Introducing Unit Specifications and Unit Assessment Support Packs Gàidhlig National 3/4/5

Key points: Gàidhlig Units  Standard remains the same  Units have a hierarchical Unit structure that provide clear progression from National 3 to Higher  Added Value Unit assessment at National 4 increases personalisation and choice  Combined the best aspects of the current arrangements  Parity between English and Gàidhlig courses  Unit Outcomes are skills-based and provide challenge, flexibility and choice.

Unit Structure National 3National 4National 5 Gàidhlig: Understanding Language Gàidhlig: Analysis and Evaluation Gàidhlig: Analysis and Evaluation Gàidhlig: Producing Language Gàidhlig: Creation and Production Gàidhlig: Creation and Production Gàidhlig: Assignment

Unit Assessment  Assessments can be designed to provide evidence across more than one Outcome or Unit – combined assessments  Flexible and open Evidence Requirements  Greater range of techniques and methodologies for assessment – encouraged through Unit assessment support packages and Unit and Course Support Notes  More opportunities to gather naturally occurring evidence – assessment as part of learning and teaching

Unit Specifications  Unit Specification is the core document, referencing the following key elements:  Outcome(s)  Assessment Standards  Evidence Requirements

Unit Assessment Support Packages (UASP) : 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 – assist assessors in choosing appropriate Context(s) 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

Gàidhlig UASPs Package 1  Unit-by-unit assessment approaches exemplified at Nat 3/4/5 Package 2  Combined assessment approaches exemplified at Nat 3/4/5 Package 3  Unit by Unit assessment approaches exemplified at Nat 3 and combined assessment approaches exemplified at Nat 4/5

National 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: Gàidhlig  Focus on challenge and application of language skills  Internally marked pass or fail  Combined the best aspects of the current arrangements with a greater range of opportunities for assessment in a range of contexts.  Added Value Unit is assessed by an Assignment, providing personalisation and choice for learners.

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.

Moving on  Workshops 1 and 2 will give you the opportunity to look at the Unit Specifications and Unit Assessment Support Packages in detail.