VUSSC/TQF2008/Monday

Day's End - Report

• VUSSC
• Expectations
• QA and QFs
• Case Studies
• Group Discussion

VUSSC

• VUSSC mandated by Ministers of Education; VUSSC to use existing structures and capacity.
• Task for the week‚ (James Keevy f2f workshop leader) refine doc; agree to a framework; plan the agreed mechanism and processes (plan of action); need to work online after this week
• Decisions made here will be presented in 2009 to CCEM.
• More of a network of Ministries of Education to facilitate the development of material.
• TQF not intended as COL's. It is a VUSSC production for small states. The states will need to take ownership.
• VUSSC can help improve APRs
• Establish critical mass of expertise via collaborative work
• VUSSC a collaborative network, not a tertiary institution
• From a network to a consortium, with support from COL.
• TQF ‚Äì matching outcomes; translating between systems; national and regional systems.

• A linking structure, to build human capacity and strengthen countries.
• COL does what governments ask it to do, not the other way around. COL does not operate like a donor agency.
• Continuity in pursuing objectives not a problem as each meeting deals with a different subject.
• Produce FAQs about VUSSC

EXPECTATIONS

• Looking for directions
• Link other QFs and accreditation systems with the TQF; Ensure that there isn‚Äôt duplication.
• Compatibility; transferability
• Challenges of the Virtual University
• Refining the concept doc
• Learning from the experience of others
• Implementability; Feasibility of concept
• philosophical/theoretical clarification
• Networking with other countries
• Credibility; transparency
• Mechanism, processes and principles to recognize VUSSC courses
• VUSSC support for strengthening national systems
• Specific needs of this group and how the needs could be met
• Agreement and consensus on way forward; consensus building; community of practice.
• Adoption of doc as guidelines (INCREMENTALISM; STAKEHOLDER INVOLVEMENT; SIMPLICITY)
• Need to leave here with a sense of ownership
• How the TQF relates to eLearning.

QA & QFs

UNESCO

• Fora for QA
• Conventions for academic mobility covering six regions re recognition of qualifications
• Comparability by 2010 (Bologna process)
• Guidelines for cross-border education (guidelines distributed).
• More than 60 countries have adopted external accreditation system.
• Degree mills false links to Unesco; portal of recognition being developed. 14 countries participating.
• QA in small states ‚Äì new initiative

The Singapore Model

Lee Kok Hong‚ MoE‚ Education & Training

Phases of Singapore Educ System

• Survival driven; bldg more schools; equipping students with skills to support industries;
• Efficiency-driven: streamlining school types; ensuring quality via inspectorate system
• Ability-driven: thinking schools; learning nation; school autonomy and cluster system; flexibility and choice

QA in Schools

• Now, self assessment and external validation
• Searching for a framework Europe, US and Singapore Q Award Model
• Evolving own framework

School Excellence Model

• Core values (students first; teachers key; leading with purpose; systems support; working with partners; management by knowledge; continuous improvement and innovation. People + systems = organizational excellence);
• Framework (enablers driving key performance results);
• external validation (once in every 5 years; based on self-assessment report; MoE appointed external validation team of trained SAB assessor/s and external assessors (from NIE, polytechnic e.g. & MoE people as well)

QAF for HE

• Universities, polytechnics and other HEIs.
• 3-5 year cycle‚ instit. self-assessment; feedback
• Governance and leadership; management and strategic planning; teaching and learning; service (framework criteria)
• External review panel from overseas

Mr Renganathan‚ Singapore Quality Class (SQC) for private education organizations (PEOs).

• To establish Singapore as an education hub
• Aligned to international standards
• Voluntary
• Pre-Q requirements must be maintained for them to remain in good standing
• Continuous improvement‚ minimum score 400 (out of 1,000 points)
• Benchmarks for student recruitment
• Private schools not allowed to award degrees but can partner with overseas universities (Australia, UK and USA).

Sharon Tan‚ QA system

• WDA development of a skilled workforce
• Organizational accreditation and course accreditation
• Organization: mgt; financial practices; learner support and services; admin practices
• Course: design and dev; trainer and assessor requirements; facilities and equipment
• Continuous improvement review processes ‚Äì undertaken once a year; effective design & delivery; ability to deliver outcomes; fulfillment of continual improvement requirements; viability of the organization; free from breach of terms and conditions
• Capability development. Build competency-based training
• Summary: focus on capability dev; emphasis on CIR; simplify accreditation process
• WDA www.gov.sg;
• WSQ http://wsq.wda.gov.sg

Qualifications frameworks as a global phenomenon

Introduction

• About 70 countries have QFs; all QFs not the same.
• USA not involved in a QF; Germany only recently involved.
• Point of departure in this exercise is to start with what the states have and build upon that.
• Issue of a state being too small to have a qualifications framework. Not enough people; too expensive (do all countries need a QF?).
• How we stop the brain drain lies elsewhere, not in having a QF.
• QA necessarily comes with a QF (question raised)

Case Studies

SAMOA

• Long discussion/consultation period on the way to creation of SQA
• From certificates through to doctorate level covered by the framework
• Providers and employers were engaged
• Stakeholder engagement to promote awareness
• Strategic and corporate plan in place.
• Benefits‚ national equivalence and comparability of qualifications; facilitates international comparability; career dev opportunities; recognition of prior learning;
• Challenges‚ ambitious pr5oject; additional support required; need for database on labour market requirements; need to train resource people and establish local templates; continuation of QA work; funding (donors could be very directive).
• TQF will be relevant to the development of NQFs/RQFs

SEYCHELLES

• Built from the bottom up through an elaborate process of engagement and consultation
• 10-level framework
• Challenges ‚Äì capacity internally and to facilitate change; limiting conflicts of interest; getting public acceptance; keeping stakeholders continually in the loop; MoUs with professional bodies; delineating the role of SQA vis-√†-vis existing modalities, e.g., within the MoE ‚Äì turf issues
• Difference between SQA and NQF
• Autonomy of SQA
• NQF has occupational bias, reconciling autonomy with emerging HE system
• Overcoming old habits
• Articulation with other NQFs (comparability and access)
• Achievements ‚Äì small and nimble; communities of trust; progress in dev of NQF;
• recognition of foreign qualifications; building capacity; sown seeds for implementation of aspects of NQF
• (MOVING FROM POLICY DEV TO IMPLEMENTATION)

CARICOM

• 10 reps from the Caribbean
• Most countries do not have a NQF or Accreditation bodies; working on RQF
• Academic and TVET, RQF intent to allow for a seamless progression in qualifications transfer
• Responsibilities of partner institutions‚ MoEs, CXC,
• Level 1-5, from entry level to advanced level.
• Benefits ‚Äì descriptions of knowledge and skills; skill demand vs. supply; portability; career choices; development of CARICOM; integration of Caribbean workforce; realize mobility;
• Transparency and trust needed.

PACIFIC REGIONAL QUALIFICATIONS REGISTER

• Shift from Framework to Register
• Labour/educ mobility
• Quality assured qualifications locally are registered
• QA and Q control procedures
• RQR doesn‚Äôt interfere with national qualifications

GROUP DISCUSSIONS

Africa

• Further definition of the virtual university
• Applies not only to small states (Commonwealth QF for small states?)
• Framework should include all levels of education
• Develop action plan to include a costed implementation plan
• Increase access and mobility, and quality

Caribbean

• Clearer definition of the VU concept
• Implementability and available support from COL
• Interrelationships between QFs
• Ownership
• Purpose of TQF, how it will be developed
• Elements that should go into TQF: e.g., what is meant by QA, accreditation
• TQF should aim for similarities, benchmarks, standards
• Definitions, levels of descriptors, entry levels, duration

Med & Indian Ocean

• Definition of VUSSC‚ virtual, loose, not a legal entity
• Other countries could be involved
• Seems directed at vocational training
• Portability
• Need for a TQF was questioned. Small states w/o own NQF need it
• Is it premature at this point to talk about a TQF that is limited in its scope?

PACIFIC

• Concentrate on concept rather than definitions
• TQF useful organism to guide own work
• TQF only for VUSSC? Yes but used for universal application or reference