Unit WritingHN ReviewMay 2011

Scottish Qualifications Authority

bobby.elliott@sqa.org.ukcaroline.douglas@sqa.org.uk

Agenda

9:30am/1:00pm

Welcome and introductions

Bobby

9:45am/1:15pm

Introduction to unit writing

Bobby/Caroline

10.45am/2:15pm

Practical advice about unit writing

Hugh

12:15pm/3:30pm

Summing up/Lunch/Coffee

All

12:45pm/4:00pm

Close

Outcomes

1. Describe the unit writing process.

2. Identify and locate support materials.

3. Identify the unit specification template.

4. Explain Bloom’s Taxonomy.

5. Write a unit specification.

Outcome 1: Describe the unit writing process

Commission writer and

vetter

•Contract sent by SQA

Write draft version

Vet draft version

•EV may check

Submit agreed

version to SQA

SQA validates unit

Code unit

Unit on SQA website

Outcome 2: Identify and locate support materials

Documentation Writing Higher National Units using the

revised format Online resources

SQA Groupspace for unit writers People

Vetter Qualification leader Lead developer (Gerry) SQA officer (Caroline)

http://groupspaces.com/UnitWriting/

Outcome 3: Identify the unit specification template

Outcome 4: Explain Bloom’s Taxonomy

Outcome 5: Write a unit specification

Devising the title Stating the unit purpose Determining level and credit Writing outcomes Writing knowledge and skills

statements Writing evidence requirements Producing assessment guidelines Holistic assessment

Devising the title

One line summary of the unit’s contents State the area of skills and knowledge Examples

Software Development Operating Systems: Virtualisation Troubleshooting PC Problems

Don’t… Use “Introduction to…” or equivalent Begin with a conjunction such as “A” or

“The” Use numbers

Stating the unit purpose

Brief summary of what the unit is about The summary leads to the outcomes May include information about target

group(s) or progression routes Example

“The purpose of this unit is to provide the knowledge and skills required to write Higher National unit specifications. It is intended for college lecturers who wish to acquire these competences to enable them to participate in unit writing as part of the Higher National Review of HNC/D Computing.”

Determining level and credit Level

Use the SCQF system Use the SCQF level descriptors It’s not a science!

Credit Express as HN credits and SCQF points 1 HN credit = 40 hours of guided learning 1 HN credit = 8 SCQF points Avoid fractional values Round up

SCQF descriptors

Writing outcomes

Follows from purpose Normally 3-5 outcomes per unit Prefaced with: “On completion of the unit,

candidates should be able to:” Begins with a verb Use Bloom’s Taxonomy Don’t use intangible verbs such as “Know”

or “Understand” Don’t use vague verbs such as

“Demonstrate” or “Illustrate” Avoid process-oriented outcomes such as

“Use” or “Participate”

Writing outcomes: examples State the main roles in an Information

Services Department Describe the main stages in the software

development life cycle Explain a virtual machine Test a computer program Analyse a network fault Resolve a customer problem Create a flowchart to illustrate a common

problem solving procedure

Writing knowledge and skills statements

Essential knowledge and skills needed to achieve the outcomes Background knowledge/underpinning

skills New knowledge/new skills General knowledge Soft skills

Not performance criteria Don’t define standards Don’t define quantity or quality

Examples

Describe the unit writing process Structure of qualifications Need for national standards Role of awarding bodies Role of writer and vetter Main stages in the writing process Quality control within the writing

process Inter-personal skills needed

Examples continued

Identify and locate support materials Background knowledge? Underpinning skills? New knowledge? New skills?

Writing evidence requirements

What candidates have to do to produce evidence that they have achieved the outcome(s) The type of performance The standards expected The volume of evidence Any essential conditions

Evidence for all skills Sampling of knowledge Do not specify the instrument of

assessment

“Describe the unit writing process”

The evidence for this outcome comprises a knowledge assessment that samples from the knowledge and skills statements in the outcome. The assessment will consist of a number of short answer or selected response questions, undertaken under controlled conditions without access to reference material. Each assessment should consist of a different sample of knowledge and skills.

Producing assessment guidelines

This section is not mandatory It provides guidance on the

assessment activity that will generate the required evidence

It suggests how best to carry out the assessment

It may suggest a specific instrument of assessment including duration and pass mark

This outcome could be assessed by a multiple-choice test, comprising 25 questions, with a pass mark of 15 out of 25 (60%). The questions would be drawn from each of the knowledge and skills statements. A distribution of questions could be: Structure of qualifications (3 questions) Need for national standards (2

questions) Role of awarding bodies (4 questions)

“Describe the unit writing process”

Holistic assessment

THE FIRST RULE OF UNIT WRITING IS MINIMISE ASSESSMENT

THE SECOND RULE OF UNIT WRITING IS MINIMISE ASSESSMENT

THE THIRD RULE OF UNIT WRITING IS MINIMISE ASSESSMENT

Holistic assessment

Do not assess each outcome Assess the unit as a whole Aim for one assessment per unit No more than one knowledge and

one practical assessment per unit Sample knowledge Don’t produce long lists of

knowledge and skills

Questions & Answers