Dissertations may replace A-level coursework!!!

Universities would set and assess dissertations for the brightest school pupils in a bid to help them identify the best students, under a proposed overhaul of A-levels.

Plans being discussed by former Ofsted chief Mike Tomlinson's working group, which is investigating the reform of education for 14 to 19-year olds, would see all A level coursework in schools phased out and replaced with a single dissertation under a new overarching diploma.

Mr Tomlinson told EducationGuardian.co.uk that a single dissertation could replace all coursework in both the intermediate and advanced stages of the diploma, in a bid to "reduce the burden of assessment on students".

"At the advanced level we think the dissertation, as part of the study, could be a significant means of differentiating between students.

"It would be of the highest quality and would illustrate skills for students relevant to higher education entry," he added.

This year 21% of A-level students scored at least one A grade, igniting a debate on how universities chose the right students for their degree courses.

Cambridge, Oxford and University College London are planning new "supertests" to be sat by applicants for medical, veterinary and biomedical science courses at Oxford, Cambridge and University College London, and other Russell group universities are investigating similar moves. Law schools are also reported to be investigating similar initiatives for their admission process.

Yesterday Mr Tomlinson said that he "felt sorry" for students who would face another test, but accepted that a better mechanism of distinguishing between the best candidates was necessary.

Today he said that the practicalities were being considered. "There is the question of how it would be organised and managed and how it would be assessed. We could, assuming they wanted to, have the universities very intimately involved in assessing the work."

A spokesperson for Universities UK, which represents university chiefs, said the proposals were "certainly interesting".

She went on: "It is of course vital that the potential knock-on effects for universities and their admissions procedures of any changes are fully explored in consultation with the HE sector."

Mr Tomlinson's working group includes two university vice-chancellors, Professor David Eastwood from the University of East Anglia and Professor David Melville of the University of Kent.

Today, David Eastwood told EducationGuardian.co.uk: "As far as universities are concerned, we want to see greater stretch at the top end and a greater capacity for universities to be able to differentiate between students.

"One of the criticisms of the existing structure, at GCSE and at A2, is that students spend a lot of time doing GCSE and A2 coursework for different subjects and the skills being tested aren't very different. We are trying to think through ways to create a core within a diploma where a major extended piece of work would be part of that core and one thing which helped provide greater stretch and differentiation."

Professor Eastwood is to chair a sub-committee within the Tomlinson group to investigate how the proposed diploma would go down in the higher education sector.

Source(s):

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2003/aug/19/alevels2003.accesstouniversity

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