Why knowing the formula is not the same as answering the question in VCE Physics
Why formulas feel like the safest place to start Most Physics students are taught to begin with equations. They revise them carefully, practise rearranging them, and feel reassured when they recognise which one applies. So when a question appears familiar, the instinct is immediate: write the formula, substitute the values, and trust the mathematics to […]
Why capable Physics students lose marks on questions they’ve “seen before”
There is a particular frustration that shows up again and again in VCE Physics. Students walk out of an exam knowing they recognised most of the questions. They remember covering the content. They recall doing similar problems in class. And yet, the marks don’t come back the way they expect. In Physics, familiarity is not […]
Why memorising the SDGs no longer helps in Unit 4 Health and Human Development
Why students still try to memorise the SDGs For many students, the Sustainable Development Goals feel like content that can be mastered through memorisation. There are clear titles, clear aims, and a neat list to learn. That structure is comforting, especially in a subject that already demands a lot of application. So students revise the […]
Why listing features of effective aid is not the same as evaluating effectiveness in Unit 4
Why aid feels deceptively straightforward Aid is one of the areas students feel most comfortable with in Unit 4. The language is familiar. The intentions feel clear. Students know the features they are meant to talk about, and they often feel reassured when they can list them confidently. This is exactly why aid questions catch […]
Why vague references to “quality of life” lose marks in Unit 4 Health and Human Development
Why “quality of life” feels safe to students Quality of life is a phrase students reach for when they want to sound thoughtful. It feels broad, humane and flexible. It appears to sit comfortably across health, wellbeing and development, so students assume it will carry marks wherever it is used. The problem is that in […]
Why showing a “relationship” in Health and Human Development is harder than students think
One of the most revealing words in Health and Human Development is relationship. Students see it often. They think they understand it. And yet, it is one of the most consistently mis-handled demands in the course. This is because many students treat a relationship as a simple link between two ideas. In assessment, a relationship […]
Why HHD questions punish students who answer “in general”
One of the quiet shifts in Health and Human Development is that general answers no longer survive contact with the exam. Students often write responses that are correct in a broad sense. They explain how something usually works, how a factor typically affects health, or why an issue matters in society. The problem is that […]
Why generic examples are costing students marks in Health and Human Development
“Relevant” is not the same as “rewarded” One of the most common phrases students hear in Health and Human Development is “that’s relevant”. Unfortunately, relevance on its own does not earn marks. Students routinely include examples that sit clearly within the course. They mention low socioeconomic status, access to healthcare, education levels, lifestyle behaviours, or […]
Why capable Health and Human Development students still lose marks on familiar questions
Familiarity creates false confidence One of the hardest things for students to accept in Health and Human Development is that losing marks does not always mean they misunderstood the content. In many cases, it means they misunderstood the task. This problem appears most often on questions that feel familiar. Students recognise the language, the topic […]