Welcome
An Introduction to the SCQF
Helen Murdoch, Development Officer
[email protected]
1
How many notional hours does 1
credit equate to?
10
A National 5 qualification takes
240 hours to complete. How
many credit points does this
qualification have?
24
Does a Higher qualification at
an A pass have a different
SCQF credit value than C
pass?
No. The credit value
remains unchanged
Apart from SQA and HE qualifications
can you name another two qualifications
on the Framework?
•ECDL
•Highland Dance Graded Exam
•Duke of Edinburgh Leadership Awards
•King George VI Leadership (Boys Brigade)
•AAT Diploma
•Teaching in Colleges Today (CDN)
Name three types of
qualification at SCQF level 7
•HNC
•Advanced Higher
•Certificate of HE
•SVQ 3
•Scottish Baccalaureate
What kind of organisations
can make decisions about
level and credit and put
things on the SCQF?
Credit Rating Bodies
Approximately, how many learning
programmes are there on the
SCQF?
(a) 2200
(b) 6200
11,200
(c) 11200
http://scqf.org.uk/videos/221/
10
Aims of the SCQF
• 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 and how
they relate to each other.
• Provides a Framework which can support the aims of fair
work and social justice by ensuring it provides tools and
resources which can recognise prior learning, support
progression and improve social inclusion.
11
SCQF Partnership
SCQFP Chair
Rob Wallen
QAA Scotland
Co-opted
Director
representing
employers
College
Development
Network
SCQF
Partnership
Universities
Scotland
12
Scottish
Qualifications
Authority
Established November 2006
Company Ltd by Guarantee
Registered Charity in Scotland
The Framework by numbers…
11,200 qualifications/learning programmes
54 organisations (known as Credit Rating Bodies) have
the authority to place qualifications on the SCQF
280 different organisations own these qualifications
850 other qualifications in addition to SQA, university
degree, and SVQ qualifications are now on the SCQF
1,300 programmes at SCQF Level 11 that are not
Masters Degrees
11 members of staff on the SCQF Executive Team
15
What it is
What it is NOT
• Descriptive framework
• Brings together the main
Scottish academic and
vocational qualification systems
into a single, unified framework
• Provides a national vocabulary
for describing all kinds of
learning; formal, non-formal and
informal
• A regulated Framework
• Owned by Government or any
single sector or stakeholder
• Means to `force’ convergence
between sectors
• Intended to prescribe internal
organisation/shape of learning
programmes
SCQF Criteria
A learning programme must be:
• Based on learning outcomes
• Formally assessed
• Quality assured
• Be at least 10 notional learning hours (1 Credit) in size
16
Criteria are applied by SCQF ‘Credit Rating Body’
Credit Rating Bodies:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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Universities
Colleges
SQA
Scottish Police College
City & Guilds
Chartered Institute of Bankers Scotland
Institute of Chartered Accountants Scotland
Institute of Counselling
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service - TED
Guidance Documents
One set of guidance for all programmes and all
sectors
25 key principles
The SCQF Handbook
Organised around five themes:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Learning Arrangements
Credit Rating
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
Quality Assurance
Third Party Credit Rating
25 cross-cutting principles summarising key information for
users.
Extensive guidance on credit rating process and clear
signposting of other relevant information within each
theme
SCQF Level Descriptors
• Fundamental building blocks of the SCQF
• Same level descriptors are used by all sectors
• For learning that is academic, vocational, non-formal or
informal
• Provide a common vocabulary across Scotland
• Generic in nature
• Used in all credit rating
20
SCQF Level Descriptors
Level 1 is an all inclusive statement
 Emphasises participation, experiential learning and basic
achievements
Levels 2-12 have 5 characteristics:
1. Knowledge & understanding
2.Practice
3.General cognitive skills
4.Communication, IT & numeracy
5.Autonomy & working with others
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23
24
Recognition of Prior Learning
25
RPL Basics
• Based on assumption that people learn from informal and
non-formal settings as well as formal settings
• Different terms used to refer to recognition of prior
learning
• Allows recognition of learning based on life experiences
• Always includes use of SCQF Level Descriptors
26
RPL Definition
“RPL is the process for recognising learning that has come
from experience and / or previous formal, non-formal and
informal learning contexts.
This includes knowledge and skills gained within school, college
and university and outside formal learning situations such as
through life and work experiences”
27
Key Features of RPL systems
• Map learning to the SCQF using Level Descriptors
• Identification of learning pathways
• Support for learners in transition from informal to formal
learning
• Monitoring process for RPL
• Integration within the overall QA systems
Core principles
Recognition is given for the learning that has resulted from
experience (i.e. not the experience itself);
RPL processes should be:
learner-focused;
accessible to all;
flexible;
reliable, transparent and consistent
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Uses of RPL within the
context of SCQF
Formative = based on
informal process of
benchmarking against SCQF
level descriptors – no formal
assessment, no certificate –
designed to aid planning and
progression
Summative = based on
process involving formal
assessment of evidence and
awarding of SCQF credit
points – certificated
achievement
30
Credit transfer
• Term used in many institutions for actual credit given for
summative recognition in a specific programme or entry
requirement
• Learner gains credit points for their learning which has been
assessed and quality assured
• Institution allows those credit points to count as full or part
credit towards a new qualification (i.e. credit is transferred
between the qualification achieved already and the
qualification yet to be gained)
= only the amount of credit that an institution
Specific
recognises and allows to be used towards a new
credit
qualification
31
RPL On-line Guide
• generic guidance
• for use by learning and training providers, employers and
HR personnel as well as learners themselves
• includes how the SCQF can help in recognising learning
• Online RPL Guide http://scqf.org.uk/rpl-introduction/
32
Activity
How does SCQF support
Widening Access?
• Helps learners plan their learning journey
• Helps people understand the level of
learning they have achieved
• Promotes different learning routes
• Can help re-engage learners
• Recognition of all learning to help build
confidence and self esteem
• Framework is the tool which allows the
recognition of all learning achieved by
individuals
• RPL toolkit can help learners and
organisations better understand and
facilitate RPL
• Help support flexible transitions for
learners
• Reduce duplication of learning
Support from SCQF
Range of workshops
 Intro to RPL
 RPL in Sectors
 SCQF for Careers, Info & Guidance Staff
http://scqf.org.uk/events/
Range of resources on SCQF website
http://scqf.org.uk/
Any Questions?
Keep in touch…
201 West George Street, Glasgow, G2 2LW
0845 270 7371 | www.scqf.org.uk | [email protected]