what would you say is hardest about the exam?

[hala_madrid]

For anyone who has had some experience with phys ed, what do you think really separates the top students on the exam from the above average ones? For example, are their ever questions that are extremely specific, such as knowing the tables for normative data for different fitness tests, as it seems a bit ridiculous to have to rote-learn that much information

[lexitu]

The top students are separated from the average ones by being able to understand physiological processes and linking them between areas - i.e. energy systems need to be linked to each and every area of study except AOS1 unit 3. Being practical also helps as a lot of the marks come from being able to suggest common sense strategies that can be implemented for purposes such as physical activity promotion or recovery. But there's a lot to it, I don't think you can put it down to one thing.

There can be no extremely specific questions such as stating norms because norms will vary according to where they are sourced from. You may need to know norms loosely when it comes to assessing an athlete's need to improve or maintain a fitness component as evidenced by the sample exam that VCAA gave.

[jorrrdan]

Yeah, I've come to notice how important energy systems are to the course. On that note, there's a point that's been bugging me all year about 2 apparently seemingly conflicting concepts in the phys ed course. Firstly, there's the fact that the anaerobic systems have a finite capacity, and once they are exhausted can no longer contribute to ATP production. However, this seems to be in direct opposition to energy system interplay, which states that all 3 energy systems are always contributing to some extent, no matter how small, to ATP production. Am I missing something? Or is this correct? Thanks

[lexitu]

That's actually a really good question.

Finite capacity means that they will be exhausted provided that there is no opportunity for replenishment of the systems or waste product removal  - once exhausted their input is basically zero. Rest most rapidly returns the energy systems to a replenished state, but at moderate-high intensities oxygen too becomes available to assist with restorative processes, but the rate that this is happening is much too slow for the ATP-CP system or lactic acid system to significantly increase their output unless intensity is very low. So once ATP stores are depleted, that is, they're very low, there will be extremely minimal contribution (about <1%) unless intensity drops a lot or there is rest. Because of the complexity of the intramuscular environment (molecules flying around everywhere and reacting with each other), some CP will be used to resynthesise ATP, but not much.

Basically everything that you said above is correct, except that they are never 100% exhausted because they are being replenished, even if it is at the rate of a trickle.

Does that make sense?

[hala_madrid]

Hey, sorry I posted that on my friend's computer. That seems to make perfect sense, and I would agree completely were it not for question 8 on the 2007 vce exam; basically, if the vcaa's word is to be final, it represents that the anaerobic energy systems cannot be replenished once they are exhausted, and this question seems to show that they can in fact be exhausted 100%. I raised the point to my teacher, he acknowledged that it was interesting and couldn't really answer it; he hasn't gotten back to me since haha... gotta love the ambiguities of phys ed!

[lexitu]

Yep, but this is a "maximal intensity" effort - the contribution from the anaerobic systems after exhaustion would be so minimal that it wouldn't increase the ml/kg by one, according to VCAA. I point you to question 20, 2004 (granted, old) to show that the contribution, according to VCAA, is not necessarily zero after a certain point. With that specific question in the exam, I think a student who understood the concept of finite capacity would just leave the anaerobic contribution at 50 to avoid a rough guess, but I do agree that there is a bit of ambiguity there. Agree?

[hala_madrid]

Pretty much; I asked Robert Malpeli this very question on friday, and he told me, that PC is restored minimally during exercise, i.e. it is never fully depleted, that's how interplay can occur. Although I think he said something else about that question specifically too, i'll have to go back and have a look at what i wrote down

[lexitu]

You go to Balwyn? That's good that Malpeli agrees 

[hala_madrid]

Nah haha I go to Camberwell Boys, I saw him at Melbourne Grammar for his lecture though. I wrote on my notes that 'finite capacity refers to finite energy production,' which I think that question on the 2007 exam shows... on that note, when is Connect running the pe lecture?

Also having a look at last year's exam, was the A+ cut-off really 84 as I have derived from looking at the vcaa report, that seems incredibly low.. I thought it was typically closer to 100-105?

[lexitu]

Nah haha I go to Camberwell Boys, I saw him at Melbourne Grammar for his lecture though. I wrote on my notes that 'finite capacity refers to finite energy production,' which I think that question on the 2007 exam shows... on that note, when is Connect running the pe lecture?

Also having a look at last year's exam, was the A+ cut-off really 84 as I have derived from looking at the vcaa report, that seems incredibly low.. I thought it was typically closer to 100-105?

Haha, good old Malpeli! The Connect lecture is on the 24th of September, 2pm at UoM Trinity College. Will have the sample of the notes to be provided up soon

Cut-offs are always extremely low for PE - you don't need that much for a high score. A+ was 84+ last year and 92.5+ in 2009 so expect to be somewhere around there, don't think the study design will change much.

[hala_madrid]

Also, what exactly are ethical considerations? Is it still in the study design? Because from past papers I skipped anything that mentioned it as I thought it was irrelevant, but going through the answers it seems to relate to WADA's ethical charter... is that correct?

[lexitu]

Good question. My best interpretation is that they are not in play has significantly as they were before, there is no explicit mention within the study design but it does draw on anti-doping codes slightly, you're right - so I suppose you should have a basic understanding. Ethics is common sense anyway - nothing difficult at all, but perhaps be aware of what positive and negative ethical considerations are if you want to cover yourself.

[hala_madrid]

Ahh, cheers mate. Also, even in the phys ed notes book I see assessing 'motivational readiness' scattered throughout the second chapter; and in Checkpoints too I even saw one question directly on the stages of change. But there will be nothing directly on the motivational stages (contemplation, etc.) on the exam will there, it's no longer in the study design right?

edit: scratch that, i just found the answer myself on the vcaa site

[lexitu]

It's a remnant of stages of change and you definitely don't need to know about stages of change but you may need to know about the use of cognitive/behavioural strategies at low/mod/high motivational readiness. VCAA has said specifically and explicitly that stages of change knowledge is not necessary so ignore Checkpoints, that's wrong.

Haha, there you go

[hala_madrid]

cheers

Hey lex, you know what would be really awesome for the pe hub site? If you edited out all the irrelevant questions from the past VCAA study design exams and uploaded them haha