1. Marking ITP assignments
IFY and Level 3 Diplomas

2. Workshop Objectives
ITP is common to IFY and Level 3 Computing Diploma.
Global Assignment – Centres mark assignments, internally standardise centre marking and the work is sent to Assessments Department for moderation so the aim is to improve your understanding of assessment purpose and design to better prepare candidates, and ensure that you mark according to NCC Education guidelines taking into account learning objectives, assessment criteria, mark schemes and grade descriptors.
What is Plagiarism?

3. Agenda Introduction Overview of the marking process
Learning Objectives, Assessment Criteria and Grade Descriptors for ‘Introduction to Programming’
Scripts from different grade boundaries will be analysed, accompanied by an annotated mark scheme and detailed commentaries of the marking that will focus on grade boundaries and will refer to the mark scheme.
Marking practice of one candidate’s assignment
Summary
What is Plagiarism?

4. Introduction The purpose of this session is to enable delegates to:
Build a common understanding of the marking process and the relationship between mark schemes, learning objectives assessment criteria and grade descriptors
Practise marking scripts using the marking scheme in order to gain a better understanding of how to use the marking scheme and what evidence constitutes a pass, merit and distinction grade
Be able to replicate the training on return to their centres
What is Plagiarism?

5. The Marking Process GX
Global Exams (GX)- marked and moderated by NCC Education. Although you will not mark these, understanding the marking process will identify how to help your candidates better prepare for the assessment.
Global Exam - submissions are subject to rigorous processes of marking, moderation and scrutiny to ensure that submissions have been accurately and fairly assessed and graded to the Level standards.
Past papers and mark schemes available on Campus and for partner centres to use for practice.
What is Plagiarism?

6. The Marking Process - LX
Local Exams (LX)- marked by centres and moderated by NCC Education. Understanding the marking process will identify how to help your candidates better prepare for the assessment.
Local Exam submissions are subject to rigorous processes of moderation and scrutiny to ensure that submissions have been accurately and fairly assessed and graded to the Level standards.
Past papers and mark schemes available on Campus and for partner centres to use for practice.

7. The Marking Process - GA
Global Assignments (GA)- marked by centres and moderated by NCC Education. This session will focus on understanding the marking process of assignments to help you identify how to help your candidates better prepare for the assessment and ensure that you mark according to NCC Education guidelines taking into account learning objectives, assessment criteria, mark schemes and grade descriptors.
Past papers and mark schemes available on Campus and for partner centres to use for practice.

8. Assessing Learning using Learning Outcomes and
Assessment Criteria– ITP example
Learning Outcome – Explain the constructs of sequence and iteration.
Assessment criteria
Describe the ’For – Next ‘ construct.
Explain the purpose of the ‘For – Next’ construct.
Describe the ‘If – Then – Else – End If’ construct.
Explain the purpose of the ‘If – Then – Else – End If’ construct.
This information is found in the L3 Diploma in Computing Qualification Unit Specification document. It is available on the NCC Education website, and a copy of valid sections is supplied today.
What is Plagiarism?

9. Learning Outcomes for ‘Introduction to Programming’ See Qualification Unit Specification for further information on the Assessment Criteria for each Learning Outcome.
Learning Outcomes
Understand the Visual Basic (VB) Integrated Development Environment (IDE) and Development Framework.
Understand the programming constructs of sequence and iteration
Understand the concept of project documentation.
Understand data capture and validation.
Implement a programme that uses iteration and sequence constructs.
Implement a programme that uses Screen Controls
Implement a programme that uses Serial Files
Implement a programme that uses Arrays
What is Plagiarism?

10. Grade Descriptors Grade Descriptors.
What are Grade Descriptors? Grade descriptors show how a given level of performance will be reflected in a grade
Pass grade = Demonstrate adequate level of understanding
Merit grade = Demonstrate robust level of understanding
Distinction grade = Demonstrate highly comprehensive level of understanding
These then relate to each of the Unit Learning Outcomes
See Qualification Unit Specification for further information on the grade requirement for each Learning Outcome
What is Plagiarism?

11. Grade Descriptors - Example from some ITP Learning Outcomes
Pass
Merit
Distinction
Understand the programming constructs of sequence and iteration
Demonstrate adequate level of understanding
Demonstrate robust level of understanding
Demonstrate highly comprehensive level of understanding
Implement a programme that uses iteration and sequence constructs
Demonstrate ability to perform the task
Demonstrate ability to perform the task consistently well
Demonstrate ability to perform the task to the highest standard
What is Plagiarism?

12. Marking the ITP assignment

13. Marking Activity
This is now your opportunity to practise marking and to reflect on evidence for learning outcomes and grade descriptors – based on actual candidate scripts
Activity to begin where you will be given 4 blank assignments and a blank Mark Sheet for each. You will work in pairs for 15 minutes to decide which is a fail, pass, merit and distinction. You can then use the commentaries and annotated Mark Schemes provided to check if your quick review was correct. The commentary provided will advise on what would have been present in the work if it was to have received higher or lower marks.
Mark a complete candidate script - then review your marks to compare with that awarded by the NCC Education marker
Discuss the written commentary on why the marker awarded the marks given.
Discuss the marking with a colleague and identify what the candidate would have had to have done to be awarded higher marks.
The QP, Mark Scheme and Qualification Unit Specification are available

14. Marking Summary
Does the answer match the responses in the marking scheme – exactly, with omissions, lacking in clarity or detail?
Does the answer relate to the instruction in the question - Define, Describe, Explain, Demonstrate
How does the answer paper relate to grades:
Pass grade = Demonstrate adequate level of understanding
Merit grade = Demonstrate robust level of understanding
Distinction grade = Demonstrate highly comprehensive level understanding
The Grade Descriptors for the ItP Learning Outcomes are provided.

15. Coding and Plagiarism
All code that is taken from an online resource to be fully referenced within the code as a comment, down to the URL from where the code was taken. Provided all code is referenced, this would not represent an instance of academic misconduct although it also would not count as demonstration of achieving learning outcomes.
With regards to the allocation of marks, code taken from external resources should not simply be implemented ‘as is’ without significant modification for its context. Substantially modified code can be as significant a demonstration of mastery as writing original code, but this must be addressed on a case by case basis.
Another issue that can be problematic within these modules is students working together.

16. Summary
What have you learned? Reflections and insights from the marking process.
How will your preparation for candidate assessment change?
How will you take your learning back to your centre?
Any questions?

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