The Proposed New Senior Secondary Literature in English Curriculum

1
The Proposed New Senior Secondary Literature in
English Curriculum
and Response to the First Round Consultation
Second round consultation of the New Senior
Secondary Literature in English Curriculum
2
The Proposed New Senior Secondary Literature in
English Curriculum

• An elective subject at senior secondary level
• Constitutes 10 (approximately 270 hours) of the
  total lesson time

3
Curriculum Framework (1)

• The Literature in English curriculum is
• organized into 4 strands
• Interpersonal Strand
• Knowledge Strand
• Experience Strand
• Language Strand

4
Curriculum Framework (2)
The Literature in English curriculum comprises
the following learning objectives (i.e. essential
elements of learning)

• Knowledge of literary / creative works, focusing
  mainly on poetry, prose, drama and films
• Skills of literary comprehension and appreciation
• Literary competence development strategies
• Generic skills
• Positive values and attitudes

5
Curriculum Framework (3)
Components

• Study of set texts (3 sets to choose from)
• 1 novel
• 1 play
• 1 film
• 4 short stories
• 16-20 poems (works of 4 poets)
• Literary appreciation of unseen texts
• The portfolio

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Curriculum Framework (4)
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Curriculum Framework (5)
Progression of Studies
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Learning and Teaching (1)
Set Texts

• Deliberately do away with the boundaries of
  theme, time period or genre teachers and
  students to make their own connections
• Choice of poems across the 3 sets to be from the
  same anthology
• Choice of short stories to be from the same
  anthology

9
Learning and Teaching (2)
Approaches to Learning and Teaching

• Prose fiction
• Poetry
• Drama
• Film

• Features
• Teaching suggestions

(Please refer to Chapter 4 of the Proposed New
Senior Secondary Literature in English Curriculum
and Assessment Framework for details)
10
Learning and Teaching (3)
Approaches to Learning and Teaching (contd)

• Literary appreciation

• Teaching suggestions
• (with exemplars on the various genres)

(Please refer to Chapter 4 of the Proposed New
Senior Secondary Literature in English Curriculum
and Assessment Framework for details)
11
Assessment (1)

• Guiding Principles

• Serves the purposes of measuring attainment and
  informing learning and teaching
• Based on standards-referencing principles
• A broad coverage of learning targets and
  objectives, generic skills, values and attitudes

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Assessment (2)
Overview
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Assessment (3)

• Internal Assessment

• Promote assessment for learning by
• Using both formative and summative assessment so
  that learners may make improvement in learning
  and teachers can refine their teaching plans and
  strategies

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Assessment (3)

• Internal Assessment (contd)

• Using a variety of strategies and activities
  (e.g. questioning, quizzes, discussions,
  presentations, performances, essays, projects,
  portfolio, written classwork)
• Using quality feedback to enhance learning

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Public Assessment

• Written Examination
• Paper 1 (40)
• questions on an unseen poem
• critical analysis of seen passages from set texts
  of prose fiction or drama
• Paper 2 (40)
• Essay writing based on set texts questions on a
  single text/writer and discussion of more than
  one text/writer

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Why not staggered exams?

• development of understanding and appreciation
  over memorizing
• reduction of teaching and learning time
• no allowance for development of critical skills
  over time

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How might the selection of texts be organized?

• Genre
• Period

• Theme
• Writer
• Gender

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What assessment problems are there?

• Genre
• science fiction, crime, war, etc
• Specialist appeal
• Limited scope for questions
• Narrow focus

• Period
• Twentieth Century, Victorian, etc.
• May require knowledge of historical context
• Precludes texts from international sources
• Potentially more difficult language and longer
  works.

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What assessment problems are there?

• Theme
• Political and Social Issues, Travel and
  Discovery, etc.
• Too general
• Impacts negatively on portfolio
• Overrides other aspects of literature such as
  style, technique,etc.

• Writer
• Shakespeare, Dickens, Tan, etc
• Narrow focus
• Requires knowledge of writers style and stages
  of development
• Gender
• Women in Literature
• Limited scope for questions

20
Should a comparative element be retained?

• Current comparative elements
• AL Paper 1
• comparison of novels and films
• AL Paper 2 Part I -
• Comparison of unseen poetry and prose texts
• AL Paper 2 Part II -
• Comparison of poets, playwrights and
  novelists/writers

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To see or not to see?

• Should unseen texts be used?
• spontaneity
• appreciation of style/technique
• application of general skills of literary
  criticism

• Should unseen text questions be guided?
• focus on salient points
• ensure theme and technique are covered

22
What kind of text analysis is appropriate?

• and
• reduces examination stress

• Using extracts from set texts
• allows for assessment of
• authors style
• plot/character development
• significance of particular episodes in relation
  to the whole

23
How might the Experience dimension be appealed to?

• Roleplay questions
• Cross-pollination of characters questions
• References to modern culture encouraged

24
School-based Assessment (SBA) - Portfolio

• 20 of subject weighting
• Covers a more extensive range of learning
  outcomes through employing a wider range of
  assessment modes that are not all possible in
  external examinations
• Gives more comprehensive picture of student
  performance throughout the period of study
• Comprises works produced by students over SS2 and
  SS3
• Is not an add-on element but an integral part
  of the curriculum
• Marked by teachers

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Components of the portfolio

• An independent study / an extended essay on a
  theme / work / writer / filmmaker (related to one
  or more of the set texts in the chosen option) of
  1,500 to 2,000 words (60)
• A review of a film / play / performance of about
  600 words
• OR
• A piece of creative work (a short film /
  story / play, a collection of poems, or an
  adaptation of literary work) (40)

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What do we want from the portfolio?

•  
• Although candidates may wish to use the set texts
  as an inspiration for their portfolio work, they
  should not include detailed analysis of those
  works.
• Should be arts-related, i.e, referring to
  activities such as literature, cinema,
  television, music, painting and dance, which
  people can take part in for the purposes of
  enjoyment, or to create various impressions
  and/or meanings.

27
Anything else?

• these are generally short in length, so more than
  one review may be needed, or a commentary on how
  the chosen text(s) was/were critically received
  by the media.
• Study/Essay candidates could develop on, or
  explore, a subject or theme addressed by the set
  texts.

28
Anything else?

• Creative work candidates may wish to adapt part
  of one of the set texts for a different medium,
  write an alternative ending or additional scenes,
  or produce entirely original work.
• Work that deals exclusively with such subjects as
  history, sociology, psychology, scientific or
  liberal studies is not appropriate.

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What do you think?
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Supporting Measures

• Professional Development Programmes
• Understanding and Interpreting the Senior
  Secondary Literature in English Curriculum
  (15-hour) (05/06)
• Assessment (15-hour) (06/07 07/08)
• Learning and Teaching Resource Materials
• L/T materials (e.g. The Teaching of Poetry at
  Senior Secondary Level) will be disseminated to
  schools when ready
• They will also be uploaded on to the EMB website
  at http//emb.gov.hk/cd/eng

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Comments and Suggestions
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The Proposed New Senior Secondary Literature in
English Curriculum

• Selections from Gwynn, R.S. (Ed.) (2002).
• Fiction A Pocket Anthology (Penguin Academic
  Series), 3rd edition.
• Selections from Solomon, Barbara H. (Ed.).
  (2002).
• Other Voices, Other Vistas (Signet).
• Selections from Ferguson, M., Salter, M.J. and
  Stallworthy, J. (Eds.) (1996).
• The Norton Anthology of Poetry, 4th edition.

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The Proposed New Senior Secondary Literature in
English Curriculum
Please visit the EMB website at
http//cd.emb.gov.hk for the Powerpoint slides
used in this consultation session