1. Classical Studies Unit Assessment National 3 to National 5

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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?