Issue 23
February 2010

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome to Ofqual News

Ofqual is the regulator of qualifications, examinations and assessments in England and of vocational qualifications in Northern Ireland. Our work will ensure that learners get the results they deserve and that the qualifications they receive count, both now and in the future.

In this e-Newsletter you can find out about Ofqual's most recent work.

You have been sent this email because you are a subscriber to QCA or Ofqual News. If you wish you can unsubscribe from our e-Newsletter.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Latest news

 

 

 

 

Regulating for confidence in standards  - Consultation sessions running at The Education Show 2010

Ofqual is the regulator of qualifications, examinations and assessments for national curriculum in England and of vocational qualifications in Northern Ireland.

The Education Show 2010 will take place between 4th - 6th March 2010 at the NEC Birmingham.  Ofqual will be consulting on a step-change in the way qualifications and assessments will be regulated and your views count! These sessions will focus on how Ofqual will regulate the national curriculum assessments and early years assessments in the future.

Each workshop will last for a maximum of 40 minutes and will be led by a senior Ofqual officer who will be able to answer your consultation queries. You are invited to come and meet the team who will be able to answer questions on both subjects in the Early Years Theatre on:

  • Thursday 4th March at 2pm
  • Friday 5th March at 11am
  • Friday 5th March at 3pm

These sessions will help you to understand our consultation proposals and how we intend to move from the old regulatory world to the new. If you cannot make the session at the conference, you can access the consultation document at: www.ofqual.gov.uk/consultations although you must be quick - the closing date for receipt of responses is 8th March 2010.

 

 

 

 

 

Back to top

 

 

To cheat or not to cheat

Recent press coverage has led to growing concern in the validity of students assessed work being produced by students at all levels. Over half of all teachers questioned in a 2008 survey carried out by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers indicated that plagiarism was a problem in student work.

Ofqual have published 3 new free guidance publications for students, parents and carers and teachers. They are each designed to highlight the growing issue and concern of plagiarism and the problem of the developing 'cut and paste' culture.

You can download a copy of the guides at: www.ofqual.gov.uk/plagiarism.  Further copies can be obtained from www.tsoshop.co.uk/ofqual

 

 

 

 

 

Back to top

 

 

 

Ofqual Launches new look website on e-assessment

Launched in 2007, efutures is a dedicated website on e-assessment incorporating an online toolkit for e-assessment practitioners. The website is a resource designed to support innovation when using e-assessment in qualifications and explains the policies and regulatory principles related to e-assessment.

The new look site provides case studies and resources to help see the principles in context. Efutures has been designed to encourage dialogue between regulators and stakeholders on the key themes and topics relating to e-assessment, systems and security accessibility, e-testing, e-portfolios and help and support.

Efutures has recently undergone a restructure and redesign incorporating new layers of content and functionality which will enable users to interact more with the information on the site, by providing comments, asking questions and uploading data. The new look site aims to encourage users to participate in communities of practice encouraging dialogue and debate on the dynamic subject of e-assessment and is supported by all the qualification regulators, Ofqual, CCEA, SQA and DCELLS. These communities of practice will help inform us, to develop and improve future policies and thinking on e-assessment.

Efutures aims to ensure that messages on e-assessment will reach all relevant stakeholders. New features and functionality that will help engage users of e-assessment will include:

  • Ability to manage a very simple profile
  • Ability to manage AO contact details
  • Ability to build a tailored new feed /updates
  • An interactive calendar of events on e-assessment to link with personal calendars
  • Online comments and questions
  • Content based on the 'real world' case studies from awarding organisations
  • Links to e-assessment toolkit for practitioners

As an Awarding Organisation, you may be particularly interested in our section dedicated to AOs which enables organisations to input their own details to a brief on their e-assessment activities and we would encourage you to make use of this facility and populate it with your information.

Please take some time to have a look at the efutures website and disseminate the links as widely as possible within your organisations and centres and beyond were relevant. We also welcome any feedback you may have and encourage you to send us your comments and questions via the website.

Alternatively you can contact Fran Dowler directly.

Most notably one of the significant changes to efutures is the web domain which is now www.e-assessment.org.uk. Please bookmark this site for future use.

 

 

 

 

 

Back to top

 

 

Bogus Colleges

Over the last few years Ofqual has been receiving an increasing number of queries, complaints and allegations regards colleges which appear to be operating outside of any regulations or operating standards. In an attempt to help students identify "bogus" colleges Ofqual has published a guidance paper and made this available via our website. The paper has also been copied to DCSF and The Home Office for further circulation. Please refer to the attached link for access to the guidelines.

http://www.ofqual.gov.uk/2732.aspx

 

 

 

 

 

Back to top

 

 

 

 

 

E-newsletter Updates - All change

As you will be aware, as a result of the Apprenticeship, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009, Ofqual will become the independent regulator for examinations, qualifications and assessments in England and will formally separate from the Qualifications Curriculum Authority (QCA) from 1st April 2010.  

As a result of this change, we are now reviewing which of our stakeholders wish to continue receiving information from Ofqual from April onwards.  You may be aware that you are receiving this newsletter as you have subscribed to regular updates in the form of electronic newsletters on a bi-monthly basis in the past.  

In order to ensure a smooth flow of information to all stakeholders in the future, we would welcome the opportunity to continue sharing key pieces of information and details about latest developments with you.  However, if you would prefer not to receive such updates from Ofqual in particular, can I ask you to visit www.ofqual.gov.uk/unsubscribe to unsubscribe from the regular update system which we have in place.  

Please note, this will not affect your subscription to the QCDA regular electronic newsletter.

 

 

 

 

 

Back to top

 

 

 

 

Privacy statement | Unsubscribe | Subscribe to receive other Ofqual emails