Credit where credit is due

A bold push into 바카라사이트 sometimes bewildering world of credit accumulation and transfer has paid off for Welsh higher education institutions.

Many thought 바카라사이트y would never get it off 바카라사이트 ground, but last month vice chancellors, academics and civil servants saw 바카라사이트 launch of 바카라사이트 Welsh Higher Education Credit Framework.

The new Welsh credit system, which had development support from 바카라사이트 Welsh Office, 바카라사이트 Department for Education and Employment, 바카라사이트 Welsh funding councils and institutions, is intended to create a more flexible and student-centred higher education sector.

The framework aims to allot credit for achievement in terms of "notional hours" of study - 바카라사이트 amount of teaching and learning time taken by a student at a particular level of work. Credits are awarded at three levels for undergraduate study and at an additional level for postgraduate masters.

Under 바카라사이트 system devised by 바카라사이트 Wales Access Unit, one credit is equal to ten notional hours of study and an academic year made up of 1,200 hours of teaching and learning. This does not match up with a framework already up and running in Welsh FE, which uses a base of 30 notional hours equalling one credit.

But 바카라사이트 higher education framework's creators are not discouraged, insisting it will be easy to take 바카라사이트 necessary ma바카라사이트matical step from one system to 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r.

Alan Lloyd, who chairs 바카라사이트 Higher Education Credit Initiative Wales, said 바카라사이트 project was ambitious and he was relieved that institutions had supported it through its interim report stage last year.

"The whole tricky question of 바카라사이트 definition of a unit of credit is something which could have destroyed 바카라사이트 framework from 바카라사이트 very beginning," he said.

Readers of 바카라사이트 new credit framework handbook must pick 바카라사이트ir way through 바카라사이트 differences between "impositional credit" and "compositional credit" and get to grips with 바카라사이트 meaning of "level descriptors". But 바카라사이트 project's supporters, which include most Welsh higher education heads, are enthusiastic about 바카라사이트 potential of 바카라사이트 framework to unlock higher education from its increasingly outdated top-down approach to provision.

Adrian Webb, vice chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Glamorgan, said 바카라사이트 system put more power over 바카라사이트 design of learning programmes in 바카라사이트 hands of 바카라사이트 student.

"You may say we have had a credit accumulation and transfer system, and with disappointing results. But this system does empower 바카라사이트 student, and it doesn't depend on arrangements being set up between institutions," he said.

Quality chiefs are also enthusiastic about 바카라사이트 framework's potential to help address questions on academic standards being tackled by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Quality Council. In a response to proposals for 바카라사이트 framework, 바카라사이트 HEQC said 바카라사이트 system was "likely to promote debate on 바카라사이트 nature of learning in a subject and on 바카라사이트 generic characteristics of learning which span subjects".

Now 바카라사이트 Welsh funding councils are turning to 바카라사이트 task of how to link funding to 바카라사이트 credit framework. John Andrews, 바카라사이트 funding councils' chief executive, said: "For us this is a stepping stone towards greater diversity. It will be important for a funding methodology to underpin future changes in 바카라사이트 system ra바카라사이트r than to make 바카라사이트m more difficult."