Frequently asked questions
Do I need to send my topic work to my tutor?
In the topic pages, you will be directed to complete exercises in the coursebook. You do not need to send these to your tutor. You can check your answers to the coursebook questions and topic questions in the Check your answers section on each topic page.
Can I study the modules and take assignments in any order?
You will need to study the modules and take the assignments in the order they appear on the course. There will be parts of the course such as quizzes (prerequisites) which you will need to complete before the next assignment becomes unlocked. Each assignment will appear locked until the previous assignment has been graded.
Do I need to take the assignments in test conditions?
No. All of the assignments in the course (except for the Final Test at the very end of the course) should be approached as open-book assignments. The assignments are formative (also known as 'assignments for learning') which means that they form part of your learning and they do not need to be taken under test conditions.
What happens if I get stuck?
Have a look at topic page: have you read the relevant pages in the coursebook, tried the activities in the topic pages and watched any videos included in the topic pages? If you have completed the activities indicated on the topic pages and are still unsure of something, then go ahead and then email your tutor with your question. Your tutor will be very happy to help.
Why does the assignment ask a question which hasn't been covered in topic pages?
You may find that we ask questions in the assignment that you have not read the direct answer to in the topic work. This is intentional. Rather than asking you to repeat back information from the modules, we may be asking you to apply the information you have learnt about something to another situation. This is an important part of scientific thinking. Remember you are free to refer to your coursebook (and the digital book and Kerboodle resources for the Year 7 & 8 course) and other materials to complete the assignments.
What if my practical goes wrong?
Don't worry! You may want to start again or you may want to carry on and include an evaluation of what you would do differently in your answers. Being able to evaluate your methods and analyse the results are important skills to develop. The questions relating to the practicals focus very much on the process and the skills needed to evaluate your results (for example, drawing a graph) rather than the results you got.