The eighth meeting of the QDT took place yesterday morning. The QDT consists of 32 "extended" members and 15 "core" members. Most colleges in Scotland are represented in one capacity or another.
The agenda included a number of important items, including an update on progress, a discussion about timescales, and the contents of the proposed HNDs. I also took the opportunity to tell members about the new Qualification Review Teams.
There was a particularly interesting discussion about progression to degree courses. Members emphasised the importance of designing HNDs that articulate with degrees. The Qualification Leaders agreed to carefully look at this aspect of their frameworks in discussion with university representatives.
The HNC has been available for a few months, and we hope to have the HNDs available to centres from early 2013. The awards are progressing OK, with the focus on the creation of the validation proposal documents (VPDs), which is being done by the Qualification Leaders.
The validation event will take place in December.
Contact Caroline if you want to know more about the new HNDs.
Thursday, 30 August 2012
Friday, 20 July 2012
Reducing assessment
One of the key goals of the HN Review was to reduce the amount of assessment in the awards. So the unit writers were under strict instructions to minimise assessment, while maintaining national standards. I think that we achieved that with the HNC. The number of assessments in the mandatory units of the new award is 55% lower than the existing award. We have also significantly reduced assessment in the optional units.
We are also looking at some radical solutions to this problem. The HN 2.0 project is looking at how we can use social software for summative assessment in the new HNC. The project has coined two new terms: social assessment and smart assessment. Social assessment is how social media can be used for summative assessment. Smart assessment is how smartphones can be used to generate evidence. We hope that combining social assessment and smart assessment we can hugely decrease the time spent on assessment, and make assessment a more natural part of the learning process. For example, we are exploring ways of integrating all of the assessment in the mandatory units of the HNC into a couple of activities using social/smart assessment techniques. This represents a radical departure from the traditional approach.
The HN 2.0 project will produce a report that will describe these ideas in more detail, and a new assessment exemplar that will turn the theory into a practical assessment. The traditional assessments will still be available to use, although much reduced, but this more radical approach will also be an option.
Look out for more details shortly.
We are also looking at some radical solutions to this problem. The HN 2.0 project is looking at how we can use social software for summative assessment in the new HNC. The project has coined two new terms: social assessment and smart assessment. Social assessment is how social media can be used for summative assessment. Smart assessment is how smartphones can be used to generate evidence. We hope that combining social assessment and smart assessment we can hugely decrease the time spent on assessment, and make assessment a more natural part of the learning process. For example, we are exploring ways of integrating all of the assessment in the mandatory units of the HNC into a couple of activities using social/smart assessment techniques. This represents a radical departure from the traditional approach.
The HN 2.0 project will produce a report that will describe these ideas in more detail, and a new assessment exemplar that will turn the theory into a practical assessment. The traditional assessments will still be available to use, although much reduced, but this more radical approach will also be an option.
Look out for more details shortly.
Thursday, 5 July 2012
HND frameworks
The QDT has been working hard on the HND frameworks over the last couple of months. We are developing four HNDs - one is new (HND Computing) and three are revisions to existing awards, although very major revisions. The HNDs are:
The frameworks are pretty mature now, so I am not expecting them to change a great deal prior to the validation event. You can download the frameworks here.
The HND Computing award is new, and is designed as a general qualification for students who don't want to specialise in any one aspect of the subject.
- HND Computing (new)
- HND Computing: Networking
- HND Computing: Technical Support
- HND Computing: Software Development.
The frameworks are pretty mature now, so I am not expecting them to change a great deal prior to the validation event. You can download the frameworks here.
The HND Computing award is new, and is designed as a general qualification for students who don't want to specialise in any one aspect of the subject.
Tuesday, 3 July 2012
HNC Arrangements are now available
Caroline posted a message on the SQA Computing blog last week to let everyone know that the HNC Arrangements have now been published. You can download them here [PDF].
This is an important milestone in the project. It's great to see one of the awards put to bed. It took longer than planned to finalise the HNC, but we got there eventually.
The new HNC includes many improvements over the existing award, such as a more up-to-date structure (which includes professionalism and ethics), core skills in context (now delivered as part of vocational units), and a new way of recognising vendor awards. The optional units include a huge range of exciting new topics, such as Cloud Computing [PDF] and Mobile Technology [PDF].
I know that some centres plan to offer the new HNC from August, and we will work with those centres to ensure a smooth transition from the current award to the new one.
Some support material is already available for the new HNC, and a great deal more is coming. The award will be supported by traditional learning material and e-learning material.
Contact Caroline for more information about the new HNC, including information about current or planned support materials.
This is an important milestone in the project. It's great to see one of the awards put to bed. It took longer than planned to finalise the HNC, but we got there eventually.
The new HNC includes many improvements over the existing award, such as a more up-to-date structure (which includes professionalism and ethics), core skills in context (now delivered as part of vocational units), and a new way of recognising vendor awards. The optional units include a huge range of exciting new topics, such as Cloud Computing [PDF] and Mobile Technology [PDF].
I know that some centres plan to offer the new HNC from August, and we will work with those centres to ensure a smooth transition from the current award to the new one.
Some support material is already available for the new HNC, and a great deal more is coming. The award will be supported by traditional learning material and e-learning material.
Contact Caroline for more information about the new HNC, including information about current or planned support materials.
Monday, 18 June 2012
Qualification Leader meeting
I met with the qualification leaders (QLs) for each of the HNDs on Friday morning. Each HND has a lead developer:
The purpose of the meeting was to get a progress report on how the frameworks for each award were coming along, and also to discuss any issues.
The frameworks are coming along well. The HND Computing and HND Software Development ones are pretty much agreed, but there are some issues surrounding the Technical Support and Networking frameworks.
It was a good meeting. We had useful discussions, and resolved several issues. Caroline will update all four frameworks and share these when the agreed changes have been added. I would value your comments. I am hoping that the HND frameworks can be finalised by the end of this month. The new HNDs will be available to centres from January 2013.
Contact Caroline if you want to know more about the new HN awards.
- HND Computing: Derek Summer (Perth College)
- HND Computing: Networking: Chris Deegan (City of Glasgow College)
- HND Computing: Software Development: Pete Ainsworth (Motherwell College)
- HND Computing: Technical Support: Sean Miller (Telford College).
The purpose of the meeting was to get a progress report on how the frameworks for each award were coming along, and also to discuss any issues.
The frameworks are coming along well. The HND Computing and HND Software Development ones are pretty much agreed, but there are some issues surrounding the Technical Support and Networking frameworks.
It was a good meeting. We had useful discussions, and resolved several issues. Caroline will update all four frameworks and share these when the agreed changes have been added. I would value your comments. I am hoping that the HND frameworks can be finalised by the end of this month. The new HNDs will be available to centres from January 2013.
Contact Caroline if you want to know more about the new HN awards.
Thursday, 31 May 2012
HNC now validated
I came back from holiday to some great news -- the HNC award is now validated. It was almost there when I left but it's great to see it formally validated.
I appreciate that it took longer than planned. I had hoped to have the HNC award available to centres from March, so that some centres could offer it from August, but a number of factors complicated matters and the process took longer than I had hoped.
It might not be a bad thing to delay the introduction of the award. It will mean that centres can see the HNDs before commencing the HNC (the HNDs will be validated this year), and it also means that the associated support materials (of which there will be many) can be seen before you begin to deliver the award.
The Arrangements for the HNC will be available on the SQA website shortly, and you will be able to enter students from the middle of this month.
To help centres prepare for the new award, I plan to add some of the new units to the existing HNC framework, so that centres can run a sort of hybrid next year if they wish to. I will post more information on this in the near future, but in the meantime I would be interested to hear from you about the units you would like added (use the comment facility).
Contact Caroline for more information about the new HNC in Computing.
I appreciate that it took longer than planned. I had hoped to have the HNC award available to centres from March, so that some centres could offer it from August, but a number of factors complicated matters and the process took longer than I had hoped.
It might not be a bad thing to delay the introduction of the award. It will mean that centres can see the HNDs before commencing the HNC (the HNDs will be validated this year), and it also means that the associated support materials (of which there will be many) can be seen before you begin to deliver the award.
The Arrangements for the HNC will be available on the SQA website shortly, and you will be able to enter students from the middle of this month.
To help centres prepare for the new award, I plan to add some of the new units to the existing HNC framework, so that centres can run a sort of hybrid next year if they wish to. I will post more information on this in the near future, but in the meantime I would be interested to hear from you about the units you would like added (use the comment facility).
Contact Caroline for more information about the new HNC in Computing.
Monday, 30 April 2012
HN 2.0 project update
The development team for this project met on Saturday. Although this project is linked to the new HNC Computing, I will post future updates on the main SQA Computing blog, so check there for the latest update about this project.
Saturday, 21 April 2012
QDT meeting
The ninth meeting of the QDT took place yesterday afternoon, in the SQA offices in Glasgow. This is the first formal meeting of the group since the HNC validation event in December. So we had a lot to talk about.
The focus of the meeting was the new HNDs. These had been put on hold until the HNC was put to bed, which it, mostly, has.
It seemed a logical time to review membership of the group. I was particularly pleased to welcome Marion McNab, of Glasgow City College, to the group, who will represent the HN Collaboration Forum. The core and extended QDT has pretty extensive representation on it, with 22 colleges represented in some capacity, which is more than half of the colleges in Scotland.
The review embraces five new awards (the HNC plus four HNDs) and although we still have to validate the HNDs, I pointed out that most of the work had been done since we had draft frameworks for the HNDs and most of the component units were now validated. But we still had work to do -- the most pressing of which was finalising the HND frameworks.
There will be four new HNDs:
The focus of the meeting was the new HNDs. These had been put on hold until the HNC was put to bed, which it, mostly, has.
It seemed a logical time to review membership of the group. I was particularly pleased to welcome Marion McNab, of Glasgow City College, to the group, who will represent the HN Collaboration Forum. The core and extended QDT has pretty extensive representation on it, with 22 colleges represented in some capacity, which is more than half of the colleges in Scotland.
The review embraces five new awards (the HNC plus four HNDs) and although we still have to validate the HNDs, I pointed out that most of the work had been done since we had draft frameworks for the HNDs and most of the component units were now validated. But we still had work to do -- the most pressing of which was finalising the HND frameworks.
There will be four new HNDs:
- HND Computing (generic)
- HND Computing: Networking
- HND Computing: Software Development
- HND Computing: Technical Support
- HND Computing (Derek Summers)
- HND Computing: Networking (Chris Deegan)
- HND Computing: Software Development (Pete Ainsworth)
- HND Computing: Technical Support (Shaun Miller).
I am the convenor of the QDT and my presentation includes the key points from the meeting.
One of the criticisms of the HNC validation panel was our engagement with employers, so we have to work on this for the HNDs.
One of the criticisms of the HNC validation panel was our engagement with employers, so we have to work on this for the HNDs.
We hope to have the HND frameworks finalised by the end of May, and carry out the validation event in August, so that the new awards are available to centres from January 2013.
Contact Caroline if you want more information about this development.
Tuesday, 17 April 2012
Support Materials for HNC/D Computing
We have commissioned the development of assessment exemplar materials to support the forthcoming HNC/D Computing awards and these are now well underway.
In addition to the assessment exemplars for the mandatory units in the HNC Computing award, there will be a further 32 packs in development that will cover many of the options within the HNC & HND Computing awards.
All mandatory unit packs will be in place for the start of the new session. The remaining packs will start to appear on the SQA secure site from August 2012 onwards.
As well as assessment exemplars for HNC Computing mandatory units, we have also commissioned the development of teaching and learning e-materials which will also be in place for the start of the new session.
To access the list of materials being developed through SQA click here.
In addition to the assessment exemplars for the mandatory units in the HNC Computing award, there will be a further 32 packs in development that will cover many of the options within the HNC & HND Computing awards.
All mandatory unit packs will be in place for the start of the new session. The remaining packs will start to appear on the SQA secure site from August 2012 onwards.
As well as assessment exemplars for HNC Computing mandatory units, we have also commissioned the development of teaching and learning e-materials which will also be in place for the start of the new session.
To access the list of materials being developed through SQA click here.
Friday, 13 April 2012
HN Computing - Unit Specifications
As mentioned in my previous blog post unit codes are being allocated to the HNC Computing framework on a regular basis and the latest version of the framework can be accessed here.
Coded Units have now been published and can be accessed through the SQA website HN Unit Search.
In addition to the HNC Units there are also some Units that have been developed for the forthcoming HND Computing awards that have been also published on the website. I've listed the Units below:
Managing a Web Server (H16S 35)
Open Source Operating Systems: Introduction to Command Line Administration (H18C 35)
Open Source Operating Systems: Advanced Server Administration (H18D 35)
Open Source Operating Systems: Basic Server Administration (H18E 35)
Open Source Operating Systems: Advanced Network Services Administration (H18F 35)
Network Server Operating Systems (H16T 35)
Network Technology and Data Communications (H16V 35)
Relational Database Management Systems (H16W 35)
Server Administration (H16X 35)
Software Development: Data Structures (H16Y 35)
Software Development: Object Oriented Programming (H171 35)
Systems Development: Object Oriented Analysis and Design (H172 35)
If you have any queries regarding the HNC/D Computing developments, please get in touch with me here.
Coded Units have now been published and can be accessed through the SQA website HN Unit Search.
In addition to the HNC Units there are also some Units that have been developed for the forthcoming HND Computing awards that have been also published on the website. I've listed the Units below:
Managing a Web Server (H16S 35)
Open Source Operating Systems: Introduction to Command Line Administration (H18C 35)
Open Source Operating Systems: Advanced Server Administration (H18D 35)
Open Source Operating Systems: Basic Server Administration (H18E 35)
Open Source Operating Systems: Advanced Network Services Administration (H18F 35)
Network Server Operating Systems (H16T 35)
Network Technology and Data Communications (H16V 35)
Relational Database Management Systems (H16W 35)
Server Administration (H16X 35)
Software Development: Data Structures (H16Y 35)
Software Development: Object Oriented Programming (H171 35)
Systems Development: Object Oriented Analysis and Design (H172 35)
If you have any queries regarding the HNC/D Computing developments, please get in touch with me here.
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