OSEM: A writing framework for Maths and Stats

Jeremy Brocklehurst, Lincoln High School, presented at the 2014 joint AMA and University of Auckland Department of Statistics Teachers’ Day.

The way in which New Zealand students are being assessed has changed.  They must navigate open-ended tasks without the scaffolding of short-answer questions.  They need to clearly and concisely express their thinking using correct language. This is not only about literacy. As educators, we must train our students in strategies for how to get started and how to communicate thinking. Jeremy and his colleagues at the Lincoln High School developed a writing framework called “O.S.E.M.”. It provides a systematic sequence of practical steps that students can follow to help them get started, make clear and accurate statements, then apply these back to the context in a meaningful way.

In this presentation, attendees experienced first-hand how this writing technique works, see examples where students have applied O.S.E.M. across a range of ages, abilities and topics. Jeremy  also shared new rubrics that he and his colleagues have been trialing, aimed at helping students to surmount the Merit/Excellence boundary. This workshop will leave you with a simple teaching tool to improve your students’ confidence and results.

Auckland Stats Teachers’ Day – Brocklehurst – OSEM

Auckland Stats Teachers’ Day – Brocklehurst OSEM Handout