Introducing Unit Specifications and Unit Assessment Support Packs Computing Science National 3 to National 5

Unit Assessment  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  Prior verification is freely available (on-line form)

Unit Structure National 3National 4National 5 Building Digital Solutions Software Design & Development Information Solutions Information Systems Design & Development Course Assignment (Added Value Unit) Course Assessment

Key points: Computing Science Units  standards remain the same  have a hierarchical Unit structure that provide progression from National 4 to Higher  All documents are undergoing finalisation  Should be downloaded from sqasecure in August  All UASP and course assessment tasks are confidential – must be kept secure

Unit Specifications UnitSoftware Design & Development(N4) Outcome 2Develop short programs using a software development environment by: Assessment Standards 2.1 Selecting and using expressions, sequence, selection and iteration 2.2 Selecting and using appropriate simple data types, such as numeric (integer) and string 2.3 Testing digital solutions using supplied test data 2.4 Identifying and rectifying errors in programs

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 may be gathered for individual Outcomes where appropriate or  Evidence may be gathered in combination with other Outcomes where possible.

Unit Specifications Evidence for Outcome 1 may be oral or written. Evidence of the assessment standards for Outcome 2 may be derived from many software development tasks; formal documentation is not expected or required. The report for Outcome 3 need not be written, but may be presented visually or in some other format. See Appendix 1 – Judging evidence

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

Computing Science UASPs Package 1  Unit by Unit approach with discrete assessment tasks for each Unit. Package 2  Portfolio approach across the Units. Package 3 Unit by Unit approach with discrete assessment tasks for each Unit.

National 4 Added Value Unit  Makes the Course more than the sum of its parts  Builds on current Course assessment  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: Computing Science Assignment  Assesses skills from both Units in analysing a problem, designing and implementing a solution  This assessment is a single assessment event. Candidates should undertake the assessment at an appropriate point in the Course.  This is an open book assessment.  Candidates must undertake the assessment independently.  Internally marked pass or fail

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.

N5 Coursework Assessment Controlled assessment  Chosen from an SQA approved list  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.

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