History Coursework Handbook Overview (2024 Update)

Introduction

• Coursework Handbook for educators & students (Component 3)
• Located on the school support hub, valid from 2024 on
• Longer video covering various sections: Planning, Teaching, Assignments, Marking, Example Coursework, and Classroom Activities

Planning Coursework

• Long, semester-spanning process needing milestones to track student progress
• Closely monitored to avoid incomplete submissions impacting grades and causing stress
• Alternative to Paper 4 (preference for coursework varies)
  • Pros: Readying for university, research skills, bibliography
  • Cons: Responsibility at a young age, significant teacher workload, originality checks
• Perform coursework in the second year of IGCSE (Year 11)
  • First year (Year 10): Focus on core content
  • Coursework includes in-depth studies, ideally not mixed with other papers

Role of the Teacher

• Provide general guidance while ensuring originality
  • Avoid direct influence and cheating
  • Utilize tools like Turnitin for plagiarism checks
• Recommends using a consistent question/topic year after year for better preparation
• Suggested coursework length: 2,000 words, broken into parts (3 x 500-word body paragraphs, 500-word intro & conclusion)
• Implementing MLA for citations; recommended resource: Purdue OWL

Coursework Topics and Structure

• Depth study: Example on German history
• Topics may include economics, politics, society
  • Break down into manageable sections for students
  • Start with feasible segments like economic impact

Marking and Moderation

• Internal marking followed by external moderation
  • Annotate coursework thoroughly
  • Write summary comments (overview, positives, negatives)
• Groups of high, middle, and low achieving students for balanced sample
  • Internal sessions with whole department for consistency
  • Use of forms and moderation documents from the Cambridge website

Example Candidate Coursework & Classroom Activities

• Use past examples to guide students on expectations
  • Significant figures & events for in-depth studies
• Classroom activities to build understanding
  • Poster-making, comparing events, accumulating recurring historical themes
  • Flashcards for key historical terms and facts; beneficial for ESL students

Conclusion

• Planning and consistent monitoring are critical for successful coursework submission
• Strategies and tools to support teachers and students alike
• Engage students with interactive and frequent assessment methods for better retention and performance