Paul H Bridges UK Credit Forum

Credit is a formal quantified recognition of learning achievement awarded to learners The formal recognition of learning achieved in various settings Recording progress towards qualifications Enabling transfer between programmes and between institutions

The amount of learning The credit level Academic context The number of credits Intellectual demand and depth of learning The curriculum Academic Standard HOW MUCH HAS BEEN LEARNT? WHAT HAS BEEN LEARNT? HOW DEEP IS THE LEARNING?

P revious surveys in 1998, 1999 and 2004; but 2012 was the first UK wide survey Is there, in effect, a single credit system in operation in the UK Have institutions adopted common labels for levels and common level descriptors? Have institutions adopted common credit requirements for major awards? Are there significant differences in credit practice which have implications for students?

Questionnaire was designed with help and advice of members of the credit consortia Some continuity with previous surveys and also new questions Separate versions for England & NI, Wales and Scotland to reflect national frameworks? Questionnaire placed online Total 65 responses; 53 England & NI; 5 Wales and 7 Scotland; one-third pre universities

Credit level labelYes% Entry Level to Level 82853% Level HE 0 to Level HE 5713% Level HE 3 to Level HE 72649% Basic Level and Advanced Level12% Framework for Qualifications in the European HE area (Bologna cycles) 611% None12%

DescriptorsYes% Higher Education Credit Framework (NICATS) 3668% Southern England Consortium (SEEC) 1325% Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) 713% Institution’s own descriptors917% None36%

Credit size Undergraduate Number of institutions Postgraduate Number of Institutions

PositionYes% Every module has an approved or validated set of learning outcomes 6397% In some modules students may negotiate the learning outcomes 2437% An assignment may be designed to test more than one learning outcome 6295% Assessment criteria are used to test whether learning outcomes are achieved 5991% Assessment criteria are used to determine the grade or mark 6397%

Position Yes% Satisfy all the module learning outcomes3757% Satisfy most of the module learning outcomes 2234% A pass in each module assessment3046% An overall pass in the aggregated module assessments 5280% An overall pass in the aggregated module assessments and at least a threshold mark in each assessment 3351% A pass in the summative assessment2538% Other criteria?812%

PositionYes% Condonement is permitted3452 Credit is awarded for condoned modules1828 Compensation is permitted3960 Credit is awarded for compensated modules 3452 Both condonement and compensation are permitted 1218 Neither condonement nor compensation is permitted 58

Institutional position Yes Does your institution normally issue transcripts showing the credits achieved? 97% Does your institution offer students the opportunity to keep a progress file? 66% Does your institution normally issue a European Diploma Supplement to students who have completed their HE awards? 71% Does the Diploma Supplement show the ECTS credits awarded? 72% Does your institution use or plan to implement the Higher Education Achievement Report? 86%

Is it acceptable to condone module failure and award credit in respect of the condoned module? Is it acceptable to compensate module failure and award credit in respect of the compensated module Is it acceptable to set aside or discount weaker modules performances in calculating the class of honours achieved by a candidate

Should there be a framework or convention for minor HE awards? What is the best way to determine the shelf-life of credits? Is it acceptable to allow credit which as already been used to award a major qualification to be re-used towards another?

The marginal fail is not a significant shortcoming so the fail performance has been condoned and you may pass The marginal fail is not a significant shortcoming so the fail performance has been compensated by your positive performance elsewhere and you may pass

Level 4 Level 5 Level 6 Levels 4, 5 and 6 Number of institutions credits

Level 4 Level 5 Level 6 Levels 4, 5 and 6 Number of institutions credits

The marginal fail has been forgiven and a retake is not required but there is no evidential basis for the award of credit The marginal fail has been compensated by a positive performance elsewhere. This formal recognition of achievement may be used as the basis for the award of credit.

Number of institutions credits Level 5 Level 6 Unspecified levels The total permitted

The average mark excluding the two weakest marks The two weakest module marks Average mark with no discount Average mark with discount 170%65 : %70% 2 55 : %70% 360%55: %60% 470%45 :4565.8%70% 560%45: %60% 670%35: %70% 760%35: %60%

Credit is awarded in respect of achievement but if the same credit is used repeatedly for major awards, this is a form of abuse Everyone accepts that there are situations where the credit may count towards an minor award and then may be used for major award So how do we frame rules to permit the acceptable and stop the unacceptable?

The Undergraduate family The Postgraduate family 7The Integrated Master’s Degree 8The Professional Doctorate 6Honours Degree7iiiMaster’s Degree 6Degree/Ordinary Degree/Unclassified 7iiPostgraduate Diploma 5Foundation Degree7iPostgraduate Certificate 5Higher National Diploma The Graduate family 5Diploma of Higher Education6Graduate Diploma 4Higher National Certificate6Graduate Certificate 4Certificate of Higher Education6Professional Certificate of Education

Credit from a certificated award may contribute to higher and larger awards in same family Once the highest award in a family has been certificated, the constituent credit has been spent. It is not re-usable for any award. Credit from a certificated award may not contribute to an equivalent or lower award Credit achieved may be used for any award in any family for which it is deemed acceptable

The terms certificate and diploma are used inconsistently Differentiate between awards at different levels Differentiate between awards of different sizes at the same level Certificate awards range from 20 to 120 credits Diploma awards range from 40 to 180 credits. Also variation in the use of foundation. the term for awards at level 3 The term for awards at level 4 One institution offers preparatory awards at level 3 Advanced is applied to awards from level 4 to level 6 Half of institutions prefix small awards with the word University

Shelf-life of credit No policy Varies by programme 2 yrs5 yrs6 yrs9 yrs10 yrs Yes

Condoning or compensating large amounts of module failure Discounting or excluding numerous weaker module performances from the calculation of the honours classification Permitting students to re-use credit which has already been used for a certificated major award such as an honours degree