A level playing field Does the levelling of qualifications build bridges or barriers? Norman Gealy Cassy Taylor Paul Newton Note: the views expressed are not intended to represent those of Qualifications Wales or Ofqual
Overview 1. Academic qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland follow a logical sequence of levels and ‘structured data’ because of their relationships to the stages of the educational system. 2. Vocational qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland provide semi-structured data because of their relationships to different instructional regimes and to the inherently different nature of vocational learning and skills. 3. National qualifications frameworks have been developed to impose the structure of the academic system onto the vocational system, but the assumptions underlying the relationships are questionable. 4. These assumptions are influencing the design of vocational qualifications in ways that lessen the qualifications’ utility – but it is not obvious how to address this concern.
Struc uctured d da data a and nd logical l levels: academic qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
a single progressive system Completion of Indicative qualification Level signifier 3 years research postgraduate Doctorate 8 Level of education 1 year postgraduate Master’s degree 7 3 years undergraduate First degree 6 2 years undergraduate Higher education diploma 5 1 year undergraduate Higher education certificate 4 Secondary, ages 16 to 18 Advanced Level General Certificate of 3 Education Secondary, ages 14 to 16 General Certificate of Secondary Education 1&2
with many factors held constant Age pre-determined (for progress without breaks) Entry requiring one or more of the preceding qualifications Duration fixed by level (see previous slide) Curricula school, college or university teaching Assessment largely by written examination and/or dissertation Subjects both traditional and innovative, but within the limits of school, college and university capabilities External by English, Welsh and Northern Irish government agencies management
Sem Semi-struc uctured da d data: vocational qualifications in EWNI
multiple progressive systems
with all factors allowed to vary Age usually over 16, otherwise indeterminate Entry none at all, aptitude and/or interest measures, academic qualifications, other vocational qualifications, specific employment status Duration hours, days, weeks, months, years Curricula self study, blended learning, classroom instruction, workshop practice, work experience Assessment experience, observed practice, coursework, assignments, written examinations, practical examinations, dissertations, interview Subjects whatever might be required for whatever job at whatever grade/s in whatever industry or sector for which the qualification is developed External none at all, by industry or sector associations, by accrediting quality organisations (eg, ISO), by the qualification regulators, by statutory management sector regulators
Resolut ution: n: national qualification frameworks
How this was achieved 1. By positioning academic qualifications in a two-dimensional matrix. 2. By positioning vocational qualifications in the same matrix, according to their perceived difficulties, without regard to the other ways in which they might vary. 3. By interpreting the relative positions in the matrix of all the academic and vocational qualifications in terms of equivalences and differences between the qualifications.
Matrix of academic qualifications 8 Level of education 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Physics Law Medicine Etc Etc Etc Etc Etc Subjects
The difficulty dimension
National Qualifications Framework 8 7 Level of difficulty 6 5 4 3 2 1 Physics Law Medicine Plumbing Management Accounting Etc Etc Subjects
Underlying assumptions? 1. Intellectual aptitude can be treated as a single factor. 2. Intellectual aptitude requirements increase with the levels of academic qualifications in the same subject. 3. The intellectual aptitude requirement is the same for academic qualifications at the same level in different subjects. 4. Additional practical and interpersonal aptitudes required for vocational qualifications can be assessed on the same scale as intellectual aptitude. 5. An assessment on this scale can be made by analysing the nature of a qualification’s learning outcomes, without regard to any other factors (such as those discussed above).
Operationalisation of the model Level of learning outcome in Level of difficulty Level of education Bloom’s cognitive taxonomy Evaluation 6, 7, 8 6, 7, 8 Synthesis 4, 5, 6 4, 5, 6 Analysis 4, 5 4, 5 Application 2, 3 2, 3 Understanding 1, 2 1, 2 Knowledge 1, 2 1, 2
and a dissenting view ‘essentially the same classes of behaviour may be observed in the usual range of subject-matter content at different levels of education (elementary, high school, college) and in different schools’ Bloom B S (Ed), 1956, Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Handbook 1: Cognitive Domain , Addison-Wesley
Level 2 Diploma in Skills for Business Level 3 Diploma in Skills for Business Unit 10 Respond to change in a business Unit 10 Respond to change in a business environment environment LO1 Understand the reasons for change in LO1 Understand change in business business AC1.1 State why it is important for a business AC1.1 Explain why it is important for a to change business to change AC1.2 State the risks associated with a AC1.2 Analyse the positive and negative business changing too quickly effects of change on a selected AC1.3 State the risks associated with a AC1.3 Compare the risks of slow against business changing too slowly rapid change within a business AC1.4 Compare the benefits of slow against rapid change within a business LO2 Understand how change can affect LO2 Understand how change can affect people within a business people within a business AC2.1 Outline positive effects change can AC2.1 Explain why people respond positively have on people working in a business to change in a business AC2.2 Outline negative effects change can AC2.2 Explain why people respond negatively have on people working in a business to change in a business
Unit 10 Pass Merit Distinction The candidate will The candidate will [No D for this AC] L2 state state why it is important for a why it is important for a AC1.1 business to change business to change, demonstrating critical understanding The candidate will The candidate will The candidate will give L3 explain explain a sophisticated in detail explanation of AC1.1 why it is important for a why it is important for a why it is important for a business to change business to change business to change
Unit 8 Pass Merit Distinction The candidate will The candidate will The candidate will L2 assess ideas assess ideas assess ideas against agreed criteria against agreed criteria, against agreed criteria, AC1.4 demonstrating showing critical critical understanding judgement The candidate will The candidate will The candidate will L3 evaluate thoroughly evaluate critically evaluate ideas against agreed ideas against agreed ideas against agreed AC1.4 criteria criteria criteria drawing appropriate conclusions
• Which is the more realistic description of the Diploma(s) in Skills for Business? • 2 distinct qualifications, at adjacent levels, each with 3 distinct grades? • 1 qualification, either at L2 or at L3 or spanning both, with n distinct grades? • What features do we need to build into qualifications, to render them L3 as distinct from L2? • does command verb (performance) complexity capture anything important about either level-ness or grade-ness, that we can build into qualifications?
Findings from Building the Future 1. Significant repetition across levels 1, 2 and 3 in construction qualifications 2. Difference in performance between levels unclear/insignificant 3. Real progression in skills may be through broadening or deepening a learner’s skills and knowledge within a level rather than progressing to the next level 4. The level of complexity across different trades differs within the ‘same’ level 5. Equating level 2 vocational qualifications with GCSEs can be demotivating 6. A tendency to make assumptions that autonomy at level 3 equates to ‘supervision’ 7. A mismatch between skills for work and cognitive skills for Higher Education.
“We are actually assessing vocational students who have chosen a vocational route academically. We are possibly stopping those who could be the best trades people from progression simply because we are judging them on academic values.” Head of Construction in a Further Education College
Tha hank nks for l listeni ning ng
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