Levels in the qualifications framework

23 The international overview accompanying this report looks at both the quality assurance processes put in place for higher education institutions and the quality assurance standards against which approval of programs of study and the providers that deliver them are assessed. Together the processes and the standards form the educational quality assurance arrangements required for a national qualifications system based on a qualifications framework. Quality assurance arrangements are at different stages of development around the world as is the case with the varying stages of development and implementation of qualifications frameworks. However, there is general consistency in how quality assurance is operationalized around the world in countries with qualifications frameworks as the four countries studied illustrate. Collectively these examples highlight the different levels of maturity of national qualification systems, the similarity in arrangements but also the contrast in approaches. What is evident in these four examples is that they have moved beyond the use of collegiate and internal peer-based quality improvement methodologies for their quality assurance although this remains an important additional tool for continuous improvement used by some, for instance New Zealand and for others newer to external quality assurance like Hong Kong see Table-9. In summary, if qualifications are to be valued by the holders of qualifications the graduates, the labor market employers of both professional and skilled human resources and labor unions, governments and the community and have credibility internationally, a country needs a set of standards for its qualifications that are nationally acceptable and can be translated internationally. To establish the value, credibility and stakeholder trust, the qualifications framework must be situated within a qualifications system. The component parts of a qualifications system necessary to implement a qualifications framework are illustrated by those already in place and are well documented. Around the world, higher education tends to be characterized by a demarcation between the older established universities which traditionally are autonomous educational institutions, usually with the authority to approve their own programs of study, and newer higher education providers some of which have been granted university status. The former usually have a strong tradition of research, are often ranked highly in the prestigious international ranking tables and commonly attract the best national students as well as international students. The established universities are typically small in number in any country and work cooperatively to maintain the quality of education and research amongst their collegiate membership. The latter, because of their short histories, are rarely granted self-approval and monitoring status and are subject to external quality assurance by government-sponsored agencies. This distinction is so in the case study countries and it influences the quality assurance arrangements in these countries.

3.2.2 Levels in the qualifications framework

While a levels structure is the most fundamental characteristic of a qualifications framework national or regional, a generic definition of the term level in the context of a qualifications framework is hard to find as most qualifications systems describe it in relation to their own systems. For example, in the Australian Qualifications Framework AQF, levels are defined as: ‘AQF levels are an indication of the relative complexity andor depth of achievement and the autonomy required to demonstrate that achievement. AQF level 1 has the lowest complexity and AQF level 10 has the highest complexity’ [AQF 2013]. Similarly, the New Zealand Qualifications Framework describes its levels as: ‘Levels are based on complexity, with level one the least complex and level ten the most complex’ [NZQA 2013]. 24 COUNTRIES Approval initial of Institution Monitoring of Institution Approval of Study program Approval of Institution to Deliver Study program Monitoring of Study program Australia Autonomous Universities Not applicable Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency national government authority on regular cycle and on risk assessment All have self-approval status; individual university internal processes required under TEQSA Act All have self-approval status; individual university internal processes required under TEQSA Act Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency on risk basis; individual university internal processes required under TEQSA Act Other HE Providers Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency national government authority established under legislation Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency national government authority established under legislation Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency national government authority established under legislation Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency national government authority established under legislation Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency national government authority established under legislation New Zealand Autonomous Universities Not applicable Universities New Zealand-owned Academic Quality Agency for New Zealand Universities Universities New Zealand- owned Committee on University Academic Programs delegated legal authority Universities New Zealand-owned Committee on University Academic Programs delegated legal authority Universities New Zealand-owned Committee on University Academic Programs delegated legal authority Other HE Providers New Zealand Qualifications Authority government authority established under legislation New Zealand Qualifications Authority government authority established under legislation New Zealand Qualifications Authority government authority established under legislation New Zealand Qualifications Authority government authority established under legislation New Zealand Qualifications Authority government authority established under legislation Ireland Autonomous Universities Not applicable Universities-owned Irish Universities Quality Board Individual university internal processes Individual university internal processes Individual university internal processes Other HE Providers Quality and Qualifications Ireland government authority established under legislation Quality and Qualifications Ireland government authority established under legislation Quality and Qualifications Ireland government authority established under legislation Quality and Qualifications Ireland government authority established under legislation Quality and Qualifications Ireland government authority established under legislation 25 COUNTRIES Approval initial of Institution Monitoring of Institution Approval of Study program Approval of Institution to Deliver Study program Monitoring of Study program Hong Kong Autonomous Universities Not applicable University Grants Committee Quality Assurance Council government sanctioned non- statutory body Individual university internal processes Individual university internal processes Individual university internal processes Other HE Providers Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications independent government agency established under legislation Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications independent government agency established under legislation Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications independent government agency established under legislation Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications independent government agency established under legislation Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications independent government agency established under legislation Note: Approval processes and standards for the establishment of new universities are excluded from this summary. Table-9: Quality assurance arrangements for higher education in case study countries 26 Levels are expressed as learning outcomes which increase in complexity with each level. Learning outcomes in qualifications frameworks are the description of the level of knowledge and skills that are required and the application of the knowledge and skill in context. They usually also specify other attributes that countries expect of their graduates about broader transferable skills and citizenship as well as employability skills. While the terminology for each part of a learning outcome may vary across countries, they effectively mean the same thing. The importance of levels is the gradation of the complexity of both the outcomes and the learning required to achieve the outcomes and the relationship between qualifications located at different levels which the levels establish.

3.2.3 Qualification types