Twenty First Century Science FAQs
Specifications
I’ve not taught Twenty First Century Science before, why should I choose it?
Where can I find out more information on the new specifications?
Resources
Can I use my existing Twenty First Century Science resources with the new specifications?
Where can I find out more information on the Twenty First Century Science resources?
I am on a limited budget… how do I afford Twenty First Century Science?
How have the Twenty First Century Science resources been updated?
Do you offer any resources to support the OCR Nationals specification?
Where can I find answers to the summary questions in the Student Book?
Digital Resources
Is there any overlap between the Assessment OxBox CD-ROMs and the Online Homework?
How many visual resources are there on the OxBox CD-ROMs and the Online Homework?
How does the Resources and Planning iPack OxBox CD-ROM help with planning?
What is on the Exam Preparation and Assessment OxBox CD-ROM?
Are there paper-based end of topic tests on the Assessment OxBox?
Can you create your own homework activities using Online Homework?
Are the tasks on the Online Homework differentiated for ability levels?
Can the Director of Learning monitor teachers to see if homework was being set and completed?
How much is the Twenty First Century Science Online Homework?
Assessment
Evaluation
If I’m already using Twenty First Century Science, why do I need to order an evaluation pack?
Can I get an Evaluation Pack for each of the three separate sciences?
Changes to GCSE Science
How do these changes affect students who started three-year GCSE courses in September 2011?
How do these changes affect students starting two-year courses from September 2012?
Will the proposed change mean there are more examinations in the summer examination series?
If students sit modular exams in 2013 will there be a re-sit opportunity for them?
Contact
Specifications
What is Twenty First Century Science?
Twenty First Century Science was created by University of York Education Group, Nuffield Foundation, OCR and Oxford University Press.
In 2002, the QCA was asked by the government to explore ways to modernise the science curriculum. The project team at the Nuffield Curriculum Programme and University of York Science Education Group created Twenty First Century Science, working with OCR and Oxford University Press. It was piloted in 76 schools in 2003 and was fully introduced in 2006 when 1,100 schools started teaching it.
How has Twenty First Century Science been revised?
The new criterion requires OCR and the project team to move some material between Science and Additional Science in all three subjects. There are also three examination papers plus a fourth unit of controlled assessment. This replaces coursework.
To match the new specification, Oxford University Press has published a new edition of our popular Twenty First Century Science resources. They still contain all the features you know and love, as well as provide you with all the support you need for new specification content and styles of assessment.
Which specifications have been revised?
OCR has revised the following specifications to match the new Ofqual criteria for GCSE science from 2011:
- GCSE Science
- GCSE Additional Science
- GCSE Additional Applied Science
- GCSE Biology
- GCSE Chemistry
- GCSE Physics
I’ve not taught Twenty First Century Science before, why should I choose it?
Twenty First Century Science is a very successful GCSE course. It’s lively, engaging and makes science relevant to every student in your classroom. Extensively piloted prior to becoming available to all schools in 2006, it’s proven to help improve grades and increase uptake at A Level. Here’s what some teachers have told us:
"51% of our sixth form now take at least one science A Level from a figure of around 26% before. Phenomenal!" Sue Hayden, The Becket School.
"We have seen a big 18% increase in C+ grades and lots more of our students are doing triple science." Laura Seabright, Deptford Green School.
Where can I find out more information on the new specifications?
Visit OCR at www.gcse-science.com for the latest information on the Twenty First Century Science specifications and to sign up to receive email updates.
Also, keep up-to-date with specification news by signing up to receive email updates. Simply email shelly.phillips@oup.com your contact details to sign up.
Resources
Can I use my existing Twenty First Century Science resources with the new specifications?
For schools unable to purchase new resources straight away, we provide schemes of work and maps to support teachers wishing to use the current resources during their transition to the new specifications.
Where can I find out more information on the Twenty First Century Science resources?
Visit www.oxfordsecondary.co.uk/science for more information on the Twenty First Century Science resources.
You can also request your local Educational Consultant to come and visit you at your school. They can give you a without obligation demonstration of Twenty First Century Science. Call 01536 452620 to make an appointment.
How can I keep up-to-date on the latest developments?
Sign up to receive Science email updates at www.oxfordsecondary.co.uk/science. Also, you can join the Twenty First Century Science email discussion by emailing science.enquries.uk@oup.com.
I am on a limited budget… how do I afford Twenty First Century Science?
As every school has different resourcing needs and budgets, we strongly recommend that you contact your local Educational Consultant who will be delighted to discuss the best way forward for you and your students. Visit www.oxfordsecondary.co.uk/repfinder to find details of your local Educational Consultant or call 01536 452620.
How have the Twenty First Century Science resources been updated?
The Twenty First Century Science resources have been revised and updated to match the new specifications. The resources have been written by the original project team of University of York Science Education Group and Nuffield foundation, and the resources retain all the popular features you know and like.
The resources have also been updated to reflect new scientific research and discoveries since the first edition was released. They are packed with up-to-date science, as well as the familiar topics you enjoy teaching. They have been fully reviewed and updated to cover everything from digital television to the latest ideas on nanotechnology and evolution.
The assessment support has also been expanded giving you a range of tools to guide all your students through the transition from KS3 right up to their GCSE exams. The resources offers advice for helping students tackle exam question language and achieve their full potential by understanding what different graded questions looks like. There is step-by-step guidance for answering all types of exam question, including the new extended response questions. There’s also comprehensive support for the new Controlled Assessment.
In response to many teachers saying homework is an issue, in addition to the usual wide range of homework activity sheets, there is also a new online engine to set automatically marked homework and to monitor your students’ progress.
Do you offer any resources to support the OCR Nationals specification?
No, we do not publish for the OCR Nationals at this time.
Where can I find answers to the summary questions in the Student Book?
The answers are available in the printed Resources and Planning pack, and on the matching OxBox CD-ROMs.
Digital Resources
Is there any overlap between the Assessment OxBox CD-ROMs and the Online Homework?
No, there is no overlap in content – the tasks on the OxBox CD-ROMs are different from those on the Online Homework.
How many visual resources are there on the OxBox CD-ROMs and the Online Homework?
The OxBox CD-ROMs and Online Homework site contain approximately 50 videos and animations, approximately 100 interactive activities, and approximately 100 content PowerPoint Presentations.
What is on the Resources and Planning iPack OxBox CD-ROM?
The OxBox contains the following resources to use alongside the textbooks:
Approximately one animation or video for every four lessons
Explanations of difficult concepts using flash animations
Videos relevant to spreads in the Student Books, i.e. topical news clips from suppliers such as the BBC and the National Geographic
One or two interactives for every double-page spread which can be completed on screen by students and work with your VLE
Activities including Drag and Drop, Fill in the Gap, Linking Lines, Ordering Objectives, Multiple Choice and True or False.
Worksheets with a variety of activities
PowerPoint presentations to extend and consolidate content of Student Book and all the images in the book
How does the Resources and Planning iPack OxBox CD-ROM help with planning?
The OxBox contains a planning tool and allows you to fully customize all the OxBox resources. Documents are available in PDF and customizable in Word allowing you to start from scratch with a blank template or adapt existing lesson plans to suit their style. The OxBox also allows you to import your own resources and ‘Week ‘0’ includes a PDF of all the lesson plans that can be printed off.
What is on the Exam Preparation and Assessment OxBox CD-ROM?
The Exam Preparation and Assessment OxBox CD-ROM contain 12-15 summative questions per module which are auto-marked and can be saved to your intranet or used with a VLE. The diagnostic check list allows for easy progress tracking and the end of module print test is a mock exam prepared by an examiner which can be given to students under controlled conditions with teacher guidance on marking. The OxBox also contains model answers using PowerPoint to aid understanding, typical exam questions with answers which reinforce what is being asked for by the Examiner, in the question, with reference to the specifications. There is also help with extended response questions supported by model answers and details on what students need to do to improve grades. The OxBox also offers written guidance on controlled assessment.
Are there practical activities in every lesson supported by the Resources and Planning Pack and the Resources and Planning OxBox CD-ROMs?
The Resources and Planning Packs contain at least one activity per lesson, and every lesson matches a spread in the Student Book. Not all of these are practical in the sense of requiring science equipment; some instead are paper-based or research-based. Each activity is designed to support the specification in the best way possible, while also engaging students.
Are there paper-based end of topic tests on the Assessment OxBox?
Yes, this feature is included. In addition there is lots of step by step guidance on exam questions from examiners that can be used with the class.
Are there paper-based worksheets on the Resources and Preparation iPack OxBox that could be used for homework?
Yes, this feature is included. In addition there is lots of step by step guidance on exam questions from examiners that can be used with the class.
Are there 'easy print' and ‘print all’ options available on the OxBox CD-ROMs for printing worksheets and similar resources?
Yes, there is an easy print option on each of the OxBox CD-ROMs. For each module the pages are grouped as: Lesson Plans, Activity Sheets, Teacher and Technician Sheets and Homework sheets.
Are there any cover lessons on the OxBox?
Yes, cover lessons are included on the OxBox as well as in the printed Resources and Planning Pack.
Are the video clips on the new iPack OxBox full screen?
Yes, the videos on the new iPack OxBox are full screen, it is possible to make them full screen by double clicking the arrows at the bottom right of the video control bar.
Where is the student feedback for the summative and homework tests held on the Assessment and Exam Preparation OxBox CD-ROMs?
This is held on the system and saved so students can find out their overall mark as well as review errors on individual questions within each test.
What exactly does the Online Homework resource contain?
It consists of one homework assignment per week, per GCSE course, and includes interactive questions. You can assign a homework assignment with an end date and the student submits it. The items are then automatically marked and the results appear in a report for the teacher, and a simple report for the student. The student can include a comment on the homework for the teacher to read.
Are all the questions on the Online Homework multiple choice or do some questions ask students for extended answers?
Students will not be asked for extended answers as it is still very difficult to get these automatically marked in a reliable way, but the questions are more involved than simple multiple choice. There are various question types.
Can you create your own homework activities using Online Homework?
It is not possible to create your own homework using this system but you can review the range of pre-written homework activities and then assign them to classes of students or individual students or groups within the class.
Are the tasks on the Online Homework differentiated for ability levels?
Yes, the tasks are divided into Higher and Foundation.
If homework tasks are set using the Online Homework, does the student receive an email to say they have homework waiting? Does the teacher receive an email when the student finishes a homework task?
The Online Homework works like any other homework, with the teacher instructing the class to check the website for assigned work, rather than asking them to complete a worksheet, write up a practical, etc. However, an email notification is something we are considering building into later versions.
Is the Online Homework stored on a separate server?
Yes, the Online Homework is hosted on an Oxford University Press server, with the site and the student results being stored remotely from the school.
Can the Director of Learning monitor teachers to see if homework was being set and completed?
The Director of Learning can look in detail at all groups and obtain detailed data on what has been set, what has been completed, and the results.
How much is the Twenty First Century Science Online Homework?
The Twenty First Century Science Online Homework costs £100.00 + VAT for all sizes of schools and there is an annual payment for each science resource purchased.
Assessment
What is controlled assessment?
Controlled assessment is coursework in a supervised environment/classroom and is replacing coursework. This has been introduced by QDCA, to address some of the issues raised in coursework reviews, such as plagiarism.
If I put my students in for Controlled Assessment in Year 10, will I have to submit this for assessment in the same year or can I carry it over to the following year? Can I still submit the task for assessment at the end of Year 11?
The Controlled Assessment tasks for Twenty First Century Science will be published two years in advance for people to review and decide when best to implement. The task must be handed in during the year long period specified on the front of the task, but can be taken at any time. For example, if a task comes out two years in advance and is valid for submission when your new class reach year 11 but you choose to take it with your year 10s straight away that is fine, as long as you don’t try to cash it in until year 11 when the task is officially valid.
As the tasks are available to view in advance, it is possible to look over the tasks and decide when best to enter your students.
What are the new GCSE Science terminal rules?
There are four main changes to the Science GCSEs:
Learners must take at least 40% of the assessment of each specification in the final examination series when they certificate.
Learners may only re-sit a unit assessment once. The better result for the two attempts at a unit counts. If a re-sit is part of the 40% terminal requirement, that mark must count, even if the mark is lower than that achieved at a previous sitting.
Each specification has a maximum of four units, and each unit must carry a minimum weighting of 20%.
Controlled assessment replaces coursework
Evaluation
How do I order an Evaluation Pack?
There are three quick ways to order an Evaluation Pack:
1. Email shelly.phillips@oup.com with your contact details
2. Call customer services on +44 (0) 1536 452620
3. Fax your request to +44 (0) 1865 313472
How long do I have to evaluate the course?
The Twenty First Century Science Evaluation Pack is available on 90 days’ free evaluation so you will have plenty of time to look at the material and try it out in the classroom. After this time you can either keep it or return it to us free of charge.
If I’m already using Twenty First Century Science, why do I need to order an evaluation pack?
Although you may feel familiar with the course, this pack will show you how it matches the 2011 specification, and contain everything you need to help make the transition as smooth as possible.
Can I get an Evaluation Pack for each of the three separate sciences?
There is a single evaluation pack for each course. These include Student Books for GCSE Science, GCSE Additional Science and either a Student Book for Biology, Chemistry or Physics.
Contact
Who can I contact for more information?
Oxford University Press
T: +44 (0) 1536 452620
F: +44 (0) 1865 313472
E: schools.orders@oup.com
W: www.OxfordSecondary.co.uk
P: Oxford University Press
FREEPOST RSKE-HHHE-KTJE
North Kettering Business Park
Hipwell Road
Kettering
Northamptonshire
NN14 1UA
For information on assessment, INSET services and the Science Support Network:
OCR
T: +44 (0) 1223 553998
W: www.ocr.org.uk
For help with implementing Twenty First Century Science:
UYSEG and the Nuffield Foundation
E: uyseg-c21@york.ac.uk
W: www.21stcenturyscience.org