Science Diploma Consultation

Wednesday 30 July 2008Comment on this article Permlink

The Science Diploma Development Partnership (SDDP) held a consultation workshop for stakeholders on 9 July at the Royal Society.

Representatives of science-based industries, the sector skills councils (SSCs), HE and educational bodies discussed a range of fundamental questions about the nature of the science diploma.

These included:

What statement could best describe the vision for the Science Diploma?
What are the diploma’s purposes?
Is ‘authentic workplace practice and associated techniques’ a suitable approach to developing the diploma?
Is it still appropriate to use biology, chemistry and physics as a way to organise scientific skills and knowledge required in the diploma. If not, how else might it be divided?
What ‘general science skills’ should be at the core of the diploma?
What lessons have been learnt and what challenges remain from experience of changing the science curriculum in recent years?
What factors are critical to the success of the diploma?

There were more questions about details of the three levels of diploma, the constituent parts and about progression into and on from each level.

The chair of the SDDP, Professor Hugh Lawlor, said that one of the benefits of the workshop had been to help the SSCs and other stakeholders appreciate the constraints on schools and FE colleges and he hoped that useful relationships would continue to be forged during the development process.

This initial consultation continues until 25 July in preparation for the second meeting of the SDDP.

Draft themes and topics will then be developed and consulted on in August and September.

Between October and January the main focus will be on developing the knowledge, understanding and skills required at the three levels in the Line of Learning Statement.

There will be consultation with stakeholders during all of this development work, and a public consultation on this in January.

Source: STEM Advisory Group.