Curriculum for Excellence: the next generation of qualifications

www.sqa.org.uk/curriculumforexcellence

Kathleen McCormick – Qualifications Development Consultant

Margaret Sutherland– Qualifications Development Consultant

(Languages)

Who are we?• Seconded to SQA

• Members of the CfE Qualifications Development Team in the Languages Curriculum Area

What do we do?• Ongoing engagement and research

• Develop qualifications within SQA quality assurance framework

Aims To :

• Provide information about the design of new qualifications and timelines

• Provide information about Modern Languages National 4 and 5 Course Specifications and Higher Course Rationale and Summary; update on Language for Life and Work Award

• Provide information about the development process including the role of QDTs

Engagement Starter

• Take 5 minutes to discuss with those around you what you consider to be the issue/s or question/s that you require more information about

• Write them on the post-its provided

Modern LanguagesNational 4 and 5

Course Specification

Key Features of Course Specification

• Focus on skills

• Opportunity to integrate skills

across Course

• Broad range of contexts

Key Features of Course Specification

• Modern Languages is about understanding and using language through listening and talking, reading and writing.

• N4: 2 Units (focused on understanding and using language), plus 1 Added Value Unit (assignment that integrates and applies 4 languages skills)

• N5: 2 Units (focused on understanding and using language) plus 1 Course Assessment (question paper [reading, listening and writing]) and assignment [talking])

• Broad contexts

Modern Languages

Higher Course Rationale and

Summary

Key Features• provides progression from Modern Languages (National

5) and has the same Course structure and Unit titles as National 5

• provides learners with the opportunity to understand and use more complex language in depth

• provides the opportunity to develop the language skills of translation

• provides flexibility to apply language skills in contexts relevant to learners, such as social media, job-related topics or through thematic approaches

• provides opportunities to use a broad range of texts

Engagement

Feedback is sought in the following areas:

• the balance of skills across the Units

• the broad contexts for the Course

• how to assess listening and talking skills in an integrated way

• skills to be assessed in the assignment and question paper

Language for Life and Work Award

• Available at SCQF levels 3 and 4

• Practical and relevant contexts

• Personal development – employability skils

• 3 Units, 2 of which existing SQA Units

• Opportunity to combine 2 languages

Design of new qualifications

and timelines

New National Courses: DesignDesign principles agreed for National Courses from Access 2 to Advanced Higher

• New revised Access courses

• New National 4 – added value unit, ungraded

• New National 5 – course assessment, graded A to D

• New revised Higher and Advanced Highers, graded A to D

• Access, Higher and Advanced Higher – revised to reflect aims, values, principles of Curriculum for Excellence and provide good progression to and from National 4 and 5

• New type of Unit – more skills-based, less prescriptive, and more user-friendly

• New Course Specifications will be more flexible and open.

Key Qualifications Delivery Timelines• Nat 4/5 draft Rationale and Courses Summary Jan 11• Nat 4/5 draft Courses Specifications Apr 11• Higher draft Rationale and Courses Summary May 11• Higher draft Courses Specifications Aug 11• Nat 4/5 draft Unit Specifications Aug 11• Acc 3 draft Rationale and Courses Summary Aug 11• Acc 3 draft Course Specifications Oct 11• N4/5 draft Course and Unit Assessment Specs Nov 11• Higher draft Unit Specifications Nov 11• Acc 3 draft Unit Specifications Dec 11

Publications of Arrangements/Specifications Apr 12 (SCQF 1 to 6)

Specifications, guidance and support

New ways of specifying requirements – shorter, more open, less prescriptive:

• Course Specification: outlines Course structure and what is required to pass the Course

• Unit Specification: outcomes and assessment standards• Course Assessment Specification: mandatory assessment

requirements

More guidance and support – for example:• Course and Unit Support Notes: guidance on delivering Courses

and the Units, approaches to learning and teaching• Exemplification: approaches to Course and Unit assessment

Assessment

Course assessment :• added value – breadth, challenge and application• methods defined

Unit assessment:• broader outcome statements and assessment standards, • more open, flexible evidence requirements• flexibility for practitioners to make decisions about

assessment methods

Development Process

QA and Engagement

Qualifications Development Model

Products published to date

• Progress Report• Overview of qualifications report• Draft N4/N5 Rationale and Course Summaries• Draft N4/N5 Course Specifications• Draft Higher Course Rationale and Summary • www.sqa.org.uk/curriculumforexcellence

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