Tag: SQA

Reflections on the SQA Technical Consultation

On Friday 14th August, the SQA announced its Arrangements for National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher courses in the 2020-21 session. This included links to the SQA's Technical Consultation on proposals for modifications to the assessment arrangements for the 2021 exam diet. The announcement also included links to a survey which closed for responses on...


Thoughts on SQA Exams & Certification

In response to a discussion about assessment on the IOP Sputnik email forum for Scottish Physics teachers, I posted some thoughts on what the SQA could do differently. Some replies to the post suggested I should share these ideas further. It's a bit 'sassy' in places, as one of the replies put it, but here's...


Newton's G-ball

'Newton's G-ball', marketed by Swedish company Mollic, is a simple electronic timing device which can be used to measure the freefall time from its point of release to impact on a surface below. It is available from a number of third party suppliers, including djb microtech, Better Equipped and TIMSTAR in the UK and Arbor Scientific in the US. The...


Response to SQA Consultation on Assessment

The SQA have released a consultation on the assessment arrangements for the new qualifications, which can be found here - surveymonkey.com/r/TFJQCX2  Having blogged recently on the subject of assessment, I have decided to publish my own response. [SQA questions shown in bold, my responses below] 1. Which subject(s) do you deliver? Physics  2. It was intended that Units...


SQA Consultation on Reforming Assessment

In an acknowledgement that there are 'issues' with assessment, the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) have opened a on-line consultation. Their survey can be found here - https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TFJQCX2 Having produced a few posts recently on the subject of assessment I have been keen to respond to the survey. Once I have checked to make sure it...


How we could reform assessment and certification

In my recent post 'Why we need to reform assessment', I outlined a number of issues which give me concern over the assessment of SQA National 3-5, Higher and Advanced Higher courses, introduced as part of the delivery of Curriculum for Excellence. Whilst there may be many teachers who would wish for a return to...


Why we need to reform assessment

Following on from my post back in May 'Do Exams Pass Under CfE?', I have given the issues of assessment and certification some further consideration, which I discussed in my presentation at this year's Teachmeet SLF 'Breakout' event held at CitizenM, Glasgow back in September. This post is an attempt to summarise and explain the...


Do Exams 'Pass' under CfE?

After more than five years of ongoing development in Scottish secondary schools, the Curriculum for Excellence has reached its first round of 'gold standard' Higher examinations. Though the contents of many courses have been significantly revised, and a sizeable portion of the overall marks may come from a piece of coursework conducted in school, the...


All Hands to the Pumps

On Wed 29th Feb, with our senior school out on exam leave for their prelims, and a clear desk (not sure how that happened, but it did) I dipped into my twitter stream and saw this tweet from Glen Gilchrist - Glen's post on PLNs and peer collaboration, details how he and Alexavier Fareheed made...


CPD - SQA New AH Physics Development Forum

I went along to Jordanhill School, Glasgow, this evening to attend a 'forum' hosted by John Sharkey, who is currently working for the SQA, developing the new Higher and Advanced Higher Physics courses. John started with a quick summary of the current state of play regarding SQA Physics courses for post-16 students - New Higher...