styles of parenting and examine the impact that each has onthe parent/child relationship. (2010 paper)

3. Compare a case study and an observation as methods of collecting datawhen conducting research. (2011 paper).

4. Grandparents and childcare centres often adopt a caring role. Compare theimpact of each of these on the children for whom they care. (2008 paper)

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Activity 3: How is Your Mark Calculated

Watch the following clip on YouTube. It provides an excellent insight into howyour HSC mark is calculated and it can give you some handy tips on how youneed to perform throughout the year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZiCGefbeTU

Activity 4: Understanding a Question

Rewrite the following exam questions in your own words. Simplify the question asthought you were going to explain how to do it to someone and what theyshould include (please consider the HSC verb). This will show how well youunderstand what they are asking you to do.

What are the limitations of observation as a research methodology (2marks – 2009 paper).

Evaluate the significance of bias and sampling when conducting research(6 marks – 2011 paper).

Compare the housing needs of the aged with the housing needs of thesocio-economically disadvantaged (6 marks – 2006 paper)

Activity 5: Deconstructing a Question

Deconstruct the following questions into a table the same as in Activity 4 (Slide 9).They are all have a degree of difference in marks and therefore will requirevarying levels of depth and detail.

Evaluate the effectiveness of financial support in contributing to thewellbeing of the chronically ill (4 marks – 2008 paper)

Propose strategies to assist parents with managing multiple roles and thedemands of family, work and other commitments (15 marks – 2007 paper)

Examine the influence that socio-economic status can have on theparenting and caring relationship (6 marks – 2009 paper)

Activity 6: Check your Knowledge

The following website has a number of quizzes and review activities that you cando at the end of each CAFS Core or Option that you cover.http://www.pearsonplaces.com.au/places/secondary_places/health_and_pe_place/health_and_pe_student_lounge/community_and_family_studies_student_lou

nge.aspx

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Activity 7: Multiple Choice

To continue on your multiple choice practice and development, the Board ofStudies offers the following link. It gives you access to previous HSC paper multiplechoice questions in the form of quizzes. You can set your parameters for thesequestions as desired.

http://www4.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/course/higher-school-certificate/community-and-family-studies/

Activity 8: Time Management

The following website provides a number of tools, skills, activities and informationthat may take some of the stress out of both exams and study sessions throughthe development of time management skills.

http://www.mindtools.com/pages/main/newMN_HTE.htm

Notes:

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