Introducing Unit Specifications and Unit Assessment Support Packs National 3, 4 and 5

Unit Assessment Unit assessment as part of learning not after learning. 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

Unit Structure National 3National 4National 5 Scottish British European and World Added Value Unit: Assignment

Key points: History Units Evidence is flexible, standards remain the same Feature the best approaches of the current History Units Have a hierarchical Unit structure that provide progression from National 3 to Higher Units prescribe skills only. Units have no required content only very broad context. Outcome 1 is totally transferable between contexts. Outcome 2 is context but not content specific

Unit Specifications UnitHistorical Study: British (National 5) Outcome 2Draw on and apply knowledge and understanding of British historical events and themes by: Assessment Standards2.1Describing, in detail, and mostly accurately, a British historical event or theme 2.2Explaining, in detail, a British historical event or theme 2.3Analysing a British historical event or theme

Unit Specifications Evidence 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 can take a number of different forms and may be a combination of practical, written, oral and/or recorded evidence, as appropriate to the assessment activity and the needs of the individual candidate. Evidence may also be gathered for individual Outcomes where appropriate.

Unit Specifications In the assessment task presented (Appendix 1), the evidence to be gathered may include: Candidates written responses Slides in support of an oral presentation Candidates visual product A photograph or recording of a visual product Candidates notes used to support an oral presentation Video/audio recording Assessor checklist Assessor observation notes

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

History UASPs Package 1 Unit by Unit approach N3, N4 and N5 Package 2 Combined approach across Units N3 and N4 and N5 Package 3 Portfolio approach across Units N3, N4 and N5

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: History Assignment Focus on challenge and application of History skills Unit Specification and Unit Assessment Support package Assesses skills in researching, which will include choosing a question, collecting evidence, organising, and preparation for the presentation of findings. Assesses skills in presentation of findings Internally marked pass or fail

N4 Assignment Controlled assessment This assignment is: set by centres within SQA guidelines 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. The performance will be recorded.

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