Piloting ‘Enhancements’ to Higher National Qualifications to Achieve

Articulation

Piloting ‘Enhancements’ to Higher National Qualifications to Achieve

Articulation

How did this project come about?How did this project come about?

Meeting in March 2012 with the lead articulation universities, colleges, SQA, Scottish Funding Council, Education Scotland and Scottish Government.

Project approved by HN KPG in April 2012.

SFC funded / SQA led and managed.

Why are we doing it?Why are we doing it?

SQA’s Corporate Plan goal to ‘Develop, deliver and maintain a portfolio of qualifications and services to support the needs and aspirations of Scotland, its people and its economy’

Scottish Government’s post-16 reforms in relation to improved articulation and full recognition for prior learning.

What are we hoping to achieve?What are we hoping to achieve?

The project aims to identify, develop and pilot ‘enhancements’ to our product specification, product support and supporting guidance in relation to our HN Qualifications.

The ‘enhancements’ should assist learners’ and/or Colleges’ preparation for articulation opportunities.

What is the scope of the project?What is the scope of the project?

The ‘enhancements’ will be introduced through restricted pilot activity in the following areas: – business– social sciences– engineering– computing

Pilot delivery 2013-2014

How is the project managed?How is the project managed?

Project Steering Group

Qualifications Review Team

What are enhancements?What are enhancements?

Four categories:

– Content

– Assessment

– Structural

– Guidance

AssessmentAssessment

Implementation of alternative assessment (evidence) approaches to existing HN Units

Development of integrated Assessment Support Packs across named HN Units

Exploration of opportunities for joint college/HEI assessment activities

Consideration of the relationship between existing Graded Units and any new integrative assessment approaches.

ContentContent

Development of generic study skills Units (Business, Computing, Social Science)

Development of a professional Skills for Engineering Unit Further exploration of requirements for Mathematics in Engineering

and Computing Development of an approach to Work Based Learning (including

possible Unit development) Exploration of mapping content to intermediate standards (eg QAA,

professional standards) and production of supporting skills profile at the level of the HN framework.

GuidanceGuidance

The need for supporting guidance will be identified and developed in the project as required.

StructuralStructural

Further exploration of the use of SQA and/or non-SQA provision as an ‘enhancement’ to the current 96 SCQF credit point HNC.

How are we going to do it?How are we going to do it?

The Qualifications Review Teams bring together the delivery experience of colleges, the articulation hubs’ experience of receiving articulating students and the development experience of SQA.

Development of the ‘enhancements’ will be an iterative process and will be discussed regularly with the QRTs to capture their subject-specific expertise and institutional experiences of articulation as they are developed.