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navigation>> current activities [ UKCEP]/[Access to HE] [credit-based funding] | related activities | NICATS manual | future plans
At a meeting on 11 December 2000, involving representatives from the 4 credit consortia/projects (SEEC, NCCCAT, NICATS and CQFW) in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland (EWNI), the QAA Development Directorate indicated that guidance on credit to complement the National Qualifications Framework for Higher Education should be developed by the credit consortia as a collaborative effort. [Top]
As a result of the QAAHE meeting, a working group was set up with representatives from the 4 credit consortia/projects in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (NUCCAT, SEEC, NICATS, CQFW) to prepare draft credit guidelines for EWNI to complement the qualifications framework.
The credit bodies - NUCCAT, SEEC, CQFW and NICATS worked together to publish a single set of credit guidelines enclosed within 'Guidance to support the use of credit within the Higher Educations Qualifications Framework'. The Summary Edition and Background and Recommendations circulated with the Credit Guidelines gives further information. [Top]
In June 2000 The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education invited NICATS to join an Advisory Group which they were establishing to support the progress file initiative.
The progress file initiative stems from the recommendation of the National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education (the Dearing Report) for HEIs to develop:
Between January 1999 and May 2000 the Dearing recommendation was developed into the concept and policy of the Progress File through a consultative and development process led by the Quality Assurance Agency, Universities UK, Universities Scotland and the Standing Conference of Principals. This process culminated in a joint policy statement in May 2000 which was issued to all HEIs to endorse and implement as part of their missions. Some HEIs have already implemented, and/or may wish to go beyond, these policies. Guidelines for HE Progress Files (February 2001) have been produced by QAA. [Top]
While the term Progress File suggests that it is a document charting the progress of an individual, the overall concept contains:
Progress Files help to make the outcomes, or results, of learning in higher education more explicit, identify the achievements of learning, and support the concept that learning is a lifetime activity. [Top]
The group is made up of representatives from the Quality Assurance Agency, Universities UK, Universities Scotland, the Standing Conference of Principals, the Learning and Teaching Support Network (ltsn), the Centre for Recording Achievement (CRA), Personal Development Planning in HE Network Scotland, the major credit consortia, Students Records Officers, Higher Education Funding Council for England, QAA Scotland, the employer sector and others. [Top]
A large part of the meeting was taken up with representatives of the different organisations explaining how they were Implementing Policy on the HE Progress File or committed to helping institutions and subject communities to develop, expand and share their practice in the use of PDP. Useful contacts are set out below:
QAA commissioned work to be carried out to obtain input from employers and professional bodies to help guide HEI's in the development and implementation of progress files. Consequently, a report entitled 'Employer Input to Support the Further Development of Progress Files' was produced in August 2000 and will be available on the QAA website shortly.
The input from employers and Professional bodies addressed the question:
'In what ways can transcripts and PDP be implemented in HEIs to be of maximum benefit to graduates in recruitment and subsequent career management?'
One of the major findings was that employers are relatively less interested in the transcript and more interested in the mechanisms for PDP and the competencies acquired through PDP for ongoing career management. [Top]
The representatives from both NICATS and CQFW Project outlined the work of their projects in implementing a credit framework across the further and higher education sectors in Northern Ireland and Wales respectively. It was pointed out that:
The meeting was brought to a close by concluding that there already existed many models of good practice and that seminars on good practice should be run in May/June 2001.
The Advisory Group for Guidelines on HE Progress Files was due to meet again in the summer of 2001. [Top]
Develpments have moved from Transcript issues to a greater focus on the Personal Development Planning (PDP) aspects of the HE Progress File. As the Transcript aspect is of greater relevance to the work of NICATS, NICATS is maintaining a watching brief on developments. It will increase its input to the Advisory Group as and when relevant Transcript issues emerge. [Top]
The Basic Skills Unit was asked by Government to advise on 'a range of appropriate targets for taking people out of basic skills problems and how best to measure progress against these targets'.
The advice was sought for March 2001 and in response to the urgency of this matter the Basic Skills Unit set up a taskforce to assist with framing proposals for approval by the Basic Skills Committee.[Top]
To assist the Basic Skills Unit set appropriate targets and measures that will frame the advice to the Basic Skills Committee on appropriate target setting and enabling meaningful progression for adult basic skills learners.[Top]
The taskforce met on four occasions between February and March 2001 to progress its terms of reference. The outcome of the group was a paper which was submitted to the Basic Skills Committee on Wednesday 21 March 2001 for endorsement.[Top]
Basic Skills Unit
Resource Centre
4th Floor
40 Linenhall Street
Belfast
BT2 8BA
T: +44 (0)28 9024 4274
F: +44 (0) 28 9027 1507
To develop the concept of supporting and/or providing a network of community based learning advisors. The overall aim is to recruit and train individuals within their own communities to give impartial information, advice and guidance regarding learning opportunities and offer support to the learners. [Top]
Pilot the project around Springvale Educational Village with plans to extend the project into other FE sector providers who are involved in local community based partnerships. [Top]
The Springvale Community Outreach Office
Belfast Institute of Further and Higher Education
Cameron Building
125-153 Millfield
Belfast BT1 1HS
Tel No: 028 90248816
Fax No: 028 90265444
Background
Membership
Task of Group
Timescale
Schedule of Meetings
The Working Group on the Award of Credit is convened by the Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales (CQFW) Project. The CQFW Project is funded through Education Learning Wales (ELWa; National Council and HE Funding Council) to establish agreement on the specification for a single, post-16 credit and qualifications framework for Wales and initiate its implementation.
The primary aspects of the framework for Wales were launched by the Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning of the National Assembly of Wales in July 2001.
The Working Group on the Award of Credit has been set up to develop and propose criteria and other relevant mechanisms to enable the regulated award of credit for achievement of units of qualifications. Proposals from this Group will inform the final recommendations which the CQFW Project submits to the Minister and to ELWa in 2002. [Top]
Whilst the work of the Group will focus on the needs for implementation of a credit and qualifications framework in Wales, it is recognised that this area of development cannot be undertaken in isolation from other UK developments. Consequently, colleagues from regulatory and credit-linked bodies operating in other areas of the UK have been invited to participate in the discussions to enable sharing of expertise and ensure compatibility in emerging systems. The membership of the Group therefore includes representatives from:
The Working Group on the Award of Credit is chaired by the Head of Lifelong Learning at ELWa and is serviced through the CQFW Project. [Top]
The specifications for the credit within the Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales (CQFW) have been agreed.
The need to promote the award of credit for a wide range of learning opportunities in order to enable a national system of credit accumulation and transfer has been established.
The Group is tasked with the development of criteria and essential systems to ensure stakeholder and public confidence in credit as an award for assessed learning. The specific outcomes required are:
In order to achieve the above outcomes the Group will gather information from a variety of sources, examine relevant documentation and will specifically:
December 2001: Working Group on Award of Credit to produce initial report to the Strategic Working Group (SWG) of Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales (CQFW)
February 2002: Working Group to present final recommendations to SWG
Feb-May 2002: CQFW Project consults on all proposals relevant to implementation of Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales
May 2002: End of Phase 1 of CQFW Project [Top]
Thursday 13 September 2001 (first meeting)
Monday and Tuesday 5 and 6 November 2001 [Top]
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