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
WHAT HAS BEEN
LEARNT?
Academic
context
HOW MUCH HAS
BEEN LEARNT?
The amount
of learning
HOW DEEP IS THE
LEARNING?
Intellectual
demand and
depth of
learning
Academic
Standard
The
curriculum
The number
of credits
The credit
level
Previous 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-1992 universities
Credit level label
Yes
%
Entry Level to Level 8
28
53%
Level HE 0 to Level HE 5
7
13%
Level HE 3 to Level HE 7
26
49%
Basic Level and Advanced Level
1
2%
Framework for Qualifications in the
European HE area (Bologna cycles)
6
11%
None
1
2%
Descriptors
Yes
Higher Education Credit
36
Framework (NICATS)
Southern England Consortium 13
(SEEC)
Qualifications and Credit
7
Framework (QCF)
Institution’s own descriptors
9
None
3
%
68%
25%
13%
17%
6%
Undergraduate
Credit
size Number of institutions
10
1
Postgraduate
Number of Institutions
1
15
10
9
20
24
18
24
1
0
30
7
12
45
0
1
Position
Yes
%
Every module has an approved or
validated set of learning outcomes
In some modules students may
negotiate the learning outcomes
An assignment may be designed to test
more than one learning outcome
Assessment criteria are used to test
whether learning outcomes are achieved
63
97%
24
37%
62
95%
59
91%
Assessment criteria are used to
determine the grade or mark
63
97%
Position
Satisfy all the module learning outcomes
Satisfy most of the module learning
outcomes
A pass in each module assessment
An overall pass in the aggregated module
assessments
An overall pass in the aggregated module
assessments and at least a threshold mark
in each assessment
A pass in the summative assessment
Other criteria?
Yes %
37 57%
22 34%
30
52
46%
80%
33
51%
25
8
38%
12%
Position
Condonement is permitted
Credit is awarded for condoned modules
Yes
34
18
%
52
28
Compensation is permitted
39
60
Credit is awarded for compensated
modules
Both condonement and compensation
are permitted
Neither condonement nor compensation
is permitted
34
52
12
18
5
8
Institutional position
Does your institution normally issue transcripts
showing the credits achieved?
Does your institution offer students the
opportunity to keep a progress file?
Does your institution normally issue a European
Diploma Supplement to students who have
completed their HE awards?
Does the Diploma Supplement show the ECTS
credits awarded?
Does your institution use or plan to implement
the Higher Education Achievement Report?
Yes
97%
66%
71%
72%
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
Is it acceptable to allow credit which as already
been used to award a major qualification to be
re-used towards another?
Should there be a framework or convention for
minor HE awards?
What is the best way to determine the shelf-life of
credits?
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
12
10
Number of 8
institutions 6
4
2
0
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
15 20 30 40 credits
15 20 30 40
Levels 4, 5 and 6
Level 6
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
15 20 30 40
20 30 40 60 80 90 120
Level 4
Level 5
14
12
Number of 10
institutions 8
6
4
2
0
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
15 20 30 40 60 credits
15 20 30 40 60
Level 6
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Levels 4, 5 and 6
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
15 20 30 40 60
30 40 60 80 90 120
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.
Level 5
6
5
Number of 4
institutions 3
2
1
0
Level 6
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
15 20 30 40
credits
Unspecified levels
15 20 30 40
The total permitted
8
3
6
2
4
1
2
0
0
15 20 30 40
15
20
30
40
The average mark The two
excluding the two weakest
weakest marks
module marks
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
70%
70%
60%
70%
60%
70%
60%
65 : 65
55 : 55
55: 55
45 :45
45: 45
35: 35
35: 35
Average mark
with no
discount
69.2%
67.5%
59.4%
65.8%
57.5%
64.2%
55.8%
Average
mark with
discount
70%
70%
60%
70%
60%
70%
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
7 The Integrated Master’s
Degree
The Postgraduate
family
8
The Professional Doctorate
6 Honours Degree
7iii Master’s Degree
6 Degree/Ordinary
Degree/Unclassified
7ii Postgraduate Diploma
5 Foundation Degree
7i
5 Higher National Diploma
Postgraduate Certificate
The Graduate family
5 Diploma of Higher Education
6
Graduate Diploma
4 Higher National Certificate
6
Graduate Certificate
4 Certificate of Higher Education
6
Professional Certificate of
Education
Credit achieved may be used for any award in
any family for which it is deemed acceptable
Credit from a certificated award may contribute
to higher and larger awards in same family
Credit from a certificated award may not
contribute to an equivalent or lower award
Once the highest award in a family has been
certificated, the constituent credit has been
spent. It is not re-usable for any award.
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 No
Varies by 2 yrs 5 yrs 6 yrs 9 yrs 10 yrs
of credit policy programme
Yes
19
2
1
20
1
1
1
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