The first thing to say is that despite the headline figure the numbers of students caught cheating remains remarkably low at 0.4% of the 160,000 students who took exams in 2009.
314 candidates were found guilty of attempting to cheat in the most recent diet of SQA exams – a 225 rise on the 2008 total, and 113 of those had used a mobile phone, up from 49 in the previous year. This is in spite of the clear instructions issued to candidates explaining items prohibited from exam rooms which include mobile phones, MP3 players and spell checkers.
Click here for more information. Figures were also released in England which show a similar trend – more information here.
Posted on the February 16, 2010 by Hugh Dailly
Filed Under Assessment, Mobile Technology, SQA, Scotland, Students |
In May 2008, SQA had funding approved to support the continuing development of National Certificates and NPAs with a focus on the use of technology – the TranSETT Project (www.sqa.org.uk/europe). The funding was provided by European Structural Funds, Scottish Government and SQA. The first year of TranSETT has seen SQA create e-assessments and, in partnership with Scotland’s Colleges, web-based support materials for a range of subject areas. These resources will start to become available for centres to use from August 2009 , supported by a series of dissemination and training events.
In March 2009, SQA was approved for an additional £1.2m of European funding to continue and expand the development of innovative resources supporting a wider range of National Certificates and NPAs. This additional funding has been secured until 2011 and will allow SQA, with its partners, to continue this exciting development. Not only will we be developing more e-assessment and web-based learning materials but would also like to respond to the increasing use of other internet-based technologies to support learning, such as games-based assessment and e-portfolios.
Interested parties now have an opportunity to get involved in this development by completing our tender questionnaire.
Click here to access the pre-qualification questionnaire.
Closing date for submission is 6 July 2009.
A user guide to the Public Contracts portal is available to download below:
Click here to download the Public Contracts portal user guide
Further information is also available in the help section of the website, or by contacting the SQA procurement team and quoting reference SQA1446. (E-mail: procurement@sqa.org.uk)
Posted on the June 23, 2009 by Hugh Dailly
Filed Under Assessment, EU Funding, Funding, Games, SQA, Scotland, Scottish Government |
Wash, cut,for the weekend? Courtesy of an innovative educational resource provided free of charge by JISC Collections, tomorrow’s hairdressing professionals can gain qualifications today with a mobile learning method that is the first of its kind in the UK.
Hairdressing Training is delivered via mobile telephones or other remote access devices. It has been shortlisted for the Innovations Award at the Handheld Learning Awards from 13-15 October 2008. The product provides an online learning package that supports the teaching of hairdressing and barbering to National Vocational Qualification (NVQ), Scottish Vocational Qualification (SVQ), Diploma and Apprenticeship level.
Posted on the October 14, 2008 by Hugh Dailly
Filed Under Courseware, JISC, JISC Collections, Mobile Technology, Resources, SQA |
New figures from the SQA (Scottish Qualifications Authority) show a 21 per cent increase in incidents of exam cheating from 2006 to 2007 with 775 confirmed cases in Scottish schools, up from 638 the previous year.
Incidents of collusion rose from 329 to 392 and there was a slight increase in the plagiarism detected from 93 to 98 cases. However, incidents of mobile phones being used in the exam room fell (126 in 2006, 115 in 2007). The SQA stressed that the numbers cheating were a tiny minority, less than one per cent of the total number of candidates taking Highers, Advanced Highers and Standard Grades.
Click here for more details (opens in new window)
Posted on the March 11, 2008 by Hugh Dailly
Filed Under JISC, Plagiarism, SQA, Scotland, Students |
A new site from the SQA (Scottish Qualifications Authority) offers free teacher resources covering a wide range of curriculum areas and stage? Visitors can access a collection of Powerpoint presentations known as Virtual Classroom Tours (VCTs). Each VCT provides information about the successful adoption of ICT in teaching and learning by a classroom teacher. These resources have been created by teachers participating in an SQA/Microsoft initiative, which supports teachers in sharing best practice in the use of ICT in the classroom.
In each of the months from February to June, a prize of £200 will be awarded by SQA/Microsoft Partners in Learning to someone who has visited the web site. To qualify for entry to the prize draw the visitor must use the website to submit a comment on the usefulness of these resources to their teaching.
Posted on the February 12, 2008 by Hugh Dailly
Filed Under General Resources, Resources, SQA, Staff Development, Web Resources, XTRA 2008 |
This conference presents a great opportunity for lecturers and tutors in Scotland’s colleges to get excited about e-Assessment and the use of technology to enhance assessment delivery. Workshops will include contributions from SQA, JISC, SFEU and many colleagues from across Scotland. Topics include the use of e-portfolios, avatars, wikis and blogs for assessment, as well as access to the Solar Project assessments. The event is free, but places are limited. Follow the link to find a detailed description of the day’s events and book your place now!
Posted on the August 28, 2007 by Kenji Lamb
Filed Under Assessment, Conference, FE, SQA |
The first thing to say is that despite the headline figure the numbers of students caught cheating remains remarkably low at 0.4% of the 160,000 students who took exams in 2009.
