I’ve previously mentioned my operational plan for the coming year (April 2014-March 2015). There are two HN developments in the plan. The HNC/D Interactive Media is due to be reviewed this year. We will be forming a Qualification Development Team (QDT) in the near future to take this forward. We’ve already got some volunteers but it’s not too late to get involved. Contact Caroline if you want to know more or join the QDT. The other development is a little…

A team of writers and vetters has been working on devising “alternative assessments” over the last few months. The assessments have been designed to provide a “university experience” to college students by combining the assessment of a number of outcomes into an examination or project. The team has devised six “Alternative Assessment Approach Support Packs” (AAASPs). Here is a summary of what each one covers. For example, the HND Networking examination covers all of the knowledge and understanding in two…

The Qualification Support Team (QST) for Computing met today in the SQA offices in Glasgow. Thirteen people attended today’s meeting. Members are drawn from colleges, schools and training providers. The role of the QST is to “effect on-going improvements to group awards and exemplify national standards”. In plain English, that means the QST monitors qualifications and suggests improvements. A key role is to consider proposals from centres to change awards. Over the course of a year, we get many suggestions…