Incorporating SMART words

Okay, so now we are going to take a little time to talk about SMART words. Now, SMART words are very, very good for ensuring that they can be assessed and when we are looking at any standards that we may be using the knowledge side of the questions that we are asking will be where the SMART words come from and also how we incorporate SMART words into making our learning outcomes from all of our planning sessions. So the types of words that we are looking at, what we will find on a lot of our courses, 'explain' is a very, very key, a SMART word that is used.

So when we are looking to explain, there has to be a detail of the answer. With this is also the opportunity of using examples because an explanation is detail. We cannot use bullet points, we cannot use single sentences, it has to be structured sentences and then paragraphs. So any time you see the term 'explain', it has to detail, there has to be the depth of answer and we are looking at using examples, you can use... Look at the pros and cons, it is the same with lots of the higher-level type SMART questioning words that we need depth, it needs to be fully answered.

On some courses, we do give word counts. Some courses, there are spaces in a box to write, but for using assessment terminology, the answer has to be sufficient, and when it is something explained, it has to detail. Other words you are going to come across, you are going to come across words like 'summarise'. Now, to summarise means it is a brief overview of whatever the subject or topic and you are identifying key points to that, and you are summarising them. And within that, it is just showing that you have the understanding of what the key points, key elements, key parts to whatever that little session subject or topic may be. So to summarise is specifically to show key points.

Other words we are going to come across. We will have 'list'. Now, a list can be a bullet point. Exactly what it is, it is like a shopping list. You will just bullet points in. Each point is in a list format. Maybe more than one word, but it is still will be just a list. 'Identifying'. When we are looking at identifying something, we want to try and make sure that we are specific on what it is we are identifying and it has to be slightly descriptive of what that is. So to identify something would be more descriptive of that. Okay.

That takes us on to the word 'describe'. Now, describe could be used in several ways, it can be quite short in what a description of something is or it can be quite in-depth. To be descriptive of something is, if you were to shut your eyes and someone was to describe something, that person should be able to name it without opening their eyes, they should know exactly what it is. So that is a sort of an example of what a description is, it has to be in-depth.

We move on to a more higher level word, which would be 'analyse'. Analyse wants more, it wants you to take apart what you may be talking about. It wants you to look at the pros and the cons, the good, the bad. It wants to identify key points and it wants you to focus on those. So when we are analysing something, it is almost like we are stripping it down and looking at each component or part to it. So when we are asked to analyse something, it again needs full depth of answer. We are probably looking at a higher word count with this one because we need that amount to be able to answer it fully.

Other words that we might use, we might use the word 'discuss'. Now to discuss something, there are a couple of different ways we can do this. Again, slightly the same as analyse, pros and cons, because in a discussion, someone is going to have an opinion on one thing and there is going to be another opinion. So in a discussion, we are looking at how we can argue between the goods, the bad, pros and cons. Okay.

Those are pretty much what we are going to find in a lot of our qualifications and it is very important that we understand what a SMART word is and how we use that when we are answering our questions.