What's with the Bands? (1 Viewer)

[Gemstone]

Hi I just looked on SAM at what the bands are like for Japanese and was wondering why Band six has the majority of people in it? I mean I thought band 6 was supposed to be for the top students not the average students. What's with that?

Someone explain it to me.

Gems

 

[karnevil]

did you ever stop to think that perhaps Japanese Continuers attracts a high-quality candidature? ....

 

[santaslayer]

and that japanese continuers are the smart ones coz they got to continue.....lol, not like the other dropouts......its really the same for other subjects like the distinction courses.....nearly all in band 6

 

[Gemstone]

Yeah I thought about that but then the whole point of bands seems kindda pointless. I mean you would think they would just take up the cut offs for each band so that you could actually see where the average mark is and then the really high (top) mark and the below average. It seems in Japanese that the average is Band 6 which is kindda unfair becuase what happens to those who aren't as good and what happens to those who are really good and are classed as average.

Well I don't understand it. Although this whole system is kindda messed up.

Gems

 

[Lexicographer]

You won't understand it until you get your own HSC, and perhaps not even then. Basically only people who are really good do Japanese, so if you're in it you'll be dragged up by everyone else.

 

[Gemstone]

Ah okay. But there's still gotta be an average mark so shouldn't that average mark be a band 4. I'm just really worried by the fact that band 6 is the everyone band as i'm not all that good at Japanese, also I think it's unfair cos it means you can't outperform or standout in the subject.

 

[santaslayer]

its STILL fair...
if an individual cannot "outperform" (as u put it), the rest of the state, then he/she SHOULD get a lower band.....
yes, there is a table of statistics thats accessible to the wide public on the average bands people get across all subjects.....u can access it in the BOS site.....(the official one.....lol), and if it is band 6, then so be it. u will just have to work ur ass off in the subject, unless u can drop it.......u should get there if u work hard enuff......good luck

 

[Lexicographer]

The point of the matter is that BOS moved AWAY from forcing the bulk of candidates into the " average" bin, because that's unfair assessment. That's the basis on which the bell curve system appears to work (this is the ratio of performance, and if your marks don't fit the curve they are made to) which everyone knows is totally WRONG. The bands system is a more truthful report of student performance against set and defined standards, rather than relative to peers.

 

[Gemstone]

Okay I still don't get it but it appears that their aren't really any answers to my questions. I will have a look on the really BOS site and check cos I asked my Japanese teacher about it and she said that wasn't right. So made SAM just has the wrong stats.

Gems

 

[Lexicographer]

That's possible too. James (Lazarus) is currently fighting BoS for the real stats and all other information withheld from students. We'll see how he goes.

 

[karnevil]

the bell curve system is a crock of shit, I'm glad i never have been (and never will be) slammed in the head with it (UTS does not use it, unlike some other uni's around here)

 

[frodo]

yeah i reckon if people deserve the mark then they should get them. bell curves are unfair but i guess in some cases they are necessary

 

[Gemstone]

Okay I get what your saying but i've seen the standards packages and I mean what they put as bands 1 and 2 could really just be band 1 i mean if you can't even be bothered to learn katakana you should get band 1 not 2. So yeah I think there standards could be higher for certain things.

Gems

 

[Lexicographer]

Nah, there's a difference. I'll explain better later