THE AQA EXTENDED PROJECT QUALIFICATION
Introduction
The Extended Project is a Level 3 qualification to be introduced from September 2008. It can be taken as a free-standing qualification. Learners may choose to take the Extended Project Qualification as an extension from studies for other qualifications at Level 3, for example AS or A2 level. Alternatively, the Extended Project may explore an area of personal interest or activity outside the main programme of study.
Assessment Framework
Delivery of the Extended Project Qualification in centres will involve some teaching of the relevant skills plus mentoring and supervision of the learner’s progress. It will also involve extended independent work by the learner and will require in total up to 120 guided learning hours.
Learners will be required to
- Choose an area of interest
- Draft a project title
- Draft aims of the project
- Plan, research and carry out the project
- Provide evidence of all stages of project production
- Deliver a presentation to a specified audience.
What are the Learning Outcomes of the Extended Project Qualification?
The learner will:
- Identify, design, plan and complete an individual project (or task within a group project), applying organisational skills and strategies to meet stated objectives
- Obtain and select information from a range of sources, analyse data, apply relevantly and demonstrate understanding of any appropriate linkages, connections and complexities of the topic
- Select and use a range of skills, including new technologies where appropriate, to solve problems, to take decisions critically, creatively and flexibly, and to achieve planned outcomes
- Evaluate outcomes including own learning and performance and select and use a range of communication skills and media to convey and present evidenced outcomes and conclusions.
What might be involved in an Extended Project?
Learners think of a project they may wish to carry out and discuss their ideas with their centre supervisor. Learners initially carry out some research to enable them to answer the questions in the Project Proposal Form. Once they have firmed up their project idea and decided the best format in which to present their project, they complete the Project Proposal Form, which is signed by both the learner and the supervisor and forms part of the evidence for assessment and moderation.
The supervisor assesses the potential project against the following checklist:
- Is the topic to be researched, or the activity or task to be carried out, suitable for the Extended Project?
- Does the title of the project and proposed action allow the learner to investigate and to access the higher-level concepts and skills in the learning outcomes and assessment objectives, ie plan, research, analyse, evaluate and explain, rather than simply describe and narrate?
- Are the title and proposed action clear and focused on an issue which can be managed within the timescale, available resources, and word total?
- Do the title and proposed action indicate that the learner will be capable of investigating and researching the topic or carrying out the activity or task independently?
- Is there a danger that the learner will be unable to approach the project impartially and in a balanced way?
- Is the learner likely to face difficulties understanding the themes and issues associated with the project topic?
- If the Extended Project is part of a Diploma, does the project topic either complement and develop the Principal Leaning component of the Diploma or support the learner’s progression and development?
The supervisor comments on the project proposal, approves the project without recommendations or makes recommendations or requests a resubmission of the Project Proposal Form. This form is then included in the Production Log.
The learners complete the Production Log as they carry out their projects. The Production Log records the following key information:
- Initial planning meeting between the leaner and the supervisor
- The learner’s outline plan at the beginning of the project
- Mid-project review with the supervisor
- End-of-project review with the supervisor
- Summary
- A record of the presentation
- The learner’s reflection on the project and presentation.
The learners must carry out a presentation which should be for a non-specialist audience using media appropriate to the type of project. This could take the form of a group presentation in the case of a group project or a one-to-one presentation to the supervisor. The presentation must be supported by a question and answer session which is recorded in the Production Log.
The completed Production Log, the written report, the evidence and the presentation are assessed together by the centre at the end of the process.
For more information, see Mr Donovan (Director of Sixth Form)
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