The Challenges and Opportunities of using SCQF in Community Based Adult Learning

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The Challenges and Opportunities of using SCQF in
Community Based Adult Learning

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Fiona Williams

• Fife Tayside Wider Access Forum
• Transitions Project Officer
• SCQF and PDP

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Partnership projectAngus Council CLD, Angus
College and Dundee University

• Pilot the use of the SCQF to support progression
  and transition for adult learners across a range
  of community settings.
• Pilot the use of Dundee Universitys on-line PDP
  for adult learners to support progression and
  transition to FE and HE level programmes.

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The SCQF project

• Pilot the use of the SCQF in community based
  learning, to support progression and transition.
• - To support staff in applying SCQF to their
  work with learners.
• - To use the SCQF to support staff to develop
  short programmes which can be benchmarked against
  SCQF levels and credits.
• - To use the SCQF to develop community based
  programmes which are capable of being formally
  credit rated and levelled.

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Challenges

• How do we apply the SCQF in community based
  non-formal learning?
• How can SCQF be used to support RPL?
• Can SCQF support course design in CLD?

• What happens when formal assessment methods are
  introduced?
• Should informal learning be designed in this way?
• Can the SCQF support progression?

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The SCQF can

• Help learners choose how they progress their
  learning
• Help employers, learners and the public
  understand the range of Scottish Qualifications
  and how they relate to each other

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The SCQF can also

• Help learners and practitioners understand
  qualifications they are not familiar with
• Assist universities and colleges identify the
  level that has been studied in a particular
  subject
• Support people of all ages to access appropriate
  education and training

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How?

• By giving each qualification a level and a number
  of credit points
• The level of a qualification shows how difficult
  the learning is
• The credit points show how much work is involved
  in achieving that qualification

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What we have done so far!

• Get Set..Go! Pre-access course
• Developed in partnership
• Used the SCQF to attribute level and credit
  points
• Has successfully been credit rated and levelled

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What does it include?

• Practical sport
• Volunteering and educational pathways
• Adventure experience
• Sports Science
• Fitness Assessments
• Practical, skiing, Kayaking, High Ropes
• 10 week course - 4 hour sessions each week

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Measures of success

• Learners completed programme in June 2007
• From 6 who started the course, 5 completed and 3
  successfully achieved the formal assessment
• 2 have progressed onto college courses, one onto
  the NC in Sports
• Course planned to run again in Spring 2008

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How did this impact on the college?

• CLD staff developed links with college staff
• Colleges as credit rating institutions
• Ability to credit rate and level non-accredited
  courses
• Supported good practice in course design
• Course development clarified with partners
• Quality systems already in place, SCQF procedures
  simple to embed within existing processes and
  practice

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How did we apply the SCQF to Get Set..Go?

• Learning Outcomes agreed by partners during
  collaborative course design meeting
• Course content written and agreed
• Method of assessment developed and agreed
• Credit points and level of course established
  using SCQF level descriptors and guidance manual

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The next stage

• Formally submitted programme to college credit
  rating panel
• Validation panel met to consider submission
• Full credit rating and levelling approval given
• SCQF level 3 with 2 Credit points
• Procedures met with college quality systems
• Programme delivered to learners and assessments
  carried out
• HMIe supported new quality procedure for credit
  rating and levelling

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What we hoped would happen!

• Learners on Get Set..Go! would be empowered by
  knowing what level they operated at during the
  course
• Motivated them to move on and progress
• Able to compare their achievement on the SCQF to
  other Scottish qualifications
• Helped them explain to employers what they have
  done!

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Benefits of applying SCQF to Pre-Access courses

• Structured course
• Defined levels
• Clear assessment methodology
• Can be used again and delivered to new groups of
  learners
• Clarity of outcomes for learners and tutors
• Supports progression onto other learning

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Other SCQF work

• Contributing to the development of a Community
  Activists course and training pack
• Will be credit rated and levelled through SQA
  (provisional 24 Credits at SCQF level 5)
• Joint partnership working
• Available nationally
• Standardised content and assessment
• Can be used as RPL tool

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The course comprises 4 units-

• How to get involved in your community.
• Learning about your community.
• Getting organised.
• Making change happen.

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SCQF credit rating service through SQA

• Course units have been written and support
  material developed.
• Pre-submission guidance meeting held last year.
• Intending to submit to SQA for SCQF credit rating
  and levelling by Spring 2008.
• SQA charge 4,000 for this service.

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Living Working in Angus

• This course is designed to enable Eastern
  European and other international workers and
  their families gain an understanding of living
  and working in Scotland to participate more fully
  in their communities.

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Course content -

• UNIT 1 Exploring Scottish Culture
• UNIT 2 Understanding Employment
• UNIT 3 Health Services
• UNIT 4 The Law in Scotland
• UNIT 5 Leisure and Transport
• UNIT 6 Political Systems
• UNIT 7 Other Services

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Process?

• Identify curriculum development group within CLD
  staff
• Develop content
• Write in Learning Outcomes using templates and
  guidance
• Discuss the SCQF levels during writing of units
• Use the SCQF level descriptors to attribute level
  and credit points to units and overall programme

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Benefits?

• Standardised units of same level
• Clear understanding of what is to be delivered
• Staff across the service could contribute to
  development
• Programme is clearly defined for use across Angus
  and in a range of contexts
• Learners can be assessed if required
• Progression and transition routes clearer

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Future SCQF work

• Working with Literacies team in Community
  Learning Development to explore ways of
  applying the SCQF levels to non-accredited
  literacies provision
• Support the Outdoor Education team to develop a
  course for Hill Walking groups

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Future SCQF work

• Development of a Women Returners course
• Standardised format
• Flexible delivery
• Can offer assessment if required
• Progression if appropriate
• Sets the learning within the framework
• Can be compared to other qualifications and
  programmes

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What next?

• Further develop and pilot programmes using the
  SCQF
• Increase involvement with staff working with
  community learners to widen the use of the SCQF
• Increase awareness and understanding of the
  framework among learners and tutors to support
  progression.

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Issues to consider

• What does it mean for the learner?
• Can using the SCQF increase opportunity?
• Does it help motivate and inspire?
• Can it help the practitioner develop and deliver
  better programmes?
• Transferable?

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Resource implications?

• Staff development time
• Curriculum development time
• Submission of programme to credit rating
  institutions or SQA
• Cost of submission (4,000) through SQA
• Colleges yet to set charges for this service?
• Quality procedures in place
• Appeals, RPL, external quality assurance

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• Activity

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• For further information, please contact
• Fiona Williams
• Transitions Project Officer
• williamsf_at_angus.gov.uk
• www.fifeandtaysideforum.org.uk