LEARNING EXPERIENCES

Students need to participate in a wide variety of activities to ensure that they have opportunities to develop the skills, knowledge, and attitudes in science that are described by the achievement objectives. It is important that students experience science as engaging, enriching, and challenging. To provide some initial ideas, a range of possible learning experiences is given at each level in all learning strands.

When the possible learning experiences at any one level are considered collectively, they give guidance about the concepts, language, approaches, techniques, materials, and equipment which are appropriate to the level. They also suggest the scope and depth of expected learning.

Teachers are encouraged to incorporate some of the possible learning experiences into their programmes. In order to achieve a complete and balanced programme in science, all teachers will need to make considered selections and may also include suitable learning experiences other than those listed.

The choice of appropriate experiences will depend on a number of important variables. These include the nature of the targeted achievement objective(s), the class composition, the community of which the school is a part, the teachers' and students' interests, topical events, and the time of year.

ASSESSMENT EXAMPLES

The primary purpose of school-based assessment is to improve students' learning and the quality of learning programmes. Assessment tasks and procedures should be consistent with the general aims of science education (see also Enhancing Achievement and Science for All) and be compatible with regular classroom activity. In this way assessment will be an integral part of the learning programme.

Examples of assessment tasks have been suggested for all levels in five of the six learning strands. No assessment examples have been suggested for Developing Scientific Skills and Attitudes as the objectives in this strand are to be developed in conjunction with objectives from the other strands.

The assessment tasks listed suggest some appropriate ways of determining students' achievement. It is important to recognise that these lists are neither exhaustive nor definitive. As with the sample learning contexts and the possible learning experiences, the assessment examples indicate the potential nature and range of assessment tasks. Teachers will also need to locate and devise other assessment tasks for their own diagnostic, monitoring, and review purposes.

In selecting assessment tasks, teachers must be sensitive to the different learning and communication styles of their students. This is a further reason for using a wide range of assessment tasks and procedures.