Examiner feedback samples
- 1. Sample E Student work Examiner comments Marks awarded Marks available Criterion A 3 5 Criterion B 3 5 Criterion C 7 10 Criterion D 6 10 Total 19 30 Examiner comments Criterion A Clear use of language and the response can be followed easily. The language is appropriate to philosophy but it can be repetitive in vocabulary and the structure is a little loose. It is not always precise or focused. Criterion B There is very limited reference to the course (very little directly) and examples are lacking, though occasionally in evidence. The issues raised in the text are dealt with clearly and fully, but the student fails to follow the response through with real examples and illustrations from the experience of doing philosophy in the course. Criterion C There is a clear understanding of how philosophical activity is carried out and the response to the text is relevant. References to the text are made throughout and the student deals with the issues raised by the text at all times. The understanding is not always strong or subtle, but it is in evidence. It is a basic and sometimes effective account. Criterion D There is an attempt at a personal response, but without the use of personal illustration or reference to the experience of doing philosophical activity through the course, the response is limited. Philosophical activity is satisfactorily evaluated in that basic insights are expressed, but it does not rise above the level of “satisfactory”.
- 2. The piece is clear and easy to follow. There is a sustained attempt to address the issues raised in the text throughout the piece, and references to the text are in evidence throughout. Where this piece is lacking is in the student’s failure to refer to the personal experience of philosophical activity through reference to the experience of doing the HL course. There are few personal illustrations, and as a result the piece becomes more of a textual commentary than a personal exploration prompted by issues raised in the text. The piece is occasionally repetitive and contains assertions without justification, explanation or example. Sample F Student work Examiner comments Marks awarded Marks available Criterion A 4 5 Criterion B 3 5 Criterion C 6 10 Criterion D 6 10 Total 19 30 Examiner comments Criterion A Expression is clear and coherent and the response is well organized; the language is appropriate to philosophy and used effectively. Criterion B Appropriate issues are raised based on the reading of the text. Examples support the response, and there are references made to the philosophy course, although only in a limited and general sense. Criterion C
- 3. Some relevant references to the text are offered. A satisfactory understanding of the way the text presents philosophy as an activity, and of the way that activity is carried out, is evident, albeit in a limited fashion. Criterion D A personal response to the perspectives raised in the text is evident. The evaluation of philosophical activity as it is raised in the text is satisfactory. However, the implications of the issues raised in the text are not explored in a convincing or compelling manner. The student offers, in the opening paragraphs of the response, a general outline of the text’s position on philosophy as an activity. However, this outline focuses only on the obvious elements raised in the text. While there is a clear identification of how the position of the text relates to the student’s experience of studying philosophy during the course, these references are limited in scope and very general in nature. The student attempts to evaluate and analyse the perspectives on doing philosophy raised in the text. However, these attempts are not convincing or are not fully developed, and tend to focus on the more evident aspects of the issues raised rather than exploring their implications. The student does attempt to go beyond what the text says about philosophical activity, filling in what the student sees as a weakness of the perspective described in the text. In short, there is a limited appreciation of the full meaning and significance of what the text offers, and of the application of those insights to the experience of doing philosophy throughout the whole of the philosophy course. Sample G Student work Examiner comments Marks awarded Marks available Criterion A 4 5 Criterion B 3 5 Criterion C 7 10 Criterion D 7 10 Total 21 30 Examiner comments Criterion A
- 4. The student expresses himself clearly and coherently and the response is well organized. The language is appropriate to philosophy and is used effectively. Criterion B Appropriate issues are raised based on the reading of the text. Examples support the response and there are brief references to the philosophy course, although only in a limited and/or general sense. Criterion C Effective and relevant references to the central ideas of the text are made. There is a good understanding of what doing philosophy is and means as these issues are raised in the text. There is a good understanding of the ways in which philosophical activity is carried out. Criterion D A relevant personal response is developed regarding the philosophical activity raised in the text. There is a convincing evaluation of philosophical activity present throughout the response. The student has presented a clear, precise, coherent and well-organized response, in which philosophical language is used effectively. The response makes sufficient and relevant references to the main ideas presented in the text, and goes on to support and illustrate further the significance and the practical utility of doing philosophy. One of the noticeable weaknesses of this response is the student’s failure to make concrete and specific references to the experience of doing philosophy throughout the whole course. One of the strengths of this response is the student’s ability to provide clear examples of how philosophy is done in a variety of life situations. The student manages to formulate a personal response to several of the issues raised in the text and offers a convincing evaluation of philosophical activity as raised in the text. However, the student does not always develop the evaluation of the implications of points raised or made in the response. Sample H Student work Examiner comments Marks awarded Marks available Criterion A 5 5
- 5. Criterion B 5 5 Criterion C 9 10 Criterion D 10 10 Total 29 30 Examiner comments Criterion A Highly effective expression using language that is precise and appropriate to philosophy. The piece is easy to follow and clear, coherent ideas are sustained throughout. Criterion B A very impressive use of personal examples drawn from the experience of doing philosophy throughout the course. The student uses excellent examples and illustrations that compellingly support the exploration of the issues raised in the text. There is considerable insight on display, as the student brings personal experience of philosophical activity to bear on the reading of the text. Criterion C There is clear and convincing reference to the text, illustrating a deep understanding of the issues raised and a personal awareness of how philosophical activity is carried out. The student could have referred to the text more directly in the response through more obvious quotation or citation. Criterion D The student sustains an impressive evaluation of philosophical activity as raised by the text and a relevant personal response throughout. The responses are insightful, compelling, interesting and clearly forged through a personal reflection of doing philosophy by following the HL course. There are specific and indirect examples to back this up and the voice of the student is apparent throughout. This is an extremely effective, impressive piece that combines a relevant response to the issues raised in the text with compelling references to the experience of doing philosophy through studying the HL course. Personal examples, both specific and more general, are used throughout, and these support a focused and sustained response to the text extract. The risk of merely commentating on the text is avoided and this enables personal insights to accompany the exploration of the issues raised. The level of understanding matches the level of personal response, and a clear articulation of philosophical activity is achieved.
- 6. Criterion B 5 5 Criterion C 9 10 Criterion D 10 10 Total 29 30 Examiner comments Criterion A Highly effective expression using language that is precise and appropriate to philosophy. The piece is easy to follow and clear, coherent ideas are sustained throughout. Criterion B A very impressive use of personal examples drawn from the experience of doing philosophy throughout the course. The student uses excellent examples and illustrations that compellingly support the exploration of the issues raised in the text. There is considerable insight on display, as the student brings personal experience of philosophical activity to bear on the reading of the text. Criterion C There is clear and convincing reference to the text, illustrating a deep understanding of the issues raised and a personal awareness of how philosophical activity is carried out. The student could have referred to the text more directly in the response through more obvious quotation or citation. Criterion D The student sustains an impressive evaluation of philosophical activity as raised by the text and a relevant personal response throughout. The responses are insightful, compelling, interesting and clearly forged through a personal reflection of doing philosophy by following the HL course. There are specific and indirect examples to back this up and the voice of the student is apparent throughout. This is an extremely effective, impressive piece that combines a relevant response to the issues raised in the text with compelling references to the experience of doing philosophy through studying the HL course. Personal examples, both specific and more general, are used throughout, and these support a focused and sustained response to the text extract. The risk of merely commentating on the text is avoided and this enables personal insights to accompany the exploration of the issues raised. The level of understanding matches the level of personal response, and a clear articulation of philosophical activity is achieved.