New qualifications, assessment & quality assurance to support the Senior Phase of Curriculum for Excellence

Course assessment at Higher and Advanced Higher Most Courses at Higher and Advanced Higher are assessed by a combination of a question paper and one of the other seven agreed methods. We call these Components of Course assessment. Courses are graded A, B, C or D. To gain the award of the Course, the learner must pass all the Units in the Course as well as achieve a grade A–D in the Course Assessment. Grades for new National Courses are based on the total marks for all the Components of the Course assessment

Assessment: reflections on practice

Our world Volatile Uncertain Complex Ambiguous

50% of US jobs automatable by 2034

Societal Challenges Societal: greed, global warming, and personal privacy invasions, religious fundamentalism and political absolutism. Economic: globalization, and the pursuit of innovation. Personal: goals of employability and happiness. (Trilling and Fadel, 2009)

Assessment purposes

Activity ‘Mathematics and English (not Literacy and Numeracy ) should be given priority post-16 as well as pre-16 because of their central and increasing importance’ (Wolf 2011) ‘Today, in Scotland we have 53,000 (19%) 16 to 19 year olds not in work and not in education/training’ (Wood 2014) What is the purpose of assessment for qualifications?

Purposes – a few examples Evaluation Formation Monitoring Guidance Certification/Licencing Selection (Newton, 2007)

Assessment principles

Activity ‘An assessment’ cannot (in itself) be valid or invalid, only the interpretation of results’ (Newton 2011) Is ensuring that assessments are valid enough?

Principles Valid Reliable Practicable Fair and inclusive Open and flexible Relevant Credible Coherent

Key features Learners will engage in a variety of learning and assessment activities: More time researching information – less time receiving it from teachers Engaging in wide-ranging independent reading Recording in a systematic way, the results of research and independent investigation Participating in group work with peers Participating in debate and discussion with peers which reflect constructing and sustaining lines of argument Drawing conclusions form complex information Using sophisticated written and/or oral communication and presentation skills to present information Demonstrating development, improvement and refinement of techniques and practices in practical/performance based subjects New Courses

Assessment More learner autonomy, greater degree of flexibility More coursework, more focus on application of SKU Independent learning approaches and focus on higher order skills More extended range of marks to facilitate differentiation of learners within bands

Types of assessment

Activity – fit for purpose assessment? Assignment English Case Study Essay Physics Evidence accumulation Matching Mathematics Multiple Choice Test Objective response PE Oral response Question Paper Geography Practical work Performance Projects History Presentation Drama Portfolios Selected response Engineering

Key features Most common assessment methods – QPs, Projects, Practical Activity, Performance, Portfolio Learners do AH Courses more independently, less supervision Learners take more responsibility for their learning Skills, knowledge and understanding - reflect higher order skills – analysis, synthesis, evaluation, complex research and investigation skills, higher order thinking skills Progression /preparation for HE/FE programmes Assessment Methods

Assessment in new Highers and Advanced Highers Management of Assessment Across the Centre New National Qualifications Subjects

Approaches to learning and teaching Learners working with less direct supervision, especially at Advanced Higher More self-directed learning Variety of approaches – independent research, investigation and reading – group work and discussion/debate with peers – use of sophisticated communication and presentation skills – practical/performance subjects – showing development, improvement and refinement of techniques and practices Should promote personalisation and choice Approaches to learning and Teaching

Whole system Quality Assurance Developed, maintained, verified and marked by SQA Annual deployment of over 15,000 appointees and nominees On-line marking and monitoring Central and visiting verification Publication of standards Secure publication of candidate evidence

Take away challenge

Activity ‘We are currently preparing students for jobs that don’t yet exist…using technologies that haven’t been invented…in order to solve problems we don’t even know are problems yet’ (Fisch, 2008) How are you developing a curriculum which fits student teachers for the future but aligns with the existing assessment for qualifications system?

Dr John Allan, Policy Manager John Lewis, Project Manager

I