Qualifications Update:
Biology
Key messages
 Provides progression from National 5 Biology
 Content is very similar to the Revised Higher
Biology
 Develops an increased depth and complexity of
knowledge and understanding
 Further develops higher order skills
 Offers personalisation and choice
 Provides flexibility
Course Structure
• 3 Units:
– internally assessed by centres
– externally verified by SQA
– Pass/Fail
• Course assessment
– Question Paper
– Coursework (Assignment)
Key messages
• Course assessment consisting of:
– Question paper
• marked by SQA.
• a specimen Question Paper and marking instructions
will be published February 2014, which meet the
requirements of the Course Assessment
Specification.
– Assignment
• conducted by centres & marked by SQA.
• Assignment Information will be published in March
2014, which meet the requirements of the Course
Assessment Specification.
Key messages
• SQA is currently developing Unit and Course assessment
materials to support the Higher Biology Course.
• Unit Assessment Support will provide three support
packages that exemplify different approaches to
assessment and gathering evidence. Centres will be free to
develop their own assessment packages.
• Evidence for the achievement of Outcome 1 and
Assessment Standards 2.2, 2.3 and 2.4 for one Unit in this
Course can be used as evidence of the achievement of
Outcome 1 and Assessment Standards 2.2, 2.3 and 2.4 in
the other Units of this Course (except Researching Unit).
Key messages from Verification (Round 1)
•
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
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
Jun 14
Update Unit Assessment Support
Biology
Unit Assessment
at Higher
Unit assessment - recap
• Flexible and open Assessment Standards and Evidence
Requirements in Units
• Greater range of techniques and methodologies for
assessment – encouraged
• 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
Unit Assessment Support purpose
As at National 5, Assessment Support will be provided which
you can use to:
• Assess your candidates
• Adapt for your own assessment programmes
• Help you develop your own assessments
Unit Assessment Support at Higher
– key features
• Valid from August 2014
• Complements and supports learning and teaching
• Assess competence against Unit Outcomes and Assessment Standards
• 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
Summary of Requirements to pass a Unit
Assessment Standards can be achieved in a
variety of ways
Assessors should ensure that the work is the
candidate’s own.
Summary of Requirements to pass a Unit
Outcome 1
All six Assessment Standards are required. They can
be achieved through a number of activities
Outcome 1 is transferable and need only be overtaken
once in the Course.
Summary of Requirements to pass a Unit
Outcome 2
This can be achieved through a number of activities
2.1 at least half of the statements should be correct across
the key areas of the Unit
2.2 the description of the application must be at an
appropriate level
2.3 the description of the issue and its effect on
environment/society must be at an appropriate level
2.4 all 4 problem solving skills (making predictions, selecting
information, processing information and analysing
information) must be achieved
Summary of Requirements to pass a Unit
Outcome 2
Assessment Standard 2.1 is Unit specific
Assessment Standards 2.2, 2.3 and 2.4 are
transferable and need only be overtaken once in the
Course.
Unit assessment support
packages at Higher - approaches
Package 1
• 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 – naturally occurring
evidence
Assessment Package 1
This pack consists of three assessment activities for
each Unit:
Activity 1: a scientific report of an experiment to
generate evidence for Outcome 1
• Activity 2: a short report of a research investigation
to generate evidence for Assessment Standards 2.2
and 2.3
• Activity 3: a set of questions to generate evidence
for Assessment Standards 2.1 and 2.4
Assessment Package 2
This pack consists of two assessment activities:
Activity 1: an investigation of a key area of any Unit
through research, a practical activity and problem
solving, covering Outcome 1 and Assessment
Standards 2.2, 2.3 and 2.4
Activity 2: a set of questions covering Assessment
Standard 2.1. This generates evidence that the
candidate is able to make accurate statements
demonstrating knowledge and understanding
gained throughout the Course
Assessment Package 3
Portfolio Approach
This pack outlines the gathering of naturally occurring
evidence
Re-assessment
Assessment Standard 2.1
If you have used a test and the candidate does not
achieve AS 2.1, then you could reassess by either:
• giving another test covering all the key areas
• analysing the candidate's performance and
reassessing only those key areas in which they did
not do well
In either case, the candidate needs to score at least
50% across the key areas. Not 50% for each key area.
Re-assessment
Assessment Standard 2.4
• If a specific Problem Solving skill (eg selecting
Information) is not achieved, then only that skill
need be re-assessed
• If, after re-assessment, the candidate fails to
demonstrate that Problem Solving skill within
this Unit assessment, they could be given further
assessment opportunities to demonstrate this
skill, in the other Units of the Course
Biology
Higher Course Assessment
Course Assessment at Higher
• Course Assessment at National 5, Higher and
Advanced Higher assesses Added Value
• Courses at Higher are graded A – D, as at present
• Biology has 2 Components – a question paper and an
assignment
Higher – Question Paper
• Assesses ability to retain and integrate knowledge
and understanding from across the Course content
• The weighting is approximately proportionate to
the Units
• Structure similar to existing Revised Higher Biology
• 100 Marks
• Duration - 2 hours 30 minutes
Higher – Question Paper
• Section 1 consist of 20 objective questions
• Section 2 consists of a mix of restricted and
extended response questions which has 80 marks
Higher – Assignment
• The assignment will require the candidate to carry
out an in-depth study of a Biology topic
• The topic will be chosen by the candidate (to be
reviewed by the assessor) who will
investigate/research the underlying Biology
• Marked by SQA
Higher – Assignment
This assignment has two stages:
• a research stage
• a communication stage, during which the report is
written
The research stage will be conducted under some
supervision and control.
The communication stage will be conducted under a
high degree of supervision
Duration: should be no more than 8 hours in total
Higher – Assignment
Skills, knowledge and understanding
Aim
Applying knowledge and understanding of
biology
Mark
allocation
1
4
Selecting information
2
Processing and presenting data/information
4
Analysing data/information
2
Conclusion
2
Evaluation
3
Presentation
2
Course Assessment at Higher
BIOLOGY WORKSHOP 2
To understand the
requirements of Higher Course
assessment
Workshop 2 - Course Assessment
Workshop Aim
• To understand the requirements of Higher Course
Assessments
Following on from your discussion and using the materials
provided, discuss:
 the requirements of the Higher Course Assessment
 how these requirements build on the Higher Units
 how these requirements build on National 5 (where
appropriate)
 What key points will you take back to your centre?