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Richard Ledingham

Wednesday 25 January 2006

Think Ghostbusters, Austin Powers and Jaws...why? you may ask. Well its because Advanced Higher is yet another example where the sequel is better than the original. Compared to the clear problems facing Higher the Advanced Higher course is relatively uncluttered and, more importantly, much better when it comes to assessment. The three components (Geographical Methods and Techniques, the Geographical Study and Geographical Issues) are seemingly well thought out. I admit that I have no real first hand experience yet of the course but it seems to include many more practical ideas and methods, something that is fundamental when showing pupils the relevance that the subject has to real life.

My only complaint about the requirements of Advanced Higher are that the fieldwork methods and techniques do not actually require any time to be spent in the field...is it just me or is that ridiculous? One of the most quoted statistics at Moray House is that pupils remember 10% of what they read, 20% of what they hear, 30% of what they see but 90% of what they do! Not to take the pupils out of the classroom into the field is missing a massive opportunity...and just for the record when I say 'field' I dont mean traffic surveys at the bottom of the road I mean actual day trips or weekend trips away into the Scottish Glens and valleys or even abroad.

As someone who did both Higher and A-level Geography at school it is easy to see why universities and employers regard A-levels as the superior standard. The content between the two is very similar but the depth of learning is much greater at A-level. Personally I feel that there is good reason for many of the aspects of Advanced Higher and Higher Geography to be combined and turned into a 2 year course...much like an A-level. Oh well...I guess I will have to wait until I am the minister for education!

The second item today was a brief talk about the Professional Project. This 5000 word report can be on any subject of our choosing...given my enjoyment of the shadow study I am hoping that I will again learn a great deal from the experience.

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