Is this fair? (1 Viewer)

[townie]

I disagree, your second phrasing of the question is much less ambiguous. I'm a relatively smart person and I can see how providing multiple extracts could be taken from the given wording. The question is really not worded well enough to reduce ambiguity. If the wording was as it was posted then unless it said afterwards (you may only use one extract per text) or similar it's ambiguous. Extract in and of itself is vague enough as it is. How much is too much? How many words should it be? What if it is a video or a magazine article.

 

[Absolutezero]

I disagree, your second phrasing of the question is much less ambiguous. I'm a relatively smart person and I can see how providing multiple extracts could be taken from the given wording. The question is really not worded well enough to reduce ambiguity. If the wording was as it was posted then unless it said afterwards (you may only use one extract per text) or similar it's ambiguous. Extract in and of itself is vague enough as it is. How much is too much? How many words should it be? What if it is a video or a magazine article.

But the second example implies ONE single extract from two texts, as if the text are similar or that the extract should come from one of the two. The ambiguity is still there (towards the singular, not the multiple), and if OP had complained that this girl had used one text instead of two given that wording, there would be an issue there too.

Extracts, while not perfect, is just as good, and in most cases (and I'd argue here) is better than the singular.

However, that's not really the issue. The issue is whether there is grounds to complain. There may be ambiguity, but given that everyone else got it, a transcript was meant to be provided (something entirely unnecessary with evidence-selected 'extracts'), and the fact that they are meant to identify the idea within the extracts (and not the reverse of compiling extracts to support the idea), it should be fairly clear. And even if it still isn't, there's grounds to take the issue further. OP might not get justice, but there's grounds to move it forward.

 

[SunnyScience]

It was explained to us as 1 extract per text. 1 x 2 = 2 extracts in total. Thus, she has not followed the rules. We all want her to get 0.

She shouldn't/wouldn't get 0 for having her own *interpretation* of the question.

Learn how to play the HSC game too.

 

[Praer]

She shouldn't/wouldn't get 0 for having her own *interpretation* of the question.

Learn how to play the HSC game too.

This.
A few days ago, i had a half yearly, and for a creative they asked us to write a piece with "place" as the basis of the creative.
So what i did was just interpret it as "referring imagination as place" and adapted my memorized one like a boss

 

[RG11]

This.
A few days ago, i had a half yearly, and for a creative they asked us to write a piece with "place" as the basis of the creative.
So what i did was just interpret it as "referring imagination as place" and adapted my memorized one like a boss

LOL

 

[WeaselPowa]

I guess so. I still feel like she has been given an unfair advantage and it should result in loss of marks. It is typical for this girl though. 'Daddy' teaches at the school and gives her information about tests/upcoming assignments. Totally unfair but hopefully the HSC markers will 100% destroy her in the end. I'm raging over this.

You are so mad lol. Just ignore her and do your own work. Plus, if she can be sneaky like that, be sneaky yourself. Compete against her at her own game.

 

[hholbrook]

Okay now I feel like I have grounds to complain. The notification said that copies of the extract must be handed in with the assignment. She did not hand in extracts (whole books), she just handed in the assignment. The only reason I feel I can complain now, is that she could have made the quotes up, meaning that her essay is completely invalid. Should I query this?

 

[Rectanglor]

Okay now I feel like I have grounds to complain. The notification said that copies of the extract must be handed in with the assignment. She did not hand in extracts (whole books), she just handed in the assignment. The only reason I feel I can complain now, is that she could have made the quotes up, meaning that her essay is completely invalid. Should I query this?

I certainly would, seeing as the situation you've provided (her making up quotes) is completely plausible.

 

[Absolutezero]

Okay now I feel like I have grounds to complain. The notification said that copies of the extract must be handed in with the assignment. She did not hand in extracts (whole books), she just handed in the assignment. The only reason I feel I can complain now, is that she could have made the quotes up, meaning that her essay is completely invalid. Should I query this?

She probably didn't make up quotes, but if you were meant to hand in the extract in addition to the analysis, then you've got grounds to query it.

 

[hholbrook]

I admit it is unlikely that she did make them up however I think that the rules should be the same for her as they are for everyone else. I simply do not understand why she feels she can ignore the rules.

 

[nifkeh]

I think you should have clarified with the english faculty for the wording of "extracts" when you first got the assignment, instead of now. But complain now before it's completely too late. same for art. I know you say she has a dad who backs her up but it's fair if you get the english faculty to do it, as it fair for everyone. I doubt they'd stand by that girl topping english's opinion, after all the english department should have made the assignment and therefore they should clarify exactly what they mean before stuff like this comes unfair.

 

[WeaselPowa]

I think you should have clarified with the english faculty for the wording of "extracts" when you first got the assignment, instead of now. But complain now before it's completely too late. same for art. I know you say she has a dad who backs her up but it's fair if you get the english faculty to do it, as it fair for everyone. I doubt they'd stand by that girl topping english's opinion, after all the english department should have made the assignment and therefore they should clarify exactly what they mean before stuff like this comes unfair.

Ya, this. Also, since it appears that you have a few friends who don't seem to be happy, just take them all and go complain. I'm sure something will happen, like you will make the teachers aware that you are aware of what she is doing, and soon they will stop giving her an advantage (because it may snowball into something huge).

 

[GoldyOrNugget]

Does it actually matter? Just because she picked longer texts doesn't mean her analysis will be better than yours. If anything, it probably means she'll do worse -- an analysis of a longer text will always seem more disjointed.

 

[SuchSmallHands]

The question said: 'Identify the central idea of each extract and analyse how that idea is conveyed.' If she identified the central idea of the text in its entirety and then chose techniques from throughout the text which illustrate how it was conveyed, she's answered it wrong and it would be perfectly reasonable to bring that up with the head teacher. If, however, she chose multiple extracts, identified the central idea of each of these extacts and then demonstrated how they were all conveyed she's done nothing wrong. In the second example, she's just answered the question in more depth than was specified. However it seems that she's done the first, which you are correct in stating is wrong. She hasn't answered the question as she's dealt with the central idea of the entire text, not the central idea of the extracts as was specified. If that's the case there would be nothing wrong with talking to the marker or head teacher about it. Just make sure you have all of your facts right first so you don't look like an idiot if she just chose to deal with multiple extracts.

If you even mention the 'she made quotes up' part though, it will lessen the extent to which your valid arguments are taken seriously. You don't have too much ground for reproach there OP

(also, +1 to pretty much everything absolutezero said).

 

[SuchSmallHands]

Also if this is a recurring problem with the girl you need to get it sorted as soon as possible. If she kicks your collective assess in the assessments and doesn't do so great in the HSC then whatever happens after they sprinkle scaling and moderation fairy dust all over your marks may screw you over (not even going to pretend to know much about how it all works but something bad will happen, especially since it's english, of which two units have to go toward your ATAR).

 

[cheepy5]

Its prelim why the big fuss ... if it was the hsc then maybe pursue it.

 

[hoofheartedgirl]

I think... To do better than everyone else, you have to break the rules. If that particular person presented a good, solid argument, I don't see why using a whole book would be an issue.