Hi MustangSally,
Well done on getting your 'A' for your assignment. I got an 'A' for the last two asignments i did, as for the first two assignments i decided to go for a lower grade as not to put myself under too much pressure as i had been out of studying for years, but i got higher grades than expected which resulted in me getting 'C' for the assignments so my tutor told me i was more than capable of going for the higher grades, so i did and surprised my self in getting 'A' for the last two assignments which in the end on my certificate gave me an overall grade of 'B'. So iwas surprised to find i had a brain somewhere in me after all lol.
In answer to the question how different is the NVQ from the Diploma, i can only answer that from my own experience as an NVQ A1 Assessor. The difference i found with the NVQ is that it is more hands on and very much work related. There is a certain amount of written work involved but not to the same amount as in the DPP assignments. For the NVQ there is a set of standards which is basically certain criteria the candidates need to achieve to pass their units. The NVQ is broken into Units, such as for example, babies, the environment, health and safety, contribute to the achievement of organisational requirements, planning, physical development and many more units.The unit is broken into elements which is then broken down into performance criteria known as PC. An example of the element would be; Carry out instructions and provide feed back, the PC would be; instructions are carefully listened to and read, instructions that are not understood are clarified with the relevant people, task was completed to the standard required and completed in the time scale specified.
The candidate would have to show evidence in how they achieved the elements and PC, this can be done in a variety of ways, such as direct observation by the assessor, a refective account, where upon the candidate has to write about what they did to achieve the element and PC this would then be signed by a witness in the work place to confirm the candidate did what she has written about. The candidate can write evidence in a diary, the assessor can also ask questions and this can be used as evidence, work products such as day books, first aid and accident books can be used as evidence if the candidate has had to deal with an accident or what ever. Childrens names would be scored out to keep to confidentiality. There are other ways of getting evidence too. But basically thats what happens with an NVQ it is about collecting evidence to support the candidate within the work place. Some people prefer this route if they don't enjoy alot of written work and college can be a bit frightening for some people. I had a candidate who had special needs, she would not have been able to do a level 3 in college as she had limited ability to write and basic reading ability, but she was a very practical person and knew her stuff from observing and then copying, so as her assessor i was able to make up multiple choice questions and diagrams and various charts, where i would ask her questions and i would either write what she answered for her or she just had to tick a box for the correct answer or statement. By doing this she was able to pass her units and gained a level 2 qualification. Hope that all makes sense. In the DPP most of the work and assignments are done soley by ourselves and we have alot of research to do and theorists to read up on etc.
Someone else out there may be able to explain it all in much better terms than me, as i have not assessed any one in two years so things may have changed. NVQ candidates do have to put a portfolio together using photographs, (no children allowed in the photos), using reflective accounts and any other evidence they can gather.
I have had a friend who also chose to do the NVQ level 3 as she was working and would get paid while doing her NVQ, so this option suited her.
Rosepetal