From what I have observed so far, Literature for the IP students in VJC are assessed by the standard few methods - written assignments and timed tests.
Where written assignments are concerned, the students are assessed mainly for their creativity, as well as the strength and clarity of their personal voices in writing. The 'personal voice' component is particularly pertinent to the theme of their Singapore Literature package, which is "Space vs Place"; students need to input their personal responses to show that they understand the difference between the concepts of 'space and place'.
Timed tests which take place in regular intervals during the whole semester focus more on assessing skills than content knowledge. Students are expected to be able to apply on unseen texts the skills which they have picked up, e.g. PEEL, identification of literary devices, and elaborating on the effects of these devices. That is not to say that the application of skills are all that matter. Students will also be assessed on how well they can link their unseen texts back to the larger themes and issues explored in the course.
The academic drive makes us ensure that students are " assessed by the standard few methods - written assignments and timed tests." - on one hand this is all that is needed, prepare them for exam. Then why do we still feel this is insufficient and there should be more than just these means of assessment?
ReplyDelete