Professional Focus Paper
Course: Practical Electronics/
Metalworking/Woodworking
1.
Level: National 4
Who is this paper for and what is its purpose?
This paper is for teachers and other staff who provide learning, teaching and support as learners work towards
Practical Electronics, Metalworking or Woodworking National 4. The paper is intended to stimulate professional
reflection and dialogue about learning. It highlights important features of learning that are enhanced or different
from previous arrangements at this SCQF level.
Curriculum for Excellence is a unique opportunity to raise achievement and to ensure that all learners are better
prepared for learning, life and work. The new curriculum gives real scope to build learning 3–18 in a joined-up,
seamless way, and, as a result, progression in learning can be much stronger. There is a clear focus on attributes
and capabilities, skills (including higher-order thinking skills), and knowledge and understanding. These are
delivered through the experiences and outcomes of the 3–15 Broad General Education (BGE) and, leading to
qualifications at the senior phase, through programmes that build directly on the BGE. Because of a strengthened
focus on the nature and quality of learning experiences, self-motivation is likely to be increased and learners
consequently more engaged and enthused. To ensure continuity and progression, qualifications at the senior
phase have been designed to embrace this unambiguous focus on high-quality learning.
Curriculum for Excellence has the flexibility to meet the needs of all learners in their local circumstances, enabling
each to achieve their very best. For example, some centres may take the opportunity to offer qualifications over two
years which might involve learners bypassing qualifications at a given level. Others may enable learners to work
towards qualifications within one year. In both cases, the advice in this paper is relevant to the learning and
teaching approaches that learners will encounter.
How will you plan for progression in learning and teaching, building on the Broad General Education?
2.
What’s new, and what are the implications for learning and teaching?
Practical Electronics National 4 consists of three Units and a Value Added Unit, providing learners with the
opportunity to develop and apply skills while increasing their depth of knowledge and understanding.
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Circuit Design
Circuit Simulation
Circuit Construction
Added Value Unit
PRACTICAL ELECTRONICS/METAILWORKING/WOODWORKING
Practical Metalworking National 4 consists of three Units and a Value Added Unit, providing learners with the
opportunity to develop and apply skills while increasing their depth of knowledge and understanding.
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Bench Skills
Machine Processes
Fabrication and Thermal Joining
Added Value Unit
Practical Woodworking National 4 consists of three Units and a Value Added Unit, providing learners with the
opportunity to develop and apply skills while increasing their depth of knowledge and understanding.
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Flat Frame Construction
Carcase Construction
Machining and Finishing
Added Value Unit
Learners must pass all four Units to achieve a Course Award at National 4 in each of the subjects.
What are the key aspects of Practical Electronics/Metalworking/Woodworking National 4?
Increased emphasis on skills development
Electronics, Metalworking and Woodworking National 4 require an increased emphasis on skills development and
problem-solving skills. The courses have distinct value in that they allow learners to develop craftsmanship through
manual dexterity and fine motor control, as well as knowledge and understanding. Each course helps learners to
develop safe working practices and to become proactive in matters of health and safety. The courses require
learners to develop key skills with a range of tools, equipment and materials, using them safely and appropriately.
The transferable skills promoted by these courses will support learning within other areas of the curriculum,
including engineering science, physics and other science and technologies courses. Learners will develop a range
of practical skills and apply these to manufacture solutions, at times modelling situations relevant to real-life
contexts. The courses are practical and experiential in nature. They provide skills in, and an understanding of,
priority engineering fields including electronics and manufacturing and their impact on society and environment.
The courses also promote an increased emphasis on the development of vital attributes and capabilities, including:
creativity, flexibility and adaptability; enthusiasm and a willingness to learn; perseverance, independence and
resilience; responsibility; and reliability. Learners will enhance literacy and numeracy skills in interpreting drawings
and diagrams, measuring, marking out, analysing data, designing and modelling, as well as constructing, testing
cutting, shaping and finishing materials.
Progression from the BGE
The National 4 qualification has been designed to articulate with the BGE. Staff will find it useful to refer alongside
this paper to the Technologies Progression Framework, as they plan learning that builds on the BGE into National
4.
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PRACTICAL ELECTRONICS/METAILWORKING/WOODWORKING
Added Value Unit
The Added Value Unit offers scope for personalisation and choice. It pulls together the application of skills of
design, and knowledge and understanding of related materials and manufacturing processes. The Added Value
Unit encourages further development and application of the literacy and numeracy skills developed within the BGE.
What are the key features of learning in Practical Electronics, Metalworking and Woodworking National 4?
Active learning
Learners are expected to demonstrate the practical techniques they have developed and consolidated throughout
the courses, in the production of an item to meet the final course assessment brief. The courses encourage
learners to develop craftsmanship and relevant knowledge and understanding in a range of practical situations,
demonstrating manual dexterity and fine motor control. Throughout the courses, it is essential that learners have
opportunities to engage and challenge their own thinking and to develop the higher-order thinking skills required in
order to do so. By promoting active learning approaches, staff will provide learners with opportunities to develop
the essential skills of analysis, creativity, problem solving and evaluation.
How will you encourage self-motivation and resilience in your learners?
Learning independently
Outcomes are less prescriptive, focus more on skills and applying learning, and offer greater scope for
personalisation and choice. Learners, therefore, have the opportunity to experience a wider range of learning and
teaching approaches in different contexts that can better meet their needs and build on their experience and
achievements in the BGE.
In order to develop independent thinking skills and learning, teachers should place a greater emphasis on learners’
experiences within which choices are made, by the learner, based on their expertise and skill level.
To further promote personalisation and choice, teachers will want to promote active learning and teaching
approaches that encourage learners to investigate the impact and contribution of electronics and manufacturing in
our society. The courses also advance a spectrum of transferable skills for learning, life and work, giving learners
the opportunity to apply their learning in a wide range of practical contexts and opening up a wide range of career
and study opportunities.
Taking responsibility for learning
Practical tasks should encourage learners to take responsibility their own learning. Tasks should provide
opportunities for learners to reflect on and discuss their own progress. The tasks in the Added Value Units will be
sufficiently open and flexible to allow for personalisation and choice, and for learners to demonstrate practical
creativity. Learning intentions and success criteria will need to be explicit, to ensure that learners are able to take
full responsibility for their own learning, Learning and teaching approaches should also promote the development of
learners’ skills in self- and peer-evaluation.
How will you ensure that learners are making informed decisions about where they are in their learning, and what
they need to do to progress?
PRACTICAL ELECTRONICS/METAILWORKING/WOODWORKING
Collaborative learning
Learning and teaching approaches should encourage and develop collaborative working. Enterprising tasks offer
suitable opportunities for learners to work in partnership within a workshop context and to learn from each other. In
order to be successful, a group of learners would want to demonstrate how each member’s particular area of skill
and expertise could best be used to meet the needs of the group and the task. By including an enterprising
approach to the delivery of aspects of the course, teachers will also ensure that learners can be challenged
appropriately.
In what ways can you provide opportunities for young people to learn to work together collaboratively?
Applying learning and skills development
The courses enable learners to develop, consolidate and demonstrate creative techniques in the production of
electronic, wood or metal products. Throughout the courses there are opportunities for learners to develop higherorder thinking skills including analysis and evaluation. Also, the courses promote aspects of numeracy,
employability skills and the ability to work safely. In all courses and units, learners will enhance specialist skills,
techniques and processes and will gain an understanding of their importance to the electronics and manufacturing
industries. The final course assessment, through the Added Value Unit, will focus on challenge and application,
giving learners a suitable opportunity to demonstrate and apply the range of skills they have developed throughout
the course.
How will you ensure that learners can reflect on their learning and make relevant connections with other subject
areas and the world of work?
How will you ensure that the value added aspect of the course assessment will reflect learners’ progress
throughout the course?
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PRACTICAL ELECTRONICS/METAILWORKING/WOODWORKING
3.
Qualification information
The SQA website provides you with the following documents:
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Assessment Overview
Course Specification
Unit Specification
Support Notes
Course Assessment Specification
Unit Assessment Support Package
Full information on arrangements for this qualification is available at the SQA website
4.
What other materials are available on the Education Scotland website which staff
could use?
Support materials have been produced over the last year to support Curriculum for Excellence and further support
materials are planned. This downloadable list is updated quarterly with the most up-to-date details available from
the pages below.
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/learningteachingandassessment/assessment/progressandachievement/what
weassess/curriculum/principlesandpractice/hwb/asp
Published and planned support for Curriculum for Excellence:
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/publishedandplannedsupport
T +44 (0)141 282 5000 E enquiries@educationscotland.gov.uk W www.educationscotland.gov.uk
Education Scotland, Denholm House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston EH54 6GA
© Crown copyright, 2012
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