1. Qualifications Update: Higher Religious Moral and Philosophical Studies Jane Henderson QDM Qualifications Update: Higher Religious Moral and Philosophical Studies Jane Henderson QDM

2. Coherent progression from related National 5 subjects to Higher RMPS Relevant, challenging and enjoyable contexts Opportunities for candidates to show the breadth and depth of what they know Opportunities for candidates to show the application of their RMPS skills Personalisation and choice for learners in the Assignment Key messages

3. Units combine skills and knowledge and offer flexibility in how evidence is gathered, to challenge and motivate learners Knowledge and understanding and the application of skills build progressively up levels in Unit and in Course assessment Maintains many of the best aspects of current Higher while offering fresh learning contexts that ensure the continuing quality and credibility of RMPS Key messages

4. Use valid and reliable assessments -SQA-produced Unit Assessment Support Packs -Centre devised assessments that have been prior verified -Your own assessments – strongly advise you have these prior verified Making assessment judgements -SQA packs are designed on a pass/fail basis -Use Judging Evidence Tables to make assessment judgments against Assessment Standards -Judging Evidence Tables have commentary on how to meet each Assessment Standard -A task/activity can meet most or all of the Unit Outcome and Assessment Standards -Indicate on candidate’s work that Unit Assessment Standards have been met Unit Assessment complementing learning and teaching -Unit Assessment is open and flexible -Assessment should allow you space to prepare for Added Value/Course Assessment Key messages Key messages from Verification (Round 1)

5. Assessment Support Schedule 2013/14 Sept 13 CfE Update Letter Oct 13 Unit Assessment Support (Package 1) Feb 14 Unit Assessment Support (Package 2) Feb 14 Higher Specimen Question Paper Mar 14 Coursework General Assessment Information Apr 14 Unit Assessment Support (Package 3) May 14 Update Mandatory Documents June 14 Update Unit Assessment Support

6. Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies Unit Assessment Higher

7. Unit assessment Supports assessment as part of learning and teaching Is flexible in the ways in which evidence can be generated Open in the context which is used and in the form of the evidence

8. Unit Assessment Support packages – purpose Assess your candidates Adapt in line with your own assessment strategy Help you develop your own assessments

9. Unit Assessment Support Packages – key features All Unit Assessment Support Packs are based on the Unit Specification documents Tell you – with examples – how to judge evidence against Assessment Standards Provide further clarification of the Assessment Standards Encourage and support professional judgment Include advice on adapting to different contexts Valid from August 2014

10. Unit assessment support packages - approaches Unit by Unit approach – discrete assessment tasks for each Unit Combined approach – groups Outcomes and Assessment Standards from different Units Portfolio approach – evidence generated as part of learning and teaching and matched against the Assessment Standards

11. Unit Assessment Support Pack 1: Contexts packages: N3-Higher World ReligionMorality and BeliefReligious and Philosophical Questions You can use the illustrative examples provided and adapt these to suit the contexts that your learners have studied. N3N3 Context: IslamContext: Religion and Justice Context: Life after death N4N4 Context: JudaismContext: Religion and Relationships Context: Existence of God N5N5 Context: BuddhismContext: Religion and Relationships Context: The Problem of Evil and Suffering H Context: ChristianityContext: Religion and Conflict Context: Origins of Life

12. Higher Unit Assessment Support Packs 1,2 and 3: Contexts World ReligionMorality and BeliefReligious and Philosophical Questions Pack 1 Context: ChristianityContext: Religion and Conflict Context: Origins of Life Pack 2 Context: SikhismContext: Religion, Environment & Global Issues Context: Miracles Pack 3 Context: IslamContext: Religion, Medicine & the Human Body Context: The Problem of Evil & Suffering

13. Document read-through Overview of Assessment – Contains an outline of the example task – Also includes advice on how to adapt the task – Evidence in one form may be supplemented with evidence in other forms

14. Document read-through Assessment Conditions – Level of teacher/lecturer support should be appropriate but evidence must be the candidate's own work – When group work is used, evidence of individual achievement is required – Centres responsibility to ensure that all evidence is the individual candidate’s work

15. Document read-through Assessment Conditions (continued) – Only apply restrictions which are required by the Assessment Standards – SQA has left open time constraints - candidates should have sufficient time to complete the task – SQA has left open the resources to which candidates may have access in the assessment – Same conditions apply National 3 – Higher

16. Document read-through Evidence to be gathered – A range of possible forms of evidence may be appropriate – Keep accurate records of the candidate meeting the Assessment Standards – Only need sufficient evidence to show achievement of the Assessment Standards once

17. Document read-through Judging Evidence – Table tells you how to judge evidence against the Assessment Standards – Illustrations of possible candidate responses – Approach used can change, Outcomes and Assessment Standards do not change

18. Document read-through Re-assessment arrangements – Assessment should be carried out when the individual candidate is ready – If a candidate fails to provide evidence for all the Assessment Standards, it is only necessary to re- assess the individual Assessment Standard that they have yet to achieve

19. Document read-through Examples of recording documentation – Exemplar tables for recording candidate’s/group’s achievement of Assessment Standards – These can be adapted as required

20. Document read-through Assessment Task – Aligns with the prompts in the Overview of Assessment section – Exemplifies one context in which Unit assessment may take place

21. Workshop 1 Use the materials provided: In groups of 2-3 discuss: – The assessment task(s) provided in the Unit Assessment Support packs – How you might use/adapt the task(s) – How your candidates will generate evidence for the assessment task(s) provided – How to make assessment judgements for the assessment task(s) provided – What questions/suggestions do you have which might support others?

23. Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies Higher Course Assessment

24. Context and Rationale for development of Higher Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies Level of demand benchmarked against SCQF level 6 as in current Higher Progression and articulation from National 5 CfE principles e.g. personalisation and choice, importance of skills Opportunity to refresh and update content and contexts Consistency with other Highers as appropriate FIOCA provides further detail

25. Process of Development Course Specification – Aims and rationale of the Higher Religious, Studies Course Unit Specifications – Skills developed across the Units Course Assessment Specification – Requirements for Question Paper and Assignment – application of skills to mandatory content

26. Added Value Makes the Course more than the sum of its parts Builds on current Course assessment and Group Award approaches Defined as breadth, challenge and application as outlined in Building the Curriculum 5 May involve accumulation, assimilation, integration and/or application of skills, knowledge and understanding Uses one or two of 7 defined assessment methods

27. Adding Value: National 4, National 5 - Higher For National 4, the Added value is assessed in the Added Value Unit – not graded. For National 5 and Higher (and Advanced Higher) the Added Value is assessed in the Course Assessment – graded A-D (as at present).

28. Higher – Course Assessment Two components: – Question Paper: 60 marks – approx. 66% of total – Assignment 30: marks – approx.33% of total Skills and knowledge and understanding will have equal importance across course assessment as a whole Both components will be externally marked

29. Question Paper Overview Three sections each worth 20 marks: World Religion, Morality and Belief, Religious and Philosophical Questions No optional questions Mandatory content will be sampled Will assess the skills of analysing, evaluating and presenting reasoned and well-structured views Will draw on in-depth knowledge and understanding Greater emphasis on knowledge and understanding than skills In the SQP mark allocations range from 10 to 20

30. Question Paper Sections Section 1 – World Religion Two 10 mark questions Section 2 – Morality and Belief Section 3 – Religious and Philosophical Questions There will be two patterns of questions used between sections 2 and 3. Each question paper will use both patterns but these will be applied to sections 2 or 3 in an unpredictable way. Pattern 1 Each part in the section will have 2 mandatory questions. Each question will be an extended response. Pattern 2 Each part in the section will have 1 mandatory question. The question will require a single 20 mark extended response.

31. Question Paper command words A limited range of command words/question stems will be used in the paper such as, for example: Analyse / In what ways / Compare… Evaluate / How valid… To what extent / Discuss… Greater clarity and support for centres in general marking principles and detailed marking instructions as to how these questions will be marked Skills defined identically in Unit and Course Assessment

32. Question Paper command words “Analyse” questions require candidates to… Identify parts, the relationship between them, and their relationships with the whole. Draw out and relate implications. “Evaluate” questions require candidates to… Make a judgement based on criteria. SQA Guidance

33. Question Paper question types 20 mark questions will require candidates to… Apply KU, analyse and evaluate in order to present a reasoned and well-structured view May use, for example: To what extent is a claim justified? / Discuss and present a reasoned view on… Will assess in-depth knowledge and understanding of mandatory Course content

34. Controlled Assessment Where the assessment method is not a question paper, SQA has introduced the concept of controlled assessment to ensure fairness and reliability Three stages of assessment: Setting, Conducting, Marking the assessment Each will have a defined level of control: SQA-led activity, Shared responsibility between SQA and centres, Centre-led Subject-specific decisions, but mostly SQA-led activity in initial years

35. Higher – Assignment Opportunity for learner personalisation and choice Candidates will have an open choice of religious, moral or philosophical question or Issue Marked out of 30 Externally marked Evidence produced in controlled conditions in up to one hour and 30 minutes Draws on research

36. Higher – Assignment Greater emphasis on skills than knowledge and understanding SQA will provide General Assessment Information and the Assessment Task Task does not change from year to year Detailed marking instructions available and can be shared with candidates Guide to candidates will be provided, as at National 5

37. Workshop 2 Use the materials provided: read the FIOCA (10 mins) In groups of 2-3 discuss: the relationship between assessment at Unit level and Course level (10 minutes) aspects of your current practice which you plan to continue (15 minutes) aspects of your current practice which you plan to change (15 minutes) what will you take back to your centre to support others?