“Flexible Education and ASEAN
Qualifications Reference Framework (ASEAN Context)”
Zita Mohd Fahmi
Fellow QA Specialist Malaysian Qualifications Agency
2016 MQA& IQA International Seminar,
Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
The Main Frame-Flexible Education in the National System and the Connection with AQRF
• Programmes
• Design and delivery (includes flexible learning (mode)
• Benefit of Flexible learning
• Learners/Providers /institutions
• Employers/industry
• Fragmented approaches, or broad ministerial policies and guidelines
• Generally part of Lifelong learning and APEL
1. Higher Education sector and providers
Learners
• Legal framework for institutions
• Approval & Quality assurance of providers/programmes
• Certifications and qualifications against the national qualifications framework-full, partial or credit bearing
• Learning outcomes
• Recognition
2. National Qualifications System/
Quality system •ASEAN Single community
•Alignment of NQF to AQRF
•Robust acceptable quality assurance systems
•Generally full qualifications – academic, vocational /occupations/professional
•Facilitate recognition under MRA or MRAs
•Free movement f skilled workers and professional services
3. ASEAN Qualifications Reference Framework ASEAN Quality
Assurance Framework
Flexible “Education”
• A set of educational philosophies and systems concerned with providing learners with increased choice, convenience and personalisation to suit their particular learning needs
• It supports policy for improved learning & widening participation which will lead to knowledge based society and economy workers
• A fragmented scenario. Is there a national strategy and appropriate framework for flexible learning?
Flexible Learning • Learners have access to learning experience – time , place, pace, learning style, content assessment and
pathways
• Even now higher education providers apply different method to provide flexibility
• Flexible
• delivery – various - technologically drive,
• use various type of mediated instruction traditional and non traditional
• Course structure, content teaching and learning methods interaction and assessment
• Time and place
• Different pace
• Entry requirements- multiple entry /exit points
• Multi mode delivery-style
• Credit or non credit bearing-inter-institutional exchanges
• Modularised- supermarket
• Course level pathways (content & assessment )
• Pathways (degree component)
“Learning”
Open learning
Blended learning
Modular Short courses
E-learning Net provider
MOOCS
Self directed learning
Student centered learning
Open & Distance learning
Learning- formal, informal,
non-formal by Higher Educations
Providers / Alternate Providers
Work-based learning
Recognition of prior
learning/training Customised company training
Full time part time
Accelerated and de-
accelerated
Mobile learning
Learners Education Providers
Regulators Accreditors EQAA
Industry players
Users of certifications and qualifications
Academic/ skill
learning
Demand and Supply for flexible learning
• Demands from “learners” for personal development – skills or qualifications in step with modern economy
• Learners-local and global-have access to HE &training
• technology/center
• Demand from workers-variety of learning needs
• Demand from employers
• National promotion
• Generally provided by HEP
• HEPs optimised and capitalised on offerings through flexible learning offerings - certifications or qualifications
• Variety of other providers of learning-IT
• National policies to widen access & choices for different sectors-and lifelong learning –upgrading and upskilling
• Malaysian- promoting globalised on-line learning and liifelong learning Defined scope of MOOC and APEL to ensure value and recognition of learning achievement s
Learning achievements of FL: integrity, value & recognition
Integrity of learning and awards - there must be some “conditions of flexibility” to ensure integrity and quality of learning especially when it leads to a certification or a qualification
Importance of Quality assurance is required for flexible learning requirements qualifications– by whom? Building zone of trust
Does it relate to learning outcomes and objectives and philosophy of National Qualifications Framework , -delivery of programme, access and progression t? LLL?
Recognition- Does recognition matter? By whom? At national and across border ?
Flexible Learning, National Qualifications Framework and ASEAN Qualifications
Reference Framework
ASEAN context: AEC • Formed in 1967
• ASEAN Economic Community: single market and production base for better economic opportunities; Vibrant market of 600 million people
Combined GDP of nearly $3Trillion USD by 2025 and
Closer integration could lift aggregate output by 7% and generate 14M additional jobs
Going global in trade
• Goal: to continuously build complementary physical and human infrastructure to enhance the competitiveness of AEC
ASEAN context: ASCC
•ASEAN Socio Cultural Community: Education Work Plan
•GOAL: to strengthen, deepen and widening educational cooperation among the ASEAN Member States, ASEAN Dialogue Partners as well as other regional platforms on education to achieve an ASEAN Sharing and Caring Community
Status and development of AQRF Status:
• Developed under Economic Cooperation Project with AANZFTA
• AQRF and Governance/Structure endorsed by the Ministers of Finance, Education and Labor;
• AQRF Committee (the Referencing Committee) to be constituted by October 2016
• Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand with expressed intention to reference their National Qualifications Framework by 2018;
• Formation of AQRF governing body
Implementation
• Preferably a national qualifications framework in place-levels, learning outcomes and descriptors
• A robust quality assurance system at national levels –compatible to recognised regional quality assurance framework –AQAF and others
• National NQF self referencing to AQRF
Purposes of AQRF
• To enhance quality of education and training
• To enable comparisons of qualifications across countries that will:
• To support recognition of qualifications
• To facilitate lifelong learning
• To promote worker mobility
• To promote and encourage credit transfer and learner mobility
ASEAN Qualifications Reference Framework
• Enables comparison of qualifications across AMS;
• Addresses education and training sectors that incorporates informal, non-formal and formal learning and promotes lifelong learning;
• Provides a common spine of levels to which all NQFs relate
• Broadens the understanding of the national qualifications systems of ASEAN Member States for people from other ASEAN countries and from outside the ASEAN region.
Country A AQRF Country B
8
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
A common reference framework or translation device that
Implementation Process
Preferably a national
qualifications framework in
place
A robust quality assurance system at
national levels –compatible to
recognised regional quality
assurance framework -
AQAF
Information system
National NQF self referencing
to AQRF
Acceptance of self referencing
report
Pre requisites Are your qualifications accredited? Voluntary Formal Notification intend to perform referencing Submission of report
ASEAN Quality Assurance Framework developed by ASEAN Quality Assurance Network- 4 interconnected quadrants
1. External Quality Assurance Agency
2. EQA policies, standards & processes
3. Institutional Quality Assurance System
National Qualifications Framework
ASEAN Qualifications Reference Framework
• ASEAN Economic Blue Print 2007- mobility of services and free movement of skilled workers
• Cha-am Hua Declaration Roadmap2009-15
• Australia- New Zealand- ASEAN FTA (AANZFTA) ECWP
• 2012-2015 AANZFTA Consultants and Task force (ASEAN)
Mobility of worker, students and services
• 2015 AQRF endorsed by the Economic, Labor a and , Education Ministers
• ASEAN Quality Assurance Network (AQAN,2008)
• Mobility of worker, students and services
SEAMEO RIHED - 2008 Meeting - The Roadmap to Harmonisation of Higher Education Area
• ASEAN Quality Assurance Framework (AQAF, 2014)
• 2016 KL Declaration for Harmonisation in Higher Education/TVET
Selected initiatives to enhance comparability of qualifications
and mobility of Students & Workers in the ASEAN region “An ASIAN Bologna Process
ASEAN Quality Assurance Framework (AQAF) (Education)
ASEAN competency-based occupational standards
Skills Recognition System – e.g. Tourism Skills
Standards
Mobility (Economic /Trade)
Mutual Recognition Agreement for professional services
Status of ASEAN NQFs [source: BATEMAN And coles. EU SHARE RePort, 2016]
1. No intent
2. Desired but no progress made
3. Background planning underway
4. Initial development and design completed
5. Some structures and processes agreed and documented
6. Some structures and processes established and operational
7. Structures and processes established for 5 years
8. Review of structures and processes proposed or underway.
Source: Bateman, Keating, Burke, Coles & Vickers (Vol IV, 2012) based on a scale developed by James Keevy, Borhene Chakroun & Arjen Deij (2010).
EQAA
BDNAC
ACC
NAAHE
QAC
MQA
Dev
CHED+5
NPE
ONESQA
GDETA/NQA Center
Some Development and Challenges – National and ASEAN
• At national level flexible learning is important, to be recognised and quality assured
• ASEAN respect for diversity and difference
• On-going reforms at national level to address structure of education and training provisions-different stages
• The challenges in developing -
• Robust quality assurances systems –policy, administrative and resources to build zone of trust
• A working national qualifications frameworks and various types standards-consensus
• Alignment to AQRF
• Enhancing understanding and addressing clarification of links of AQAF, MRAs and AQRF