Credit Works has provided a comprehensive customised training and support service to 11 ‘Fast Track’ SSCs and their awarding bodies since November 2007. In addition, all SSCs, SBs and their associated awarding bodies have been invited to and attended 5 national capacity building conferences organised by QCA since November 2007. More information on the Credit Works ‘Fast Track’ training and support programme in our recently published report.
Full Report
Executive Summary
Credit Works has shared its expertise and worked to build capacity among practitioners involved in the phase 1 and 2 QCF test and trials – in designing and developing units and qualifications for the QCF. A recurring theme in our work has been the issue of how to write units for the QCF using NOS (or other standards) as the key reference and starting point.
In 2007 QCA commissioned Credit Works to develop working guidelines to help QCF test and trial sites – and in particular sector bodies – to develop suitable methodologies to enable them to generate units of assessment for the QCF using NOS. The guidance is included in the QCA Guidelines for writing credit-based units of assessment for the QCF (version 2).
The guidance is illustrated with working examples from practice in the QCF tests and trials, where practitioners began to develop expertise in this important area of QCF qualifications design.
In 2006 Credit Works was commissioned by QCA to conduct a study into sector body perceptions and understanding of credit and their views on the implications for the development and review of NOS. More details can be found in a summary of the key outcomes of the research.
The research involved interviews and discussions with a wide sample of sector bodies. Completing this work required a thorough understanding of policy and practice both nationally and across a range of sectors, as well as an understanding and sensitivity to the different roles and responsibilities of stakeholders. The analysis of findings and the conclusions of the report were well received by both sector bodies and the QCA and will inform and support further work in this area.
The overall conclusion to the study was that:
- There was consistency and agreement amongst the majority of sector bodies concerning NOS and their relationship to qualifications and credit. The majority of sector bodies were intending to collaborate with awarding bodies and this process of collaboration provided both opportunity and scope to develop common understanding, and, where appropriate common practice. Applying an action research model during the QCF trials to these processes of collaboration could therefore support:
- Improved consistency in understanding of credit
- Improved consistency and approaches to the development of common credit based units
- Improved capacity of sector bodies
- Improved supply of qualifications
