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APP - Assessment outcomes and APP

The criteria from level 3+ are taken from the national strategies. There are no official criteria for levels 1 and 2 but for the sake of completeness we have included what would be reasonably logical extensions using National Curriculum attainment target criteria. This enables us to map equivalences from the Qualifications and Credit Framework to the National Curriculum providing some confidence that the qualifications are compatible not only with the National Occupational Standards, but also the NC programmes of study and the assessment systems most likely to be employed. In any assessment strategy the criteria provide a means of bench marking performance through a programme of study. There is more detail about that at the link above. In the National Curriculum the programmes of study are to an extent age related and so to meet statutory requirements learners in a particular key stage should cover the programme of study and have their assessed levels recorded on sufficient occasions to be confident about their capability. There is no statutory requirement to adopt any particular assessment methods although in KS3 the National Strategy is to use the APP methods developed by QCDA in consultation with schools and the National Strategies. In the absence of any other national assessment scheme it seems reasonable to adopt similar methods in other aspects of assessment to standardise methods as far as possible.

TLM qualifications are designed to be age independent. If the learner can provide appropriate evidence of meeting the assessment criteria they will be awarded credit. Meeting the assessment requirements is the only condition for the award of credit and that is a principle of the Qualifications and Credit Framework and is consistent with a Personalised Learning Agenda. Linkage to the NC and APP criteria simply provides evidence for the potential compatibility between the assessment systems. It's up to individual teachers to decide on suitable learning contexts in which to implement the assessment. Mapping of activities against the programmes of study also demonstrates that there is no reason why the programmes of study cannot be covered at the same time as achieving QCF credit. This is important for funding in the 14-19 age range under section 96 of the education act.

The criteria in this table have HTML anchors associated with them. This means we can make links directly from the assessor guidance to interpreting the ITQ assessment criteria directly to individual NC criteria. For example, http://theingots.org/community/Bronze1#16 (I appreciate the need for planning) is linked by the text in the assesssors' guide to http://theingots.org/community/APPcriteria#AF1.1.1  All the APP criteria are linked to the ITQ assessment criteria in this way accompanied by the assessor guidance. QCDA Assessing Pupil Progress is a method and these criteria need to take those methods into account. The criteria for NC levels 1 and 2 are logical extensions using the National Curriculum criteria but are not part of the criteria provided in the KS3 national strategy, they are there to aid transparency in the mapping of the NC to the ITQ assessment models. If you want to copy the HTML here to integrate into your own information systems, you might want to check with the copyright owner (Crown). The text in the table for Levels 3 to 8 is taken from a document subject to Crown Copyright and is reproduced here under the terms of Crown Copyright Policy Guidance issued by HMSO to promote APP methods. The advantage of using the HTML here is that there are anchors at each statment that are not in the original to enable more precise linking of information to each statement facilitating cross-referencing. Otherwise we could have just made a link to the original APP document. More details about the APP system is here.

Assessment outcome criteria for levels 1-8 in the NC

 
       
Level 1
  • They understand that work can be saved and retrieved for later use
  •  They talk about their use of ICT.
  • Investigate imaginary and virtual worlds and explore options
  • Explore how devices respond to commands
  • Navigate onscreen resources to explore and locate information
  • Capture information and share their work with others.
  • Work with text, images and sound to explore and share their ideas.
  • Use ICT safely by following instructions
Level 2
  • Find and use information to answer questions.
  • Comment on how successful they’ve been in finding answers
  • Use simple editing and formatting techniques to develop their work
  • Describe how they use ICT to develop their work
  • Sort and organise information and present it in different forms, including simple graphs
  • Plan and give instructions to make things happen and describe the effects
  • Make informed choices when using ICT to explore what happens in real and imaginary situations.
  • Find, organise and classify information and present their findings
  • Present their ideas in different forms, including text, tables, images and sound
  • Use ICT to communicate with others following instructions on safe use
Level 3
  • Plan how they will use ICT to solve a problem
  • Comment on success of their solution
  • Refine and develop information using ICT tools and techniques to make changes
  • Describe how they use ICT at school and how it is used outside school
  • Collect, store and retrieve data
  • Use a sequence of instructions to control events
  • Use ICT-based models or simulations to answer questions
  • Identify and select appropriate information using straightforward lines of enquiry
  • Present information using text, images and other media
  • Use digital communications to exchange ideas
  • Identify ways they can keep themselves safe when using ICT
Level 4
  • Plan and implement solutions that combine and refine different forms of information
  • Evaluate the quality and success of their solutions
  • Explain how and why the use of ICT varies in and out of school
  • Organise and process data for a purpose
  • Devise and refine sequences of instructions
  • Use models to explore relationships between inputs and outputs and explain how the models work
  • Use appropriate search criteria to find relevant information, and check its plausibility and usefulness
  • Present information in different forms suited to purpose
  • Use ICT to communicate and collaborate, identifying some of the risks and acting to minimise them
Level 5
  • Plan and develop structured solutions to problems which use a combination of ICT tools and techniques
  • Use criteria to evaluate the quality of solutions, identifying improvements and refining their work
  • Identify benefits and limitations of using ICT both inside and outside school
  • Use logical and appropriate structures to organise and process data
  • Create precise and accurate sequences of instructions
  • Change variables within models and explain the impact
  • Take account of accuracy and potential bias when searching for and selecting information
  • Present information in a range of forms for specific purposes and familiar audiences
  • Use ICT safely and responsibly
Level 6
  • Plan and develop solutions which show efficiency and integration of ICT tools and techniques
  • Use criteria and feedback to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of solutions
  • Explore the impacts of the use of ICT in work, leisure and home
  • Devise a data handling solution to test hypotheses that uses techniques to reduce input errors
  • Create efficient sequences of instructions including the use of subroutines
  • Test predictions by varying rules in models and assess the validity of the conclusions
  • Use complex lines of enquiry efficiently to interrogate information
  • Explain choices when presenting information for different purposes and wider or remote audiences
Level 7
  • Design and plan an ICT-based system by
    • scoping the information flow through the system
    • devising and applying success criteria to ensure a quality solution, refining work as it progresses
    • identifying the advantages and limitations of the system
  • Identify the impact of ICT on people, communities and cultures
  • Select appropriate tools and techniques to implement an ICT based system in which:
    • data flow is automated
    • sequences of instructions are developed, tested and refined
    • assumptions, variables and rules are identified
  • Develop an appropriate user interface for an ICT based system which:
    • enables efficient data input
    • displays system outcomes that are fit for purpose and audience
Level 8
  • Design and implement integrated ICT based systems for others to use which:
    • meet the needs of the user
    • take account of ease of use
    • collect, process and prepare information for processing efficiently
    • automate dataflow through the system
    • include an appropriate interface between the system and the user
    • use appropriate ICT tools and techniques
    • integrate evaluation into the development process to inform subsequent refinements
  • Explain the impacts of ICT on social, economic, ethical and moral issues

 

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