Professional Pathways: a case for measurements in more than one dimension

Recent developments in UK professional education are leading to competence-based National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) being offered alongside academic awards made within the Credit Accumulation and Transfer (CAT) system. Although dual accreditation of this type may be a welcome development, the NVQ and CAT systems have different philosophies and cannot easily be linked in structural relationships. The context-specific notion of competence represented by NVQs is only one dimension of effective professional practice, as in order to operate intelligently in many of the situations with which they are faced, practitioners increasingly need transcendant abilities of reflection, enquiry and creative synthesis. A solution lies in a coherent approach to professional development and accreditation which is based in a constructivist epistemology and allows these overarching abilities to be recognised through the CAT system independently of NVQ requirements, while enabling students to work towards awards through both systems simultaneously without duplication of effort     

工程教育与师范教育专业认证体系比较研究

教育部出台的师范专业认证实施办法引起高校的普遍关注,然而师范专业认证在具体实施方法、标准、程序中还存在许多问题。我国工程教育专业认证经过数十年发展,已形成具有中国特色专业认证体系,实现专业人才培养质量的国际实质等效性。文章通过比较分析师范专业与工程教育专业在认证主体、政策、程序、指标与标准方面的异同点,结合师范专业认证的不足,从认证主体机构性质、三级认证体系完善、认证工作基础强化、认证标准多方覆盖等方面,为我国师范专业认证体系发展完善提出建议。     

美国教师教育课程评价的策略与启示

美国通过评价来切实保障教师教育课程的质量。美国的教师教育课程评价大体可以分为教师教育机构外部专业组织开展的认证和机构内部的学生学习评价两部分。美国专业组织开展的教师教育认证由于标准的清晰性、人员的专业性、过程的规范性、结果的透明性,能够对教师教育专业及其课程起到重要的指导与监督作用。美国教师教育机构内的各门课程都非常重视对学生学习过程和结果的评价,作品评价、表现性评价和成长记录袋评价等评价策略得到广泛使用。这启发我们,应该重视对教师教育课程评价的研究并切实改进我们的评价实践。     

A review of issues in continuing professional development in teaching,nursing and radiography

This paper examines developments in the provision of continuing professional development (CPD) for school teachers, nurses and radiographers in the UK. The focus is on current developments which are located in the context of models of professional development. Three major issues are identified: funding/resourcing, curriculum coherence and the relationship to practice. The latter raised further issues for consideration including the accreditation of practice, the development of reflective practice and the moves towards research‐based and evidence‐based practice. The paper concludes that CPD is a comparatively under‐researched activity and that the approaches to CPD in the three occupational groups have significant similarities. Furthermore the existing literature has not located CPD in the context of current thinking regarding learning organizations and post‐technocratic models of professional development.     

浅议美国国际商学院联合会质量认证制度

质量认证是保证和提高美国高等教育质量的有效途径。美国高等教育专业认证是美国高等教育认证体系中的重要组成部分,文章通过对美国国际商学院联合会基本情况、认证程序及认证标准的介绍,引发了对我国专业评估工作的几点思考。     

Information use skills in the engineering programme accreditation criteria of four countries

The need for twenty-first century information skills in engineering practice, combined with the importance for engineering programmes to meet accreditation requirements, suggests that it may be worthwhile to explore the potential for closer alignment between librarians and their work with information literacy competencies to assist in meeting accreditation standards and graduating students with high-level information skills. This article explores whether and how information use skills are reflected in engineering programme accreditation standards of four countries: Canada, the USA, the UK, and Australia. Results indicate that there is significant overlap between the information use skills required of students by engineering accreditation processes and librarians’ efforts to develop information literacy competencies in students, despite differences in terms used to describe these skills. Increased collaboration between engineering faculty and librarians has the potential to raise student information literacy levels and fulfil the information use-related requirements of accreditation processes.     

Recognition and accreditation of ‘short cycle’ degrees in engineering

Comparing the standards of engineering programmes has never been easy even in one's own country and therefore international recognition is especially difficult with so many different educational systems to contend with. Standards have recently been raised in the UK and the need for two types of professional engineer with an educational base at degree level has been clearly established. The development of 'short cycle' degrees as a supplement to the established 'long cycle' type has been much slower in many European countries, hampered in many cases by the lack of recognition from professional engineering bodies. This paper considers developments in the UK at national level regarding the need, content and accreditation status of 'short cycle' degrees, making some comparison with longer duration degrees. A number of international agreements and a European case study are explored with the argument being made for specifying programmes of study in a manner that is easy to read in order to help facilitate further agreements.     

Hunting and gathering: new imperatives in mapping and collecting student learning data to assure quality outcomes

Assurance of learning (AOL) is a quality enhancement and quality assurance process used in higher education. It involves a process of determining programme learning outcomes and standards, and systematically gathering evidence to measure students' performance on these. The systematic assessment of whole-of-programme outcomes provides a basis for curriculum development and management, continuous improvement, and accreditation. To better understand how AOL processes operate, a national study of university practices across one discipline area, business and management, was undertaken. To solicit data on AOL practice, interviews were undertaken with a sample of business school representatives (n?=?25). Two key processes emerged: (1) mapping of graduate attributes and (2) collection of assurance data. External drivers such as professional accreditation and government legislation were the primary reasons for undertaking AOL outcomes but intrinsic motivators in relation to continuous improvement were also evident. The facilitation of academic commitment was achieved through an embedded approach to AOL by the majority of universities in the study. A sustainable and inclusive process of AOL was seen to support wider stakeholder engagement in the development of higher education learning outcomes.     

职业教育“双师型”教师队伍建设：基于治理体系的思考——《深化新时代职业教育“双师型”教师队伍建设改革实施方案》等系列文件解读

“双师型”教师是具有中国话语权的职业教育专业术语,“双师型”教师队伍建设是一项系统工程。为了落实“职教20条”提出的加强“双师型”教师队伍建设要求,教育部出台了系列文件,基于产教融合和校企合作,对实施培养专业认证、严格教师资格准入、建立教师专业标准体系、完善认证评价标准、搭建专业实践平台、组建教学团队、深化职教教师教育改革、健全培养培训体系等源头性、基础性工作进行全方位规划,全力打造“双师型”教师队伍。     

美、英、德工程教育认证的比较与借鉴

专业认证是保证高等教育质量的主要方式之一。以工程教育评估为例,概述美、英、德三国工程专业认证情况,归纳美、英、法三国工程教育认证的共同点,并对我国工程教育评估的未来发展提出建议。     

Achieving Quality in the Short Cycle Sector of Higher Engineering Education in Europe: The UK Scenario

The formation process in the UK for a professional engineer is a combination of academic learning, a period of training and experience, and a peer review. This paper sets out the minimum standards required by the Engineering Council and describes in detail the Routes to Membership of the Institution of Civil Engineers. In particular it concentrates on how the educational base is satisfied by the accreditation of individual degree courses that meet the academic requirements, and the procedures adopted. It reviews the current thinking and possible changes to ensure the maintenance of standards.     

对我国工程教育专业认证试点工作若干问题的思考

基于笔者所参与的具体认证工作,本文就我国的工程教育专业认证的目标实现、认证组织体系的完善、认证专家队伍建设、与国际高水平教育评价机构合作开展认证、认证标准、认证工作风险等6个方面的一些问题进行了思考,并就部分问题提出了解决建议。     

Using the Joint Standards to Design Postsecondary Assessments With Evidence of Validity and Reliability: An Approach to CAEP Accreditation

Validity and reliability are a major focus in teacher education accreditation by the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). CAEP requires the use of “accepted research standards,” but many faculty and administrators are unsure how to meet this requirement. The Standards of Educational and Psychological Testing abbreviated Joint Standards, are the implied accepted research standards. The purpose of this study was to test empirically the extent to which the Joint Standards could serve this purpose. The primary outcome of this study is a pragmatic set of implementation strategies organized into assessment specifications connecting CAEP requirements to the Joint Standards. An example set of assessment specifications is provided. Use of this process can improve assessments in any academic discipline for any accreditation agency, become a faculty professional development tool, raise assessment literacy, and potentially impact instruction of future educators.     

Beyond Compliance: Using Organizational Theory to Unleash the Potential of Assessment

This article illustrates how organizational theory can be used to support the development of authentic assessment practice among community college faculty, as well as guide research on implementation of assessment efforts. While many factors make implementing assessment difficult, the link between accreditation and assessment is a key element in distancing the practice from faculty. This dynamic arises not from the actions of accreditation agencies per se, but from the accountability narrative that has come to dominate both assessment and accreditation, the corresponding perception that assessment is “done to” faculty rather than by them, and a reliance among institutional leaders to echo this message in an effort to get assessment started. The result is implementation of assessment for compliance rather than meaningful program improvement. Understanding assessment as an innovation, and using organizational theory to guide implementation, may help community college leaders transcend this challenge and develop assessment practice that is more faculty-owned and meaningful. However, the current literature says little about how to use organizational theory to implement such assessment efforts. This article integrates Bolman and Deal’s (2008) framework on leadership and organizational change with actual examples of practice to illustrate how their model might be used to recapture the potential of assessment as well as guide research on effective implementation.     

高能实践与教师教育实践课程的探索

教师教育迫切需要开发具有针对性和具体学习内容的实践课程体系。近年来兴起的高能实践理念为这一需求提供了一些解决方案,研究者提炼出对于高水准的教学而言最为核心的实践活动单元并辅之以相应的教师教育方法,力图在实践有限的教师教育过程中为教师种下专业发展的种子。它因其简约、跨情境性和对实践直接关怀的特点,对我国已有的教师教育实践课程观可能是有益的补充。     

Accreditation in Kinesiology: The Process,Criticism and Controversy,and the Future

The question of accreditation has been quite controversial in higher education. Some consider accreditation as a necessary “evil” while others reject it outright. It is a process designed to promote quality assurance and improvement in institutions and programs, yet one mired in various issues. While accreditation is controversial in a number of respects, the major focus of accrediting bodies should be the review of applied professional programs at both undergraduate and graduate levels that are grounded in professional standards and licensure. Basic science programs such as movement, exercise, and sport science should be excluded from accreditation review and subject only to external review by experts within the field of kinesiology. Furthermore, amongst other factors, the association of kinesiology programs with agencies that promote the accreditation of programs that lack professional standards, certifi cation, or licensure should be rejected. Accreditation is here to stay, but how well it serves the academy remains debatable.     

‘But I’ve been teaching for 20 years…’: encouraging teaching accreditation for experienced staff working in higher education

The status of teaching and learning is an issue those providing and supporting higher education grapple with. The UK Higher Education Academy offers accreditation aligned to the professional standards framework (PSF). The PSF contextualises the role of teaching and supporting learning, and offers a mechanism for individuals’ commitment to be recognised. Here, we present a case-study of 19 established academics who reflected on their experiences of gaining recognition through their university’s accreditation scheme. Respondents prioritised institutional structures and outcomes such as student recruitment, job security, and status as drivers for engagement. Institutional leadership was significant in driving the accreditation agenda.     

The Case for ACES Program Accreditation

This article traces the historical development of professional standards and highlights some of the issues that have surfaced in the development process. Traditional and existing accreditation procedures are described as well as recent trends in national accreditation that may be conducive to ACES-sponsored accreditation of preparation programs. State models of program accreditation by California ACES and Wisconsin ACES are described. The relationship between program accreditation and counselor licensure is discussed, and the implication is drawn that licensure may be the catalyst for professional-program accreditation. It is concluded that ACES is the most appropriate professional association to assume leadership in the area of accreditation, and a series of recommendations is made for implementing accreditation.