All About Accrediting Learning

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All About Accrediting Learning

• Karen Hedger
• Open College Network
• London Region

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Aims of the session

• To understand benefits of accrediting
  courses/learning.
• To understand how courses are validated by
  awarding bodies.
• To understand the OCN approach to accreditation
  and how the credit based system works.
• To find out how to run accredited courses with
  OCNLR.

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Mission Statement

• The Open College Network exists to support
  learning and widen opportunity by recognising
  achievement through credit based courses and
  qualifications

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What does the OCN do?

• The main business is accreditation
• Formal recognition of knowledge or skills
• Giving credit where it is due
• A sign that someone has not only learned but that
  they have been assessed and achieved against
  recognised standards

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Licensing Arrangements
NOCN
QCA

Awarding Body
OCNs
Licences to operate
Guarantee of Standards
Members
Codes of Practice
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What is NOCN?

• A recognised national qualification awarding body
  regulated by the QCA
• The central organisation for 11 regional Open
  College Networks based across the UK
• The licensing body for the regional Open College
  Networks assuring OCN performance against
  published criteria

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The OCN Accreditation Process

• Membership
• Programme or course development
• Programme or course recognition
• Registration
• Delivery, assessment, award of credit, internal
  moderation
• External moderation
• Certification
• Review

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Features of OCN accreditation

• Aimed at specific target groups
• Learner centred delivery and assessment methods
• Customised provision and National Qualifications
• Validates learners experience
• Embeds assessment in the learning process

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Features of OCN accreditation

• Courses are generally written by educational
  providers and practitioners
• Provision of learner support is a requirement
• National consistency achieved through a credit
  based framework
• Local accreditation and national qualifications

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Unit credits and Qualifications

• A unit is defined as a coherent set of learning
  outcomes i.e measurable achievements
• OCN can accredit locally devised programmes and
  award National OCN qualifications
• Both are made up of units

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What does a unit look like?

• It contains a coherent set of learning outcomes
  i.e a description of those things that a learner
  is expected to know, understand or be able to do
  on completion of a process of learning
• It has a title that reflects a summary of the
  learning
• Each learning outcome has a set of assessment
  criteria that enable a judgement to be made about
  whether or not, and how well, a learner has
  achieved that learning outcome

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What does a Unit look like?

• It has a level of achievement -Entry, 1,2,3
• It has a credit value- one credit is awarded for
  the learning outcomes that a learner,on average,
  might reasonably be expected to achieve in each
  notional 10 hours of learning. (The majority of
  OCN units are 3 credits)

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What does a unit look like?

• A unit does not contain everything that is
  taught that is the syllabus or scheme of work. A
  unit contains what is learned as a result of the
  course or programme.

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OCNLR Support

• Programme/course development
• Quality Assurance
• Training
• Networking

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Any questions after today

• Do contact us
• Karen Hedger
• 020 7278 5511
• k.hedger_at_ocnlr.org.uk