VCE Physics 2009-2012 – What’s new?

Presentation at the 2008 STAV/AIP Physics Conference Maria James, VCAA 15 February 2008

© Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority 2007

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Presentation outline

• •

1. National Curriculum Update

learning outcomes assessment • • • •

2. VCE Physics Review

statistics monitoring phase (2006) minor review phase (2007) implentation workshops (2008)

3. Assessment 2008

VCE Unit 2 Science enrolments

Total enrolments in Unit 2 VCE Sciences

18000 16000 14000 12000 10000 8000 6000 4000 2000 0 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Year

Biology Chemistry Physics Psychology

VCE Unit 4 Science enrolments

Total enrolments in Unit 4 VCE Sciences

16000 14000 12000 10000 8000 6000 4000 2000 0 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Year

Biology Chemistry Physics Psychology

VCE Unit 2 Physics enrolments

VCE Unit 2 Physics enrolments 1995-2007

14,000 12,000 10,000 8,000 6,000 4,000 2,000 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Year

females males total

VCE Unit 4 Physics enrolments

VCE Unit 4 Physics enrolments 1995-2007

9,000 8,000 7,000 6,000 5,000 4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Year

Females Males Total

Enrolment decreases within student year levels Differential in student numbers between Units 1&2, and Units 3&4 VCE Physics

500 400 300 200 100 0 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Year

Unit 1 to Unit 2 Unit 3 to Unit 4

Enrolment decreases between student year levels Differential in student numbers between Units 1&4, and Units 2&3 VCE Physics

5000 4000 3000 2000 1000 0 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Year

Unit 2 to Unit 3 Unit 1 to Unit 4

Tertiary pre-requisites

• • • •

Do tertiary pre-requisites impact on student VCE study selection?

13.8 % of Science-requiring tertiary courses have Chemistry as a prerequisite 3.9% of Science-requiring tertiary courses have Physics as a prerequisite 0.6% of Science-requiring tertiary courses have Biology as a prerequisite 21.6% of Science-requiring tertiary courses have Mathematics Methods (either) as a prerequisite

Monitoring the 2004-2008 VCE Physics study design In 2006, a number of activities were undertaken as part of regular VCAA monitoring processes of VCE studies

: analysis of enrolment data for VCE Physics running of educator focus groups (metropolitan and rural) re VCE Physics on-line survey re VCE Physics consideration of national and international research re science education -

Two major practical concerns arose for teachers of VCE Physics which the VCAA Board wanted to address

: high teacher workloads, particularly in Units 2 and 3 lack of clarity of the dot points in the study design

The VCAA Board determined that a minor review of Physics would proceed in 2007

.

Minor review of VCE Physics

In 2007, a minor review of Physics commenced

: • Review panel and writer established after on-line applications were received • Nature of the minor review was established: - had to address concerns of teacher workload/lack of clarity of study design - one-year implementation (ie all Units 1-4 to begin in 2009) - existing units were to be retained - the order of Units 3 and 4 were to be unchanged - no new concepts to be introduced, unless contribute to clarification of existing dot points • Review panel prepared a consultation draft • Feedback sought through on-line surveys and hard copy responses • Review panel prepared final draft following consideration of feedback • Published study design, including ‘Advice to teachers’, mailed to schools in February 2008 (

Assessment handbook

available mid-2008)

Units 1-4 Key skills

A set of key skills applicable to each unit has been developed and placed at the start of the study design on page 12. These skills are integral to each area of study and must be assessed.

Key skills are listed under three headings

: - Investigate and inquire scientifically - Analyse and apply physics understanding - Communicate physics information and understanding

Verbs used in the study design

The following ‘cognitive triangle’ lists the cognitive processes required for the purposes of the study design. Definitions of these terms are provided in the ‘Advice for teachers’.

Design Evaluate Analyse Explain Investigate Apply Calculate Model Select Compare Convert Interpret Describe Identify Note: higher order cognitive processes in the above pyramid include capacities of those cognitive processes which appear below them

Structure of Units 1 and 2

Unit 1

Area of study 1 Area of study 2

Nuclear physics and radioactivity Electricity Motion

Unit 2

Wave-like properties of light

Detailed study

Note

: Detailed study selected in Unit 1 must be different from that selected in Unit 2 Choice of: •Astronomy •Astrophysics •Energy from the nucleus •Investigations: Flight •Investigations: Sustainable energy sources •Medical physics

Wording: Nuclear physics and radioactivity Unit 1, Area of study 1

The dot point:

Some dot points have been split into two to separate different concepts!

• describe nuclear transformations and decay series has become

two

dot points: • explain nuclear transformations using decay equations involving α, β and γ radiation • analyse decay series diagrams in terms of type of decay and stability of isotopes

Wording: Electricity Unit 1, Area of study 2

The dot point:

Some dot points have been simplified…

• apply charge conservation and energy conservation models to electrical phenomena to describe relationships between charge (Q), electric current (I), voltage (V),energy (U) and power (P) in electric circuits has become:

… and formulae, variables and constants have been italicised!

• apply the concepts of charge (

Q

), electric current (

I

), voltage (

V

),energy (

U

) and power (

P

) in electric circuits

Wording: Motion in one and two dimensions Unit 3, Area of study 1

The dot point:

Formulae

have been specified when quantitative analysis is expected!

• analyse impulse, and momentum transfer, in collisions between objects moving along a straight line has become: • analyse impulse (momentum transfer) in an isolated system, for collisions between objects moving along a straight line (

F

Δ

t

=

m

Δ

v

)

Wording: Motion Unit 2, Area of study 1

New dot points include:

Concepts which were previously implicit in some dot points have now become explicit!

• identify parameters of motion as vectors or scalars • apply rate of energy transfer, power,

P

• apply the concept of momentum

, p

= =

mv E

/

t

• analyse Hooke’s Law for an ideal spring,

F

=

-k

Δ

x

• analyse impulse (momentum transfer) in an isolated system, for elastic collisions between objects moving in a straight line

Wording: Electronics and photonics Unit 3, Area of study 2

The dot point:

Some content has been removed, to reduce teacher and student workload!

• describe the operation of the transistor in terms of current gain and the effect of biasing the base-emitter voltage on the voltage characteristics, in terms of saturation, cut-off and linear operation, including linear gain ( Δ

v

out /

v

in ) and clipping, of a single stage npn transistor voltage amplifier has been replaced by: • analyse voltage characteristics of amplifiers including linear voltage gain ( Δ

v

out /

v

in ) and clipping

Wording: Wave-like properties of light Unit 2, Area of study 2

The dot point:

Sometimes, dot points specify what is not included!

• apply a ray model to behaviours of light including reflection, refraction and total internal reflection has become: • investigate and analyse the behaviour of light using ray diagrams including - reflection,

i

=

r

refraction, Snell’s Law - total internal reflection, critical angle (any form of image location is not required)

Wording: Photonics Unit 4, Detailed study 3.2

This is the only dot point which has shifted location!

The dot point previously from Unit 4, Area of study 2, ‘

Interactions of light and matter

: • explain the production of incoherent light from wide spectrum light sources, including the Sun, light bulbs, and candles (descriptive), in terms of thermal motion of electrons has moved to Unit 4, Detailed study 3.2, ‘

Photonics

’ and is re-worded as: • describe the production of incoherent light from wide spectrum light sources, including the Sun, light bulbs, and candles, in terms of the random thermal motion of valence electrons when atoms collide

Wording: Synchrotron and its applications Unit 4, Detailed study 3.1

The dot point:

The dot points in this detailed study have specified The Australian Synchrotron!

• describe basic synchrotron design including electron linac, circular booster, storage ring, beamlines has become: • describe the basic design of The Australian Synchrotron including the general purpose of the electron linac (details about drift tubes and RF cavities are not required), circular booster, storage ring and beamlines

Summary of included/clarified dot points

Unit

1 3 3 3 4 4

Area of study/ Detailed study Title

AoS 2 AoS 1 AoS 2 DS 3.3

DS 3.1

DS 3.2

Electricity

Included/clarified detail

‘potential difference’ used instead of ‘voltage’ Motion in one and two dimensions Electronics and photonics Further electronics Synchrotron Photonics -circular motion broadened -qualitative description of air resistance in projectile motion -apparent weight, apparent weightlessness, weightlessness ‘potential difference’ used instead of ‘voltage drop’ -modulation and demodulation have been elaborated -thermistor included as circuit component the effect of circuit components on ripple voltage has been made more specific specific consideration of The Australian Synchrotron production of incoherent light (from Unit 4, AoS 2)

Summary of deleted dot points and/or concepts Unit Area of study/ Detailed study Title Removal detail

Investigations: Flight computer modelling 1&2 3 3 3 4 DS 3.4

AoS 1 AoS 2 AoS 2 AoS 2 Motion in one and two dimensions Electronics and photonics Electronics and photonics Interactions of light and matter absolute nature of time and space ‘voltage drop’ has been replaced with ‘potential difference’ transistor amplifier ‘production of incoherent light’ has been moved to the

Photonics

detailed study, Unit 4, DS3.2

Contact Details

Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority

(VCAA) Website:

www.vcaa.vic.edu.au

Maria James, Curriculum Manager - Science

Ph: (03) 9651 4655 [email protected]

Kris Allen, Examinations Project Manager Ph: (03) 9225 2356 allen.kristin.m @edumail.vic.gov.au