Qualifications Update: Higher Classical Studies Jane Henderson QDM Qualifications Update: Higher Classical Studies Jane Henderson QDM

Coherent progression from National 5 and to Advanced Higher Relevant, challenging and enjoyable contexts Opportunities for candidates to show the breadth and depth of what they know Opportunities for candidates to show the application of their Classical Studies skills Personalisation and choice for learners in the Assignment Key messages

Units combine skills and knowledge and offer flexibility in how evidence is gathered, to challenge and motivate learners Knowledge and understanding and the application of skills build progressively up levels in Unit and in Course assessment Maintains the best aspects of current Higher to ensure the continuing quality and value of Classical Studies Key messages

Points of stability Application of analysis and evaluation skills Familiar areas of study: – Power & Freedom (Greece and Rome) – Religion & Belief (Greece and Rome) – Classical Literature Use of command words/question stems

Points of change Re-structure of Social Aspects of the Classical World into two Units: – Life in Classical Greece – Life in the Roman World (identical structure National 3 – National 5) Addition of Assignment, where candidates have an open choice of Classical Studies issue or question to study (as at National 5) Greater flexibility in choice of texts, in Classical Literature. Can be any text, not only drama (as at National 5) One question paper of two hours 15 minutes, 60 marks Production of evidence in Assignment up to one hour and 30 minutes

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

Classical Studies Unit Assessment Higher

Unit assessment Supports assessment as part of learning and teaching Is flexible in the ways in which evidence can be generated Open in the context which is used and in the form of the evidence

Unit Assessment Support packages – purpose Assess your candidates Adapt in line with your own assessment strategy Help you develop your own assessments

Unit Assessment Support Packages – key features Tell you – with examples – how to judge evidence against Assessment Standards Provide further clarification of the Assessment Standards Encourage and support professional judgment Include advice on adapting to different contexts Valid from August 2014

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

Assessment Package 1 LevelLife in Classical GreeceClassical LiteratureLife in the Roman World N3Skill: Comment on sources Context: Family Life (gravestone) Skill: Commenting Context: Odyssey Skill: Using archaeological evidence Context: Theatre N4Skill: Comment on sources Context: Slavery Skill: Drawing conclusions Context: Medea Skill: Using archaeological evidence Context: Bath house N5Skill: Evaluate sources Context: Panathenaia Skill: Drawing conclusions Context: Oedipus Skill: Using archaeological evidence Context: Theatres HSkill: Evaluating sources Context: Sacrifice to Apollo Skill: Analysis and evaluation Context: Antigone Skill: Analysing archaeological evidence Context: The Curia

Document read-through Overview of Assessment – Contains an outline of the example task – Also includes advice on how to adapt the task – Evidence in one form may be supplemented with evidence in other forms

Document read-through Assessment Conditions – Level of teacher/lecturer support should be appropriate but evidence must be the candidate's own work – When group work is used, evidence of individual achievement is required – Centres’ responsibility to ensure that all evidence is the individual candidate’s work

Document read-through Assessment Conditions (continued) – SQA has left the conditions of assessment at Unit level open and flexible – SQA has not imposed time restrictions - candidates should have sufficient time to complete the task – SQA has not imposed restrictions on resources which candidates may use in the assessment – Same conditions apply National 3 – Higher

Document read-through Evidence to be gathered – A range of possible forms of evidence may be appropriate – Keep accurate records of the evidence gathered and the assessment decisions made – Only need sufficient evidence to show achievement of the Assessment Standards once

Document read-through Judging Evidence – Table tells you how to judge evidence against the Assessment Standards – Illustrations of possible candidate responses – Approach used can change, Assessment Standards do not change – Columns 1 – 2 are fixed, column 4 will vary with the task

Document read-through Re-assessment arrangements – Assessment should be carried out when the individual candidate is ready – If a candidate fails to provide evidence for all the Assessment Standards, it is only necessary to re- assess the individual Assessment Standard(s) that they have yet to achieve

Document read-through Examples of recording documentation – Exemplar tables for recording candidate’s/group’s achievement of Assessment Standards – These can be adapted as required

Document read-through Assessment Task – Aligns with the prompts in the Overview of Assessment section – Exemplifies one context in which Unit assessment may take place

Workshop 1 Use the materials provided: In groups of 2-3 discuss: – The assessment task in the Unit Assessment Support provided – How to generate evidence for the UAS provided – How to make assessment judgements for the UAS provided

Workshop 1 Use the materials provided: Focus on the candidate task and the judging evidence table (10 mins) In groups of 2-3 discuss: Any questions/concerns/clarifications about the mandatory Course documents? (20 mins) how column 4 illustrates the advise in column 3 (10 minutes) the ways in which Unit assessment fits in with your overall assessment strategy (10 minutes) what you can take back to your centre to support others (10 mins)

Classical Studies Higher Course Assessment Robert Doig QDC Classical Studies Higher Course Assessment Robert Doig QDC

Context and Rationale for development of Higher Classical Studies Level of demand benchmarked against SCQF level 6 as in current Higher Progression and articulation from National 5 and on to Advanced Higher CfE principles e.g. personalisation and choice, importance of skills Opportunity to refresh and update content and contexts Consistency with other Highers as appropriate FIOCA provides further detail

Process of Development Course Specification – Aims and rationale of the Higher Classical Studies Course Unit Specifications – Skills developed across all Units and assessed within specified contexts Course Assessment Specification – Requirements for Question Paper and Assignment – application of skills to mandatory content

Added Value Makes the Course more than the sum of its parts Builds on current Course assessment and Group Award approaches Defined as breadth, challenge and application as outlined in Building the Curriculum 5 May involve accumulation, assimilation, integration and/or application of skills, knowledge and understanding Uses one or two of 7 defined assessment methods

Adding Value – National 4, National 5, Higher For National 4, the added value is assessed in the Added Value Unit - not graded For National 5 and Higher (and Advanced Higher) the added value is assessed in the Course Assessment - graded A - D (as at present)

Higher – Course Assessment Two components – Question Paper: 60 marks - 66% (75% at National 5) – Assignment 30: marks - 33% (25% at National 5) Skills and knowledge and understanding will have equal importance across course assessment as a whole Both components will be externally marked

Higher – Question Paper Three sections each worth 20 marks: Life in classical Greece; Classical Literature: Life in the Roman Worlds There will be a choice of contexts and questions in each section Mandatory content will be sampled Will assess the skills of analysing and evaluating, and draw on detailed knowledge and understanding of complex issues as well as applying source handling skills. Greater emphasis on knowledge and understanding than skills Range of marks – 8, 12 or 20

Higher – Question Paper In the Life in Classical Greece and Life in the Roman World sections there will be one mandatory source based question and a choice between two issue based questions. One section will require candidates to evaluate the usefulness of a single source. In this section the issue based questions will require candidates to analyse an aspect of the classical world. The other section will ask candidates how fully three sources address an aspect of the classical world. In this section the issue based questions will require candidates to evaluate an aspect of the classical world.

Higher – Question Paper A limited range of command words/question stems will be used in the paper for extended response questions: Analyse … To what extent … Greater clarity and support for centres in general marking principles and detailed marking instructions as to how these questions will be marked

Higher – Question Paper “Analyse” questions require candidates to… Identify parts, the relationship between them, and their relationships with the whole. Draw out and relate implications. SQA Guidance Analysis will derive from a body of knowledge and understanding.

Higher – Question Paper “To what extent” questions require candidates to… Make a judgement based on criteria. SQA Guidance Evaluation will derive from a body of knowledge and understanding. Candidates will make a judgment(s), reach a conclusion(s), make evaluative comments

Higher – Question Paper “Discuss” questions require candidates to… Analyse and Evaluate and present a logical and coherent line of argument Analysis and evaluation will derive from a body of knowledge and understanding. In the Classical Literature section there will be a choice between questions which address different themes.

Higher – Question Paper Candidates will be required to: Analyse elements of the theme in the text (s) (3 marks) Analyse the theme in the Classical and Modern worlds (6 marks) Evaluate the text (s) in relation to the theme (3 marks) Support their analysis and evaluation with detailed knowledge and understanding of the text (s) (6 marks) Come to a conclusion (2 marks)

Higher – Question Paper Source based questions require candidates to… Apply skills to a range of detailed/complex sources “Evaluate the usefulness” questions will require candidates to evaluate a single source in relation to an aspect of the classical world “How fully” questions will require candidates to analyse at least 2 out of 3 and place them in the context of an aspect of the classical world. One of these sources can be pictorial, showing a piece of archaeological evidence.

Controlled Assessment Where the assessment method is not a question paper, SQA has introduced the concept of controlled assessment to ensure fairness and reliability Three stages of assessment: Setting, Conducting, Marking the assessment Each will have a defined level of control: SQA-led activity, Shared responsibility between SQA and centres, Centre-led Subject-specific decisions, but mostly SQA-led activity in initial years

Higher – Assignment Opportunity for learner personalisation and choice Candidates will have an open choice of Classical Studies Issue Marked out of 30 Externally marked Evidence produced in controlled conditions in up to one hour 30 minutes Assesses the results of their research and the application of decision making skills

Higher – Assignment Greater emphasis on skills than knowledge and understanding SQA will provide General Assessment Information and the Assessment Task Task does not change from year to year Detailed marking instructions available and can be shared with candidates Guide to candidates will be provided as at National 5

Workshop 2 Use the materials provided: In groups of 2-3 discuss: – the requirements of the Higher Course assessment – How these requirements build on the Higher Units – How these requirements build on National 5 Materials provided: – Further Information on Course Assessment – Assignment read across document

Workshop 2 Use the materials provided: read the FIOCA (10 mins) In groups of 2-3 discuss: the relationship between assessment at Unit level and Course level (10 minutes) aspects of your current practice which you plan to continue (15 minutes) aspects of your current practice which you plan to change (15 minutes) what will you take back to your centre to support others?