Practical Skills Handbook Overview

Practical Skills Handbook Overview

  • This document refers to the OCR (Oxford Cambridge and RSA) Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced GCE in Biology, intended for first teaching in 2015, versioned as 2.0, January 2024 edition.

Introduction

  • Students studying Biology are expected to develop the following skills:
    • Planning, implementation, use of apparatus and techniques.
    • Analysis and evaluation.
  • Skills will be indirectly assessed in written examinations and directly assessed through the Practical Endorsement at A Level.
  • The Handbook provides guidance on practical skills required for assessments, Practical Endorsement arrangements, and planning a practical scheme of work.
  • Should be read alongside the specification, which forms the basis for assessment.

Use of the Handbook

  • Sections 2 to 4 describe the assessment of practical skills in AS and A Level qualifications.
  • Section 4 outlines the Practical Endorsement requirements for direct assessment of practical skills.
  • Section 5 offers guidance on planning the practical scheme of work.
  • Section 6 discusses practical skills and offers additional guidance on sections 1.2 of the specification.
  • Appendices cover reference information on health, safety, measurements, and resources.

Overview of Practical Skills Requirements

Summary of the Assessment Model

  • The practical skills assessment model entails:
    • Theoretical Component: Indirect assessment via written exams.
    • Practical Component: Direct assessment through the Practical Endorsement (A Level only).
  • **Indirect Assessment Breakdown: **
    • 15% minimum of the written assessment at both AS and A Level consists of practical skills.
  • Direct Assessment Characteristics:
    • The Practical Endorsement is teacher-assessed against Common Practical Assessment Criteria (CPAC).
    • Reported separately from written assessments.

Summary of Practical Skills Required

Skills Assessed in Written Examinations
  • Planning
  • Implementing
  • Analysis
  • Evaluation
Skills Assessed through the Practical Endorsement
  • Planning and Implementing, focusing on:
    • Independent thinking
    • Use and application of scientific methods and practices
    • Research and referencing
    • Instruments and equipment
AS Level Students and the Practical Endorsement
  • No direct assessment of practical skills at AS Level.
  • AS Level practical activities enhance understanding and skill development relevant to A Level assessments.
  • Students continuing to A Level can carry over practical work from AS Level towards their Practical Endorsement if records are kept.

Practical Skills Assessed in a Written Examination

1. Planning

  • Students must:
    • Demonstrate experimental design proficiency, solving practical problems.
    • Identify controlled variables.
    • Evaluate the appropriateness of experimental methods.
  • Skills include appropriate selection of apparatus, equipment, and techniques.

2. Implementing

  • Students must:
    • Use a variety of practical apparatus and techniques correctly.
    • Apply appropriate units for measurements.
    • Present data in suitable formats.
  • Skills related to apparatus are detailed in the specification.

3. Analysis

  • Students must:
    • Process, analyze, and interpret qualitative and quantitative results.
    • Apply appropriate mathematical skills for data analysis.
    • Handle significant figures accurately.
    • Plot and interpret suitable graphs from results (label axes, measure gradients/intercepts).

4. Evaluation

  • Students should:
    • Evaluate results and derive conclusions.
    • Identify anomalies in measurements.
    • Recognize limitations of experimental procedures.
    • Suggest improvements while considering precision, accuracy, and margins of error.

Practical Skills Assessed in the Practical Endorsement

Introduction to the OCR Practical Endorsement

  • To pass, students must demonstrate competencies described in CPAC by completing at least 12 practical activities.
  • Practical Activity Groups (PAGs) support specific competencies across A Level topics:
    • PAG1-5: First-year concepts.
    • PAG6-9: Second-year concepts.
    • PAG10 and PAG11: Investigative skills.
    • PAG12: Research skills.

Planning Activities to Cover Requirements

  • Centers have flexibility to choose or design activities as long as they meet CPAC requirements.
  • Each group of activities can support both the Practical Endorsement and skills assessed in written exams.

Tracking Achievement

Record Keeping Strategies

  • Recommended records include:
    • Planned practical schedule covering all required skills.
    • Records of each practical performed and assessment criteria met.
    • Attendance records.

Monitoring Arrangements

Monitoring Visits

  • Purpose: Ensure centers provide appropriate practical work and accurate assessments.
  • Large centers receive visits based on student number and subjects.

Arrangement of Visits

  • Coordinated with center timelines for monitoring practical skills fulfilling end-of-course assessment criteria.

Guidance on Practical Skills

General Practical Skills

Key Skills Descriptions
  1. Investigative Methods: Students must apply independent approaches to solving problems and design experiments.
  2. Equipment Use: Emphasis on safety and correct use of equipment, sanitation, and waste disposal.
  3. Following Instructions: Best practices include clarity in aims and visuals for students to envisage tasks.
  4. Recording Data: Quality and consistency are paramount, including scientific vocabulary usage.
  5. Data Presentation: Information must be appropriately structured in tables, graphs, and scientific drawings.
  6. Usage of Software: Students should leverage digital tools for data processing and visualization.
Section 1.2.2 - Specific Equipment Skills
  • Use of various apparatus, measurement techniques, and safety protocols, including:
    • Microscopy, dissection, chromatography, and microbiological procedures.
  • Additional resources include health and safety guidelines, risk assessments, apparatus lists, and data presentation guidelines in appendices associated with the handbook.