Glossary
Effortlessly navigate the QCAA Geography Glossary to find and understand key terms and concepts
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A
ATAR
Australian Tertiary Admission Rank
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Accomplished
Highly trained or skilled in a particular activity; perfected in knowledge or training; expert
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Accuracy
The condition or quality of being true, correct or exact; freedom from error or defect; precision or exactness; correctness; in science, the extent to which a measurement result represents the quantity it purports to measure; an accurate measurement result includes an estimate of the true value and an estimate of the uncertainty
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Accurate
Precise and exact; to the point; consistent with or exactly conforming to a truth, standard, rule, model, convention or known facts; free from error or defect; meticulous; correct in all details
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Adept
Very/highly skilled or proficient at something; expert
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Adequate
Satisfactory or acceptable in quality or quantity equal to the requirement or occasion
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Albedo
The fraction of solar energy (shortwave radiation) reflected from the Earth back into space; a measure of the reflectivity of Earth
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Analyse
Dissect to ascertain and examine constituent parts and/or their relationships; break down or examine in order to identify the essential elements, features, components or structure; determine the logic and reasonableness of information; examine or consider something in order to explain and interpret it, for the purpose of finding meaning or relationships and identifying patterns, similarities and differences
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Anthropogenic
Caused by human beings
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Anthropogenic biomes
The terrestrial biosphere in its contemporary, human-altered form using global ecosystem units defined by patterns of sustained direct human interaction (SEDACT); the way humans have reshaped the Earth's ecological patterns and processes (Ecotope.org)
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Anthropogenic processes
Intentional human activity that may result in changes to the biophysical environment (e.g. when land is cleared for agriculture and development modifying landscapes and introducing new species); intended or unintended side-effects of human activity
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Applied learning
The acquisition and application of knowledge, understanding and skills in real-world or lifelike contexts that may encompass workplace, industry and community situations; it emphasises learning through doing and includes both theory and the application of theory, connecting subject knowledge and understanding with the development of practical skills
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Applied subject
A subject whose primary pathway is work and vocational education; it emphasises applied learning and community connections; a subject for which a syllabus has been developed by the QCAA with the following characteristics: results from courses developed from Applied syllabuses contribute to the QCE; Applied subjects do not have an external assessment component; results may contribute to ATAR calculations
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Apply
Use knowledge and understanding in response to a given situation or circumstance; carry out or use a procedure in a given or particular situation
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Appraise
Evaluate the worth, significance or status of something; judge or consider a text or piece of work
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Appreciate
Recognise or make a judgment about the value or worth of something; understand fully; grasp the full implications of
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Appropriate
Acceptable; suitable or fitting for a particular purpose, circumstance, context, etc.
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Apt
Suitable to the purpose or occasion; fitting, appropriate
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Area of Study
A division of, or a section within a unit
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Argue
Give reasons for or against something; challenge or debate an issue or idea; persuade, prove or try to prove by giving reasons
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Aspect
A particular part of a feature of something; a facet, phase or part of a whole
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Assess
Measure, determine, evaluate, estimate or make a judgment about the value, quality, outcomes, results, size, significance, nature or extent of something
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Assessment
Purposeful and systematic collection of information about students' achievements
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Assessment Instrument
A tool or device used to gather information about student achievement
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Assessment Objectives
Drawn from the unit objectives and contextualised for the requirements of the assessment instrument (see also 'syllabus objectives', 'unit objectives')
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Assessment Technique
The method used to gather evidence about student achievement (e.g. examination, project, investigation)
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Astute
Showing an ability to accurately assess situations or people; of keen discernment
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Authoritative
Able to be trusted as being accurate or true; reliable; commanding and self-confident; likely to be respected and obeyed
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B
Balanced
Keeping or showing a balance; not biased; fairly judged or presented; taking everything into account in a fair, well-judged way
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Basic
Fundamental
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Biophysical
Of or relating to the physical environment, which includes the living organisms that inhabit it
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Biophysical Processes
The processes that take place in the lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere; can be further broken down into, for example, soil-forming processes, mass wasting, cloud-forming processes, fluvial processes, marine processes, glacial processes and biogeochemical cycling
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C
Calculate
Determine or find (e.g. a number, answer) by using mathematical processes; obtain a numerical answer showing the relevant stages in the working; ascertain/determine from given facts, figures or information
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Carbon Sequestration
The long-term storage of carbon in plants, the earth and the ocean (i.e. carbon sinks); carbon is transferred naturally between the atmosphere and the Earth's carbon sinks
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Categorise
Place in or assign to a particular class or group; arrange or order by classes or categories; classify, sort out, sort, separate
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Challenging
Difficult but interesting; testing one's abilities; demanding and thought-provoking; usually involving unfamiliar or less familiar elements
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Characteristic
A typical feature or quality
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Clarify
Make clear or intelligible; explain; make a statement or situation less confused and more comprehensible
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Clarity
Clearness of thought or expression; the quality of being coherent and intelligible; free from obscurity of sense; without ambiguity; explicit; easy to perceive, understand or interpret
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Classify
Arrange, distribute or order in classes or categories according to shared qualities or characteristics
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Clear
Free from confusion, uncertainty, or doubt; easily seen, heard or understood
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Clearly
In a clear manner; plainly and openly, without ambiguity
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Coherent
Having a natural or due agreement of parts; connected; consistent; logical, orderly; well-structured and makes sense; rational, with parts that are harmonious; having an internally consistent relation of parts
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Cohesive
Characterised by being united, bound together or having integrated meaning; forming a united whole
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Comment
Express an opinion, observation or reaction in speech or writing; give a judgment based on a given statement or result of a calculation
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Communicate
Convey knowledge and/or understandings to others; make known; transmit
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Compare
Display recognition of similarities and differences and recognise the significance of these similarities and differences
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Competent
Having suitable or sufficient skills, knowledge, experience, etc. for some purpose; adequate but not exceptional; capable; suitable or sufficient for the purpose; having the necessary ability, knowledge or skill to do something successfully; efficient and capable (of a person); acceptable and satisfactory, though not outstanding
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Competently
In an efficient and capable way; in an acceptable and satisfactory, though not outstanding, way
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Complex
Composed or consisting of many different and interconnected parts or factors; compound; composite; characterised by an involved combination of parts; complicated; intricate; a complex whole or system; a complicated assembly of particulars
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Comprehend
Understand the meaning or nature of; grasp mentally
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Comprehensive
Inclusive; of large content or scope; including or dealing with all or nearly all elements or aspects of something; wide-ranging; detailed and thorough, including all that is relevant
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Conceptual Models
Simplified diagrams or illustrations of a system indicating the individual parts and the relationships that link these parts
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Concise
Expressing much in few words; giving a lot of information clearly and in a few words; brief, comprehensive and to the point; succinct, clear, without repetition of information
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Concisely
In a way that is brief but comprehensive; expressing much in few words; clearly and succinctly
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Conduct
Direct in action or course; manage; organise; carry out
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Consider
Think deliberately or carefully about something, typically before making a decision; take something into account when making a judgment; view attentively or scrutinise; reflect on
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Considerable
Fairly large or great; thought about deliberately and with a purpose
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Considered
Formed after careful and deliberate thought
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Consistent
Agreeing or accordant; compatible; not self-opposed or self-contradictory, constantly adhering to the same principles; acting in the same way over time, especially so as to be fair or accurate; unchanging in nature, standard, or effect over time; not containing any logical contradictions (of an argument); constant in achievement or effect over a period of time
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Construct
Create or put together (e.g. an argument) by arranging ideas or items; display information in a diagrammatic or logical form; make; build
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Contrast
Display recognition of differences by deliberate juxtaposition of contrary elements; show how things are different or opposite; give an account of the differences between two or more items or situations, referring to both or all of them throughout
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Controlled
Shows the exercise of restraint or direction over; held in check; restrained, managed or kept within certain bounds
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Conventions of communication
Grammar, punctuation, spelling, and sentence and paragraph construction
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Convincing
Persuaded by argument or proof; leaving no margin of doubt; clear; capable of causing someone to believe that something is true or real; persuading or assuring by argument or evidence; appearing worthy of belief; credible or plausible
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Course
A defined amount of learning developed from a subject syllabus
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Create
Bring something into being or existence; produce or evolve from one's own thought or imagination; reorganise or put elements together into a new pattern or structure or to form a coherent or functional whole
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Creative
Resulting from originality of thought or expression; relating to or involving the use of the imagination or original ideas to create something; having good imagination or original ideas
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Credible
Capable or worthy of being believed; believable; convincing
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Criterion
The property or characteristic by which something is judged or appraised
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Critical
Involving skillful judgment as to truth, merit, etc.; involving the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgment; expressing or involving an analysis of the merits and faults of a work of literature, music, or art; incorporating a detailed and scholarly analysis and commentary (of a text); rationally appraising for logical consistency and merit
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Critique
Review (e.g. a theory, practice, performance) in a detailed, analytical and critical way
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Cursory
Hasty, and therefore not thorough or detailed; performed with little attention to detail; going rapidly over something, without noticing details; hasty; superficial
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D
Data
Qualitative and quantitative geographical patterns, trends and relationships
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Data Transformation
The process of converting data from one format or structure to another format or structure, e.g. data in a table presented in a written, graphical or cartographic form
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Decide
Reach a resolution as a result of consideration; make a choice from a number of alternatives
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Deduce
Reach a conclusion that is necessarily true, provided a given set of assumptions is true; arrive at, reach or draw a logical conclusion from reasoning and the information given
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Defensible
Justifiable by argument; capable of being defended in argument
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Define
Give the meaning of a word, phrase, concept or physical quantity; state meaning and identify or describe qualities
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Demographic Processes
The changes in populations that affect the distribution of people in geographic areas (e.g. birth rate, death rate, migration)
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Demonstrate
Prove or make clear by argument, reasoning or evidence, illustrating with practical example; show by example; give a practical exhibition
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Derive
Arrive at by reasoning; manipulate a mathematical relationship to give a new equation or relationship; in mathematics, obtain the derivative of a function
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Describe
Give an account (written or spoken) of a situation, event, pattern or process, or of the characteristics or features of something
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Design
Produce a plan, simulation, model or similar; plan, form or conceive in the mind; in English, select, organise and use particular elements in the process of text construction for particular purposes; these elements may be linguistic (words), visual (images), audio (sounds), gestural (body language), spatial (arrangement on the page or screen) and multimodal (a combination of more than one)
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Detailed
Executed with great attention to the fine points; meticulous; including many of the parts or facts
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Determine
Establish, conclude or ascertain after consideration, observation, investigation or calculation; decide or come to a resolution
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Develop
Elaborate, expand or enlarge in detail; add detail and fullness to; cause to become more complex or intricate
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Development
A process of change that affects people's lives, characterised by social, economic, political and environmental factors
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Devise
Think out; plan; contrive; invent
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Differentiate
Identify the difference/s in or between two or more things; distinguish, discriminate; recognise or ascertain what makes something distinct from similar things; in mathematics, obtain the derivative of a function
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Discerning
Discriminating; showing intellectual perception; showing good judgment; making thoughtful and astute choices; selected for value or relevance
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Discriminate
Note, observe or recognise a difference; make or constitute a distinction in or between; differentiate; note or distinguish as different
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Discriminating
Differentiating; distinctive; perceiving differences or distinctions with nicety; possessing discrimination; perceptive and judicious; making judgments about quality; having or showing refined taste or good judgment
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Discuss
Examine by argument; sift the considerations for and against; debate; talk or write about a topic, including a range of arguments, factors or hypotheses; consider, taking into account different issues and ideas, points for and/or against, and supporting opinions or conclusions with evidence
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Disjointed
Disconnected; incoherent; lacking a coherent order/sequence or connection
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Distinguish
Recognise as distinct or different; note points of difference between; discriminate; discern; make clear a difference/s between two or more concepts or items
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Diverse
Of various kinds or forms; different from each other
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Document
Support (e.g. an assertion, claim, statement) with evidence (e.g. decisive information, written references, citations)
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Draw Conclusions
Make a judgment based on reasoning and evidence
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E
Ecological Hazard
Interactions with living organisms, and the environment, or interactions between living organisms that have the potential to adversely affect the social and economic wellbeing of people; a substance or activity that poses a threat to a habitat or an environment (WHO)
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Effective
Successful in producing the intended, desired or expected result; meeting the assigned purpose
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Efficient
Working in a well-organised and competent way; maximum productivity with minimal expenditure of effort; acting or producing effectively with a minimum of waste, expense or unnecessary effort
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Element
A component or constituent part of a complex whole; a fundamental, essential or irreducible part of a composite entity
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Elementary
Simple or uncompounded; relating to or dealing with elements, rudiments or first principles (of a subject); of the most basic kind; straightforward and uncomplicated
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Elements
A component or constituent part of a whole system (e.g. the elements of climate include temperature, rain, humidity, air pressure; the elements of population change include births, deaths and migration)
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Environment/s
The living and non-living elements of the earth
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Erroneous
Based on or containing error; mistaken; incorrect
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Essential
Absolutely necessary; indispensable; of critical importance for achieving something
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Evaluate
Make an appraisal by weighing up or assessing strengths, implications and limitations; make judgments about ideas, works, solutions or methods in relation to selected criteria; examine and determine the merit, value or significance of something, based on criteria
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Examination
A supervised test that assesses the application of a range of cognitions to one or more provided items such as questions, scenarios and/or problems; student responses are completed individually, under supervised conditions, and in a set timeframe
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Examine
Investigate, inspect or scrutinise; inquire or search into; consider or discuss an argument or concept in a way that uncovers the assumptions and interrelationships of the issue
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Experiment
Try out or test new ideas or methods, especially in order to discover or prove something; undertake or perform a scientific procedure to test a hypothesis, make a discovery or demonstrate a known fact
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Explain
Make an idea or situation plain or clear by describing it in more detail or revealing relevant facts; give an account; provide additional information
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Explicit
Clearly and distinctly expressing all that is meant; unequivocal; clearly developed or formulated; leaving nothing merely implied or suggested
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Explore
Look into both closely and broadly; scrutinise; inquire into or discuss something in detail
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Express
Convey, show or communicate (e.g. a thought, opinion, feeling, emotion, idea or viewpoint); in words, art, music or movement, convey or suggest a representation of; depict
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Extended response
An open-ended assessment technique that focuses on the interpretation, analysis, examination and/or evaluation of ideas and information in response to a particular situation or stimulus; while students may undertake some research when writing the extended response, it is not the focus of this technique; an extended response occurs over an extended and defined period of time
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Extension subject
A two-unit subject for which a syllabus has been developed by QCAA, that is an extension of one or more General or alternative sequence subject/s, studied concurrently with, the final two units of that subject or after completion of, the final two units of that subject
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Extensive
Of great extent; wide; broad; far-reaching; comprehensive; lengthy; detailed; large in amount or scale
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External assessment
Summative assessment that occurs towards the end of a course of study and is common to all schools; developed and marked by the QCAA according to a commonly applied marking scheme
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External examination
A supervised test, developed and marked by the QCAA, that assesses the application of a range of cognitions to multiple provided items such as questions, scenarios and/or problems; student responses are completed individually, under supervised conditions, and in a set timeframe
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Extrapolate
Infer or estimate by extending or projecting known information; conjecture; infer from what is known; extend the application of something (e.g. a method or conclusion) to an unknown situation by assuming that existing trends will continue or similar methods will be applicable
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F
Factors
One of the elements contributing to a particular result or situation
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Factual
Relating to or based on facts; concerned with what is actually the case; actually occurring; having verified existence
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Familiar
Well-acquainted; thoroughly conversant with; well known from long or close association; often encountered or experienced; common; (of materials, texts, skills or circumstances) having been the focus of learning experiences or previously encountered in prior learning activities
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Feasible
Capable of being achieved, accomplished or put into effect; reasonable enough to be believed or accepted; probable; likely
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Features
The distinguishing characteristics of places, physical and anthropogenic
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Fieldwork
Research carried out in the field (i.e. beyond the classroom), which includes, for example, data collection (e.g. surveying), observing, recording and interviewing
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Fluent
Spoken or written with ease; able to speak or write smoothly, easily or readily; articulate; eloquent; in artistic performance, characteristic of a highly developed and excellently controlled technique; flowing; polished; flowing smoothly, easily and effortlessly
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Fluently
In a graceful and seemingly effortless manner; in a way that progresses smoothly and readily
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Formative assessment
Assessment whose major purpose is to improve teaching and student achievement
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Fragmented
Disorganised; broken down; disjointed or isolated
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Frequent
Happening or occurring often at short intervals; constant, habitual, or regular
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Fundamental
Forming a necessary base or core; of central importance; affecting or relating to the essential nature of something; part of a foundation or basis
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G
General subject
A subject for which a syllabus has been developed by the QCAA with the following characteristics: results from courses developed from General syllabuses contribute to the QCE; General subjects have an external assessment component; results may contribute to ATAR calculations
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Generalise
To infer (a general principle, trend, etc.) from particular facts, statistics, or the like
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Generate
Produce; create; bring into existence
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Geographical Processes
A sequence of actions, natural and/or anthropogenic, that shape and change environments, places and societies, e.g., erosion, urban sprawl, deforestation; can operate within and between places
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Ghettoisation
The process of an area becoming a ghetto (i.e. a quarter in a city occupied predominantly by members of a minority group or groups, often as a result of social or economic restrictions, pressures or hardships)
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Global Scale
Spatial distribution of geographical phenomena across the whole world, e.g. earthquake hazards, megacities, deforestation and population
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Graphicacy
The ability to interpret and use maps, plans, diagrams, photographs and other spatial documents; the communication of spatial information that cannot be conveyed by verbal, numerical or written means (Balchin 1972)
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H
Hazard
A dangerous phenomenon, substance, human activity or condition that may cause loss of life, injury or other health impacts, property damage, loss of livelihoods and services, social and economic disruption, or environmental damage (Caribbean Handbook on Risk Information Management)
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Hazard Zone
A specific area, space or place at risk of experiencing a particular type or types of natural and/or ecological hazards
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Hazard Zone Data
Data that quantifies risk and vulnerability in a hazard zone, e.g., the number of houses likely to be affected in an identified bushfire prone area, levels of pollutants evident in fresh water or soils within an identified intensive land use zone
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Hypothesise
Formulate a supposition to account for known facts or observed occurrences; conjecture, theorise, speculate; especially on uncertain or tentative grounds
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I
ISMG
Instrument-specific marking guide; a tool for marking that describes the characteristics evident in student responses and aligns with the identified objectives for the assessment (see 'assessment objectives')
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Identify
Distinguish; locate, recognise and name; establish or indicate who or what someone or something is; provide an answer from a number of possibilities; recognise and state a distinguishing factor or feature
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Illogical
Lacking sense or sound reasoning; contrary to or disregardful of the rules of logic; unreasonable
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Implement
Put something into effect, e.g. a plan or proposal
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Implicit
Implied, rather than expressly stated; not plainly expressed; capable of being inferred from something else
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Improbable
Not probable; unlikely to be true or to happen; not easy to believe
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In-depth
Comprehensive and with thorough coverage; extensive or profound; well-balanced or fully developed
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Inaccurate
Not accurate
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Inappropriate
Not suitable or proper in the circumstances
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Inconsistent
Lacking agreement, as one thing with another, or two or more things in relation to each other; at variance; not consistent; not in keeping; not in accordance; incompatible, incongruous
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Independent
Thinking or acting for oneself, not influenced by others
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Indicator
A data element that represents statistical data for a specified time, place, and/or other characteristic, and is corrected for at least one dimension (usually size) to allow for meaningful comparisons
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Infer
Derive or conclude something from evidence and reasoning, rather than from explicit statements; listen or read beyond what has been literally expressed; imply or hint at
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Informed
Knowledgeable; learned; having relevant knowledge; being conversant with the topic; based on an understanding of the facts of the situation (of a decision or judgment)
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Innovative
New and original; introducing new ideas; original and creative in thinking
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Insightful
Showing understanding of a situation or process; understanding relationships in complex situations; informed by observation and deduction
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Instrument-specific marking guide
ISMG; a tool for marking that describes the characteristics evident in student responses and aligns with the identified objectives for the assessment (see
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Integral
Adjective: necessary for the completeness of the whole; essential or fundamental; Noun: in mathematics, the result of integration; an expression from which a given function, equation, or system of equations is derived by differentiation
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Intended
Designed; meant; done on purpose; intentional
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Interconnection
The ways that geographical phenomena are connected to each other through complex, reciprocal or interdependent processes
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Internal assessment
Assessments that are developed by schools; summative internal assessments are endorsed by the QCAA before use in schools and results externally confirmed contribute towards a student
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Interpret
Use knowledge and understanding to recognise trends and draw conclusions from given information; make clear or explicit; elucidate or understand in a particular way; bring out the meaning of, e.g. a dramatic or musical work, by performance or execution; bring out the meaning of an artwork by artistic representation or performance; give one
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Investigate
Carry out an examination or formal inquiry in order to establish or obtain facts and reach new conclusions; search, inquire into, interpret and draw conclusions about data and information
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Investigation
An assessment technique that requires students to research a specific problem, question, issue, design challenge or hypothesis through the collection, analysis and synthesis of primary and/or secondary data; it uses research or investigative practices to assess a range of cognitions in a particular context; an investigation occurs over an extended and defined period of time
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Irrelevant
Not relevant; not applicable or pertinent; not connected with or relevant to something
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Isolated
Detached, separate, or unconnected with other things; one-off; something set apart or characterised as different in some way
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J
Judge
Form an opinion or conclusion about; apply both procedural and deliberative operations to make a determination
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Justified
Sound reasons or evidence are provided to support an argument, statement or conclusion
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Justify
Give reasons or evidence to support an answer, response or conclusion; show or prove how an argument, statement or conclusion is right or reasonable
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L
Land cover
The vegetation and artificial structures that cover the land's surface, e.g. trees, grass, crops, wetlands, water, buildings and pavement (Landcover)
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Land use
Purpose for which land is used, based on the functional dimension of land for different human purposes or economic activities (i.e. how people use the land); categories include residential, industrial, recreational, commercial, transport, primary industry, water, medical or natural protected areas (ABS)
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Learning area
A grouping of subjects, with related characteristics, within a broad field of learning, e.g. the Arts, sciences, languages
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Liveability
The sum of the factors that add up to a community's quality of life, including the built and natural environments, economic prosperity, social stability and equity, educational opportunity, and cultural, entertainment and recreation possibilities (liveable.org)
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Local scale
A geographically small, bounded area, such as a suburb, a town, a neighbourhood, a specific property or location, e.g. a dump or industrial site, a park, a section of remnant bushland (Tschakert et al. n.d.)
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Logical
Rational and valid; internally consistent; reasonable; reasoning in accordance with the principles/rules of logic or formal argument; characterised by or capable of clear, sound reasoning; (of an action, decision, etc.) expected or sensible under the circumstances
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Logically
According to the rules of logic or formal argument; in a way that shows clear, sound reasoning; in a way that is expected or sensible
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M
Make decisions
Select from available options; weigh up positives and negatives of each option and consider all the alternatives to arrive at a position
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Manipulate
Adapt or change to suit one's purpose
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Megacity
A metropolitan area with a total population in excess of 10 million people
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Mental Procedures
A domain of knowledge in Marzano's taxonomy, and acted upon by the cognitive, metacognitive and self-systems; sometimes referred to as 'procedural knowledge' there are three distinct phases to the acquisition of mental procedures — the cognitive stage, the associative stage, and the autonomous stage; the two categories of mental procedures are skills (single rules, algorithms and tactics) and processes (macroprocedures)
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Methodical
Performed, disposed or acting in a systematic way; orderly; characterised by method or order; performed or carried out systematically
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Metropolitan
Of, relating to, or characteristic of the city or city life; metropolitan areas contain one or more of the following: residential development with a density more than 200 persons per square kilometre; built infrastructure including ports, airports with paved runways, industrial, commercial and retail development, large sports complexes, educational campuses, places of worship, military camps, research stations; local parks and playgrounds; local sports facilities and ovals; vegetation corridors; golf courses; cemeteries; lakes, rivers, riverbanks, creeks and drainage reserves surrounded by development of an urban character; sewerage facilities, waste disposal facilities, hospitals, transport hubs, grain storage (ABS)
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Migration
The movement of groups of people from one place to another; may be internal (i.e. within a country or region) or international (i.e. from one country to another)
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Minimal
Least possible; small, the least amount; negligible
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Mitigation
To lessen in force or intensity; to moderate the severity of impacts
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Model
A representation of an idea; an object; a process or a system that is used to describe and explain phenomena; simplified representations of reality that enable predictions to be developed
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Modify
Change the form or qualities of; make partial or minor changes to something
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Multimodal
Uses a combination of at least two modes (e.g. spoken, written), delivered at the same time, to communicate ideas and information to a live or virtual audience, for a particular purpose; the selected modes are integrated so that each mode contributes significantly to the response
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N
Narrow
Limited in range or scope; lacking breadth of view; limited in amount; barely sufficient or adequate; restricted
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Natural Hazard
The threat of a naturally occurring event negatively impacting on humans; when the hazardous threat happens and harms humans, the event becomes a natural disaster; may be primary, secondary or tertiary (Nelson, 2014)
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Nuanced
Showing a subtle difference or distinction in expression, meaning, response, etc.; finely differentiated; characterised by subtle shades of meaning or expression; a subtle distinction, variation or quality; sensibility to, awareness of, or ability to express delicate shadings, as of meaning, feeling, or value
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O
Objectives
See 'syllabus objectives', 'unit objectives', 'assessment objectives'
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Obvious
Clearly perceptible or evident; easily seen, recognised or understood
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Optimal
Best, most favourable, under a particular set of circumstances
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Organise
Arrange, order; form as or into a whole consisting of interdependent or coordinated parts, especially for harmonious or united action
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Organised
Systematically ordered and arranged; having a formal organisational structure to arrange, coordinate and carry out activities
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Outstanding
Exceptionally good; clearly noticeable; prominent; conspicuous; striking
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P
Partial
Not total or general; existing only in part; attempted, but incomplete
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Particular
Distinguished or different from others or from the ordinary; noteworthy
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Pattern (geographical)
Spatial arrangement of phenomena in which recognisable organisation is evident; the regularity of distribution, e.g. migration settlement patterns, the clustering of particular species in designated areas
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Perceptive
Having or showing insight and the ability to perceive or understand; discerning (see also "discriminating")
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Performance
An assessment technique that requires students to demonstrate a range of cognitive, technical, creative and/or expressive skills and to apply theoretical and conceptual understandings, through the psychomotor domain; it involves student application of identified skills when responding to a task that involves solving a problem, providing a solution or conveying meaning or intent; a performance is developed over an extended and defined period of time
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Persuasive
Capable of changing someone's ideas, opinions or beliefs; appearing worthy of approval or acceptance; (of an argument or statement) communicating reasonably or credibly (see also "convincing")
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Perusal time
Time allocated in an assessment to reading items and tasks and associated assessment materials; no writing is allowed; students may not make notes and may not commence responding to the assessment in the response space/book
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Place
The world is made up of places, from those with largely natural features, e.g. an area of rainforest, to those with largely constructed features such as the centre of a large city; places are cultural constructs; they are sites of biodiversity, locations for economic activity, centres of decision-making and administration, sites for the transmission and exchange of knowledge and ideas, meeting places for social interaction, sources of identity, belonging and enjoyment, and areas of natural beauty and wonder; the importance of Country/Place to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is an example of the interaction between culture and identity, and shows how places can be invested with spiritual and other significance
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Planning time
Time allocated in an assessment to planning how to respond to items and tasks and associated assessment materials; students may make notes but may not commence responding to the assessment in the response space/book; notes made during planning are not collected, nor are they graded or used as evidence of achievement
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Plausible
Having an appearance of truth or reason; seemingly worthy of approval or acceptance; seeming reasonable or probable (of an argument or statement); credible and possible
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Polished
Flawless or excellent; performed with skilful ease
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Population Momentum
Positive momentum - population growth as a result of a high proportion of women entering child bearing age in a population where high fertility rates have declined to replacement fertility rates; negative momentum - population decline that continues for some years after fertility rates return to replacement level after a period of below replacement levels
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Precise
Definite or exact; definitely or strictly stated, defined or fixed; characterised by definite or exact expression or execution
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Precision
Accuracy; exactness; exact observance of forms in conduct or actions
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Predict
Give an expected result of an upcoming action or event; suggest what may happen based on available information
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Primary Data
Data that may take two forms — gathered first hand by the researcher (such as fieldwork data) or raw data (not previously manipulated) gathered by another agency (e.g. a bureau of statistics or census)
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Process
A systematic series of actions directed to some end; a continuous action, operation or series of changes taking place in a definite manner
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Product
An assessment technique that focuses on the output or result of a process requiring the application of a range of cognitive, physical, technical, creative and/or expressive skills, and theoretical and conceptual understandings; a product is developed over an extended and defined period of time
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Proficient
Well advanced or expert in any art, science or subject; competent, skilled or adept in doing or using something
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Project
An assessment technique that focuses on a problem-solving process requiring the application of a range of cognitive, technical and creative skills and theoretical understandings; the response is a coherent work that documents the iterative process undertaken to develop a solution and includes written paragraphs and annotations, diagrams, sketches, drawings, photographs, video, spoken presentations, physical prototypes and/or models; a project is developed over an extended and defined period of time
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Propose
Put forward (e.g. a point of view, idea, argument, suggestion) for consideration or action
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Prove
Use a sequence of steps to obtain the required result in a formal way
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Psychomotor Procedures
A domain of knowledge in Marzano's taxonomy, and acted upon by the cognitive, metacognitive and self-systems; these are physical procedures used to negotiate daily life and to engage in complex physical activities; the two categories of psychomotor procedures are skills (foundational procedures and simple combination procedures) and processes (complex combination procedures)
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Purposeful
Having an intended or desired result; having a useful purpose; determined; resolute; full of meaning; significant; intentional
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Q
QCE
Queensland Certificate of Education
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R
REST
The underlying architectural principle of the web, where requesting systems (clients, browsers) and servers can interact in complex ways without the client knowing anything beforehand about the server and the resources it hosts using a uniform and predefined set of stateless operations; this is a way of providing interoperability between computer systems on the internet; an API that adheres to the principles of REST does not require the client to know anything about the structure of the API; the server provides whatever information the client needs to interact with the service
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Realise
Create or make (e.g. a musical, artistic or dramatic work); actualise; make real or concrete; give reality or substance to
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Reasonable
Endowed with reason; having sound judgment; fair and sensible; based on good sense; average; appropriate, moderate
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Reasoned
Logical and sound; based on logic or good sense; logically thought out and presented with justification; guided by reason; well-grounded; considered
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Recall
Remember; present remembered ideas, facts or experiences; bring something back into thought, attention or into one's mind
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Recognise
Identify or recall particular features of information from knowledge; identify that an item, characteristic or quality exists; perceive as existing or true; be aware of or acknowledge
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Refined
Developed or improved so as to be precise, exact or subtle
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Reflect on
Think about deeply and carefully
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Regional
Pertaining to a defined, small geographical area with shared characteristics
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Rehearsed
Practised; previously experienced; practised extensively
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Related
Associated with or linked to
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Relationships
Relationships may be simple or complex; simple relationships are easy to understand and may concern a single or basic aspect; complex relationships consist of multiple interconnected parts or factors
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Relevance
Being related to the matter at hand
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Relevant
Bearing upon or connected with the matter in hand; to the purpose; applicable and pertinent; having a direct bearing on
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Remote
Remote and very remote places are localities which are defined by road distances to the nearest service centres; the further away from urban centres the more remote; remote places may be centres with no services and only a nominal residential population (e.g. stations) (ABS)
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Repetitive
Containing or characterised by repetition, especially when unnecessary or tiresome
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Reporting
Providing information that succinctly describes student performance at different junctures throughout a course of study
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Reporting
Providing information that succinctly describes student performance at different junctures throughout a course of study
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Requirements
Necessary conditions identified from stakeholders
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Resolve
Consolidate and communicate intent through a synthesis of ideas and application of media to express meaning
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Resolve
In the Arts, consolidate and communicate intent through a synthesis of ideas and application of media to express meaning
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Risk
The probability of harmful consequences, or expected losses (deaths, injuries, damage to property, loss of livelihoods, disruption of economic activity or damage to environment) resulting from interactions between natural or human-induced hazards and vulnerable conditions (Caribbean Handbook on Risk Information Management)
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Risk Management
Preparedness for, mitigation and/or prevention of, a natural or ecological hazard
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Robotics
A branch of engineering that involves the conception, design, manufacture and operation of robots; this field overlaps with electronics, computer science, artificial intelligence, mechatronics, nanotechnology and bioengineering
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Routine
Often encountered; previously experienced; commonplace; customary and regular; well-practised; performed as part of a regular procedure, rather than for a special reason
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Routine
Often encountered, previously experienced; commonplace; customary and regular; well-practised;
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Rudimentary
Relating to rudiments or first principles; elementary; undeveloped; involving or limited to basic principles; relating to an immature, undeveloped or basic form
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Rudimentary
Relating to rudiments or first principles; elementary; undeveloped; involving or limited to basic principles; relating to an immature, undeveloped or basic form
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Rules
A set of explicit or understood regulations or principles governing conduct or procedure; an accepted principle or instruction that states the way things are or should be done, and tells you what you are allowed or are not allowed to do
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Rural
Of, relating to, or characteristic of the country, country life or country people; of or relating to agriculture; rural areas contain one or more of the following: residential development with a density less than 200 persons per square kilometre, agriculture, national parks, defence reserves, Indigenous lands, mines, stockyards, lakes, rivers, riverbanks, creeks and drainage reserves not surrounded by development of an urban character (ABS)
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S
SELECT
A statement in structured query language (SQL) that retrieves information from a database; the structure of a SELECT statement provides for optional clauses that allow for the filtering, grouping and sorting of data on retrieval; a simple SELECT statement may look like the following: > SELECT * FROM People; where the resulting set would be all of the records in the People table; following is an example of a more complicated SELECT statement: > SELECT * FROM People WHERE gender=
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Safe
Secure; not risky
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Safe
Secure; not risky
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Scale(S)
A concept used to analyse phenomena and look for explanations at different spatial levels, from the personal to the local, regional, national and global; also involved when geographers look for explanations or outcomes at different levels — local events can have global outcomes, e.g. the effects of local actions such as permanent vegetation removal on global climate, and national and regional changes can also have local outcomes, as in the effects of economic policies on local economies
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Scenario
A consistent written or verbal picture of a phenomenon or sequence
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Schemas
Describe the cognition used during aspects of problem-solving that organise information; representations that record and clarify thinking, e.g. mind maps
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School-based assessment
Assessment developed, administered and marked by teachers as part of the school curriculum; (see also
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Secondary Data
Data produced by a source other than the researcher that has previously been manipulated and modified for a specific purpose (e.g. census data that has been transformed into a population pyramid)
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Secure
Sure; certain; able to be counted on; self-confident; poised; dependable; confident; assured; not liable to fail
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Secure
Sure; certain; able to be counted on; self-confident; poised; dependable; confident; assured; not liable to fail
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Select
Choose in preference to another or others; pick out
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Select
Choose in preference to another or others; pick out
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Selection
A basic construct of an algorithm indicating the next instruction to be executed depends on a
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Sensitive
Capable of perceiving with a sense or senses; aware of the attitudes, feelings or circumstances of others; having acute mental or emotional sensibility; relating to or connected with the senses or sensation
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Sensitive
Capable of perceiving with a sense or senses; aware of the attitudes, feelings or circumstances of others; having acute mental or emotional sensibility; relating to or connected with the senses or sensation
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Sequence
Place in a continuous or connected series; arrange in a particular order
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Sequence
Place in a continuous or connected series; arrange in a particular order
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Show
Provide the relevant reasoning to support a response
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Show
Provide the relevant reasoning to support a response
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Significant
Important; of consequence; expressing a meaning; indicative; includes all that is important; sufficiently great or important to be worthy of attention; noteworthy; having a particular meaning; indicative of something
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Significant
Important; of consequence; expressing a meaning; indicative; includes all that is important; sufficiently great or important to be worthy of attention; noteworthy; having a particular meaning; indicative of something
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Simple
Easy to understand, deal with and use; not complex or complicated; plain; not elaborate or artificial; may concern a single or basic aspect; involving few elements, components or steps
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Simple
Easy to understand, deal with and use; not complex or complicated; plain; not elaborate or artificial; may concern a single or basic aspect; involving few elements, components or steps
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Simplistic
Characterised by extreme simplification, especially if misleading; oversimplified
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Simplistic
Characterised by extreme simplification, especially if misleading; oversimplified
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Simulation
A representation of a process, event or system that imitates a real or idealised situation
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Situation
The general state of things; the combination of circumstances at a given time
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Sketch
Execute a drawing or painting in simple form, giving essential features but not necessarily with detail or accuracy; in mathematics, represent by means of a diagram or graph; the sketch should give a general idea of the required shape or relationship and should include features
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Sketches
Drawings or paintings in simple form, giving essential features but not necessarily with detail or accuracy; in Mathematics, represent by means of a diagram or graph; the sketch should give a general idea of the required shape or relationship and should include features; in Technologies, a two-dimensional informal visualisation method completed freehand, often instantly capturing an idea for later use and therefore lacking in presentation quality; sketches are usually produced manually, using pencil, ink and paper, but may be software-assisted
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Skilled
Having or showing the knowledge, ability or training to perform a certain activity or task well; having skill; trained or experienced; showing, involving or requiring skill
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Skilled
Having or showing the knowledge, ability or training to perform a certain activity or task well; having skill; trained or experienced; showing, involving or requiring skill
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Skillful
Having technical facility or practical ability; possessing, showing, involving or requiring skill; expert; dexterous; demonstrating the knowledge, ability or training to perform a certain activity or task well; trained, practised or experienced
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Skillful
Having technical facility or practical ability; possessing, showing, involving or requiring skill; expert, dexterous; demonstrating the knowledge, ability or training to perform a certain activity or task well; trained, practised or experienced
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Solution (Digital)
The end result of applying a problem-solving process to a problem that can be solved digitally; it usually includes three components: data, system/user interface and text-based source code that may be interpreted or compiled; in a digital solution the interface triggers the execution of code
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Solve
Find an answer to, explanation for, or means of dealing with (e.g. a problem); work out the answer or solution to (e.g. a mathematical problem); obtain the answer/s using algebraic, numerical and/or graphical methods
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Solve
Find an answer to, explanation for, or means of dealing with (e.g., a problem); work out the answer or solution to (e.g., a mathematical problem); obtain the answer/s using algebraic, numerical and/or graphical methods
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Sophisticated
Of intellectual complexity; reflecting a high degree of skill, intelligence etc.; employing advanced or refined methods or concepts; highly developed or complicated
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Sophisticated
Of intellectual complexity; reflecting a high degree of skill, intelligence, etc.; employing advanced or refined methods or concepts; highly developed or complicated
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Space
Location and organisation of places and the organisation of phenomena within places; the organisation of space concerns how it is perceived, structured, organised and managed by people within specific cultural contexts, and how this creates particular types of spaces
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Spatial Distribution
The arrangement of particular phenomena or activities across the surface of the Earth
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Spatial Pattern(s)
Recognisable patterns in the spatial distribution of phenomena; patterns may be linear, clustered, dispersed, uniform or random, and include the space between objects
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Spatial Technologies
Any software or hardware that interacts with real-world locations, e.g., Global Positioning System (GPS), geographic information systems (GIS), satellite images
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Specific
Clearly defined or identified; precise and clear in making statements or issuing instructions; having a special application or reference; explicit or definite; peculiar or proper to something, as qualities, characteristics, effects etc.
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Specific
Clearly defined or identified; precise and clear in making statements or issuing instructions; having a special application or reference; explicit, or definite; peculiar or proper to something, as qualities, characteristics, effects, etc.
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Specification
The process of defining and communicating a problem precisely and clearly; e.g. explaining the need to direct a robot to move in a particular way; an algorithm is a precise description of the steps and decisions needed to solve a problem
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Sporadic
Happening now and again or at intervals; irregular or occasional; appearing in scattered or isolated instances
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Sporadic
Happening now and again or at intervals; irregular or occasional; appearing in scattered or isolated instances
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Straightforward
Without difficulty; uncomplicated; direct; easy to do or understand
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Straightforward
Without difficulty; uncomplicated; direct; easy to do or understand
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Structure
Verb: Give a pattern, organisation or arrangement to; construct or arrange according to a plan; Noun: In languages, arrangement of words into larger units, e.g. phrases, clauses, sentences, paragraphs and whole texts, in line with cultural, intercultural and textual conventions
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Structure
Verb: Give a pattern, organisation or arrangement to; construct or arrange according to a plan; Noun: In languages, arrangement of words into larger units, e.g. phrases, clauses, sentences, paragraphs and whole texts, in line with cultural, intercultural and textual conventions
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Structured
An ordered assembly of elements, components and features that form an organised pattern or system
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Structured
Organised or arranged so as to produce a desired result
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Structured Data
Organised or arranged so as to produce a desired result
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Structured Query Language (SQL)
Specialist programming language used to manage data and access data in relational database management systems
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Subject
A branch or area of knowledge or learning defined by a syllabus; school subjects are usually based in a discipline or field of study (see also 'course')
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Subject
A branch or area of knowledge or learning defined by a syllabus; school subjects are usually based in a discipline or field of study (see also 'course')
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Subject Matter
The subject-specific body of information, mental procedures and psychomotor procedures that are necessary for students' learning and engagement within that subject
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Subject Matter
The subject-specific body of information, mental procedures and psychomotor procedures that are necessary for students' learning and engagement within that subject
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Substantial
Of ample or considerable amount, quantity, size etc.; of real worth or value; firmly or solidly established; of real significance; reliable; important; worthwhile
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Substantial
Of ample or considerable amount, quantity, size, etc.; of real worth or value; firmly or solidly established; of real significance; reliable; important, worthwhile
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Substantiated
Established by proof or competent evidence
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Substantiated
Established by proof or competent evidence
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Subtle
Fine or delicate in meaning or intent; making use of indirect methods; not straightforward or obvious
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Subtle
Fine or delicate in meaning or intent; making use of indirect methods; not straightforward or obvious
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Suburbanisation
The outward growth of urban development; a population shift from central urban areas into suburbs that are close enough to the city centre to be accessible by commuters
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Successful
Achieving or having achieved success; accomplishing a desired aim or result
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Successful
Achieving or having achieved success; accomplishing a desired aim or result
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Succinct
Expressed in few words; concise; terse; characterised by conciseness or brevity; brief and clear
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Succinct
Expressed in few words; concise; terse; characterised by conciseness or brevity; brief and clear
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Sufficient
Enough or adequate for the purpose
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Sufficient
Enough or adequate for the purpose
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Suitable
Appropriate; fitting; conforming or agreeing in nature, condition or action
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Suitable
Appropriate; fitting; conforming or agreeing in nature, condition, or action
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Summarise
Give a brief statement of a general theme or major point/s; present ideas and information in fewer words and in sequence
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Summarise
Give a brief statement of a general theme or major point/s; present ideas and information in fewer words and in sequence
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Summative Assessment
Assessment whose major purpose is to indicate student achievement; summative assessments contribute towards a student's subject result
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Summative assessment
Assessment whose major purpose is to indicate student achievement; summative assessments contribute towards a student's subject result
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Superficial
Concerned with or comprehending only what is on the surface or obvious; shallow; not profound, thorough, deep or complete; existing or occurring at or on the surface; cursory; lacking depth of character or understanding; apparent and sometimes trivial
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Superficial
Concerned with or comprehending only what is on the surface or obvious; shallow; not profound, thorough, deep or complete; existing or occurring at or on the surface; cursory; lacking depth of character or understanding; apparent and sometimes trivial
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Supported
Corroborated; given greater credibility by providing evidence
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Supported
Corroborated; given greater credibility by providing evidence
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Survey
A sampling, or partial collection, of facts, figures, quantities used to approximate or indicate what a complete collection might reveal
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Sustainability
Meeting the needs of the current generation without compromising the ability of future generations to have their needs met in similar ways; the capacity of Earth to maintain life; requires a healthy environment, economic prosperity and social justice
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Sustainable
Supporting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to support their needs
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Sustained
Carried on continuously, without interruption, or without any diminishing of intensity or extent
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Sustained
Carried on continuously, without interruption, or without any diminishing of intensity or extent
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Syllabus
A document that prescribes the curriculum for a course of study
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Syllabus
A document that prescribes the curriculum for a course of study
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Syllabus Objectives
Outline what the school is required to teach and what students have the opportunity to learn; described in terms of actions that operate on the subject matter; the overarching objectives for a course of study (see also 'unit objectives', 'assessment objectives')
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Syllabus objectives
Outline what the school is required to teach and what students have the opportunity to learn; described in terms of actions that operate on the subject matter; the overarching objectives for a course of study (see also 'unit objectives', 'assessment objectives')
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Symbolise
Represent or identify by a symbol or symbols
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Symbolise
Represent or identify by a symbol or symbols
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Syntax
The structure of statements in a computer language
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Synthesise
Combine different parts or elements (e.g. information, ideas, components) into a whole, in order to create new understanding
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Synthesise
Combine different parts or elements (e.g. information, ideas, components) into a whole, in order to create new understanding
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System
An assemblage or combination of things or parts forming a complex or unitary whole; a method or scheme of classification; any set of interrelated parts; can be classified as open, closed or isolated
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Systematic
Done or acting according to a fixed plan or system; methodical; having, showing or involving a system, method or plan; characterised by system or method; methodical; arranged in or comprising an ordered system
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Systematic
Done or acting according to a fixed plan or system; methodical; organised and logical; having, showing, or involving a system, method, or plan; characterised by system or method; methodical; arranged in, or comprising an ordered system
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Systems Thinking
A holistic approach to the identification and solving of problems, where parts and components of a system, their interactions and interrelationships are analysed individually to see how they influence the functioning of the whole system; this approach enables students to understand systems and work with complexity, uncertainty and risk; systems thinking also involves understanding the interdependence between systems and how a change or output from one system can affect another, and how this affects larger systems such as the economy and society
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T
Technical Feasibility
The process of proving that the concept is technically possible; the aim of a technical feasibility study is to confirm that the prototype or solution will perform as intended and to verify that there are no barriers in generating these; it should communicate the technical aspects of the development process, e.g. algorithms, selection and justification of development tools, sketches and diagrams of the user interface, user experience and other requirements for development
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Technology
The development of products, services and environments, using various types of knowledge, including computational, design, systems, social, ethical, economic, environmental, legal and sustainability knowledge to meet human needs and wants;
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Test
Take measures to check the quality, performance or reliability of something
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Test
Take measures to check the quality, performance or reliability of something
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Theory
A set of concepts, claims and/or laws that can be used to explain and predict a wide range of related observed or observable phenomena; theories are typically founded on clearly identified assumptions, are testable, produce reproducible results and have explanatory power
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Thorough
Carried out through, or applied to the whole of something; carried out completely and carefully; including all that is required; complete with attention to every detail; not superficial or partial; performed or written with care and completeness; taking pains to do something carefully and completely
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Thorough
Carried out through, or applied to, the whole of something; carried out completely and carefully; including all that is required; completed with attention to every detail; not superficial or partial; performed or written with care and completeness; taking pains to do something carefully and completely
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Thoughtful
Occupied with, or given to thought; contemplative; meditative; reflective; characterised by or manifesting thought
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Thoughtful
Occupied with, or given to, thought; contemplative; meditative; reflective; characterised by or manifesting thought
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Topic
A division of, or sub-section within a unit; all topics/sub-topics within a unit are interrelated
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Topic
A division of, or sub-section within, a unit; all topics/sub-topics within a unit are interrelated
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Trend
General direction in which something is developing or changing; a perceived pattern; may be identified and/or measured over the short, intermediate or long term (e.g. pattern of population growth over a defined period of time)
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U
Unclear
Not clear or distinct; not easy to understand; obscure
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Unclear
Not clear or distinct; not easy to understand; obscure
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Understand
Perceive what is meant by something; grasp; be familiar with (e.g. an idea); construct meaning from messages, including oral, written and graphic communication
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Understand
Perceive what is meant by something; grasp; be familiar with (e.g. an idea); construct meaning from messages, including oral, written and graphic communication
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Uneven
Unequal; not properly corresponding or agreeing; irregular; varying; not uniform; not equally balanced
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Uneven
Unequal; not properly corresponding or agreeing; irregular; varying; not uniform; not equally balanced
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Unfamiliar
Not previously encountered; situations or materials that have not been the focus of prior learning experiences or activities
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Unfamiliar
Not previously encountered; situations or materials that have not been the focus of prior learning experiences or activities
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Unit
A defined amount of subject matter delivered in a specific context or with a particular focus; it includes unit objectives particular to the unit, subject matter and assessment direction
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Unit
A defined amount of subject matter delivered in a specific context or with a particular focus; it includes unit objectives particular to the unit, subject matter and assessment direction
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Unit Objectives
Drawn from the syllabus objectives and contextualised for the subject matter and requirements of a particular unit; they are assessed at least once in the unit (see also
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Unit Objectives
Drawn from the syllabus objectives and contextualised for the subject matter and requirements of a particular unit; they are assessed at least once in the unit (see also
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Unrelated
Having no relationship; unconnected
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Unrelated
Having no relationship; unconnected
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Urban
A built-up and populated area; urban areas contain one or more of the following: residential development with a density over 200 persons per square kilometre; built infrastructure, including ports, airports with paved runways, industrial, commercial and retail development, large sports complexes, educational campuses, places of worship, military camps, research stations; local parks and playgrounds; local sports facilities and ovals; vegetation corridors; golf courses; cemeteries; lakes, rivers, riverbanks, creeks and drainage reserves surrounded by development of an urban character; sewerage facilities, waste disposal facilities, hospitals, transport hubs, grain storage (ABS)
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Urban Renewal
The rehabilitation of urban areas, by regeneration, replacement, repair or renovation, in accordance with comprehensive plans
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Urban Sprawl
The outer areas of a city, especially where development is considered to have been unplanned and undesirable
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Urbanisation
The increasing percentage or proportion of a population living in urban areas of a country; the term
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Usability Principles
Principles used to improve the user experience, including accessibility: ability to be used by many different people, even people with disabilities; effectiveness: ability of users to use the system to do the work they need to do, includes reliability; safety: ability for users to make errors and recover from the mistake; utility: ability of the system to provide all the functionality that users need; learnability: how easy a system is to learn
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Use
Operate or put into effect; apply knowledge or rules to put theory into practice
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Use
Operate or put into effect; apply knowledge or rules to put theory into practice
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Useability
Able or fit to be used; judged by the useability principles of efficiency effectiveness, safety, utility and learnability
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User Experience
Those aspects that affect how an end user interacts with digital systems such as visual, interface and navigation design, user needs, and functional and content requirements; this is determined by improving the solution\
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User Interface
Characteristics of the boundary between users and a computer system, or the manner in which users interact with computer hardware or software; in software, this usually comprises fields for text and number entry, mouse pointers, buttons and other graphical elements; in hardware, sensors, switches, dials and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) provide information about the interactions between a user and a machine, a machine and another machine or a machine and the environment
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V
Vague
Not definite in statement or meaning; not explicit or precise; not definitely fixed, determined or known; of uncertain, indefinite or unclear character or meaning; not clear in thought or understanding; couched in general or indefinite terms; not definitely or precisely expressed; deficient in details or particulars; impaired way thinking or communicating in an unfocused or imprecise way
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Vague
Not definite in statement or meaning; not explicit or precise; not definitely fixed, determined or known; of uncertain, indefinite or unclear character or meaning; not clear in thought or understanding; couched in general or indefinite terms; not definitely or precisely expressed; deficient in details or particulars; thinking or communicating in an unfocused or imprecise way
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Valid
Sound, just or well-founded; authoritative; having a sound basis in logic or fact (of an argument or point); reasonable or cogent; able to be supported; legitimate and defensible; applicable
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Valid
Sound, just or well-founded; authoritative; having a sound basis in logic or fact (of an argument or point); reasonable or cogent; able to be supported; legitimate and defensible; applicable
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Validity
Sound, reasonable, relevant, defensible, well grounded, able to be supported with logic or theory
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Variable
Adjective: apt or liable to vary or change; changeable; inconsistent; (readily) susceptible or capable of variation; fluctuating; uncertain; noun: in mathematics, a symbol, or the quantity it signifies, that may represent any one of a given set of numbers and other objects
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Variety
A number or range of things of different kinds, or the same general class, that are distinct in character or quality; (of sources) a number of different modes or references
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Variety (of scales)
The geographical view of processes and phenomena at different levels on a continuum from the local to the international and global scales; may include comparative studies at the same scale, studying the same issue and phenomenon at a range of scales, or seeking explanations at a different scale from the one being studied
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Virtual
Representation of an object in a digital form
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Vulnerability
The conditions determined by physical, social, economic and environmental factors or processes, which increase the susceptibility of a community to the impact of hazards (Caribbean Handbook on Risk Information Management)
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W
Wearable Technologies
Electronic devices able to be worn on the body as a purposeful fashion accessory or part of material used in clothing. A major feature of these devices is their ability to connect to the internet, allowing data to be exchanged between the device and a network
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Web Applications
Client–server software applications in which the client–user interface runs in a web browser, e.g., webmail, online retail sales etc.
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Wide
Of great range or scope; embracing a great number or variety of subjects, cases, etc.; of full extent
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Wide
Of great range or scope; embracing a great number or variety of subjects, cases etc.; of full extent
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With Expression
In words, art, music or movement, conveying or indicating feeling, spirit, character etc.; a way of expressing or representing something; vivid, effective or persuasive communication
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