Session 5 accreditation and the professional standards framework.march 2013pptx

Accreditation and the Professional Standards Framework

• HEA accreditation service is well used by the HE community but there are other routes to accreditation, which the HEA welcomes.

• HEA does not espouse a one size fits all approach – provision varies across the sector.

• PSF, with its origins and ownership in the sector, has the potential to be a key indicator of ongoing commitment to teaching and supporting learning, as well as giving confidence that minimum threshold standards have been met by academic staff.

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Accreditation & PSF

• ACCREDITATION applies to a programme, course or scheme.

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Accreditation

It applies to the outcome of the process whereby such a programme or scheme is accredited by the HEA as meeting the requirements of the PSF and

thus entitles successful participants to be ‘recognised’ as Associate Fellows, Fellows, Senior Fellows or Principal Fellows of the HEA. The term

always applies to a programme or scheme to develop academic staff and never to an individual

or group of individuals.

Sector Trends“From Uniformity to Diversity”

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Sector norm 60 credit Postgraduate

Certificates at D2 for new lecturers, some with

embedded D1 opportunities

Now Modules/courses at D1 (for

GTA’s, Researchers, support staff) with progression to, or

embedded in, PG CertRetention of PG Cert as route to D2, increasing use of work-

based learning

“Growing importance of CPD Schemes”

D1 to D4

• Some with embedded taught routes, others operate separately from taught qualifications

• Some allow direct applications to HEA via Individual Recognition route,

• Varied levels of integration with institutional Human Resources processes

Sector trends cont’d

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• Accreditation demonstrates that institutional professional development provision is explicitly aligned to the PSF

and that:

• The institution offers both initial and on-going opportunity for their staff to establish and enhance the professionalism of their teaching in line with national benchmarks.

Accreditation

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HEA Accreditation is a process of assessing an institution’s rationale for, and content of, its professional development provision, whether formally taught through modules and programmes or demonstrated through broader CPD schemes and frameworks.

(formally ‘taught’ vs. informally ‘caught’)

Accreditation cont’d

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• Stage 1 - Preparatory phase - institutional reflection and decision making

• Stage 2 - Submission of full documentary case for accreditation

• Stage 3 - Judgment through HEA Accreditation Panel meeting

• Stage 4 - Completion phase in response to Panel decisions

Accreditation Process

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Accreditors (Reviewing submissions)

The HEA contracts a pool of Associates, known as Accreditors, to act as

independent reviewers. They are contracted by the HEA on the

basis of their:

1) Current knowledge and scholarly understanding of the

UK higher education sector (and/or college-based higher

education), including knowledge of policy and issues of recent,

current and emerging trends in higher education professional

development for staff supporting the student learning experience.

2) Knowledge and scholarly understanding of the UK Professional Standards

Framework (UKPSF) for Teaching and Supporting Learning in

Higher Education.

And their ability to:

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Accreditors cont’d

Make informed judgements about the

quality and relevance of varied and often

complex applications.

Work effectively with colleagues to ensure timely and positive

outcomes.

In addition:

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Detailed guidance notes for institutions:• Advice• Criteria and explanations• Forms

Accreditor training and guidance:• Advice• Criteria and protocols• Forms

Provision is designed and implemented in a way that:

• enables participants to engage with, and be judged against, dimensions of the UKPSF;

• ensures judgments leading to professional recognition are equitable, transparent and robust;

• includes support and training for those making such judgments.

Explicit alignment

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A diversity of approaches:

Sector Trends

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From formally taught:• Credit-bearing individual

modules/ programmes at D1

• PGCerts at D2 for new lecturers, some with embedded D1 opportunities

To include the informally ‘caught’:

- Accelerated progression on PGCert - Routes to recognition for more experienced staff - Practice-based evidence of effectiveness - CPD schemes that integrate and cohere elements of provision

Integrated• in processes• in practice

Well understood• by applicants• by those making the

judgements• by senior managers

everywhere it operates

Externality

Features of Good CPD Schemes

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Perceived Benefits

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Wider reach• PGCerts limited in scope• needs of more

experienced staff addressed in more appropriate ways

• CPD enabled and expected

Recognition• of development of skills,

understanding, knowledge and effectiveness

Reward• for engaging in wider

developmental practices and strategic enhancement

Progression• beyond induction and

probation

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Northern Group

Sheffield Hallam

Edinburgh

Durham

West Scotland

Salford

Southern Group

Exeter

Southampton

Falmouth

Bedford

Arts University Bournemouth

HEA CPD Initiative 2010 - 2011

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AccreditedIn systemWork in progressDormant

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HEA CPD Initiative 2011 - 2012

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Northern Group

Glasgow Caledonian

York St John

Ulster

LIPA/Rose Bruford

Midland Group

Aston

Nottingham Trent

Staffordshire

Worcester

Southern Group

Essex

University of West London

Canterbury Christ Church

Open University

AccreditedIn systemWork in progressDormant

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Accredited CPD Schemes

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Descriptors 1 to 4

Aston

Bradford

Glasgow Caledonian

Robert Gordon

Cardiff Metropolitan

East London

Essex

Exeter

Nottingham Trent

Oxford Brookes

Plymouth

Southampton

Staffordshire

West London

York St John

(15)

Descriptors 1 to 3

Cumbria

Central Lancashire

Derby

Glamorgan

Leeds Metropolitan

Lincoln

Sunderland

Teesside

UCL

(9)

Descriptors 1 & 2

Chester

Glyndwr

Greenwich

Kent

Roehampton

Sheffield Hallam

(6)

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CPD Schemes

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Accredited

30 institutional schemes

Almost Complete

Bedford

Canterbury Christ Church

Edinburgh Napier

Falmouth

Glasgow

Ulster

Portsmouth

Work in Progress

Aberystwyth/Bangor

Anglia Ruskin

Coventry

Durham

Edinburgh

LIPA/Rose Bruford

Open University

QMU, London

West Scotland

Worcester

In summary assessment processes should be:

And have externality and moderation as part of QA&E

Accreditation of CPD Schemes

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Robust Transparent

EquitableMade

against the PSF

Example submission exercise

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