Transcript Document

QCF – an overview of concepts,
policy and context
Slide 1
© Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) 2009
Qualification and Credit Framework
• The QCF is a new framework for recognising and
accrediting qualifications in England, Wales and Northern
Ireland
• The framework is at the heart of a major reform of the
vocational qualifications system designed to make the
whole system simpler to understand and use, and more
inclusive
• The intention is to make both the system and the
qualifications offered far more relevant to the needs of
employers and more flexible and accessible for learners
Slide 2
Context for reform
In the Leitch implementation plan, the Government committed
itself to becoming a world leader in skills by 2020.
Slide 3
Raising the skills
levels of adults in
and outside the
workforce
Creating a demand-led
system that responds
to the needs of
employers, learners
and society as a whole
Equipping young
people with the
skills they need
for life and work
Creating a more
flexible, innovative
and inclusive
qualifications system
What does this mean for qualifications
and skills?
• A stronger role for employers and Sector Skills Councils
(SSCs) in the development and approval of qualifications
(sector qualifications reform)
• The reform of provision for those working at below Level 2
to help move them on to appropriate destinations
(Foundation Learning)
• A funding system that can support a more demand-led and
flexible approach to delivery
• A qualifications system that is far more relevant to the
needs of employers and more flexible and accessible for
learners
Slide 4
Main differences – QCF / NQF
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Slide 5
Unit-based learning outcomes and assessment criteria
Credit and level (units and qualifications)
Rules of combination
Credit accumulation and transfer (CAT)
IT infrastructure and learner record
Benefits for learners
• Offers more freedom, choice and flexibility in learning
through smaller steps
• Gives easy access to information about the commitment
needed for different routes to achievement, letting learners
balance that commitment with family, work and other
responsibilities
• Allows them to build up credits at their own pace and
combine them in a way that will help them get where they
want to be
• Enables them to transfer credits between qualifications to
avoid having to repeat their learning
Slide 6
Benefits for learning providers
• Enables them to design more flexible programmes, suitable
for the individual needs of learners
• Helps them improve retention and progression rates by
recognising smaller steps of achievement, more frequently
• Tracks all learners' achievements through the use of a
Unique Learner Number (ULN)
• Helps them describe achievements to employers and
learners in a language that is easy to understand
Slide 7
Benefits for employers
• Helps them to measure quickly the level and size of
achievements of prospective employees
• Enables them to get in-house training recognised within a
national framework
• Describes levels of achievement in terms everyone can
understand
• Makes training options and pathways clear, helping
employees and employers find the right training for their
learning and business needs
Slide 8
The architecture of the QCF
Slide 9
Units
A unit (unit of assessment) is defined as a coherent set of
learning outcomes and related assessment criteria, with a title,
credit value and level
• Each unit must be capable of being individually assessed
• Each unit must be capable of contributing towards at least
one qualification
• Information on delivery, content/coverage, assessment
methods or learning modes are not included
• There are no restrictions on the size of units
• Units can be generic and applicable to a range of contexts
and qualifications
Slide 10
Qualifications, units and credit
A qualification can be made up of individual units which in turn
can be made up different numbers of credits.
Slide 11
Structure of a unit
Title
Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector
Level
4
Credit value
6
Learning outcomes
The learner will:
Assessment criteria
The learner can:
1. Understand own role,
responsibilities and
boundaries of role in
relation to teaching
1.1 Review own role and responsibilities, and
boundaries of own role as a teacher
1.2 Summarise key aspects of relevant current
legislative requirements and …. etc.
…etc.
2. Understand
appropriate teaching and
learning approaches in
the specialist area
2.1. Identify, adapt and use relevant approaches
to teaching and learning in relation to the
specialist area
…etc.
3. etc
3.1 etc.
Slide 12
Rules of combination
Rules of combination specify the credits that need to be
achieved, through particular units, for a qualification to be
awarded
• All qualifications within the QCF have rules of combination
• They provide the mechanism for grouping sets of
achievements into a qualification.
• The scope of opportunities for credit accumulation and
transfer (CAT) will vary between different qualifications
• Rules of combination ensure that the credits needed to
achieve a qualification are based on a coherent set of units
(addressing any concerns that learners could pick and mix
random units with no meaningful outcome – primarily
through the process of SSC approval)
Slide 13
Recognition of prior learning (RPL)
• RPL is used to avoid duplication of learning and assessment
Three ways to do this:
• for achievements in the QCF – transfer credits
• for certificated achievements outside the QCF; claim
exemption to achieve credits for designated units
• for learning or achievements that have not been
certificated; assess and validate through an RPL process
• RPL is an alternative route to recognition – not a shortcut
• RPL claims must be made against one or more whole units
within a qualification. Credit via RPL cannot be awarded for
partial completion of a unit
• Awarded credits are identical regardless of the route taken to
achieve them
Slide 14
Exemptions
This is the facility for a learner to claim exemption from some of
the achievement requirements of a QCF qualification, using
evidence of certificated, non-QCF achievement deemed to be
of equivalent value.
• It can be planned (by awarding organisations) or
individually requested (by learners)
• Time limits for exemptions are specified when a rule of
combination is submitted
• Learners are not awarded credit for exemption because
awarding credit for certificated learning outside the QCF
would mean awarding credit for achievements twice
• Be clear how exemption differs from RPL and equivalent
units
Slide 15
QCF – how the process works – 1
SSCs/SSBs develop National Occupational Standards
(NOS) and Sector Qualifications Strategies
Recognised organisations develop and submit QCF
units
Recognised organisations develop
rules of combination (RoC) for qualifications
Awarding organisations submit qualifications for
accreditation
SSCs/SSBs
endorse/approve
qualifications
that meet
priorities set in
Sector
Qualifications
Strategies
Qualifications regulators accredit qualifications
Qualifications uploaded on National Database of
Accredited Qualifications website (NDAQ)
Delivered by learning
providers
Slide 16
Learners achieve units and
qualifications
QCF - how the process works - 2
Slide 17
NDAQ
• QCF units and qualifications
can be viewed on the National
Database of Accredited
Qualifications (NDAQ)
• Provides information on
exemptions, potential job
occupations, where units
feature in other qualifications
for progression and CAT
opportunities
www.accreditedqualifications.org.uk/index.aspx
Slide 18
QCF service layer and MIAP
• Provides an infrastructure for transferring data between
qualifications, providers and awarding organisations (SFA
responsibility)
• The service layer does not generate the award of credit or
qualifications; it simply records achievement of credit or
qualifications
• Data from the service layer will be visible to the learner
through the MIAP Personal Learner Record
Slide 19
QCF service layer and MIAP
• Awarding Organisations will supply achievement data for
credit and qualifications in the QCF, which will be validated
against accreditation data from the regulators and learner
data held by the MIAP LRS
• Providers will check or generate ULNs from MIAP LRS for
their learners. This process remains unchanged from now
• Providers will not supply data to the service layer but will
submit data to awarding organisations for registration and
claim purposes as they do now
• Service layer: http://qfr.lsc.gov.uk/qcfsl/
• MIAP: www.miap.gov.uk/
Slide 20
Funding support
• QCF Service Desk (LSC helpline)
Email: [email protected]
Tel. 0870 267 0054
• LSC QCF funding fact sheet
http://readingroom.lsc.gov.uk/lsc/National/LSC_QCF_Fundi
ng_Fact_Sheet.pdf
• LSC funding guidance update 0910 v4.2
www.lsc.gov.uk/publications/latestdocuments/Detail.htm?id
=8212f779-194c-4471-b086-1701e9a62edb
Slide 21
The key message
QCF is a framework where units and credits are the building blocks for
the achievement of qualifications. The qualifications should be:
• easier to understand through common titling and sizing
• provide more flexible routes to achievement and greater scope for
personalisation through:
• having small steps of achievement recognised
• the rules of combination
• allowing units at different levels
• accrediting a wider range of learning
• shared units across awarding bodies
• greater flexibility in the design of qualifications
• more flexible ways of assessing skills and knowledge
• better RPL
• building up through Award / Certificate / Diploma
• making it easier for learners to change provider or study over a
longer period of time and carry learning with them
• allowing learning which does not yet contribute to a full
qualification to be banked and added to a later date
Slide 22