Ut fructificemus Deo

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Ut fructificemus Deo
University of Malta http//www.um.edu.mt
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My Remit

• 1.Key elements relevant to recognition of
  qualifications.
• 2.What makes an awarding body a recognized
  institution?
• 3.Recognition process at UM
• 4.The UM Maturity Clause
• 5.Examples of UM rulings
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How important is credential evaluation?

• Erving Goffman
• Social life would grind to a halt without
  institutional recognition and confirmation of
  credentials.
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The Road Ahead

• The recent NCHE report on Future Skills shows
  that more high and medium qualifications will be
  needed in the future, with less demand for lower
  qualifications.
• In 2008 75 of the Maltese labour force had low
  qualifications.
• The report published by CEDEFOP (2008) forecasts
  that 79 of the EU labour force will have medium
  to high qualifications by 2015.
• This presents a major challenge for Maltas
  competitiveness.
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LN 280 of 2006

• 7. (1) To the extent that a recognition decision
  is based on the knowledge and skills certified by
  the higher education qualification, institutions
  of higher learning in Malta shall recognize the
  higher education qualifications conferred in
  another Party State unless a substantial
  difference can be shown between the qualification
  for which recognition is sought and the
  corresponding qualification in Malta.
• 4

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In the LRC the term substantial difference is
found in

• Article IV.1
• Article IV.3
• Article V.1
• Article VI.1
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Substantial Difference?
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Elements making up a Qualification

• LEVEL
• WORKLOAD
• QUALITY
• PROFILE
• LEARNING OUTCOMES
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LEVEL

• The place of a given qualification within an
  education system or a qualifications framework
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(No Transcript)
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LN 347 of 2005 Level 4

• The holder of a qualification at this level will
  be able to obtain routes to further learning and
  to employment in skilled work that can be
  performed independently and entail supervisory
  and coordination duties. This level of
  qualification also supports further specialized
  training for those seeking job enhancement.
• Level 4 achievement typically reflects completion
  of upper secondary education and some formal
  learning in post compulsory education, adult
  education including labour market training.
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England, Wales and Northern Ireland NQF Level 3

•   A levels- Advanced Extension Awards- GCE in
  applied subjects- International Baccalaureate-
  Key Skills level 3- NVQs- BTEC Diplomas,
  Certificates and Awards- BTEC Nationals- OCR
  Nationals
• Ability to gain or apply a range of knowledge,
  skills and understanding, at a detailed level-
  appropriate if you plan to go to university, work
  independently, or (in some cases) supervise and
  train others in their field of work
• 10a

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Workload

• Time typically needed for completing all
  learning activities required in achieving the
  targeted learning outcomes, e.g.
• Lectures
• Seminars
• Projects
• Practical work
• Self-study
• Examinations
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ECTS

• Quantitative measure based on student
  workload required to achieve learning outcomes
• ECTS European Credit Transfer and Accumulation
  System
• ECTS principles
• 60 credits full-time academic year (1500 1800
  hours)
• i.e. 1 credit ca. 25 30 working hours
• Credits for all components of study programmes
  reflect quantity of work each component requires
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UM Credits

• One UM credit represents 25 hours of learning
  of which 5 to 7 hours are normally direct
  teaching when a study-unit is imparted in the
  standard lecturing mode.
• Assuming a students workload for one
  academic year to be 1500 hrs, one credit
• corresponds to 25 to hours of work.
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A credit value is assigned to each study-unit
indicating the total learning time, including
time devoted to tuition, private study and
assessment, which an average student might be
expected to spend in achieving the learning
outcomes associated with the unit.
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• 60 ECTS credits are
• assigned to the
• workload of an
• academic year

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Credit Levels

• Level 0 Pre-tertiary or foundation or proficiency
  study-units. Study-units normally offered in Year
  1 of an undergraduate Course where it is assumed
  that the students have a general level of
  education at least meriting the award of the
  Matriculation Certificate.
• Level 1 In courses where admission is dependant
  on students being in possession of special course
  requirements, such as a pass in a subject taken
  at Advanced Level, lecturers can assume that
  students possess the pre-required knowledge.
• .

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• Levels 2 and 3Study-units offered in Years 2
  and 3 of an undergraduate Course. Level 3 credits
  are also offered in Year 4 of an undergraduate
  non-professional course.
• Level 4
• Study-units offered in Years 4 and 5 of a
  professional Course. Such study-units normally
  imparting specific professional competencies,
  although given at a level higher than Level 3,
  are still considered as being at undergraduate
  level.
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QUALITY

• A qualification must be of sufficient quality, it
  must be good enough.
• Credential evaluators need to make use of
  outcomes of quality assessment.
• If an institution or programme has failed a QA,
  this would be a reason for not recognizing the
  institution or programme.
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PROFILE

• Overall orientation of programme or institution
  role and prominence of research theoretical or
  applied approach
• Personal profiles - Individual characteristics of
  a qualification individual choice of credits
  balance between specialization and broader
  orientation
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LEARNING OUTCOMES

• describe what a graduate knows and is able to
  do on the basis of a qualification.
• The focus of higher education policy debates
  emphasizes learning outcomes over the formal
  structures of study programmes.
• This is a challenge to recognition specialists
  because learning outcomes are often more
  difficult to describe and assess.
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• What makes an awarding body a
  recognized institution?
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Recognition Process at UM

• Art. 28(j) and 35(e) of Education Act 1988
• UM is both a recognition and evaluation centre.
• Reference to Faculties and Institutes for
  evaluation purposes.
• Close ties with ENIC/NARIC for qualifications in
  areas not covered by UM.
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UM Maturity Clause Admission Regulations 1997

• 2.2 A candidate may also be admitted as a
  regular student of the University if he (a) (i)
  has been registered as a student at another
  university recognized by the Senate for this
  purpose or (ii) has qualifications of similar
  academic standard to those specified in
  regulation 2.1 or (iii) will have reached the
  age of 23 by the beginning of the course for
  which he applied, or (iv) has at any time
  satisfied the general entry requirements
  prescribed at that time or (v) suffers from
  some severe physical disability which would have
  made it difficult for him to obtain the required
  entry qualification and (b) has been judged
  eligible for admission as a regular student by
  the Admissions Board established in terms of
  regulation 5.
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University of Malta Mature Students (M)
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• Each and every one of us has a stake in
  promoting a culture of
• lifelong learning.

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• END