NATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS CURRICULUM SUPPORT

History

Added Value Unit:

The Assignment

Advice and Guidance for Practitioners

[NATIONAL 4]

This advice and guidance has been produced to support the profession with the delivery of courses which are either new or which have aspects of significant change within the new national qualifications (NQ) framework.

The advice and guidance provides suggestions on approaches to learning and teaching. Practitioners are encouraged to draw on the materials for their own part of their continuing professional development in introducing new national qualifications in ways that match the needs of learners.

Practitioners should also refer to the course and unit specifications and support notes which have been issued by the Scottish Qualifications Authority.

Acknowledgement

The publisher gratefully acknowledges permission to use the following sources: image Q6432 and image Q6425 both © Imperial War Museums.

© Crown copyright 2012.You may re-use this information (excluding logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit or e-mail .

Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.

Any enquiries regarding this document/publication should be sent to us at .

This document is also available from our website at

ADDED VALUE UNIT (NATIONAL 4, HISTORY)1

© Crown copyright 2012

Contents

Section 1:Introduction to the Advice and Guidance4

Section 2:Curriculum for Excellence National Qualifications5

Section 3:Added Value7

Section 4:What learners need to do in the Added Value Unit at

National 48

Section 5:How learning can be presented for assessment9

Section 6:Making use of ICT for recording and presenting learning12

Section 7:Considerations for planning14

Section 8:Exemplification of potential approaches to learning and

teaching for the Added Value Unit in National 4 History15

ADDED VALUE UNIT (NATIONAL 4, HISTORY)1

© Crown copyright 2012

ADDED VALUE UNIT

Section 1: Introduction to the Advice and Guidance

This advice and guidance offers information on national qualifications and in particular the added value element of courses in Social Studies.The focus is to provide advice for practitioners to consider and reflect on in planning for learning and teaching as appropriate to the context of their learners.

The information contained in sections 1-7 is identical in the advice and guidance documents for National 4 Added Value in Geography, History and Modern Studies.Section 8 contains subject specific exemplification of potential approaches to learning and teaching.Practitioners should note that these examples represent possible approaches to consider in reflection and professional dialogue.They do not represent assessment standards or prescribed approaches.Reference should be made to the appropriate SQA documentation regarding assessment requirements and standards.

The exemplification provided in section 8 of these documents varies in style, content and level.This allows practitioners to reflect on what may be most appropriate within their own context and to consider ways of helping learners progress in their learning through National 4 and beyond.Practitioners are encouraged to engage with the exemplification provided for Geography, History and Modern Studies in order to reflect on the variety of approaches they may wish to develop in their own settings.

Section 2:Curriculum for Excellence: National Qualifications

Curriculum for Excellence aims to achieve transformational change, allowing flexibility for learners and the development of the four capacities.Throughout the broad general education, learners develop skills and knowledge through programmes of learning and teaching planned using the Experiences and Outcomes, informed by the Principles and Practices.To ensure a smooth progression into and through the senior phase, practitioners should reflect upon the principles of curriculum design and ensure that learning experiences reflect these.The National Qualifications have been designed to provide learners with opportunities to continue to develop the attributes and capabilities of the four capacities as well as skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work.They offer flexibility, provide time for learning and focus on the development of skills and application of learning. They allow for progression from learning that has happened through the broad, general education and allow opportunities for learners to develop breadth, challenge and application.

National 4 qualifications are benchmarked against level four of the SCQF framework and are internally assessed.For more information on the course, unit and assessment specifications, practitioners should refer to the appropriate SQA documentation.

Progression from National 4 may lead to study at National 5 and/or Higher level qualifications.The principles of design are the same; therefore the skills development and learning experiences at National 4 will support the learning journey.At National 5, mandatory content is prescribed and external Course assessment is introduced.

In planning for skills development, practitioners may find it helpful to refer to Bloom’s taxonomy (

and the related work of Morag McGinlay (

McGinlay’s skills path draws on Bloom’s taxonomy and demonstrates how learners can progress through their learning and develop higher-order thinking skills.

Reflective questions

Consider your current approaches to learning and teaching in National Qualification courses:

­How active is the learning in your current courses?

­In what ways are the skills of learners effectively developed? What evidence do you have to support your conclusions?

­What aspects could be improved through increased use of active learning?

­What would the impact on learners be?

Section 3: Added Value

The Added Value is what makes the course more than simply the sum of its parts.Added Value assessment describes how the breadth, challenge and application of the skills, knowledge and understanding developed by the learner throughout the Course will be assessed.

For National 4 courses, the Added Value unit serves as the assessment and is internally assessed on a pass or fail basis.(At National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher the Added Value is externally assessed through the Course assessment).

The Added Value Unit for Geography, History and Modern Studies takes the form of an assignment.For further details on the requirements of the unit, practitioners should refer to the relevant SQA Course and Unit specifications on the SQA website –

Practitioners should note that the Added Value assignment is not necessarily an end of course activity, but rather it can be undertaken at any point.It involves selecting appropriate skills, knowledge and understanding and presenting the learning in a chosen format.The topic or issue chosen by the learner may relate to a single unit or may emerge from learning across units.

The assignment is an opportunity for learners to demonstrate the skills, abilities, knowledge and understanding which they have gained throughout the period of their broad, general education and which they may further develop through their studies at National 4. It should allow learners the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of the topic chosen. The assignment also allows for personalisation and choice within the curriculum. It gives learners the opportunity to choose the topic or issue for study and the method of presentation.

Reflective questions

­How will you facilitate for personalisation and choice in topic choice?

­What kinds of approaches to learning and teaching will best prepare learners for undertaking the assignment?

­How can you support all learners in achieving success in the Added Value Unit?

Section 4: What learners need to do in the Added Value Unit

This section of advice and guidance provides a brief overview of what learners need to do for the assignment, however, practitioners should refer to SQA documentation for detail on assessment requirements of the Added Value unit.

In History, learners will:

  • Choose a theme and question for study
  • Select and organise evidence
  • Respond to the question by describing and explaining the key features of the answer
  • Refer to thesources used
  • Present their findings, demonstrating the skills they have used and knowledge gained.

Section 5: How learning can be presented for assessment

Learners can present their assignment in a way that will allow them to best demonstrate their knowledge and understanding and skills in order to meet the outcomes of the unit. There are many methods available.Practitioners should refer to the relevant SQA documentation regarding the detail of assessment requirements.It should be noted that the assignment presents opportunities for learners to engage with topics of their choice and should be an enjoyable experience of moving into more depth in an area of interest to the learner.Therefore, over assessment should be avoided.The following list of potential presentation methods is in no way prescriptive and simply outlines some of the many possibilities. Learners may demonstrate achievement of the outcomes of the unit in any appropriate form.

Care should be taken not to over-credit such factors as IT skills and oral/written communication skills as opposed to the subject specific skills, knowledge and understanding. The activity is primarily about developing the skills of the subject but, of course, presentation and communication skills are also important in the context of developing skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work.

Section 6: Making use of ICT for recording and presenting learning

Blog

A blog can also be described as a ‘web log’.There are many ways in which learners could use a blog to communicate their progress and findings with practitioners, peers and parents.

Blogs allow learners to update their progress from a computer or smart phone and provide a platform for keeping a log or journal if desired.

You may wish to consider using Glow Blogs:

Wikis

Wikis provide opportunities for learners to collaborate with other learners and teachers, and share what they have learned. A wiki is a website that lets any learner (or indeed anyone else you want) become a participant: you can create or edit the actual site contents without any special technical knowledge.A wiki is continuously under revision.One famous example is Wikipedia, an online encyclopaedia with no authors but millions of contributors and editors. Wikis have controlled access to ensure learner information remains private. If a learner uses a wiki to present his/her findings, then the wiki can be built up throughout the research process.There are many examples on the internet of learners effectively using wikis for learning.

You may wish to consider using Glow Wikis:

Digital Presentations

If learners opt to present their assignment in the form of a presentation, they may wish to support this by employing some presentation software.In many cases this will take the form of a PowerPoint presentation.However, learners may have the ability to create their presentation in some of the many other formats available, such as Keynote, Prezi, Empressr, Powtoon.

Other ICT

Learners may make use of other ICT in their assignment.Software such as Comic Life allows learners to create comic strip style documents and presentations where the detail of their learning can be demonstrated in creative and engaging ways.Programmes such as Photostory or Movie Maker allow learners to create presentations that can capture and display their learning. The use of video cameras and USB microphones allows for a flexible approach to gathering material and presenting learning.

Reflective questions

­How will you facilitate for personalisation and choice in methods of presentation for learners?

­What strengths do you have in using ICT to support learners?

­What considerations will you need to discuss regarding assessing the Added Value unit?

Section 7: Considerations for planning

In planning for the Added Value assignment, practitioners should bear in mind, as noted previously, that learning developed throughout the course can be drawn upon.Sources and materials gathered in other aspects of coursework can be utilised and that the assignment can be carried out at any point during the course.

It will be important to allow learners the opportunity to engage in dialogue and reflection over their choice of topic or issue and to consider in detail what they will need to do.It may be beneficial for some learners to work with peers on many aspects of the assignment before producing an individual final piece.A collegiate approach to thinking about and planning the assignment may help to foster an ethos that supports quality peer and self evaluation of learning and may support learners in developing their higher order thinking skills through discussion.

There is an expectation that practitioners will support learners, as appropriate, throughout all stages of the assignment, including in the phase of choosing topics and issues.

Allowing learners the opportunity to engage in activities that help the class consider potential assignment topics and issues, sources of information and ways of carrying out research, processing research and presenting findings, will support learners and encourage engagement.

Practitioners may consider ways of helping learners to benefit from opportunities to learn outwith the classroom when working on the Added Value unit.There may be local people, places, groups, organisations that would be useful places either for classes, groups or individuals to visit as part of their course that would contribute to the assignment, or purely to inform research for the assignment.

Section 8: Exemplification of potential approaches to learning and teaching for the Added Value Unit in National 4 History

This table outlines the exemplification provided.

The examples are designed to encourage reflective thinking for practitioners in considering the Added Value Unit in their own contexts.They do not represent prescribed approaches or assessment standards.

In addition to these examples a range of potential questions are provided to encourage practitioners to reflect on the areas learners may wish to study.Potentially useful websites and questions for learners to consider are also provided following the exemplar material.

Topic / Research skills / Processing techniques
The Great War /
  • Carousel source activity
  • Internet research
  • Text book research
/
  • Annotation of sources
  • Talk with display board
  • Questioning

The Clearances /
  • Visit to site (possibly virtual)
  • Viewing/listening to interviews
  • Consulting primary source texts
/
  • ComicLife / Movie Maker presentation
  • Written report
  • Historical Site brochure

Civil Rights in the USA /
  • Interview or communication with first hand witness
  • Viewing of relevant speeches online
  • Reading of newspapers cuttings or other texts
/
  • PowerPoint presentation
  • Podcast or video of talk

Exemplar 1

The Great War

The following materials relate to the Western Front 1914–1918. They are relevant to learners studying the topic ‘Were tanks an effective weapon on the Western Front?’

Learners may work in groups to read the following primary source materials.They may do this as a ‘carousel’ activity.The sources are printed in large font and stuck to poster paper, then stuck on walls or tables around the room.Learners move around the room in their groups, reading the material and highlighting or adding notes. (Several other sources could be added to this activity)

Source A

By Private Charles Cole, 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards. He was serving on the Somme in 1916.

Well, we were at the parapets, waiting to go over and waiting for the tank. …The tank never came. It was split-second timing, we couldn’t wait for it, we had to go over the top. Well, we went over the top and we got cut to pieces because the plan had failed.

Eventually, the tank got going and went past us. The Germans ran for their lives – couldn’t make out what was firing at them. …the tank went on, knocked brick walls, houses down, did what it was supposed to have done – but too late! We lost thousands and thousands.

Source B

A photograph of a British male tank.

Source C

A photograph of a British tank. It was taken by an official British photographer in 1917.

A learner who opts to answer this question for their assignment may select source A and source C to explain both the benefits and problems of tanks.

They may also carry out research from the internet and use text books to enhance their understanding and deepen their knowledge.

They could annotate notes on the text and photo.They may then choose to present their findings as a talk using a display board with their annotations to emphasise their key points.It may be appropriate for peers or practitioners to ask questions following the talk.

Exemplar 2

The Clearances

Different topics may present opportunities for learning outside the classroom depending on the context and setting of the centre.In studying the clearances, it may be possible for the class or individual learners to either visit sites related to specific episodes or to use the internet or videos to virtually explore sites (eg. Croick Church).Following a live or virtual visit a learner may have pictures of the historical site (or elements of it) to use as source material for their assignment (eg. the etched writing on the windows of Croick Church).

The learner may then watch or listen to online interviews with historians discussing the clearances and/or consult some primary source texts.