Several SBQs are uploaded below. Try them out. Identify the type of skills to use before attempting the questions. i.e. Which questions do you need to ICE the PAO, which uses the weighing scale and which the yin yang.
Focus Revision on SBQ Skills : Reliability and Source Utility
Reliability /Proof Skills
1.General Comments
a.Weaker students will answer on the basis of what the source says – the content will be accepted uncritically.
b.Better candidates will know that the question require them to evaluate the source to explain why they believe it or not.
2.Depending on the particular question, there may be several ways of doing this, some more effective then the other.
a.Explanation of provenance
i.Provenance can give important clues about reliability, but on its own will never provide a satisfactory answer—it ignores what the source actually says.
ii.Yes it does prove it because it is written by a ……..so he will know what he is talking about.
b.Typicality
i.This is not ‘this is just one source, so I cannot believe it.’
ii.Rather it is the extent to which you can generalize from what the source depicts. In fact at this level, what the source says is accepted as reliable in itself, the problem is simply that it is not true of all people/place/time. It is reliable for showing that some …….., but not all of them do.
c.Explanation of bias using language of the source.
i.This has to be a demonstration of how the content of the source reveals the perspective of the author, thus affecting it reliability. This may be a matter of loaded language, omission of relevant materials, and selection of one- sided materials.
d.Cross-reference
i.This is a process of checking the reliability of a specific aspect of a source by comparing it either
1.Against what another source says or
2.Against one’s own knowledge
ii.For cross-reference to work, it must be clear
1.That a check is being made (that the reliability of a specific aspect or claim in the sources is being tested.)
2.What exactly is being checked (i.e. the specific aspect or claim being checked.)
3.What exactly it is being checked against (i.e. something in another source, or some specific items of factual knowledge.)
iii.The absence of any of these elements can put the validity of the cross-reference in doubt.
1.When one or more of the above element are omitted generalizations take place.
2.e.g. the following should not be allowed as cross-reference
a.Source X is true because Source Y supports it.
b.Source X is true because Source Y says the same.
c.Source X is reliable because it agrees with my own knowledge.
d.I can believe Source X because this is the kind of thing that was going on then
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Utility Skills
1. General comments
i. Many candidates never move beyond seeing sources as information rather then as evidence.
ii. For such candidates, the utility of source A would be for example that it tells us something about an issue that has been asked in the question.
iii. For better candidates, utility related to reliability. It you can believe it, it must be useful. If not then it cannot be useful.
a. Source A cannot be very useful as evidence about ……because………….. However, if you look at Source B, …..
iv. However, the best candidates understand that utility varies according to the historical question/issue in relation to which the source is being used as evidence.
v. The apparent unreliability of the source can enhance and change its utility.
vi. The unreliability is itself evidence to be used.
vii. The source is useful because, although it is obviously not typical of ….., or of all ….., it is a good insight into how……..
2. LORM
a. L1 undeveloped explanation of reliability (1m-2m)
(These do not use the content of t source)
It is useful as the person is…… so he will know…….
b. L2 Useful because of what it tells us about the issue
c. L3 Useful because it tells us that the point of view of the person involved.
d. L4 Utility checked by cross-ref e.g.
i. Developed explanations of reliability.
ii. These answers will be based on the language used in the source in relation to bias/tone/impression/typicality.
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SBQ Case-Study One : How successful are the government’s efforts in helping the aged in their ‘golden’ years?
Read this carefully. It may help you to answer some of the questions.
During his National day Rally speech on 19 August 2007, the Prime Minister, Mr Lee Hsien Loong, announced a series of measures to help the aged in Singapore. He was concerned that senior citizens would not have much savings in their Central Provident Fund (CPF) account to see them throughout their life after retirement.
Before the National Day Rally speech, the retirement age was set at 62 years old. An employee can withdraw a certain amount in his CPF account at the age of 55 after he has left a certain minimum sum of balance in his account. He will only be able to draw small amounts from his minimum sum when he reaches 62 years old.
With the increase in life expectancy of Singaporeans rising to 80 years old, the Prime Minister feared that the current practices would not be enough to take care of the retired workers. Therefore the government will raise the retirement age from 62 to 67 years old. It will also pass a law making it compulsory for companies to reemploy workers who retired at 62 years old in 2012. A retired employee will only be able to withdraw from his CPF minimum sum when he reaches the age of 65.
1(a) Study Source A.
Why do you think the blogger drew this cartoon? Explain your
answer. [5]
(b) Study Source B.
How useful is this source as evidence that senior citizens welcome the changes made on their CPF and retirement age? Explain your
answer. [6]
(c) Study Sources C and D.
How similar are these two sources? Explain your answer. [7]
(d) Study Source E.
Does this source prove that the government’s effort at re-employing older workers was successful? Explain your answer. [7]
Source A
A cartoon drawn by a blogger, Sei-ji Rakugaki,and posted on his blog on 8 February 2007.
Source B
The Straits Times, 21 August 2007.
Mrs G. Dev reflected the views of the vast majority of the 50 people polled by The Straits Times yesterday. “If I was in the pink of health and could carry on working till 65, it might be okay,” said the 50-year old senior midwife. “But I’m already having some health problems, so what if I get too sick to work? It means I will have no money to fall back on. Also I have no idea how long I will live… With this delay [in taking out her minimum sum in her CPF], I might not even live to see the money.”
Source C
A blogger’s comment on the government’s efforts to help senior citizens, November 2006.
I'm also amused to see PM Lee say that "helping older Singaporeans work longer" is one of the ways by which the government is tackling the aging population challenge. Why am I amused? Frankly I am not very sure what is the significance of the government raising or not raising the retirement age. If you need the money, you will want to work. If you like to work, you will also want to work. If you don't need the money and don't like to work, then you won't work. In other words, old folks will work if they have no choice.
Source D
‘Mr Wang Says So’, a well-know blogger, giving his view on the issues raised by the Prime Minister in his National Day Rally speech, 21 August 2007.
I agree with PM Lee’s views on the aging population. To be frank, there aren’t many choices to choose from. PM Lee’s solutions are not at all brilliant. They are quite obvious. It’s a “not-much-choice” situation. As I check around the blogs, I hear some people mumbling and grumbling. Their dissatisfaction is with the idea that they’re going to have to work to the ripe old age of 62, or 65, or 67. While I understand the feeling, I think that these people may not fully understand the issues. The government is not forcing you to work. If you have enough money, you could choose to stop work at 60, or 58, or 55. As a matter of fact, if you have enough money, you could jolly well retire at 35.
Source E
Adapted from the Mediacorp Channel NewsAsia website,9 September 2007.
The Minister in charge of ageing issues, Mr Lim Boon Heng, lists down the work that needs to be done to help Singapore's changing population. 70-year-old Henry Chong is the oldest worker at the NTUC Income Contact Centre. But the company said his performance is no less than that of his younger colleagues. Mr Chong used to make S$1,600 in his office administration job, now he makes about S$2,000. "I feel I can still continue. I'm still healthy and I prefer to work until the company doesn't want me
anymore," said Mr Chong. Mr Lim Boon Heng hopes more can be like him.
(a) Study Source A.
Why do you think the blogger drew this cartoon? Explain your answer. [5]
L1 Answer describing cartoon but not detecting message. [1]
e.g It was to show an old man working in a food court.
L2 Answers based on contextual knowledge [2]
These answer show the growing ageing society of Singapore and the challenges that resulted such as the financial needs of the ageing population which explains why the cartoon was drawn. This knowledge is not available in Source A.
E.g. It was because of the high numbers of older workers who did not have financial security
E.g. It was because the aged in Singapore was experiencing financial difficulties.
L3 Answer based on impact of message(s) [2-3]
E.g. The cartoonist wants to tell Singaporeans that the older workers are forced to work because of their financial needs. Therefore workers should have sufficient preparation for their old age if they do not want to suffer the same fate. (2 marks)
Eg. The cartoonist wants to persuade Singaporeans to have prepare for their old age so as not to suffer the same fate as the man in the cartoon. (3 marks)
L4 L 2+L3
Message impact explained in Context [4-5]
Award 4 marks where there is 1 message impact OR where contextual explanation is weak.
E.g. The cartoonist wants to let Singaporeans know that it is crucial to prepare for old age. This is because many Singaporeans are going to be senior citizens in the near future. (4-5 marks)
(NOte from the ess: Notice that this model answer did not use the ICE the PAO that I have suggested but focus on the OUTCOME. Remember the OUTCOME is of the upmost importance)
(b) Study Source B.
How useful is this source as evidence that senior citizens welcome the changes made on their CPF and retirement age? Explain your answer. [6]
L1 Undeveloped explanations of reliability (1 -2)
E.g. It is useful as she will soon retire, so she knows what she is saying
E.g. The source is not useful because it does not give the view of those who support the scheme .
E.g. Source B is not useful because it is only the opinion of one Singaporean. It does not mean all other older workers felt the same way.
L2 Useful, because of the information it reveals (2-3)
E.g. some B is useful because it tells us that older Singaporean workers have difficulties with re-employment. The source also reveals that there is some doubt about the delay in drawing out the minimum sum from the CPF.
E.g. Source B is useful because it is highlights the view of certain older workers who fear that the so-called improvements to be made for their benefit might not be to their advantage.
L3 Useful, because it tells us how older workers feel / think about the situation / gives the point of view of older workers. [4]
E.g. Source B is useful in conveying an older worker’s doubts, which represent the general feeling of other workers in her age group (reflected the views of the vast majority of the 50 people polled by The Straits Times yesterday). Source B is useful as evidence about the responses of older workers on the government’s initiative because it tells us that not all older workers welcome the initiatives or that the initiatives will benefit all older workers. The lady raises an important point that working after retirement would be acceptable if she is healthy. But would the initiative work if the older worker is unhealthy?
L4 Developed explanations of reliability (5-6)
These answer will be based on the language used in the Source in relation to bias/ tone/ impressions/ typicality
E.g. Some B gives a negative impression of the thought of one worker who is in the older worker category. But if we look at source E, another worker has a much more positive attitude. So Source B may not be typical and therefore it is not useful as evidence. The source is biased to a certain degree. The lady is assuming that she will not live long therefore she might no be able to enjoy her minimum sum left in the CPF. Ultimately this colours her view on the government’s initiatives.
(c) Study Sources C and D.
How similar are these two sources? Explain your answer. [7]
L1 Similarity OR Difference, based on Provenance/ Source type/ Topic (1)
E.g. The sources are views by bloggers.
E.g Both are released in different years, 2006 & 2007.
E.g. Both sources are about the viability of extending the retirement age.
OR
Use of content but no valid match
L2 False Match (2)
E.g. Source D says that the government “is not forcing you to work” beyond your retirement age. Source C does not say this.
L3 Similarity in content, i.e. must be valid matches (3-4)
E.g. Both sources mentioned that working past the retirement age is dependent on the financial needs of the individual and not because of the laws passed by the government.
L4 Similarity in Purpose (5-6)
Award 6 marks for support from both sources
E.g. Both sources want to persuade older Singaporeans not to be affected by the government’s initative as working past the retirement age depends solely on the workers themselves, depending on their financial situation. Essentially, the workers have a choice. Although both use different tone in sending their message and purpose, both are trying to persuade Singaporeans that the initiatives are nothing new and not something to be fearful of or to grumble about. Source C talks about the need to work beyond the retirement age if you are not financially secure, “In other words, old folks will work if they have no choice.” Similarly, Source D mentions that older workers have a choice to continue working or otherwise, “If you have enough money, you could choose to stop work at 60, or 58 or 55.”
L5 Difference in Tone / 0pinion (6-7)
Award 7 marks for support from both sources answer dealing with both tone and purpose get 7 marks.
E.g. Source C is bleaker / negative/ emotional, pessimistic/sarcastic about the situation. It stresses that there is no “significance of the government raising or not raising the retirement age.” However, Source D is more positive/ objective/ encouraging. It seeks to assure worker that the government has no other alternative but to raise the retirement age to help older workers, “To be frank, there aren’t many choices to choose from.” Although he downplays PM Lee’s solution as “not at all brilliant”, one can sense that he sees the solution as necessary yet not to be feared because the people still have a choice, depending on their financial situation.
(d) Study Source E.
Does this source prove that the government’s effort at re-employing older workers was successful? Explain your answer. [7]
L1 Provenance/ Typicality (1)
E.g. Yes, because it is from a Mediacorp article, therefore it must be true.
E.g. ‘No, because the account is based on the experience of one retired Singaporean worker only. It does not mean all retired workers welcome re-employment.
L2 Yes, supported from content of Source E (2-3)
E.g. Yes, as the Source states that the older workers can be as good as younger ones: ‘But the company said his performance is no less that that of his younger colleagues’.
L3 No, supported from content of Source E (4-5)
E.g. No, the source indicates that not all retired workers welcome the move. This can be inferred in the line “Mr Lim Boon Heng hopes more can be like him.”
L4 Developed explanation of purpose (5-6)
Sees Source E as consistent with official efforts to assure Singaporean workers
No, Source E is from a local broadcasting station. It tends to support the government. Thus it said positive things like a retired worker welcoming re-employment, especially in the higher pay secured by Mr Henry Chong. This is to encourage retired workers to go for re-employment. This argument can be developed further that this report has a hidden agenda because it particularly highlights the higher pay that Mr Chong receives as compared to his previous job and Mr Chong’s claim that he is happy to continue working. Clearly this is to persuade hesitant retired workers to consider re-employment which will lessen the government’s burden on looking after the unemployed retirees, in terms of medical care and daily expenses. Sound E may therefore not be reliable.
L5 No, by cross-referencing to other sources (7)
i.e. Sees that Source E is not representative of the acceptance of retired
workers.
No. The ‘success’ at re-employing older workers as stated in Source E is just a
single example and not supported by Source A and B. In Source E, Mr Chong
states that "I feel I can still continue. I'm still healthy and I prefer to work
until the company doesn't want me anymore," but this is contradicted by
Source A which gives the sarcastic remark, “And why do I work …? Because I wish to?... My foot! Another example to show that Source E is not representative is the negative viewpoint of Source B that contradicts Mr Chong’s positive acceptance of re-employment, ““But I’m already having some health problems, so what if I get too sick to work?”. Even Source D which generally is supportive of the policy gives a possibility that not all retired workers will seek re-employment (depending on their financial status), thus negating the statement that the government effort at re-employing older workers was successful.
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