The new ISAs

Spring 2011

What we’re going to cover

• The CAU criteria

• How to prepare for an ISA

Copyright © 2010 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved

The new criteriaCandidates should:• Plan practical ways to answer scientific questions and test

hypotheses• Devise appropriate methods for the collection of numerical and

other data• Assess and manage risks when carrying out practical work• Collect, process, analyse and interpret primary and secondary

data including the use of appropriate technology• Draw evidence-based conclusions• Evaluate methods of data collection and the quality of the

resulting data

Context

• Each ISA is set in a context related to the relevant section of the specification.

• A typical context is suggested in the teachers’ notes

• Teachers may substitute their own context

• The context should be explainedto the candidates.

The discussion session• Just as in the current specification,

teachers should first explain to the candidates the nature of the problem to be investigated.

• In Unit 1 ISAs for Science, the teacher will give the candidates a hypothesis which has been supplied by AQA

• In Unit 2 & 3 ISAs, candidates must supply their own hypothesis

Research (Limited control)• After the initial lesson, candidates should be told

to research possible method(s) of carrying out the investigation

• They will also need to research the context that has been set and any health & safety issues with the method(s)

• They will be allowed to make notes on one side of A4, which they will take into Section 1 of the ISA

Blank table for the results (High control)

• Just as in the current specification, candidates will be required to independently produce a blank table for the results

• The mark scheme for this blank table is identical to the present mark scheme

• After the candidate has produced a table, teachers may supply a blank table in which candidates can record their results

Section 1 of the ISA (High control)

• Candidates take Section 1 of the ISA written test.

• This will contain questions about the method(s) that they researched

• Each candidate may use the A4 sheet of notes made during their research

Risk Assessment

• Writing the plan in Section 1 will also involve writing about the hazards and risks associated with the researched method(s)

The practical work (Limited control)• Just as now, candidates then perform the

practical experiment• Candidates may use the method that they

have planned• If the teacher decides that the method

produced by the candidate(s) is unsuitable, unsafe or unmanageable, then the teacher may provide a method

• AQA will supply a suitable method that may be used in such circumstances

Drawing the graph or bar chart(High control)

• Just as in the current specification, candidates will be required to draw a graph or bar chart of their results.

• The mark guidance for this is exactly the same as at present.

Section 2 of the ISA (High control)• Section 2 will include questions

concerning conclusions and evaluation

• AQA will supply a data sheet containing a number of case studies. These will provide data from experiments similar to the one that the candidates have done.

• Section 2 will also include a question asking candidates to relate the findings from the investigation to the context they were given

• Candidates may again use the sheet of A4 notes that they made during their research.

Question Style

• There will be fewer questions worth only 1 or 2 marks, as Ofqual does not favour these.

• Most questions will be 3 marks, but one will be 9 marks.

• The 9 mark question will include QWC

Mark Guidance• AQA will supply mark guidance for

teachers

• The basic guidance will be more generic than at present, but AQA will also supply additional guidance that will relate the generic guidance to the particular ISA by giving specific examples

Marking the ISA• Mark in red ink• Annotate where necessary to show the

moderator the reasons for your decisions• Candidates may improve their mark by

carrying out another ISA in the same subject – but not the same investigation

• If more than one ISA has been completed, choose the one with the highest mark – you cannot choose marks from more than one ISA in each unit

Moderation

• AQA will moderate centre marking

• Each centre will have an appointed CAU adviser

How Science Works• Unit 4 of each specification contains all

the How Science Works material• Please note that these items will be

assessed on ALL of the written papers, as well as on the CAU

• A document has been produced for teachers which gives further guidance on how these items will be interpreted at low, standard and high demand.

How Science Works Levels of Demand4.1 PLANNING AN INVESTIGATION

Statement from the

specification

Low Standard High

4.1.1 Plan practical ways to answer scientific questions

a) State the purpose of an investigation

Can state the purpose of an investigation

Can state the purpose of an investigation in terms of the possible qualitative relationship between two variables

Can state the purpose of an investigation in terms of a possible quantitative relationship between two variables

Glossary

• This has been revised in order to comply with the ASE/Nuffield publication “The Language of Measurement”. This gives definitions for scientific terms used in secondary education, and has been adopted by all Awarding Organisations for GCSE

Changes to the glossary• The term “discrete variables” will no longer be

used – they are subsumed by continuous variables

• The term “reliability” will no longer be used, and had been replaced by “repeatability” and “reproducibility”

• There are changes to the definition of “precision”

• The term “uncertainty” has been usedinstead of “error”

Example of the glossaryAccuracy A measurement result is considered accurate if

it is judged to be close to the true value.

Calibration The process of establishing the relationship between indications of a measuring instrument and standard or reference quantity values, which must be applied. .

Data Information, either qualitative or quantitative, that has been collected.

Errors See uncertainties

- anomalies These are values in a set of results which are judged not to be part of the variation caused by random uncertainty.