Responding and interacting – WJECResponding to visual stimuli and your response

The WJEC will provide your group with written or visual stimuli that you will all need to respond to. You will be allowed to see the material a week before your discussion takes place and this will give you time to complete any additional research and to decide how you intend to respond to the stimuli you have been given. It is important to remember that once you have decided whether or not you agree with the stimuli, you must stick to your decision. It is not a good idea to begin the discussion disagreeing with something, only to change your mind halfway through the talk. If you do this, the points you make will become confusing and you will lose marks.

The stimuli

The WJEC will give you stimuli which are intended to provoke lots of controversy and different points of view. For example, the board may give you information regarding crime levels in Wales and each member of your group will need to respond to the material in an appropriate way. Some of your class mates will agree with the material whilst others will not. This does not matter; in fact it is better if there are a variety of different viewpoints in the group as this will lead to a more interesting discussion.

Responding to the stimuli

The most effective way of responding to the stimuli is by providing a thoughtful, detailed argument whilst also including plenty of reasons for your opinion. It is important that you include evidence to support what you say. This evidence may come in the form of anecdotes, statistics, the opinions of other people you have talked to during your research, or quotes from books or internet sites.

Remember

You must present your points in a logical and clear manner. Do not worry if someone has a different point of view from you. Stick to what you believe and continue to make your points in a confident way. Your comments are expected to be mature and perceptive; you should suggest reasons to explain why you have a particular point of view and you should be able to summarise your points throughout the discussion.