Introducing Unit Specifications and Unit Assessment Support Packs

Introducing Unit Specifications and Unit Assessment Support Packs

National 3, 4 and 5

Unit AssessmentUnit Assessment

Unit assessment as part of learning not after learning. Assessments can be designed to provide evidence across

more than one Unit or Outcome – combined assessments Flexible and open Evidence Requirements in Units Greater range of techniques and methodologies for

assessment – encouraged through Unit assessment support packages

More opportunities to gather naturally occurring evidence – assessment as part of learning and teaching

Unit StructureUnit Structure

National 3 National 4 National 5

Scottish Scottish Scottish

British British British

European and World European and World European and World

Added Value Unit: Assignment

Key points: History UnitsKey points: History Units

Evidence is flexible, standards remain the same Feature the best approaches of the current History

Units Have a hierarchical Unit structure that provide

progression from National 3 to Higher  Units prescribe skills only. Units have no required content only very broad

context. Outcome 1 is totally transferable between contexts. Outcome 2 is context but not content specific

Unit SpecificationsUnit Specifications

Unit Historical Study: British (National 5)

Outcome 2 Draw on and apply knowledge and understanding of British historical events and themes by:

Assessment Standards 2.1 Describing, in detail, and mostly accurately, a British historical event or theme

2.2 Explaining, in detail, a British historical event or theme

2.3 Analysing a British historical event or theme

Unit SpecificationsUnit Specifications

Evidence Requirements for this Unit: Assessors should use their professional judgement,

subject knowledge and experience, and understanding of their learners, to determine the most appropriate ways to generate evidence and the conditions and contexts in which they are used.

Evidence can take a number of different forms and may be a combination of practical, written, oral and/or recorded evidence, as appropriate to the assessment activity and the needs of the individual candidate.

Evidence may also be gathered for individual Outcomes where appropriate.

Unit SpecificationsUnit Specifications

In the assessment task presented (Appendix 1), the evidence to be gathered may include:

Candidates’ written responses Slides in support of an oral presentation Candidate’s visual product A photograph or recording of a visual product Candidates’ notes used to support an oral presentation Video/audio recording Assessor checklist Assessor observation notes

Unit Assessment Support Packages - purposeUnit Assessment Support Packages - purpose

UASPs can be used to:

• Assess your candidates

• Adapt for your own assessment programmes

• Help you develop your own assessments

UASPs – key featuresUASPs – key features

Valid from August 2013

Designed to encourage professional judgement

Provide broad-based tasks – allow assessors to choose appropriate context and forms of evidence

Show range of approaches to generating assessment evidence

Give information on the type of evidence which could be gathered and how this is to be judged against Assessment Standards

History UASPsHistory UASPs

Package 1 Unit by Unit approach N3, N4 and N5 Package 2 Combined approach across Units N3 and N4 and N5 Package 3 Portfolio approach across Units N3, N4 and N5

National 4 Added Value UnitNational 4 Added Value Unit

Makes the Course more than the sum of its parts Builds on current Course assessment and Group

Award approaches Defined as breadth, challenge and/or application

as outlined in Building the Curriculum 5 May involve accumulation, assimilation,

integration and/or application of skills, knowledge and understanding

Controlled assessment –setting, conducting and marking

N4 AV Unit: History AssignmentN4 AV Unit: History Assignment

Focus on challenge and application of History skills

Unit Specification and Unit Assessment Support package

Assesses skills in researching, which will include choosing a question, collecting evidence, organising, and preparation for the presentation of findings.

Assesses skills in presentation of findings Internally marked pass or fail

N4 AssignmentN4 Assignment

Controlled assessment

This assignment is: set by centres within SQA guidelines conducted under a high degree of supervision

and control   Evidence will be internally marked by centre staff

in line with SQA marking instructions. Marking will be quality assured by SQA. The performance will be recorded.

Moving onMoving on

Workshop 1 and 2 will give you the opportunity to look at the Unit Specifications and Unit Assessment Support Packages in detail.