Professor Bob Johnson, Education and Management Consultant 1 Credit and Quality Assurance: APEL/RPL and Europe Professor Bob Johnson European Council for Business Education, ECBE SEEC Professional Development Event, 23 January 2008, CEPLW, London

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Professor Bob Johnson, Education and Management Consultant 3 Advancing the recognition of prior learning is proving to be a slow and difficult process!

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Professor Bob Johnson, Education and Management Consultant 8 Formal learning Learning that occurs in an organised and structured environment Informal learning Learning resulting from daily activities related to work, family or leisure Non formal learning Learning which is embedded in planned activities not explicitly designated as learning CEDEFOP 2003 The recognition of prior learning

Professor Bob Johnson, Education and Management Consultant 9 wherever however whenever whatever The recognition of learning

Professor Bob Johnson, Education and Management Consultant 10 ‘all learning activity undertaken throughout life, with the aim of improving knowledge, skills and competence, within a personal, civic, social and/or employment-related perspective’ (European Commission) Lifelong Learning pre-school to post-retirement, everything in between

Professor Bob Johnson, Education and Management Consultant 11 Recognising prior learning benefits: all ages and backgrounds can receive formal recognition for the skills and knowledge they already possess mature adults and socially excluded minority groups returning to learning students of all ages who wish to study overseas, broaden their expertise or change careers students who wish to return to their studies after a learning break anyone seeking professional qualifications recognition of learning through work or leisure-related activities

Professor Bob Johnson, Education and Management Consultant 12 benefits for the learner adds to self esteem assists personal development increases job satisfaction increases career prospects certificates learning gain accumulates credits towards an award Recognising prior learning

Professor Bob Johnson, Education and Management Consultant 13 Recognition of Prior Learning Legal and Regulatory issues Other issues - qualifications and credits - academic structures - inputs v. outcomes - delivery - contact time v. notional learning time - assessment tools - quality assurance

Professor Bob Johnson, Education and Management Consultant 14 RPL: Challenges for quality assurance RPL challenges traditional views about education the range of RPL tools, techniques and approaches, including assessment several good practice guidelines - but little known and used Clear national schemes e.g. Finland, France, Ireland, Scotland, Canada and England/Wales/Northern Ireland. QA is embedded in existing processes …….

Professor Bob Johnson, Education and Management Consultant 15 RPL: Challenges for quality assurance ….. HEIs need to have transparent RPL processes over-complicated APEL systems (most have none!) that are time-consuming/expensive/rarely used many academics are conservative about RPL the shift to learning outcomes is incomplete

Professor Bob Johnson, Education and Management Consultant 16 Barriers to Credit and Recognition of Prior Learning occur at three levels European National/Regional Institutional

Professor Bob Johnson, Education and Management Consultant 17 Current Developments Europe meta frameworks Qualifications Frameworks ECTS/ECVETS ENQA National SCQF, France, QAA Regional Consortia SEEC NUCCAT

Professor Bob Johnson, Education and Management Consultant 18 Bologna and Quality Assurance Enhance quality Quality in HEIs and QA agencies Policies, management and guidance Quality Management Globalisation Building European Higher Education Area Democratisation of Higher education Mutually shared criteria and methodologies Consistent with institutional autonomY Accountability lies with the institution Quality in HEIs and QA agencies within national QA systems

Professor Bob Johnson, Education and Management Consultant 19 National Quality Assurance Definition of responsibilities Evaluation of programmes/institutions System of accreditation/certification Peer review International co-operation

Professor Bob Johnson, Education and Management Consultant 20 Higher Education Institutions Enhance quality Internal mechanisms – Cornerstone of QA in HE – own Quality culture – related to own situation and ambition – fair information Correlated to external quality assurance – Evaluators: independent, transparent and relevant

Professor Bob Johnson, Education and Management Consultant 21 Higher Education Institutions: Internal Quality Assurance Policies Monitoring and review Assessment of students QA of teaching staff Learning resources & student support Information systems Public information

Professor Bob Johnson, Education and Management Consultant 22 Overcoming Barriers 1 Europe – Bologna – Qualification framework – Credit framework – Promoting learning outcomes – Promoting RPL

Professor Bob Johnson, Education and Management Consultant 23 Overcoming Barriers 2 National – Credit and qualification framework(s) – Guidelines on RPL – Guidelines on Credit – Learning outcomes – Level descriptors

Professor Bob Johnson, Education and Management Consultant 24 Overcoming Barriers 3 Universities – Credit-based Curriculum – Quality Assurance – Flexible Delivery modes/Structures – Staff/Faculty Development Awareness, Understanding Expert – Management and Recording

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