Welcome
Overview of the day
Aileen Ponton,
Chief Executive Officer,
Scottish Credit & Qualifications Framework Partnership
The SCQF
Origins and functions
Anthony O’Reilly,
Project Officer, SCQF Partnership
Radisson Blu Hotel, Glasgow
20 February, 2015
Content
• Some context on the educational landscape in Scotland
• Background and overview of the Framework
• How we operate
• How we work with others in the UK and Europe
• Our international experience
Scotland - Overview
Population 5,327,700 (August 2014)
– 17% under age 16
– 63% working age
– 20% pensioners
40% of population in Glasgow
Employment rate 74.1% (Nov 2014)
Number of institutions
–
–
–
–
HEIs
20 (215,000 students)
Colleges 14 – merged from 43
(350,000 students)
Schools 376 (285,000 pupils)
SCQF Partnership (1)
SCQF created and named
in 2001
QAA
Scotland
First implementation plan
2003-2006
College
Development
Network
Co-opted
Director
representing
employers
SCQF
Partnership
First strategic and operational
plans 2007
Scottish
Qualifications
Authority
Scottish
Ministers
Universities
Scotland
Established as a company
November 2006
Company limited by guarantee
Registered charity
in Scotland
SCQF Partnership (2)
• Ensuring that, where appropriate, all assessed learning and
qualifications in Scotland are included on the Framework
• Extending the recognition of prior informal learning
• Developing relationships with other frameworks internationally
• The SCQF Partnership Mission Statement:
• To ensure that the quality and integrity of the SCQF is maintained at
all times and that the benefits of using the Framework are fully
promoted to all stakeholders across Scotland and beyond.
SCQF aims
Assists people of all ages and circumstances to access
appropriate education and training over their lifetime to fulfil
their personal, social and economic potential
Enables employers, learners and the public in general to
understand the full range of Scottish qualifications, how they
relate to each other and how different types of qualifications
can contribute to improving the skills of the workforce
SCQF Objectives
Objective 1
• Maintain the quality and integrity of the Framework
• Quality Committee
Objective 2
• Promote and develop the Framework
• SCQF Forum
Objective 3
• Develop and maintain relationships with
Frameworks within the UK, Europe and
internationally
The Executive Team
Aileen
Ponton CEO
Sheila Dunn
Manager
Anthony
O’Reilly
Project Officer
William Hasty
Development
Officer
Lorna
Meiklejohn
Administrative
Officer
Julie
Cavanagh
Manager
Amy McDade
Administrator
Pauline Sutton
Project Officer
Sam Houten-Feeley
Comms & Marketing
Officer
Katie McKenna
Comms &
Marketing Support
Officer
• The Quality Committee
established in 2006 to maintain
the quality of the Framework
and to provide clear, accurate,
technical information to
learners, the public and others
with an interest in learning,
including training providers
and employers
Comprises 12 organisations
with a responsibility for or an
interest in Quality Assurance
• The SCQF Forum –
established in 2007 to promote
the use and development of
the Framework. The Forum
gives advice to the SCQF
Partnership Board and the
Executive Team to ensure that
the Framework continues to
meet the needs of all learners,
employers and others users of
Scottish learning provision
27 organisations from the
fields of education, training,
business and other learning
communities across Scotland
Operations (1)
•
Working with colleges and HEIs to ensure sharing of best practice
•
Ensure that all Credit Rating Bodies (CRBs) add value to the Framework in a manner
consistent with our quality principles
•
Provide leadership to CRBs which encourages collaboration, capacity building, and
consistency to support learners and promote ongoing trust in the Framework
•
Continue to champion the case for RPL along with the benefits of credit transfer and
the need for progression and articulation to support the learner journey
•
Promote our range of products and services and investigate new and innovative
ways to engage with our audience.
•
Use a range of communication media to encourage all Stakeholders to utilise the
Framework and its level descriptors
Operations (2)
•
Focus on employer engagement where using the SCQF is seen to add value to
workforce development
•
Work with key partners to ensure use of the Framework supports transitions in the
learner journey
•
Build-up intelligence on awareness and use of the SCQF to support more targeted
interventions
•
Promote the reputation of the SCQF in Europe and internationally as a leader in
Framework development and implementation
•
Work with colleagues in the UK and beyond to improve mutual understanding of
Frameworks and promote a collaborative approach to the European Agenda
•
Implement emerging European policy instruments and initiatives in a way which
provides the best fit for Scottish education and training and is fully in line with
government priorities
Other UK Frameworks
England & Northern Ireland:
Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF)
Wales:
Credit and Qualifications Framework Wales (CQFW)
England, Wales and Northern Ireland:
Framework for Higher Education Qualifications
UK EUROPEAN CO-ORDINATION GROUP FOR
VET INITIATIVES (UKECGVI)
Representation on the group:
• All UK EQF National Co-ordination Points
• All ECVET National Contact Points
• All EQAVET National Recognition Points
• Each administration (BIS, England, DfES, Wales, DEL, Northern Ireland,
Lifelong Learning Directorate, Scottish Government)
• The UK regulatory bodies
Other members:
• QAA, Federation for Industry Skills & Standards, Federation of
Awarding Bodies, Joint Council for Qualifications, Ecorys (UK
national agency for lifelong learning), UK NARIC, Careers Europe
EQF Referencing Outcome
EHEA
EQF
SCQF
QCF
CQFW
3rd cycle
8
12
8
8
2nd cycle
7
11
7
7
1st cycle
6
10/9
6
6
Short cycle
5
8/7
5/4
5/4
4
6
3
3
3
5
2
2
2
4
1
1
1
3
E3
E3
2
E2
E2
1
E1
E1
Internationalisation
• SCQFP acted as international experts for the EQF Referencing in
Estonia, Flanders and Poland, Bahrain and currently working with
Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand
• Hosted wide range of study visits involving CRBs and providers
• Fielded Scottish speakers in Europe on use of the lower levels,
using RPL in an HE context, CfE, school leaving certification
• Scotland and the Scottish system continue to be very interesting for
overseas Frameworks – both the Maldives and Fiji have been given
formal approval to use the SCQFP Level Descriptors
• Supported the European Commission to develop the portal
http://ec.europa.eu/eqf/compare_en.htm
17
Contact details
Anthony O’Reilly
Project Officer,
SCQF Partnership.
Tel: 0044 141 2252932
e: anthony.o’reilly@scqf.org.uk
Credit Rating for the SCQF –
Sheila Dunn
Manager, SCQF Partnership
Radisson Blu Hotel, Glasgow
20 February, 2015
Content
•
•
•
•
•
•
Structures for credit rating
Role of the Credit Rating Body (CRB)
Allocating levels
Allocating credit
Quality Assurance
Summary
Structure for Credit Rating
SCQF
Credit Rating
Body
Submitting
Body
Quality
Assurance
Model
Credit Rating
Body
Submitting
Body
A Credit Rating Body can also
be a submitting body
SCQF
Handbook
/ Criteria
Submitting
Body
What can Credit Rating Bodies
credit rate?
• Their own provision owned and developed by
the CRB
• “Third party” provision owned, developed and
awarded by others e.g employers; certificating
bodies; professional bodies; voluntary and
community organisations
Credit Rating
• Learning Provision belongs to the
Submitting Body
• Submitting Body determines the structure
of the qualifications/learning provision
• SCQF Criteria, Handbook and training
• Guidance on nomenclature
• No standard SCQF template for units or
programmes
Review of Handbook
• 47 Guidelines streamlined into 25 Principles
• Easy-to-use format organised around five themes,
making it easier to find the information you need
• New flowcharts explaining the Credit Rating
process
• More information on Third-Party Credit Rating
• Clear signposting of relevant SCQF publications
and other support materials at the end of each
section
• Due to be published April 2015
Role of the Credit Rating Body
Submitting Party
•
•
•
Develops the programme (perhaps with •
help from CRB)
•
•
Makes recommendations/suggestions •
and provides rationales about level and •
credit points for modules/units and
programme(s)
•
Credit Rating Body
Provides information about how the
programme of learning will be quality
assured
Puts QA procedures and systems in place
Separation of development and credit rating
May help Third Party with programme development
Arranges meetings
Provides paperwork
Appoints credit rating personnel
•
Receives a submission
•
Checks a submission
•
Allocates level and credit points
•
Makes final decision on credit rating
•
Keeps records of all proceedings for credit rating
•
•
Writes rationales for every decision reached
Reports back on findings to Submitting Party
•
Enters credit rated provision onto the national SCQF
database
•
Ongoing monitoring after credit rating
A Credit Rating Body can also be a submitting body
25
SCQF Level Descriptors
Level 1 is an all inclusive statement
– Emphasises participation, experiential
learning and basic achievements
Levels 2-12 have 5 characteristics:
 Knowledge & understanding
 Practice
 General cognitive skills
 Communication, IT & numeracy
 Autonomy & working with others
26
Allocating an SCQF level
Allocate an SCQF level :
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
27
Consider the recommendation made by the submitter
Use other reference points eg other qualifications at a similar level
Read through the level descriptors for the recommended level and levels above
and below
Match the module/unit content (learning outcomes, assessment, etc.) to the
characteristics of the level descriptors
Look for key words in the level descriptors to match to skills/knowledge in the
module/unit
Match module/unit to “best fit” SCQF level
Consider the modules and unit s and pathways to reach an overall level for the
programme
Record the decision
Record a rationale for reaching decision
Allocating SCQF credit points
10 hours = 1 SCQF credit point
No half points – full points only
Not a measure of actual time taken
Time required for ‘typical’ learner to achieve learning outcomes
Includes preparation, class contact time, assessment, planning study,
using libraries, private study and revision, etc.
Submission should indicate recommended number of credit points
Credit value for the programme is the total credit points of component units
taking pathways into consideration
28
Quality Assurance in CRBs
Development of programme and
submission to Credit Rating Body (Team)
Submission examined by credit rating
panel and then reviewed by a vetting panel
Decision ratified by approving manager or
committee
Details of credit rated programme loaded
onto SCQF database
Ongoing monitoring and review
commences
Summary
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Same guidelines for all sectors and organisations
One handbook
One set of level descriptors
Quality assurance of decisions
Quality assurance of CRBs and submitting parties
National Database
Ongoing training
Ongoing support and guidance