[Original: 22/4/2015; updated 23/4/2015]
Peer Reviewing Hinge-Point Questions: Exemplars
To support you in writing your feedback we have provided three example responses to Step 3.8, with
feedback. Take account of the examples when you provide your own feedback, but at the same time, don’t
treat these as “model peer reviews”. You may also find it useful to remind yourself with the quizzes in Steps
3.3 and 3.4 before you begin to write your review of the hinge-point questions allocated to you.
1. AE’s assignment
Context
Subject, Level, Topic: Chemistry, KS3, Mixtures.
Point in course: Reviewing mixtures, solutions and changes of state.
Elicited evidence: Gauge how many of a class had clocked that the melting point of a mixture is lower than
the pure substance and that whilst dissolution involves a change of state it is not a chemical reaction in
which new products get formed.
When salt is sprinkled on to a frosty pavement the ice melts because:
A. The freezing point of the mixture is lower than pure water
B. The freezing point of the mixture is higher than pure water
C. The freezing point of the mixture is lowered more the more salt is added
D. A chemical reaction occurs
E. A change of state occurs
SS’s review of AE’s assignment
Could students realistically respond to the question in less than two minutes, and ideally in less
than one minute? Could the teacher realistically view and interpret students’ responses in 30
seconds and, ideally, half that time?
Hello AE
Students could respond quickly. It is possible that the number of options is too many for a teacher
to be able quickly to interpret the results. This is partly because there is some ambiguity in the
options. For example, what would you do if: 40% of students answered A, C, E; 50% A, C; 5% B; and
5% E?
Separately, I am wondering why you did not devise two questions?
Would it be difficult for a student to get the correct answer(s) using wrong reasoning? Would it be
difficult for students to spot the right or wrong answers from the way the question is structured?
There is a problem. A and C both mentioning lowering of freezing point making it likely that B is
incorrect.
Would students giving particular answer(s) to the question help the teacher understand the
problems that these students may have in their understanding and help the teacher decide on next
steps for these students? What if any improvements would you suggest for each hinge-point
question?
To a considerable extent, but the complexity of the question (and the easily guessed wrong answer)
might make it rather hard to allocate different groups of learners to different follow-on tasks. I‘d go
for 4 rather than 5 options, and I’d consider telling students I wanted them to select the two most
correct responses.
2. AM’s assignment
Hinge-Point Question
Students are shown a toy sitting stationary on a table and asked the following question:
What are the forces acting on the toy?
The students can choose from the following answers:
A - The toy isn't moving so there are no forces acting on it.
B - The only force acting on the toy is the force of gravity pulling it downwards.
C - There are two forces on the toy - gravity downwards and the push of the table upwards which balances
it.
D - A table can't push it is just in the way of the toy and stops it falling to the floor.
1. A Physics Hinge-Point Question - Topic Forces with students who are 11/12 years of age. I would use
this near the beginning of the topic to check students' understanding about balanced forces. They will have
covered some work on forces before so this will help identify some aspects about their understanding.
2. I would expect there to be a range of answers as students have alternative conceptions and find some of
the abstract ideas in this topic hard to understand. These include the idea that if something is not moving
there are no forces acting on it and they have difficulty understanding that solid objects can 'push back'.
3. I would from this point in the lesson differentiate and send those who gave different answers to go and
do different activities. I would make all the students do different practical activities that challenge and move
forward their thinking depending on the answer that they gave to the question.
2.1 SJ’s review of AM’s assignment
Could students realistically respond to the question in less than two minutes, and ideally in less
than one minute? Could the teacher realistically view and interpret students’ responses in 30
seconds and, ideally, half that time?
Yes this a hard question if you don't get any information about forces first. But when you do it’s a
perfect question.
Would it be difficult for a student to get the correct answer(s) using wrong reasoning? Would it be
difficult for students to spot the right or wrong answers from the way the question is structured?
As you wrote a lot of student will probably select wrong answers but that’s the point so you can
find them and help them learn. Good strategy.
Would students giving particular answer(s) to the question help the teacher understand the
problems that these students may have in their understanding and help the teacher decide on next
steps for these students? What if any improvements would you suggest for each hinge-point
question?
Yes.
2.2 AE’s review of AM’s assignment
Could students realistically respond to the question in less than two minutes, and ideally in less
than one minute? Could the teacher realistically view and interpret students’ responses in 30
seconds and, ideally, half that time?
Yes
Would it be difficult for a student to get the correct answer(s) using wrong reasoning? Would it be
difficult for students to spot the right or wrong answers from the way the question is structured?
No
Would students giving particular answer(s) to the question help the teacher understand the
problems that these students may have in their understanding and help the teacher decide on next
steps for these students? What if any improvements would you suggest for each hinge-point
question?
Yes. Well done, AM. A very nice HPQ.
3. SJ’s assignment (I hope the translation from Swedish isn't that bad)
HPQ1 The greenhouse effect
What/which statements are correct?
A. The heat rising from the earth bounce back to earth when it hits the greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere.
B. Holes in the ozone layer leads to global warming
C. Greenhouse gases protects us from the sun's harmful radiation.
D. Methane from cows contribute to global warming
HPQ2 Digestion
What/which statements are correct?
A. Digestion begins when food reaches the intestines
B. Gastric acid protects us from harmful bacteria
C. The liquid we drink goes directly to the kidneys and the bladder without passing through the intestines
D. Bacteria and enzymes help us break down food
E. Villi is found in the stomach to protect against gastric juice.
AM’s review of SJ’s assignment
Could students realistically respond to the question in less than two minutes, and ideally in less
than one minute? Could the teacher realistically view and interpret students’ responses in 30
seconds and, ideally, half that time?
It would be helpful in order to produce a good review to have known the context of both of these
HPQs
HPQ 1.
Yes - The statements are short enough to be read in less than two minutes by the students and the
options could be reviewed quickly by the teacher using a suitable approach.
HPQ 2.
Yes - Having five statements takes a little longer to read, however, they are short enough to make it
possible for the students to do it in less than two minutes. By using five possible responses where
there could be multiple combinations may make it more difficult for the teacher to remember who
gave what responses quickly.
Would it be difficult for a student to get the correct answer(s) using wrong reasoning? Would it be
difficult for students to spot the right or wrong answers from the way the question is structured?
No - for both of the HPQs the distractors are areas of the subject that students do have difficulty
with and this question will help the teacher find this out.
Would students giving particular answer(s) to the question help the teacher understand the
problems that these students may have in their understanding and help the teacher decide on next
steps for these students? What if any improvements would you suggest for each hinge-point
question?
The teacher would get useful information about the students’ understanding from both of these
examples. It may improve the first HPQ to use either greenhouse effect or global warming rather
than a mixture of the terms.
Thank you these are two interesting HPQs.