Introducing Unit Specifications and Unit Assessment Support Packs

Introducing Unit Specifications and Unit Assessment Support Packs

Environmental ScienceNational 3, National 4 and National 5

Unit AssessmentUnit Assessment

Assessments can be designed to provide evidence across more than one Unit or Outcome – combined assessments

Flexible and open Evidence Requirements in Units Greater range of techniques and methodologies for

assessment – encouraged through Unit assessment support packages

More opportunities to gather naturally occurring evidence – assessment as part of learning and teaching

Unit StructureUnit Structure

National 3 National 4 National 5

Living Environment

Living Environment

Living Environment

Earth’s Resources

Earth’s Resources

Earth’s Resources

Sustainability

Sustainability

Sustainability

Key points: Environmental Science UnitsKey points: Environmental Science Units

standards remain the same feature the best approaches of the current

Environmental Science Units have a hierarchical Unit structure that provide

progression from National 3 to National 5 has added value assessment that increases

personalisation and choice in the Environmental Science assignment at National 4

Unit Specifications – Living EnvironmentOutcome 1Unit Specifications – Living EnvironmentOutcome 1

The Learner will:

Apply skills of scientific inquiry and draw on knowledge and understanding of the key areas of this Unit to carry out an experiment/practical investigation by:

1.1 Planning an experiment/practical investigation

1.2 Following procedures safely

1.3 Making and recording observations/measurements correctly

1.4 Presenting results in an appropriate format

1.5 Drawing valid conclusions

1.6 Evaluating experimental procedures

Unit Specifications – Living EnvironmentOutcome 2Unit Specifications – Living EnvironmentOutcome 2

The learner will:

Draw on knowledge and understanding of the key areas of this Unit and apply scientific skills by:

2.1 Making accurate statements

2.2 Describing an application

2.3 Describing a scientific issue in terms of the effect on the environment/society

2.4 Solving problems

Unit SpecificationsUnit Specifications

Evidence Requirements for this Unit:Assessors should use their professional judgement, subject knowledge and experience, and understanding of their learners, to determine the most appropriate ways to generate evidence and the conditions and contexts in which they are used. Evidence should be gathered in combination with other Outcomes where possible, either from this Unit or in combination with the Outcomes from the Unit. Evidence may also be gathered for individual Outcomes where appropriate.

Assessment Standard National 4 Planning an experiment/practical investigation

The plan should include:an aim a variable to be kept constant measurements/observations to be made the resources the method including safety considerations

Presenting results in an appropriate format

One format from:Table, graph, chart, key, diagram, flow chart, or other appropriate formats

Draw a valid conclusion Include reference to the aim Evaluating experimental procedures

Suggest an improvement

Accurate statements At least half of the statements should be correct across the key areas of this Unit.

Describing a scientific issue in terms of the effect on the environment/society

The description should include the science of the issue

Solving problems One of each: make generalisation/predictions selecting information processing information including calculations as appropriate

Unit Assessment Support Packages - purposeUnit Assessment Support Packages - purpose

UASPs can be used to:

•Assess your candidates

•Adapt for your own assessment programmes

•Help you develop your own assessments

UASPs – key featuresUASPs – key features

Valid from August 2013

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 and how this is to be judged against Assessment Standards

Environmental Science UASPsEnvironmental Science UASPs

Package 1 Unit by Unit approach - discrete assessment

tasks for each Unit, will cover all outcomes and assessment standards.

Package 2 Combined across Units N3, N4 and N5Package 3 Portfolio approach N3, N4 and N5 - an approach

to assessment which judges assessment normally covering all Outcomes and assessment standards for all the Units.

National 4 Added Value UnitNational 4 Added Value Unit

Portfolio approach N3 and N4 - an approach to assessment which judges assessment normally covering all Outcomes and assessment standards

Makes the Course more than the sum of its parts Builds on current Course assessment and Group Award

approaches Defined as breadth, challenge and/or application as

outlined in Building the Curriculum 5 Controlled assessment –setting conducting and marking

Moving onMoving on

Workshop 1 and 2 will give you the opportunity to look at the Unit Specifications and Unit Assessment Support Packages in detail.