Flexible curricula for employer engagement: A family of approaches.

1. Flexible curricula for employer engagement: A family of approaches.

2. The development structure

3. The essence of the framework • The framework enables the formation of named awards using work-related credit from different sources to be combined in ways that meet the needs of employers. • The framework balances responsiveness with rigour, as well as flexibility with functionality.

4. Rationale • Allows autonomy • Businesses and learners can make decisions about their learning. • Flexible in the face of rapid change • Flexibility within modules and within awards. • Partnership with colleges and training providers. • Tool for Business Development Managers. • Values credit. • Wealth of progression routes. • Incentive for engagement.

5. What is the framework? • Modules (reusable curriculum). • Parameters (credit volumes, work-related). • Processes (Accreditation, documentation). • Conventions (naming awards, module rescaling).

6. Foundations of the framework • Academic infrastructure • FHEQ higher education qualification descriptors • Principles of credit accumulation and transfer. • QAA Codes of Practice (Sections 2 & 9). • Harper Adams Quality Assurance Manual.

7. Modules • Accredit and add value to existing work-based learning • Provide ready-made descriptors to be used in different contexts. • Generic descriptors can be scaled in terms of volume and level • Less emphasis on content and more on learning process • Shell and wrapper modules becoming more common

8. Modules • Module descriptors are provided as exemplars. • In use – seeking validation for re-use • Ear-marked for particular initiatives • Ear-marked for a cohort of individuals • Future facing.

9. Shells • A shell module articulates the learning process that may be applied to different employment contexts. • A shell module contains subject based themes to a greater or lesser extent.

10. “Leadership and organisational change” Example of a shell module with: • Significant core content. • Some personalisation. • Some contextualisation. • “Action research” Example of a shell module with: • Some core content • High degrees of personalisation. • Significant contextualisation.

11. Wrappers • A wrapper module places processes for higher level learning around existing work-based provision that is often focused on vocational competence • The aim is to extend and enrich the learning that is derived from the work-based practice and make the learner more aware of the processes involved in acquisition of knowledge and skills • A wrapper allows the learner to grow further learning from an existing situation.

13. Wrappers contd Work well in partnerships with Training Providers offering vocational qualifications e.g. NVQ’s and with Professional Bodies offering recognised Industry Qualifications e.g. British Horse Society Allow industrial experts to underpin operational and vocational skills.

14. Wrapper modulesteaching and assessment • Divisions of roles and responsibilities can be established in line with expertise • The industry partner is best placed to teach and assess the technical content (core) whilst the HEI focuses on the higher level learning (extended and meta levels) that “wrap” around the content

15. Wrapper modules -Quality Assurance • The partner is best placed to utilise mechanisms respected by industry (e.g. Lead Body Internal and External Verifiers) • The HEI quality assures the higher level learning in the extended and meta-learning layers • The HEI has greater confidence in overall quality of the provision and is able to devolve greater responsibility to the partner

16. Exemplar programme using wrapper modules   • Certificate of Higher Education for the rural care home sector. • Wraps round an NVQ 4 for managers in the care home sector • Extends vocational learning to meet requirements of the HE award • Embraces modules such as ‘Introduction to professional skills development’ & ‘Advancing practice’ • Involves learning activities such as: • Consideration of related literature • Analysis of learning strategies • Consideration of current issues in practice.

17. Parameters • Work-based nature of credit. • Firm footing in rural sector. • Existing Harper Adams credit conventions respected.

18. Conventions • Award - Professional Studies • Suffix relating to context and or content where an additional learning outcome is defined.

19. Creating cohesive awards

20. The Framework and cohorts of individuals • MSc Professional Studies • Online • Represents one route through the framework

21. Why an online cohort of individuals? • SME’s • Staff development • Resource central

23. Range of elements – related • Reusable curriculum objects • Capacity building • Serving the needs of the sector in innovative ways • Supporting employer engagement • Supporting widened participation • Cross-college

24. Questions and issues ??? • Transferability • Hype and expectation • Workability • Balance: risk and innovation • Staff engagement • Management of programmes (reporting etc)

25. Faddy? • Emperor’s new clothes? • Lack of critique • Complexity in language/density • Longevity

26. Contact • Lydia Arnold larnold@harper-adams.ac.uk • Liz Warr lwarr@harper-adams.ac.uk • www.lydiaarnold.net • www.reednet.org