Qualifications Update:Sociology

Qualifications Update:Sociology

• 3 Unit Structure• Many of the skills knowledge and understanding

from current Higher are evident in the new Higher e.g. research methods and sociological perspectives and theories

• Qualification is benchmarked to SCQF level 6 and so equal to the current Higher in demand

• Approval from SQA required to deliver the qualification

Key messages: Key messages: Points of stability

• New Unit titles– Human Society– Culture and Identity– Social Issues

• Higher Units are Hierarchical with National 5 Units

• Flexibility and choice in content and contexts for learning and teaching and for Unit assessment

Key messages: Points of change - Units Key messages: Points of change - Units

• Course assessment includes an assignment and a question paper

• The assignment offers an open choice of topic and requires secondary research skills

• The question paper is 1.5 hours - shorter than current Higher which lasts 2.5 hours

• All questions in the question paper must be answered: no options, but optionality within questions

Key messages: Points of change Key messages: Points of change Course assessmentCourse assessment

Assessment Support Schedule 2013/14 Assessment Support Schedule 2013/14

Sept 13 CfE Update Letter

Oct 13 Unit Assessment Support (Package 1)

Feb 14 Unit Assessment Support (Package 2)

Feb 14 Higher Specimen Question Paper

Mar 14 Coursework General Assessment Information

Apr 14 Unit Assessment Support (Package 3)

May 14 Update Mandatory Documents

Jun 14 Update Unit Assessment Support

SociologyUnit Assessment

at Higher

SociologyUnit Assessment

at Higher

Unit assessment - recapUnit assessment - recap• Flexible and open Assessment Standards and Evidence

Requirements in Units

• Greater range of techniques and methodologies for assessment – encouraged

• Assessments can be designed to provide evidence across more than one outcome or Unit – combined assessments

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

Unit Assessment Support purpose Unit Assessment Support purpose

As at National 5, Assessment Support will be provided which you can use to:

•Assess your candidates

•Adapt for your own assessment programmes

•Help you develop your own assessments

Unit Assessment Support at HigherUnit Assessment Support at Higher – key features – key features

• Valid from August 2014

• Complements and supports learning and teaching

• Assess competence against Unit Outcomes and Assessment Standards

• 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

Unit assessment support Unit assessment support packages at Higher - approachespackages at Higher - approaches

Package 1 • Unit by Unit approach – discrete assessment

tasks for each UnitPackage 2 • Portfolio approach – naturally occurring

evidence Package 3 • Combined approach – groups Outcomes and

Assessment Standards from different Units

Assessment Support Package ExampleAssessment Support Package Example

Unit by Unit approach:

•Discrete assessment tasks for each Unit • Sociology: Human Society• Sociology: Culture and Identity• Sociology: Social Issues

Assessment Support Package ExampleAssessment Support Package ExampleEach pack covers• Outcome and assessment standards • Overview of assessment • Evidence to be gathered• Judging evidence table • Recording documentation • Appendix 1 – assessment for candidates

Assessment Support Package ExampleAssessment Support Package Examplekey issues • Columns 1 – 3 in the judging evidence table

set out the standard for Unit assessment. • Column 4 offers guidance and is different

in each pack• re-assessment only on Outcome or

Assessment Standard that has not been met

Workshop AimsWorkshop Aims

•To understand the assessment and evidence requirements of the Unit Assessment Support for the Higher Units provided

•To consider a range of ways of generating evidence for the Higher Unit Assessment Support provided

Workshop TaskWorkshop TaskIn small groups of 2-3, choose one Unit to look at and discuss: •the assessment task in the Unit Assessment Support provided •how to generate evidence for the Unit Assessment Support provided•how to make assessment judgments for the Unit Assessment Support provided

SociologyHigher Course Assessment

SociologyHigher Course Assessment

Course Assessment at HigherCourse Assessment at Higher• Course Assessment at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher

assesses Added Value

• Courses at Higher are normally assessed by one or two Components

• Courses at Higher are graded A – D, as at present

• Controlled Assessment of setting, conducting and marking

• For Sociology there are 2 Components

– Assignment

– Question Paper

Higher Sociology - Assignment Higher Sociology - Assignment Setting; conducting and marking– Set by SQA

• Assignment task on the secure site• General assessment information on the public website

– Clear guidelines, structure and word length

– Conducted under some supervision and control • Guidance for authentication of coursework

– Marked by SQA• Sent to SQA for marking• 30 marks • Criteria for marking given with the assessment task• Criteria based on skills knowledge and understanding from the

Course Specification

Higher Sociology – Question Paper Higher Sociology – Question Paper Setting, conducting and marking• Set by SQA

– Specimen question paper – 3 sections in the question paper – each section relates to a

Unit of the Course– Questions in each section have a total value of 20 marks– Skills, knowledge and understanding applied across paper

• Conducted under controlled conditions– 1 hour 30 minutes

• Marked by SQA – 60 marks

Progression from National 5Progression from National 5• National 5 assignment:– Skills knowledge and understanding are benchmarked

at SCQF level 5 – Assignment task is an investigation with a structure to

follow

• Higher assignment– Skills knowledge and understanding are benchmarked

at SCQF level 6 – Assignment task is the candidate’s report of their own

secondary research into a topic of choice

Progression from National 5Progression from National 5National 5 Question Paper:

– Skills knowledge and understanding are benchmarked at SCQF level 5

– 50 marks

Higher Question Paper– Skills knowledge and understanding are benchmarked at

SCQF level 6 – 60 Marks– Can sample a greater breadth of knowledge and

understanding

Workshop 2: AimWorkshop 2: Aim

• To understand the requirements of Higher Course Assessments

• Materials provided:– FIOCA: Further Information on Course

Assessment

Workshop 2: TaskWorkshop 2: TaskFollowing on from your discussion in Workshop 1, and using the materials provided, discuss:•the requirements of the Higher Course Assessment •how these requirements build on the Higher Units•how these requirements build on National 5