Next Generation Higher Nationals – what’s changed!
A previous article covered the rationale for the development of a new breed of Higher National (HN) qualifications – known as Next Generation HNs (NextGen:HNs). It also described some of the features of NextGen:HNs, such as the inclusion of meta-skills and the structural change to fewer but larger units of study.
One other significant change that was not mentioned in my previous article is the change to the size (total credits) of these awards. A NextGen:HNC requires 120 SCQF credit points at SCQF level 7 – an increase of 24 SCQF credit points from existing HNCs. The change to the NextGen:HND is more significant as it requires 120 SCQF credit points at SCQF level 8. Existing HNDs are 240 SCQF credit points, with at least 72 of these points at level 8. This change enables direct entry to a NextGen:HN for individuals with industry experience. More succinctly, the NextGen:HND is a 1-year course, while traditional HNDs require 2 years of study.
This change has implications for NextGen:HND students wishing to progress to a degree course. For advanced standing entry to a degree course, the requirement has been that a student would have 240 SCQF credits, with a proportion of these at SCQF level 8. The traditional HND structure provided this, enabling colleges and universities to establish memorandums of understanding for progression to various degree programs. For NextGen:HND students a revised set of progression arrangements will be required.
The first NextGen:HN to be piloted in 2021/22 with a student group was the HNC in Television, followed in 2022/23 by HNCs in Computing and in Horticulture. Further NextGen:HNs have been piloted in Social Services, Childhood Practice, Engineering, Social Studies and Agriculture. At the time of writing another dozen or so NextGen:HNs at both HNC and HND level are in development.
The development of these NextGen:HN qualifications follows a service design model, with an emphasis on continuous improvement and collaboration. This approach allows SQA to evaluate its design principles, grading models and approach to quality assurance for NextGen:HNs. One outcome of this approach is that some details – such as the knowledge, skills and learning outcomes of draft units; grading models and rubrics – can only be confirmed after these processes have been worked through.
Here is an example of the significant changes that NextGen:HN brings to a qualification. The HNC Television has two large units (40 SCQF credits each), enabling meaningful learning and assessment across key areas of television programme production and television technical production. Assessment is project based and focuses on professional competencies, as well as academic and technical knowledge and skills.
As with all NextGen:HNs the HNC Television uses a whole qualification grading model, based on a group of core competences that are judged to be representative of the knowledge and skills required for success in television production. The evidence for a student’s level of achievement in these core competences can be gathered across all of the work submitted by the student for assessment purposes. Their progress and development in meta-skills forms part of the core competences.
Walter Patterson Consultancy was established in 2005 after 20 years as an educator in higher education and 20 years as HMI.
Walter’s extensive experience and expertise in further and higher education has been contributory to the success of a range of projects in the fields of e-learning, e-assessment and curriculum design, with clients that include Scottish Government and its agencies and professional bodies. As an international specialist he has enabled change in other jurisdictions, including Erasmus-funded projects.
His recent role in SQA’s NextGen initiative has informed this post.