Learning Areas
Teaching Standards
General Description
Investigating science is centre stage of the new science syllabuses. You can create killer depth studies and SRPs. Create a universal rubric, based on syllabus standards, to support students and make consistent judgements about learning.
Audience
Science teachers 7-12
Available Delivery Formats
Format Description
24/7 course access
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
- If you have a TTA subscription or membership please ignore the pricing when enrolling. Rest assured if your school has a subscription you will not be charged and for Memberships, your invoice will be adjusted accordingly to reflect your discount.
- If you have no subscription or membership but you are interested in placing a bulk discounted order for a team of teachers see the ONLINE TEAM tab above.
- For more details on our Unlimited Online Subscription packages Click here .
- Money-Back Guarantee – If you complete less than 25% of an online course and aren’t impressed, simply visit tta.edu/go/refund to let us know what happened, and we will cancel your enrolment and provide a full refund.
Teaching Standards
5.1.2 Proficient Level – Assess student learning
5.3.2 Proficient Level – Make consistent and comparable judgements
6.3.2 Proficient Level – Engage with colleagues and improve practice
Are you in NSW? If so, this is relevant for you
This course contributes to 5.0 professional development hours.
Occurrences
Sessions
Investigations in the Science syllabus
1 hour and 30 minutes
Presentation and reflection
An exploration of the nuances of Working Scientifically skills.
Depth Studies and student research projects
1 hour and 30 minutes
Presentations and reflections on:
Limiting achievement
Assessment frameworks
Assessment task and rubric
Moderating exercise
Poster competition
My depth study
2 hours
Participants work individually or collaboratively to produce a task suitable as a depth study or SRP.
The product will include:
Task
Task description
Task criteria
Syllabus validity
Standards-based rubric
User Rating
4.2Latest Reviews
Please note the feedback listed here is unfiltered, and includes all comments and ratings collected.
Killer Depth Studies and SRPs - Jim Sturgiss
This course was not completely relevant to me as I only teach Year 7 science. However, I can use the content to better my SRP assessment.
Killer Depth Studies and SRPs - Jim Sturgiss
It’s completely relevant and the quality is satisfactory.
Killer Depth Studies and SRPs - Jim Sturgiss
The course covered all aspects of the depth study and is relevant to the senior science courses.
Killer Depth Studies and SRPs - Jim Sturgiss
Highly relevant for standards-based assessment. Less so about getting students excited/inspired to have a go at self-directed scientific inquiry.
Killer Depth Studies and SRPs - Jim Sturgiss
Sound ideas, good reminder of what should be in a depth study
Killer Depth Studies and SRPs - Jim Sturgiss
It was good.
Killer Depth Studies and SRPs - Jim Sturgiss
Excellent course very relevant to my work.
Killer Depth Studies and SRPs - Jim Sturgiss
Excellent! Really got me thinking about how I can maximise student achievement in the working scientifically outcomes.
Killer Depth Studies and SRPs - Jim Sturgiss
The ‘Depth Studies and SRP’ section of the course was great. Especially the task and depth study marking criteria rubric creation sections.
Killer Depth Studies and SRPs - Jim Sturgiss
The course was very helpful and relevant
Killer Depth Studies and SRPs - Jim Sturgiss
It was very relevant and I am getting my staff to do the course so that they can understand the things that I have been trying to tell them about how to structure a rubric using CPDs.
Killer Depth Studies and SRPs - Jim Sturgiss
High quality information that I believe is high;ly relevant to the marking of HSC Depth Studies. Offer gratefully declined , thank you.
Killer Depth Studies and SRPs - Jim Sturgiss
Some of the course content was difficult to access due to technical difficulties
Killer Depth Studies and SRPs - Jim Sturgiss
Did not find the content overly helpful in writing depth studies.
Killer Depth Studies and SRPs - Jim Sturgiss
The course content was good, it had lots of examples that assisted in understanding the ideas presented.
Killer Depth Studies and SRPs - Jim Sturgiss
The course was highly relevant however did not extend my current understanding of depth studies. It allowed for further confidence in my understanding, however, I don’t feel that I am more highly qualified or capable of delivering stronger research based investigations.
Killer Depth Studies and SRPs - Jim Sturgiss
Helpful and reassuring that I’m in the right track re depth studies
Killer Depth Studies and SRPs - Jim Sturgiss
Quality was ok. Completing the online course caused a few issues and was not easy to first follow. Some things didn’t work at first. Relevance was ok. A lot of it was re-iterating the syllabus and NESA. I found it was good to have a comprehensive ‘document’ on depth studies as a whole.
About the team

Jim Sturgiss
Creator
Improving outcomes through aligned teaching practice synergies.
Jim is an educational researcher and independent educational consultant. A recipient of the NSW PTC Distinguished Service Award for leadership in delivering targeted professional learning to teachers, he works with schools to align assessment, reporting and learning practice. He has been a DoE Senior Assessment Advisor where he developed many statewide assessments, (ESSA, SNAP, ELLA, BST) and as Coordinator: Analytics where he developed reports to schools for statewide assessments and NAPLAN.
Selected NSW Department of Education and Communities appointments
2015 Analytics, Systems and Development Coordinator
2012 – 2013 School Assessment Design and Development Acting Coordinator (ESSA)
2007 – 2010 Head Teacher Science, Newtown High School of Performing Arts
2004 – 2005 Senior Assessment Officer, Computer Skills Assessment (CSA6)
2004 Test Development Officer, Secondary Numeracy Assessment Program (SNAP)
2000 – 2004 Head Teacher Science, Concord High School
1998 – 2000 Senior Assessment Officer, English Language and Literacy Assessment (ELLA)
Teaching Qualifications
1993 – 1997 M.Ed. (Hons) University of New England (Thesis: Literacy & learning in Science)
1979 Dip. Ed. University of Wollongong
1976 – 1978 B.Sc. University of Wollongong (Majors in Chemistry and Bioenergetics)