Computing assessment scrapped amid fears of cheating

Started by: RVaughan1 30-6-2014 • 10:49

Computing GCSE students will have to re-take key assessments after one of the country's leading exam boards withdrew existing tasks amid fears of cheating.

OCR, part of Cambridge Assessment, posted a letter on its website last night telling schools that it had been forced to withdraw parts of the computing controlled assessment due to concerns that answers were appearing on websites.

The coursework is for June 2015, meaning many of the Year 10 candidates will have completed the work and in some cases submitted it as part of their GCSE.

In its letter, OCR says: “It has come to our attention that there are a number of websites promoting worked answers for all of OCR’s GCSE Computing live controlled assessment tasks.

“As a result of this all tasks for both GCSE units A452 and A453 have been withdrawn with immediate effect. We appreciate that some candidates may well have completed these tasks; however, in order to maintain the integrity of the assessment and to be fair to all candidates the existing tasks will no longer be valid for submission in June 2015.”

Unlike coursework in other subjects, such as English, which can take three hours to complete, certain tasks on the computing GCSE controlled assessment can take 20 hours and equates to 10 weeks’ worth of work.

OCR has advised candidates affected to take one of the alternative tasks, but the exam board has yet to set those tasks and is unlikely to do so until September. 

Teachers took to Twitter to express their outrage at the decision, which will leave affected students having to undertake more assessment in an already busy GCSE year.

Writing under the hashtag #withdrawnCA, @LessonHacker wrote: “a controlled assessment should have been overseen by the teacher, surely. My y10 students are going to be devastated by this!”

Teachers were equally worried about the impact it will have on students’ workload in Year 11. Teacher, @steside23 tweeted: “Meeting deputy head today to discuss withdrawing students from @ocrexams. [Two controlled assessments and an] exam in a year? Are you kidding me?”

Another, @SeumasG said: "Stunned by OCR decision tonight. Will put people off the idea of doing GCSE computing with them."

In it’s letter OCR said it apologised for “any inconvenience”. “If your candidates have already completed an existing task, they will have to complete the alternative tasks,” it states.

“We apologise for any inconvenience caused as a result of this issue and would like to remind centres that OCR cannot tolerate malpractice of this nature. It results in severe standards, comparability and malpractice issues that ultimately impact on the candidates.”

Flashlight binary

Shine a light on binary with this team based simulation activity.

Purpose

Flashlight binary enables learners to practise converting from base 10 to binary and vice versa. Co-operation and teamwork are also involved.

Starting points

Learners will need a basic understanding of binary.

Preparation

·        Prepare folded slips of paper with a base 10 number on each.

·        Divide the class into teams and provide one torch per team.

Suggested approach

Step 1

Give each team a slip of paper with a base 10 number on it. Ask learners to work individually to translate the number into binary.

Step 2

Instruct learners to compare their answers and agree on the binary sequence that the team will transmit.

Stress the importance of working on individual answers and then agreeing a team answer, checking each other’s work and sharing constructive feedback.

Step 3

Ask each team to transmit their binary number to another group, by switching a torch on and off. The receiving team members should write down their answers individually, then compare them and agree on the correct one.

Step 4

Repeat until all learners have mastered the activity and, if possible, have all had a chance to use the torch.

Step 5: Plenary

Invite the groups to summarise learning points and reflect on how well they worked together as a team.

Tips

·        Why not allow some time for learners to invent their own extensions and adaptations?

·        No torches available? Try using squares of paper with 0s and 1s written on them.

·        You might like to mention that the Indian mathematician, Pingala, described a binary numerical system as early as 800 BC.

Differentiation to meet individual needs

Challenge confident learners to answer questions requiring higher-level reasoning skills: for example, why do computers use binary instead of base 10? What are its advantages?

Extension suggestions

Instead of binary numbers, you could ask teams to send characters using ASCII, building up to sending whole messages. Learners can then explore serial and parallel transmission, synchronisation and so on.

ASCII - Binary Character Table

Assessment opportunities

Flashlight binary enables you to assess your learners’ understanding of binary, and therefore judge whether you need to revisit the topic. The final step offers opportunities for learners to self- and peer-assess their ability to work with others.

What do you want kids to do with technology?

- this is the blog post.

Getting started with the new computing curriculum

Chris Thomas - Studyzone.tv

As a year 6 teacher and ICT Subject Leader, I am all too aware of how the term 'ICT' has become muddled over the years.

• Some use it to refer to an extension of a lesson: 'Let's type our stories up in ICT'.
• Others use it to refer to equipment: 'How are you using ICT in your lesson?'
• Some use it to refer to an explicit subject: 'This afternoon we're doing ICT'.

However, even as an isolated subject, the muddying of the term has resulted in less and less explicit teaching of computing skills.

By replacing ICT with ‘Computing’, a clear message is being sent to schools; here is a brand new subject which demands a brand new focus - the teaching of computing skills and, in particular, computer science. But where does this leave teachers who have always presumed computer science to be an A-level subject, or even a degree?

Talk of 'algorithms', 'variables' and the need for 'simulating physical systems' will no doubt fill many teachers with fear - but it needn't.

The new primary computing curriculum can be broken up into three main areas:

• Computer Science (let's call this ‘programming')
• Information Technology (let's say 'how things work’)
• Digital Literacy (let's say 'using software purposefully’)

For experienced teachers, Digital Literacy will feel very much like the ICT we are used to and will include skills on using Office applications, searching for information and e-safety.

Information Technology requires children to have a basic understanding of how computer networks and computer systems work, but note the word 'basic'. These are both important areas of the new curriculum, but very much the focus is on programming.

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