AP Seminar Performace Task 2: Selecting Effective Evidence
Summary
TLDRIn this educational seminar, Mrs. Malloy emphasizes the importance of selecting and using evidence effectively in argumentative writing. She explains that a strong argument hinges on the relevance, credibility, and sufficiency of the evidence presented. The seminar delves into how to evaluate sources for these criteria, using examples to illustrate the application of evidence to support claims. Mrs. Malloy also discusses the difference between high-scoring and low-scoring performance tasks, highlighting the need for a deep understanding and critical analysis of sources. The takeaway is clear: the strength of an argument is directly proportional to the quality and application of the evidence used to construct it.
Takeaways
- 📚 The importance of selecting relevant, credible, and sufficient evidence to support an argument was emphasized as crucial for achieving a high score in the performance task.
- 📝 The rubric for assessment focuses on the selection and use of evidence, with a high score requiring evidence that is not only relevant and credible but also in the right amount to support the argument effectively.
- 🔍 A significant difference between high and low scores is the depth of understanding and use of sources, with high scorers demonstrating a careful and critical reading of the sources.
- 🧐 Students are advised to ensure they understand their sources well enough to use them effectively in their arguments, rather than just selecting high-credibility sources.
- 🔗 Relevance of evidence is determined by its clear relationship to the claim, and students should be able to demonstrate this connection to the reader.
- 📖 The use of academic journals and credible sources like the House of Commons or Oxford University is highlighted as important for establishing the credibility of the argument.
- 📑 The reference page or works cited list is a starting point to determine the relevance and credibility of sources, but the key is how these sources are used within the paper.
- 📝 When using sources, students should focus on how the evidence supports their argument, not just on summarizing or listing what the sources say.
- 🤔 The concept of 'sufficient' evidence is subjective and depends on convincing the reader; it requires more than one piece of evidence and a well-reasoned argument.
- 💡 The Chief Reader's notes from 2020 highlight that lower-scoring responses often showed a superficial understanding of sources, whereas higher-scoring ones recognized sources as distinct voices in complex discussions.
- 📈 The takeaway is that the strength of an argument is directly tied to the evidence used to construct it, emphasizing the need for careful selection and effective use of sources.
Q & A
What is the main focus of Mrs. Malloy's discussion in the seminar?
-The main focus of Mrs. Malloy's discussion is on the selection and use of evidence in Performance Task 2 or the Integrated Writing Assessment (IWA), emphasizing that the strength of an argument is directly related to the evidence used.
What does Mrs. Malloy emphasize about the evidence used in an argument?
-Mrs. Malloy emphasizes that the evidence used in an argument must be relevant, credible, and sufficient to support the argument effectively.
What does Mrs. Malloy suggest is the difference between high-scoring and low-scoring responses in terms of evidence?
-Mrs. Malloy suggests that low-scoring responses tend to use evidence that lacks credibility or is irrelevant, while high-scoring responses demonstrate a careful and critical reading of the sources, recognizing them as distinct voices in complicated discussions.
Why is it important to understand the sources deeply when using them for an argument?
-It is important to understand the sources deeply to ensure that the evidence selected is not only relevant and credible but also used effectively and carefully to support the argument, which is key to achieving a high score.
What does Mrs. Malloy mean by 'effective evidence'?
-Effective evidence, according to Mrs. Malloy, refers to evidence that is not only relevant and credible but also used in a way that convincingly supports the argument being made.
How does Mrs. Malloy define relevance in the context of selecting evidence?
-Relevance, as defined by Mrs. Malloy, involves a clear or definitive relationship between the evidence and the claim, and the ability to make that connection clear to the reader.
What is the significance of credibility when evaluating sources for an argument?
-Credibility is significant as it ensures the accuracy and trustworthiness of the sources. It helps in establishing the authority and reliability of the evidence used to support the argument.
What does Mrs. Malloy suggest when it comes to determining the sufficiency of evidence?
-Mrs. Malloy suggests that sufficiency is subjective and depends on what would be enough to convince readers. It involves providing multiple pieces of evidence and ensuring that the argument is well-reasoned and logically organized.
How does Mrs. Malloy advise students to approach the complexity of their arguments?
-Mrs. Malloy advises students to be fair, show the other side of the argument, and not just present the weakest version of the opposing side while emphasizing the strength of their own argument.
What is the takeaway message from Mrs. Malloy's seminar on evidence and argument construction?
-The takeaway message is that an argument's strength is directly tied to the evidence selected and used within it. It's not just about selecting evidence but also about how effectively it is used to build and shape the argument.
Outlines
📚 Focus on Evidence in Argument Construction
Mrs. Malloy addresses AP Seminar students about Performance Task 2, emphasizing the importance of selecting strong evidence for their arguments. She refers to the rubric, specifically Row 5, which assesses the selection and use of evidence. To achieve a high score, students must use relevant, credible, and sufficient evidence. The difference between high and low scores is highlighted, noting that low scores often present evidence that lacks credibility or relevance. Middle scores show some relevance and credibility, but to excel, students must ensure their evidence not only meets these criteria but also adequately supports their argument. The Chief Reader's notes from 2020 are cited to illustrate the difference between low-scoring papers, which demonstrate superficial understanding of sources, and high-scoring papers, which show a careful and critical reading of sources. The effectiveness of evidence is discussed in terms of relevance, credibility, and sufficiency, with examples provided to illustrate how to use sources to support an argument.
🔍 Evaluating Relevance and Credibility of Evidence
This paragraph delves deeper into the criteria for effective evidence, starting with relevance. The discussion uses the example of a paper on asylum seekers in the UK to illustrate how to determine if evidence is clearly related to the claim and how to demonstrate this relationship to the reader. The student's reference page is examined to assess the relevance of sources, and the importance of not only selecting relevant sources but also using specific evidence from them to build a convincing argument is emphasized. The paragraph then moves on to credibility, explaining that sources must be accurate and trustworthy. The student's reference page is again used to evaluate the credibility of sources, looking for academic journals and expert opinions. The paragraph concludes with a detailed example of how a student used credible sources to support a claim about asylum policies leading to increased depression among asylum seekers.
📘 Establishing and Using Credible Sources
The focus in this paragraph is on the credibility of sources, building upon the foundation laid in the previous paragraph. The student's paper is used to demonstrate how to attribute credibility to sources and how to use them effectively within an argument. The example provided shows how the student acknowledges the credibility of a meta-analysis from the Journal of Vocational Behavior and uses it to support their argument. The paragraph also addresses how to handle dated sources by using other credible sources to establish their continued relevance. The importance of not just stating a source's credibility but also demonstrating it through its use in the argument is highlighted.
📚 The Importance of Sufficient Evidence
The final paragraph discusses the concept of sufficiency in evidence. It explains that while evaluating others' arguments, it's their responsibility to provide convincing evidence, but when constructing one's own argument, it's crucial to bring enough evidence to persuade the reader. The paragraph emphasizes that no single piece of evidence is sufficient to convince anyone and that multiple pieces are needed. The student's paper is analyzed to show how multiple sources are used within a paragraph to build a strong argument about the relationship between the use of detention centers for asylum seekers and increased depression rates. The paragraph concludes with a reminder that the strength of an argument is directly tied to the evidence used to construct it, and that it's not just about selecting evidence but also about how it is employed to shape and support the argument.
🎯 Conclusion: The Power of Evidence in Argumentation
In the concluding paragraph, Mrs. Malloy reiterates the key takeaway: the strength of an argument is contingent upon the evidence selected and utilized within it. She stresses that having a lengthy list of credible and relevant sources on a reference page is not enough; the evidence must be effectively used to build a strong argument. The importance of understanding and applying evidence to support claims is emphasized, and the video ends on a positive note, encouraging students to find joy in their day and look forward to the next session.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Performance Task 2
💡Evidence
💡Argument
💡Rubric
💡Relevance
💡Credibility
💡Sufficiency
💡Chief Reader's Notes
💡Academic Journals
💡Reference Page
💡IWA
Highlights
The importance of selecting relevant, credible, and sufficient evidence to support an argument in performance task 2 or the iwa.
Evidence must be carefully chosen and used effectively to achieve a high score in the assessment.
The difference between high and low scores is often due to the credibility and relevance of the evidence presented.
High-scoring responses demonstrate a careful and critical reading of sources, recognizing them as distinct voices in complex discussions.
Low-scoring responses often show a superficial understanding of sources, picking out basic elements without a deep analysis.
The need to understand the sources well enough to use them effectively in the argument, not just selecting credible and relevant evidence.
Relevance of evidence is determined by a clear relationship between the evidence and the claim being made.
Credibility is assessed by the accuracy and trustworthiness of the sources, with a preference for academic journals and expert opinions.
Sufficient evidence requires multiple pieces to convince the reader, not just one piece.
The argument must be logically organized and well-reasoned, with enough evidence to support it convincingly.
Using sources to build an argument is not about what the sources argue, but how they can be used to support the student's own argument.
The process of evaluating the sufficiency of evidence involves considering what would be enough to convince readers.
Complex arguments require showing both sides fairly, not just the strongest version of one's own argument.
The use of multiple sources within a paragraph can provide sufficient evidence if they are used to convincingly support the argument.
Acknowledging the credibility of sources and using them effectively is crucial for a strong argument.
Students must demonstrate a critical understanding of sources to achieve a high score in the iwa.
The final takeaway emphasizes that the strength of an argument depends on the effective use of selected evidence.
Transcripts
hey ap seminar students it is mrs malloy
and i am here today to talk to you about
performance task 2 or the iwa
more specifically what are we going to
learn today well today we're going to
focus on evidence and specifically we're
going to focus on the fact that your
argument is only as strong as the
evidence that you select to use within
your argument so let's return to
the rubric to make sure that we know how
we are going to be assessed as it
pertains to
evidence so as you've learned in the
last few videos mr gonzalez and i have
talked you through rows three
four and five well for today we're going
to focus our discussion on row five
because it really focuses on
selection and use of evidence
to get that high score we need to make
sure that the evidence that we're using
is relevant credible and sufficient
to support an argument if you look at
the difference between the
high score and the low score right we
notice that any evidence presented is
lacking
credibility or is maybe irrelevant but
then when we see
the middle we see that it's mostly
relevant incredible
however to get to that high sport we
have to make sure that not only is our
evidence relevant and
credible which is something we talked a
lot about um
in the irr but we also have to make sure
that it's sufficient
to support the argument and that's the
really important part here because it's
not if the evidence is relevant and
credible on its own
and we're working to evaluate it like we
would have in the irr
we have to use that relevant incredible
evidence and the right amount of it
to work to support the argument that we
are making
because remember it's not about what the
sources are arguing
but it's about how we can use those
sources to make our own argument that's
what gets us to that high score
so i also wanted to draw your attention
to the chief reader's notes from this
past year or from 2020.
what you'll notice in what i highlighted
is that these
responses or the iwas that tend to score
in the lower
part of our rubric are ones that
consulted sources that it seemed that
the student didn't understand
they summarized or they demonstrated
only a superficial reading of the
sources
whereas if we noticed for the high score
in row five
those responses demonstrated a careful
and often critical reading of the
sources they recognize them
as distinct voices in complicated
discussions so what does this mean
well this means that the low scoring
samples may have found
high highly credible and relevant
sources but they didn't understand the
sources well enough or they read them so
superficially or surface level that they
just picked out
very basic things to then try to use
within their paper
so they didn't demonstrate a critical or
a
careful understanding of the sources to
get to that high score when it becomes
to evidence it's not just that you
selected this
highly credible and relevant evidence
it's that you also
knew how to use it effectively
and carefully to make the argument that
you're trying to make
so let's talk about what makes effective
evidence
we're going to go through those three
terms that we saw on the rubric
so first let's talk about relevance
right so the questions we want to ask
ourselves as we are
going through our sources and deciding
which ones are going to
be a part of our paper or be used in our
argument is first
is there a clear or definitive
relationship between the evidence and
the claim
and then how will i make that clear to a
reader because i want to make sure that
the stuff that i'm picking
is relevant right that it's related and
we can clearly
show that connection so the first thing
that most of you will do is you'll go
to your reference page or works cited or
bibliography
and you'll look at the titles that you
have and that's an easy way for you to
decide relevance right so if we're
looking at a paper on asylum seekers in
the uk
and we look through what is highlighted
on the screen we notice
access to mental health is in the the
first title should asylum seekers have
unrestricted rights we then see stuff
about governing
asylum seekers and then we see
another source about the migration of
the
asylum seekers to the uk we see access
to health care so we're starting to see
a clear conversation
where all of these are tied to asylum
seekers so we know that they're relevant
but we're also seeing ones that are all
really dealing with taking care of
the mental and physical or just general
health
and well-being of these asylum seekers
so they're all relevant to the argument
that's being made
but looking at it in terms of your
bibliography or your reference page or
your works cited is not going to
really tell you if you know how to use
those sources
instead we need to actually go back into
your paper and see how you're using
those sources so if we look at the
students on the screen you'll notice
that the claim
is on the top current united kingdom
asylum policies lead to notably higher
rates of depression within asylum
seekers
so if we look at this claim and i left
the heading that this student had
um for this this claim or this reason
about inadequate health care leads to
increased
asylum depression we want to then draw
our attention to
the use of sources to see if these
sources are actually relevant to the
claim
and the reason that the student is
trying to
to prove here so many asylum seekers
never receive opportunities for medical
care
so then if we look at that first source
that's in here we noticed that he
picked out a piece of evidence and this
shows careful selection
because it talks about when asylum
seekers are getting that care
and so they're only screened when
they're coming in and this is clearly
relevant to what he's trying to prove
then if we move down to the bell and
zach
citation that's included here it also
talks about
what type of screenings are being done
and so we see that this piece of
evidence about this focus on infectious
diseases and really
that's what they're screening them for
shows again
that they're receiving inadequate health
care which is what he's trying to prove
because there's problems with mental
health and then we see that he uses
another quote
um or ideas from that same source that
are looking at
how there is no mental health or
screening checks so this student when we
look at his
reference page we see that all the
sources are relevant but when we look at
how he's putting them together to build
an
argument we see that it's not just that
he knew what credible and relevant
sources were
or in this case just relevant he knew
that if he picked specific pieces of
evidence from those relevant sources
he could work to authentically and
convincingly
prove his claim
so the next category that will be
evaluated on is
credibility right and we know a lot of
this from the irr in terms of relevance
and credibility because that's what we
focused on heavily so with credibility
we want to ask ourselves
is it accurate is it trustworthy and how
am i going to make that clear to a
reader
again for most of you we start with the
reference page works cited bibliography
you know hopefully at this point in your
seminar journey
what a highly academic source is we're
looking for those
academic journals we're not just going
to a database and finding
anything on there because we all know
that you can find journalistic sources
on databases
we're looking for sources that are that
higher level of experts
that are going to show that expertise in
what they're doing
and so if we look at just the four
sources that you're going to see this
isn't the kids entire reference page
but in this next paragraph we're going
to see something from the house of
commons which is
obviously going to be relevant to the
argument but it also shows credibility
because
this is dealing with how parliament is
governing
we have a we have the next source is
from an academic journal which is
migration studies
which again is going to show that there
was a vetting process it was peer
reviewed
we then have one from oxford university
highly academic and then we've got
another academic journal the journal of
vocational behavior
so we can tell right now that the
sources are credible but again
how are we using those sources to then
shape our argument
so if we come back to the same argument
that the student was making about
asylum policies in the uk and we draw
our attention to the sources
in this paragraph or in this claim the
student is looking at the restrictive
work policies that
result in increased depression in the
asylum seekers
and so that first sentence is obviously
our claim restrictive work policies for
asylum seekers in the uk
increased levels of depression without
approved applications
asylum seekers are unable to work making
fast responses from the home office a
necessity for many
yet right data from the migration
observatory at the university of oxford
showed that the percentage of asylum
seekers receiving an initial decision
within
six months decreased dramatically so
what we want to emphasize here what the
student is trying to emphasize
is that these asylum seekers are here
for a longer period of time
than they should be right and there's a
lot of uncertainty which can then lead
to depression
and so going into that oxford study and
finding evidence that supports the point
he's trying to make
but also is highly credible helps the
student make this argument
in a more academic way we notice that
same thing
which is talking about the lengthy
process
is then continued in this scour source
about how the generally restrict asylum
seekers without approved applications
um so these policies are restricting the
asylum seekers
because they can't have employment and
without employment
that's a major cause of depression and
then again this new source from the
journal of vocational
behavior gets brought in now some of you
will ask when
we were writing our irr we did a lot to
establish the credibility of sources and
giving some of those attributing tags
and making sure we knew who they were
and the student did this in this example
in a meta-analysis of 324 studies
published in the journal of vocational
behavior so the student is
you know directly acknowledging
credibility here
but again it's not just about saying
it's credible it's about how we use it
which you can see
is done really well in this paragraph
okay
i wanted to draw your attention to one
other example from this student's paper
only because some of you will be
or will need to be a little bit more
blatant about credibility especially if
you're going to
use sparingly hopefully and in
moderation some of those
lower tiered sources in terms of
credibility so
in this paragraph as you can see the
student says some studies regarding
british asylum policies used in this
paper are slightly dated due to gaps in
available research however much of the
accuracy is still preserved
and then this student uses a source to
then
add to the credibility of the other
sources saying that
really the policies haven't changed for
the past two decades so even though the
sources
may seem outdated or a little bit older
they're actually very relevant
so you can use other sources to help
establish the credibility
of another source or to acknowledge any
credibility
if you need to be more explicit like the
student is here because you do have some
of those sources that you need to talk
us through
for example if you're using research
that was published in
a um you know credible newspaper
but it's the only place that you can
find this medical professional talking
about something
then we want to give the credibility to
the medical professional but you may
have to do a little bit more work to
establish credibility
but again it's about how we're using
these sources to then
establish that credibility okay and then
the last one which is really what we
want to emphasize here for the iwa is
sufficient
when you're looking at evaluating other
people's um arguments
it's not on you to bring to the table
the evidence to make it convincing it's
on
them right and so when we're doing part
a's we look at the
evaluation of evidence and we start to
evaluate whether it's relevant and
credible
and a lot of times we have the
conversation of is it sufficient is it
enough
well it's easier to do that when you're
evaluating someone else's but when
you're making your own argument you need
to bring enough evidence to the table
to convince us and so one of the
questions that comes up is
what is sufficient well unfortunately
i'm going to give you an answer that
some of you don't like
we have to ask ourselves well what would
be enough
what would be enough to convince readers
there's no right answer
but i can tell you that one piece of
evidence is not going to convince
anybody of anything right we want to
have multiple pieces of evidence
but you have to decide as the empowered
student
making the argument how much you need to
provide to us to then make that
actually sufficient so
i know there's a lot on the screen and
feel free to pause if you want to but i
want to draw your attention to
the highlights because those are sources
that you're going to see
so in this paragraph where the student
is trying to show this relationship
between
the use of detention centers for asylum
seekers and
the relationship with depression we have
multiple sources being included so we
have the home affairs committee amnesty
international this welsh
shuster we've got these three down here
and then we've got keller so we have
multiple sources being used within one
paragraph
now what you'll notice if you actually
dig into this paragraph and read through
it
is that it's never about these
individual sources the student doesn't
veer off and say let me tell you what
these sources found
it is always controlled with the
argument so at all times we know that
this student is trying to make the
argument that the use of detention for
asylum seekers
is causing concerns for depression or
causing them to be depressed
and so when he's using all of this
evidence it's sufficient because it's
convincing us
that this is true now one of the things
with complexity
or with being sufficient in convincing
us too is having a complex argument
so making sure you're being fair and
showing the other side and not just
showing us the weakest version of that
side and all the strength on your side
but how much do we need to include
and in here the student did a really
great job of providing enough evidence
to even if we don't necessarily agree
he's given us enough
for us to say well i see that that
argument is
logically organized but also sound in
terms of being well reasoned
so what's our takeaway from today well
our takeaway is that your argument is
only as strong as the evidence that you
select to use within your argument
so what you put on your reference page
works cited bibliography though it might
be highly credible and relevant
and maybe it's sufficient because you
have like 15 sources listed there
if you're not actually using that
evidence to build your argument
your argument is not going to be strong
so again
the takeaway is that it's not just about
selecting the evidence it's about how we
use the evidence to build and shape
our argument as always thank you for
watching
i hope you find some joy in your day and
we will see you next time
bye
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