Credit is an enabling mechanism – of itself it cannot deliver the reforms to the system that are needed. It will not be enough to use credit to simply disaggregate or add numbers to existing conventional qualifications.
These plain English definitions are consistent with the specifications for the frameworks in England Wales and Northern Ireland. Credit based qualifications designed using these specifications could be included and recognised with the SCQF and conform to the requirements of the EQF. If credit is to work it must be as transferable as possible.
- Credit is a means of valuing and recognising learning achievements.
- Credit gives a value to coherent sets of learning achievements at a designated level.
- These sets of achievements are organised into units which are assigned a level and an appropriate credit value. A unit may have a credit value of 1 credit at level 2, for example. When all the specified achievements in a unit are achieved and verified a person can be awarded credit(s).
- The 3 key components of a credit framework are therefore UNITS which have a CREDIT value and a LEVEL.
- Credits can be combined and accumulated towards particular targets. These targets may include achievement of whole qualifications, each of which will specify the rules for achieving and combining credit to achieve that qualification.
- A person's achievements may include credits at different levels.
- Credit can be used to value and recognise all learning achievement
Note: These plain English definitions are unofficial but nonetheless consistent with the specifications for the Qualifications and Credit framework and the Credit and Qualifications Framework Common Accord.
