Equity and qualifications frameworks

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Equity and qualifications frameworks

• Gerard Madill
• Universities Scotland

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Universities Scotland

• 20 HEIs a range of universities, specialist
  institutes higher education colleges
  
• Funding 50 public, 50 private
• Students 70 full-time 30 part-time
• High participation rates 50 of 17-21 year olds
  in higher education
  
• Committed to equality, diversity, inclusion
• 4-year degrees, NO FEES

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Qualifications Frameworks Equity

• Common language for all learning
• Outcomes focus independent of context
• Transparency empowers learners
• Focus on learning learner, not on teacher
  what is taught
  
• Lifelong learning recognition mobility
• Flexible pathways choices for learner
• Recognition of Prior Learning all contexts

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SCQF Purpose and vision

• Support development of progression routes between
  qualifications
  
• Clarify relationships between qualifications
• Help maximise credit transfer opportunities
• Clarify entry and exit points
• Assist learners in planning their progress and
  learning and in accessing appropriate education
  and training over their lifetime
  

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SCQF what it does

• provides greater clarity about the relative
  position of different qualifications,
  supporting progression between sectors and
  providers
• makes it easier for learners to understand the
  relative value of learning
  
• credit already accumulated, and how this can be
  used as a stepping stone to further participation
  in learning.
  
• Scotlands social and economic development is
  invariably linked with our learning and training
  provision, whether in schools and colleges,
  universities, in the workplace or in our
  communities. The SCQF can help everyone in
  Scotland to reach their potential by signposting
  progression routes and avoiding repetition of
  learning.
• This will maximise Scotlands skills capacity,
  and therefore our effectiveness in competitive
  global markets whilst creating a truly lifelong
  learning culture.

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Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework

• 12 level framework
• Levels based on learning outcomes
• Level Descriptors knowledge/understanding
  applied knowledge generic skills core skills
  autonomy/accountability/working with others
  
• Credit a measure of volume of learning
• Includes all learning and assessment
• 2 SCQF credits 1 ECTS credit

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Transparency

• Outcomes based Frameworks de-mystify learning
  for learners and employers
  
• Descriptors cycle/level/qualification/module
• Link with ECTS outcomes workload
• Empowers learners knowledge is power!
• Avoids repetition of learning/dead ends
• Helps employers understand the maze of
  qualifications
  
• Common language helps comparisons between
  different qualifications
  
• EDS - reference to NQF levels

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QFs for Lifelong Learning

• Reference point for RPL learning in workplace,
  voluntary work, life!
  
• Mobility between different types of education
  training
  
• Transfer of credit between HEIs
• Articulation between HE and VET, schools,
  professional qualifications
  
• Recognition of qualifications of immigrant
  workers Irish and Scottish frameworks

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Example Nursing

• Nurses with 2 year Dip HE no recognition
  towards degree
  
• Until - LOs of the 3rd year of an Ordinary
  degree were compared with LOs of the Dip HE AND
  of Nurses work experience
  
• Result nurses with Dip HE AND work
  experience entered directly 4th year of an
  honours degree in 4 Scottish HEIs

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Example Aerospace

• Bachelor degree Napier BAE Systems
• Credits, RPL taught modules
• Knowledge based modules by Napier
• Specialist modules by private provider,
  credit-rated by Napier
  
• Result BSc CNC Machine Tool Engineering degree

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Example 2 2 Honours Degrees

• articulation between SCHE and degrees
• 2-year HND allows entry to 3rd year of 4-year
  honours degree
  
• Hundreds of routes, thousands of students
• Works well for vocational degrees in certain
  subjects
  
• Large majority of students go to new
  universities

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Conclusion

• NQFs support and explain diversity
• NQFs, ECTS, LOs are only tools
• LOs must impact on, and operate at, all levels
• Common language/approach enables rational
  comparison of learning from different contexts
  
• Empower learners, offer flexibility and choice
• Learning outcomes support employability and
  up-skilling/CPD
  
• NQFs can support equity and social inclusion