HSC examinations: projects, submitted works and performances – Information for Supervising Teachers
As the supervising teacher of a course with a practical component as part of the HSC examination, you are responsible for supervising and monitoring students’ work on their projects. When students hand in their work for marking or, in the case of a performance, before they present for their performance examination, you will be required to sign a declaration similar to the following:
Those students against whose name my signature appears have completed their projects under my supervision by the completion/hand-in date. Their projects are their own work in accordance with the Board's rules, and are consistent with earlier drafts and other examples of their work. Those for whom no signature appears cannot be certified, and a full school report and student report of the circumstances of these students has been completed.
Supervising and monitoring student work
- Practical Project: Record of Student’s Progress (PDF)
- A pro-forma to assist teachers in monitoring a student’s work on their project.
You must have procedures in place that allow you to effectively supervise the development of your students' projects.
If students propose to submit projects where some work will be done away from the school because of the size or nature of the project, the school must be confident that effective supervision and sufficient documentation of this work is possible before giving consent for a student to begin work on such a project. Note that, as it is intended that the syllabus content is taught through the development of submitted projects, most of the project is to be completed at school under the supervision of the supervising class teacher. Projects will only be marked away from school sites in exceptional circumstances and only with the express permission of the Board of Studies. Schools may wish to formalise consent by having the student record their idea/proposal for approval and sign-off by the school. When the teacher signs the proposal this gives the student the go-ahead for beginning work on the project, submitted work or performance.
Please note that folio requirements for the projects submitted as part of the Design and Technology and Industrial Technology HSC examinations were amended, effective from 2011. These requirements include a page limit for folios. For further information, please refer to the Assessment and Reporting documents to be found in the Design and Technology and Industrial Technology HSC syllabus pages on the Board’s website.
Students are not required to spend excessive amounts of time and/or resources on projects, submitted works or performances. They should be advised that it is their skills and talents that are being examined, not the quantity of materials nor the number of pages of their folios. Materials submitted as part of projects, submitted works and performances should have a purpose in relation to the project and its marking criteria.
After the initial approval of the project it is good practice to set times when students will report their progress to you. The student could present you with a report of progress to date (perhaps in their logbook or process diary), and both you and the student sign these reports. The enclosed pro-forma may be used to record meetings and progress.
Outside assistance
You should advise your students about what kinds of outside assistance are permitted, in accordance with the requirements of the course and your school’s policy. If outside assistance is permitted, students should obtain your approval before any work is done on their project by any other person, including any teacher or other staff member at the school. The student should describe the proposed assistance, giving reasons why it is necessary, and how and when it will be obtained. Students should acknowledge assistance in their logbook, process diary, journal or folio. If no assistance is acknowledged, the student’s signature on the declaration form signifies that the words, ideas, designs and workmanship are all the original work of the student.
If students wish to have an outside ‘mentor’ for advice or assistance with aspects of their project, it is important that you discuss this with them to make sure that the assistance is allowable, and that it is appropriately acknowledged. You may be able to talk to the mentor about the requirements for certification and the limits of their involvement.
As part of teaching the course, teachers will provide feedback to students on the development of their projects. This is not regarded as ‘outside assistance’. If you are not sure how much feedback you can legitimately give your students, you should discuss your concerns with your supervisor or your colleagues.
Best practice steps to help ensure that you will be able to certify your students’ work
Before the project commences
- Show students the Board of Studies certification forms early in the course, and ensure they understand that all parties (student, teacher, principal) must sign these forms.
- Ensure students understand any specific course requirements for their project, and the penalties for not complying. Projects must adhere to size, weight and duration limits, and must not contain materials or processes that are dangerous to the health or safety of anyone involved. Prohibited weapons, replicas or related articles must not be used, produced or displayed. For further information please refer to the section in Assessment Certification Examination (ACE) Online regarding submitted works and practical examinations: health and safety issues and also to HSC Performances and Submitted Works – Advice to Schools Regarding Content.
- Ensure that students understand that projects will not be eligible for public exhibitions and performances if they do not meet the Board’s requirements.
- Review each student’s initial plans for their projects with them to ensure they are setting themselves reasonable targets, in the scope of the work and the timeframe. Students are not required to spend an excessive amount of time and/or resources in order to demonstrate their achievement levels.
- If a student is proposing to work on their project outside school, ensure that you can effectively monitor the work with appropriate visits to check progress.
- Give consent for the project to commence.
Once the project is approved
- Schedule regular meetings with students to discuss progress on their projects. Assist students to make adjustments to their project plans where necessary so that they are able to meet submission deadlines.
- Make sure that students have journals, process diaries or logbooks documenting the processes involved, and that they keep them up to date. Inspect their journals regularly, and record the date and your signature in the journal.
- Ensure that students understand what malpractice is, and how it relates to their projects.
- Ensure that students understand the requirements regarding outside assistance, that they discuss any proposed outside assistance with you before it is undertaken, and that outside assistance is acknowledged in the project documentation.
- If you or other school staff work on students’ projects because, for example, they require equipment that students are not permitted to use, make sure that students understand that this is ‘outside assistance’ and must be acknowledged. You should keep your own records of the assistance you have provided.
- As the completion/submission date approaches, make students aware of the deadline and of the penalties for submitting their work late.
What happens if a student’s project is not able to be certified?
If at any time you think that one of your students is at risk of not having their project certified, you should immediately discuss this with your supervisor or other appropriate staff at your school. You should also inform the student of your concerns. Your first aim should be to assist the student to meet the requirements.
If the student’s work cannot be certified, you will need to complete a Non-certification of Practical Work – School Report form, giving reasons why the project cannot be certified. You must show this report to the student, and also give the student a Non-certification of Practical Work – Student Comments form. The student is required to comment on the information contained in this report. The Board of Studies will determine the appropriate penalty to be applied, and the school and the student will be notified at the time of release of the HSC results.
For further information please refer to the sections in Assessment Certification Examination (ACE) Online regarding submitted works and practical examinations and also to HSC Performances and Submitted Works – Advice to Schools Regarding Content.
If you have questions about supervision and certification of projects, please contact Curriculum and Assessment Directorate on (02) 9367 8144 or (02) 9367 8191.