Introducing Unit Specifications and Unit Assessment Support Packs

Computing Science National 3 to National 5

Unit Assessment

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

Prior verification is freely available (on-line form)

Unit Structure

National 3 National 4 National 5

Building Digital Solutions

Software Design & Development

Software Design & Development

Information Solutions

Information Systems Design &

Development

Information Systems Design &

Development

Course Assignment(Added Value Unit)

Course Assessment

Key points: ComputingScience Units

standards remain the same have a hierarchical Unit structure that provide

progression from National 4 to Higher All documents are undergoing finalisation Should be downloaded from sqasecure in August All UASP and course assessment tasks are

confidential – must be kept secure

Unit Specifications

Unit Software Design & Development(N4)

Outcome 2 Develop short programs using a software development environment by:

Assessment Standards

2.1 Selecting and using expressions, sequence, selection and iteration

2.2 Selecting and using appropriate simple data types, such as numeric (integer) and string

2.3 Testing digital solutions using supplied test data

2.4 Identifying and rectifying errors in programs

Unit SpecificationsEvidence 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 may be gathered for individual Outcomes where appropriate or

Evidence may be gathered in combination with other Outcomes where possible.

Unit Specifications

Evidence for Outcome 1 may be oral or written. Evidence of the assessment standards for Outcome 2 may be derived from many software development tasks; formal documentation is not expected or required.

The report for Outcome 3 need not be written, but may be presented visually or in some other format.

See Appendix 1 – Judging evidence

Unit 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 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

Computing Science UASPs

Package 1 Unit by Unit approach with discrete assessment

tasks for each Unit.

Package 2 Portfolio approach across the Units.

Package 3 Unit by Unit approach with discrete assessment tasks

for each Unit.

National 4 Added Value Unit

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

N5 Internal Assessment of Course Components

Controlled assessment is SQA’s approach to developing assessments (setting), the conditions of assessment (conducting), and marking assessments (marking).

SQA is introducing controlled assessment for non-question paper components of the Added Value Unit and new National Courses at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher.

N5 Coursework Assessment

Controlled assessment

Chosen from an SQA approved list 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.

Moving on

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