2. Understanding Standards: Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies
(National 5)
An Overview of Course Assessment
RGB colours for text
Purple = R204 G153 B209 & Dark Blue =R0 G51 B102

3. What this Presentation Covers
Overall structure of the course.
Changes in 2017/2018.
Overview of course components.
General guidance.

4. Structure of the Course
Overview
Units and unit assessment are no longer required for course award.
Additional detail on content provided.
Increased mark allocation and time for question paper.
Assignment remains the same.

5. Changes Course Specification Documentation Course Specification
Course Assessment Specification
Course Support Notes
Course Specification
Specimen Question Paper
Revised Specimen Question Paper

6. Changes Aims - simplified and clarified
Candidates develop a range of skills at a straightforward level, including the ability to:
give accurate accounts of factual information relating to aspects of religion, morality and philosophy
demonstrate an understanding of aspects of religion, morality and philosophy
analyse beliefs and practices related to world religions, moral issues and philosophical questions
evaluate beliefs and practices related to world religions, moral issues and philosophical questions

7. Changes Skills, knowledge and understanding - clarified and simplified
Knowledge and understanding of the impact, relevance and significance of religion through studying some beliefs and practices found within one of the world’s six major religions (Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism or Sikhism) and the contribution these make to the lives of followers.
Knowledge and understanding of moral issues and responses.
Knowledge and understanding of religious and philosophical issues and responses.

8. Changes Skills, knowledge and understanding - clarified and simplified
Analysing and evaluating religious, moral and philosophical issues and responses.
Expressing views about religious, moral and philosophical issues and responses.
Researching sources to present an analysis and evaluation of some viewpoints of a religious, moral or philosophical issue.

9. Course Detail
World Religions: clarified with increased detail
No requirement to learn sources.
Expectation of familiarity with sources.
No questions referring specifically to sources.
Focus on teaching candidates how to:
demonstrate knowledge and understanding of religious beliefs and practices
analyse religious beliefs and practices
evaluate the relevance, significance and impact of religious beliefs and practices

10. Course Detail World Religions: Buddhism Revised Old
Three Marks of Existence
Four Noble Truths
Three Poisons
Beliefs about the Buddha
Three Jewels
Kamma
Samsara
Nibbana
Living according to the Eightfold Path
Five Precepts
Meditation and puja 
nature of reality 
nature of human beings
beliefs about Buddha
Samsara and Nibbana
living according to the Eightfold Path
individual and community worship 

11. Course Detail Morality and Belief: clarified with increased detail
No requirement to teach religious authority or utilitarianism.
Requirement only to know religious and non religious perspectives.
No questions referring specifically to moral stances.

12. Focus on teaching candidates how to:
present factual knowledge and understanding of the moral issues
present factual knowledge and understanding of a religious and non-religious viewpoint on the moral issues
analyse the different moral issues
evaluate a religious and non-religious response to the moral issues
present a reasoned viewpoint on the moral issues

13. Course Detail Morality and Belief: Relationships Old Revised
gender roles: family, employment, religion
sexual relationships: purpose of sex, sexual consent, same sex
marriage: arranged marriages, co-habitation, same-sex marriages, divorce
equality and exploitation: religion, media
Old
Revised
gender roles
sexual relationships
marriage

14. Course Detail
Religious and Philosophical Questions: clarified with increased detail
There is a greater scope of questions.
Removal of the opening question.
Scope for each option to be taught with a focus on one religion.

15. Course Detail
Religious and Philosophical Questions: The problem of suffering and evil
types of suffering and evil
explanations of suffering and evil
— free will and responsibility
— determinism
— natural causes
— role of God
problems for beliefs about God
— nature of God
— challenge to the nature of God
— challenge to the existence of God
— theodicies
who is responsible for evil and suffering?
supernatural agencies
human responsibility

16. Question Paper STRUCTURE
Three sections: each section worth a minimum of 25 marks.
Marks range 3-8 marks.
Evaluation question 8 marks.
Duration 2 hours 20 minutes.
Worth 80 marks 80% of the total course award.
Assignment 20 marks 20% of the total course award.

17. Assignment Assignment is unchanged. High degree of supervision.
Resource sheet of not more than 200 words.
Write up completed in one hour.
Supervision statement is common to all subjects completing an assignment of this type.

18. Assignment Assignment Assessment: clarified
Identifying an appropriate religious, moral or philosophical issue for study, about which there are alternative or different points of view.
Commenting on the significance or impact of the issue.
Using sources of information.
Drawing on knowledge and understanding to explain and analyse the issue and viewpoints, one of which must be religious, moral or philosophical.
Drawing and presenting a detailed and reasoned conclusion on the issue.

19. Course Overview Depth Difficulty
SCQF level 5 uses the term STRAIGHTFORWARD
More than naming and stating
Less than detailing
Exemplars on Understanding Standards website
Difficulty
Option permutation - equal demand
World Religion - technical terms
Morality and Belief - evaluating moral responses
Religious and Philosophical Questions - distinguishing between Big Bang/Evolution and Cosmological and Teleological

20. Developing Course Skills
Knowledge and understanding:
is factual
is knowing THAT something is the case
leads to analysis when done well
Analysis:
is explaining how something works
is explaining WHY something is the case
is pulling ideas apart
is often found as part of good knowledge and understanding

21. Developing Course Skills
Evaluation:
is making a judgement of facts, analysis or perspectives
has a stated focus in each topic:
World Religion
Morality and Belief
RPQ
Relevance
Religious responses
Significance
Non religious responses
Impact
Personal view
of beliefs and practices
to a moral issue
to a religious and philosophical question

22. THEY ARE NOT ALWAYS APPROPRIATE
Additional Advice: developing skills
Evaluation: avoid reducing evaluation exclusively to formulae like:
benefits and drawbacks
advantages and disadvantages
agree and disagree
for and against
relevance and irrelevance
THEY ARE NOT ALWAYS APPROPRIATE

23. Additional Advice Evaluation: World Religions
impact on individuals and communities, types of impact
relevance to living in a secular/religious society
significance to the individual, the religion, the community
encourage critical engagement and avoid reinforcing stereotypes

24. Additional Advice Evaluation: Morality and Belief
focus on what makes actions/positions right or wrong
the role of consequences in moral decision making
the role of duty in moral decision making
the role of religion in moral decision making
the role of human rights in moral decision making

25. Additional Advice Evaluation: Religious and Philosophical Questions
focus on issues that create the debate
the likelihood of there being an answer
the basis of the answers, fact or opinion
the consistency of the answer
the quality of the evidence and the arguments supporting the answer

26. Assignment: Support for Candidates
In the research stage, reasonable assistance may include:
directing candidates to the instructions for candidates
clarifying instructions/requirements of the task
advising candidates on the choice of issue
advising candidates on possible sources of information
arranging visits to enable gathering of evidence
interim progress checks

27. Assignment: Support for Candidates
At any stage, reasonable assistance does not include:
providing the issue
directing candidates to specific resources and providing specific locations of information
providing model answers
providing detailed feedback on drafts, including marking
providing past examples

28. Assignment: Support for Candidates
Reasonable assistance does include:
advice on the right direction for issues and research
ensuring that they are aware of what is being looked for in terms of assignment structure and research
ensuring that their topic is viable in terms of content and resources
ensuring that they stay on track with their research and assignment
provide general feedback on drafts

29. Assignment: Resource Sheet
Candidates must produce a resource sheet.
It can be no more than 200 words.
It can be written on any A4 sheet of paper.
The candidate decides what the most useful content on it would be.
It can contain plans, mind maps, bullet points, illustrations and/or quotes.

30. SQA contacts for further clarification
Elaine McFadyen (Qualifications Manager)
Lynne McCallum (Qualifications Officer)

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