NPA validations

We held two validation events today - each consisting of three NPAs. All six were validated with conditions.

The awards are:

1. NPA Software Development (SCQF 4)
2. NPA Social Software (SCQF 4)
3. NPA Website Development (SCQF 5)
4. NPA Computer Hardware & Software (SCQF 5)
5. NPA Digital Photography (SCQF 5)
6. NPA Digital Media Production (SCQF Level 6).

There were several conditions and recommendations but none that should take too long to address. We're hoping to have the conditions lifted by end-July (due to holidays between now and then). The awards should be available to centres from end-August.

I'm particularly grateful to Ron Dillin (Stow College) and Lorraine Johnson (James Watt College) for convening the panels.

More information about these NPAs (or any other NPAs) from Hilary.

Research seminar on qualifications

I attended one of the occasional SQA research seminars this afternoon. This one was entitled "Qualifications and the incentives to learn". It was presented by Ewart Keep of Cardiff University.

As always, it was a fascinating, evidence-based discussion. Ewart discussed the links between qualifications and income. He pointed out that achieving low level vocational qualifications had little impact on income, unless these led to progression to higher level qualifications. He made specific criticism of narrow vocational qualifications (those that only focussed on specific job roles) and contrasted these with European vocational awards that typically included language, maths, ICT, and other general skills. Ewart reported that research showed that high quality work experience was very important in vocational programmes that aimed to prepare people for employment.

It was a timely reminder to me that Computing vocational awards have to deliver more than just computing knowledge and skills, and that areas such as numeracy, communications, entrepreneurship,  and project management skills were also important.

PC Passport update

I received an enquiry this morning about the timescales for the updated PC Passport units and materials.

My update letter of September 2009 stated that the revised units would be ready for January. Although the updated units were indeed complete by that time, we weren't able to publish the new units because we also needed to update the associated support materials to avoid confusion in centres (i.e. new units and old materials). In fact, we realised that we had to update lots of things -- including ASPs, online assessments, even the associated text books.

We're just about there now. The revised units will published in July, along with all of the associated support materials. The revised ASPs are not separated into "college" and "school" versions -- centres can use any version that they like.

Don't be alarmed by this. The "new" units are not new at all. In fact, we will not even renumber the units since they are essentially the same units with minor corrections and clarifications. This is not PC Passport version 3.0. It's PC Passport version 2.1.

If you are delivering the original (version 1) PC Passport units, these will not change (they have different numbers). But the "refreshed" (version 2) units will be replaced by these improved units. I will write to centres in the near future to fully explain the changes.

Contact Hilary for information about PC Passport.

Dundee Event - HND Computer Games Consultation

Unfortunately we have had to cancel the above event in Dundee on the 8th June 2009 due to insufficient numbers. This is the first time we have had to cancel an event but we strongly felt that there was limited representation from the field to consult with at this point in time. An e-mail to those who had registered for the Dundee Event was sent this morning giving alternative options.

The good news is that the Glasgow event on Thursday 4th June is going ahead so please, if you have not had time to register now is the time to do so by clicking on the URL below:

http://www.rsvpbook.com/event.php?442274

Keep your ideas coming

We set up a website a couple of months ago to get your ideas and feedback so don't forget to use it. The URL is:

http://sqa.ideascale.com/