Classical Studies Unit Assessment National 3 to National 5

Unit assessment Flexible and open Assessment Standards and Evidence Requirements in Units Greater range of techniques and methodologies for assessment – encouraged through Unit assessment support packages 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 packages – purpose Assessment support packages 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 packages – 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

Unit assessment support packages - approaches Unit by Unit approach – discrete assessment tasks for each Unit Package 2 Combined approach – groups Outcomes and Assessment Standards from different Units Package 3 Portfolio approach – evidence generated assessment standard by assessment standard

Assessment Package 1 Life in Classical Greece Classical Literature Life in the Roman World You can use the illustrative examples provided and adapt these to suit the contexts that your learners have studied or the kind of approach that would suit them best N3 Oral presentation Skill: commenting on a source Context: Family life Visual product Skill: commenting on the relevance of a classical text Context: Odyssey Responses to questions Skill: Using archaeological evidence to compare the classical and modern worlds Context: Theatres N4 Skill: Drawing a conclusion on the value of a source Context: Slavery Skill: commenting on the significance of a classical text Context: Medea Skill: Using archaeological evidence to compare/contrast the classical and modern worlds Context: Bath houses N5 Skill: Expressing a reasoned conclusion on the value of a source Context: Cult of Athena Skill: Expressing a reasoned view on the significance of a classical text Context: Oedipus Context: Entertainment Three broad approaches: Traditional written responses to question Visual presentation Oral presentation Flexibility on which approach to take Flexibility within each approach e.g. oral may be in the form of a talk to the class, to a small group, a podcast or a news broadcast Each broad approach is likely to be supplemented by additional input e.g. a visual poster will have a written commentary, an oral presentation my be supplemented by slides or notes

Assessment Package 1 Although a range of approaches to gathering evidence for Unit assessment have been illustrated: the standard applied is the same irrespective of the approach taken it is the skills, knowledge and understanding as specified in the Assessment Standards which are being assessed – do not inflate the demands of the Unit there should be consistency in conditions across different techniques all approaches should be manageable for candidates and centres

Key points from Unit Assessment Support packs Assessment Overview This document contains generic prompts which can be adapted to different contexts Also a worked-through example – this is illustrative only Evidence in one form may be supplemented with evidence in other forms Assessment conditions Candidates should have sufficient time to complete the task Level of teacher/lecturer support should be appropriate for level but evidence must be the candidate's own work When group work is used – evidence of individual achievement is required Evidence to be retained Sufficient for QA purposes Practical approaches to retaining evidence e.g. candidate responses/product, assessor checklists, supplementary material Reassessment SQA policy continues to apply Only need to reassess specific Outcomes or assessment standards not yet met

Key points from Unit Assessment Support packs Teacher prompts and questioning may be used to: Confirm evidence is candidate’s own work For clarification/confirmation of standard being met To supplement oral/visual/written presentation if necessary Judging evidence Standards need to be consistently applied, irrespective of the approach taken to generating evidence General principles and specific exemplification given Column 4 is adaptable to different contexts Candidates may provide evidence of meeting the standard outwith the specific prompt – this should be credited Candidate task Illustrative only Centres encouraged to adapt to their own contexts

Workshop 1 Task 1 Use the materials provided: Life in Classical Greece: National 3, 4 and 5 Classical Literature: National 4 Life in the Roman World: National 5 In small groups of 2-3, discuss The assessment tasks illustrated Approaches to generating evidence Making judgements How could you use the Unit Assessment materials to support you in your own centres?