NGSC Newsletter

SENIOR SCHOOL NEWS

Joel McDougall

Year 11 Coordinator

 

With COVID-19 Lockdowns on, off, on and then off again, the Senior Sub-School has been soldiering on with changes and challenges being handled and adjusted daily.

The GAT has been rescheduled twice, and with metropolitan Melbourne still in a higher state of lockdown, no specific date has been set for this important assessment to run.   A date for this new assessment will hopefully be posted soon.

Along with the GAT being rescheduled, the date to which students will receive their VCE results has been pushed back and consequently, first round university offers have also been pushed back.  At this stage students will now receive these in mid January rather than December.

The important SEAS Applications will be due shortly and any students wanting help with this application are to refer to Ms Perin for help in completing your application.

A reminder to all students, with less than 80 days till the VCE exams, to start making sure of deadlines for all SACs and portfolios due.

The Senior Sub-School has been immensely proud of how students have handled this tricky time of Remote Learning being put on us with late notice, and it is a credit to all how you have shown diligence and empathy towards your peers.

 

Well done to all.

Nicolle Brigden

Learning Specialist/Teacher

VCE EXTENDED INVESTIGATION (E.I.) 

What is E.I.?

In 2022, NGSC will offer a new VCE subject, Extended Investigation. This unique subject is perfect for students interested in University-level research. 

 

E.I. students undertake a self-directed investigation into an area of personal interest over the course of one school year.  There is no subject-specific prescribed content; instead, students learn the skills of inquiry, research, analysis and critical thinking while investigating a topic or subject that THEY find interesting.

   

What do E.I. students learn? 

E.I. students will learn about all aspects of the research process, including:

  • what constitutes a good research question and how to develop one that is ethical, robust and practical
  • how to conduct a literature review, to situate their research in what’s already known on this topic
  • research project management and how to work within the limits that time and resources impose
  • a broad range of academic research methods, then how to gather independent data in response to their research question and how to analyse this.
  • skills in presenting, communicating and defending their research findings.

What kinds of topics could an E.I. student research?

Pretty much anything they are interested in! Of course, their research question must be ethical and they cannot research something that is already an assessment task in another VCE subject, but other than that the only restrictions are time and money.

To give some examples, here are some research questions studied by past VCE E.I. students: 

  • How are women portrayed in pop music videos and does this influence adolescent girls' views about gender roles?
  • Does daily washing with camel’s milk soap reduce the symptoms of psoriasis and eczema?
  • What change of attitude towards speeding whilst driving do the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) ads have on young male and female drivers?
  • What are the effects of ultraviolet irradiation on diseased canola seeds?
  • What is the effectiveness and reliability of a spring pendulum in comparison to a passive pendulum in reduction of side-to-side (lateral) movement at resonant frequency of a scale-model of the Eureka Tower in Melbourne?
  • How has Japanese cultural identity been portrayed in the American film industry since 2000?
  • What is the effect, if any, on middle school students’ test results when they listen to music when studying?

How is E.I. assessed?

E.I. is a fully scored subject and students complete a range of school-based and externally assessed tasks, including:

  • a written Research Question Rationale and Research Plan
  • an online Critical Thinking Test
  • two extended Oral Reports, including Q&A segments from the assessment panel
  • a Written Report that follows tertiary research report conventions

There is no final written VCAA examination for VCE Extended Investigation, which is a subject that is scaled up. 

 

Why should students pick E.I. in 2022? 

For students who intend to head to University after Year 12, studying VCE E.I. will mean they are better prepared for the ‘independent research’ subjects found in a range of Bachelor Degrees. The VCAA consulted with lots of Australian Universities when developing the E.I. Study Design, with the goal of creating a subject that provides students with the skills needed for success at the tertiary level.

'It encourages you to step out of your comfort zone. Through these challenges, my skills developed. I could approach my other Year 12 subjects with a unique perspective, and it made the transition between VCE and university easier.' 2015 VCE Extended Investigation alumnus, Madison Schenck

 

What kind of student is E.I. for? 

E.I. is a unique VCE subject in that students do not need extensive knowledge in a particular discipline and can undertake research into any field of interest. Students who are independent thinkers who would like to develop their knowledge and understanding in an area of extended research of interest to them, are encouraged to consider selecting this subject.

Students who enjoy working independently and are self-motivated, will find this subject gives them the opportunity to engage in inquiry-based learning, pursue an academic interest and focus on a research project for an extended period. As such, it requires a degree of passion, self-motivation and self-organisation. E.I. is a ‘Unit 3 / 4 only’ subject; there is no Unit 1 and 2 in this study. 

 

For further information about VCE Extended Investigation email nicolle.brigden@education.vic.gov.au or click here