| AAC |
The Accreditation Council is a state authority in Austria which assesses the quality of private universities through accreditation. Furthermore, the Austrian Accreditation Council supports the quality development of these institutions. |
| Access |
Access is gaining entry to and participation in education and training institutions or programmes. In certain circumstances before admittance is granted certain criteria may need to be fulfilled. Some examples may include a requirement for a particular qualification (award), education level, skills or work experience etc. from the awarding body. |
| Accreditation |
Process of accrediting an institution of education or training, a programme of study, or a service, showing it has been approved by the relevant legislative and professional authorities by having met predetermined standards |
| ACEL |
The Advisory Council for English Language Schools and as of January 2010, ACELS is now part of the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland |
| AQA |
Austrian Agency for Quality Assurance. Die Österreichische Qualitätssicherungsagentur (AQA) ist eine unabhängige Einrichtung für Qualitätssicherung, Evaluierung und Zertifizierung im gesamten Hochschulbereich. |
| Assessment |
The sum of methods and processes used to evaluate the attainments (knowledge, know-how, skills and competences) of an individual, and typically leading to certification. |
| Awarding Bodies (Ireland) |
An awarding body is a national body that has the power to give a qualification in order to recognise learning. There are six Irish national awarding bodies that have their awards included in the Framework. However many other awarding bodies such as professional bodies or UK awarding bodies have had their awards included in the NFQ |
| Cognitive Competence |
Cognitive competence involves the use of theory and concepts, as well as informal tacit knowledge gained experientially |
| Competence |
"Competence” means the proven ability to use knowledge, skills and personal, social and/or methodological abilities, in work or study situations and in professional and personal development. In the context of the European Qualifications Framework, competence is described in terms of responsibility and autonomy.
Competence includes: i) cognitive competence involving the use of theory and concepts, as well as informal tacit knowledge gained experientially; ii) functional competence (skills or know-how), those things that a person should be able to do when they are functioning in a given area of work, learning or social activity; iii) personal competence involving knowing how to conduct oneself in a specific situation; and iv) ethical competence involving the possession of certain personal and professional values. |
| Concurrent Experiential Learning |
Concurrent Experiential Learning is learning planned and structured into a course as a way of achieving certain of the learning outcomes for that course. A common form of Concurrent Experiential Learning would consist of a student being placed in employment in industry for a fixed number of weeks. |
| Copenhagen Process |
A great place to start in Denmark. The Copenhagen process of the European Union was developed within the perspective of lifelong learning, and aims to encourage individuals to make use of the wide range of vocational learning opportunities available, for example at school, in higher education, at the workplace, or through private courses. The lifelong learning tools should enable users to link and build on learning acquired at various times, and in both formal and non-formal contexts.
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| Course Catalogue |
The exact format of the Catalogue is to be decided by the institution. It may be considered more appropriate to separate the general information for students from the academic information. In any case, all information should be detailed, user-friendly and up-todate.
The Catalogue should be published on the institution’s website so that all interested parties can
easily access it. It should be published sufficiently in advance for students to make their choices. |
| Credit Allocation |
Credits are allocated to entire qualifications or study programmes as well as to their educational components (such as modules, course components, dissertation work, work placements and laboratory work). |
| Credit System |
A system of credits makes it possible to break down a qualification or the objectives of a programme of vocational education and training into units. Each unit is defined in terms of knowledge, competences and skills. It may be characterised by its size and relative importance, expressed in general by credit points (or credits) or other factors. Each unit can be validated and awarded separately. |
| Credit transfer in ECTS |
Credits awarded in one programme may be transferred into another programme, offered by the same or another institution. This transfer can only take place if the degree-awarding institution recognises the credits and the associated learning outcomes. Partner institutions should agree in advance on the recognition of periods of study abroad |
| Credits |
Credit points are allocated to qualifications and to the units that constitute them. By agreement, they represent, in numerical form the volume of learning outcomes, the relative importance of each of the units that make up a qualification, in relation to the expected results, i.e. the knowledge, skills and competences that must be acquired and assessed, regardless of the learning pathway. |
| ECTS |
European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System. ECTS makes teaching and learning more transparent and facilitates the recognition of studies (formal, non-formal and informal). The system is used across Europe for credit transfer (student mobility) and credit accumulation (learning paths towards a degree). It also informs curriculum design and quality assurance. |
| ENQA |
ENQA (the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education) disseminates information, experiences and good practices in the field of quality assurance (QA) in higher education to European QA agencies, public authorities and higher education institutions. |
| EQF |
European Qualification Framework. The EQF is designed as a common European reference system to link different countries’ qualifications systems and frameworks together: effectively to function as a translation device making qualifications more readable across national boundaries. The aim of the framework is to benefit learners and workers wishing to move between countries as well as employers and educational institutions attempting to compare the level of qualifications from different national systems. The EQF is designed to be used by the bodies responsible for national qualification systems and frameworks relating their systems to the EQF, rather than mapping individual qualifications directly to it. |
| Erasmus Programme |
Erasmus is the EU's flagship education and training programme, enabling more than 180,000 students to study and work abroad each year, as well as supporting co-operation actions between higher education institutions across Europe. It caters not only for students, but also for professors and business staff who want to teach abroad and for university staff who want to be trained abroad. |
| Ethical Competence |
Ethical competence involves the possession of certain personal and professional values. |
| EUA |
The European University Association (EUA) represents and supports higher education institutions in 46 countries, providing them with a unique forum to cooperate and keep abreast of the latest trends in higher education and research policies. Members of the Association are European universities involved in teaching and research, national associations of rectors and other organisations active in higher education and research. |
| Europass |
Europass is an initiative which aims to help you make your skills and qualifications clearly and easily understood in Europe - whether you are enrolling in an education or training programme, looking for a job, or getting experience abroad. |
| European Diploma Supplement |
See Diploma Supplement |
| IHEQN |
The Irish Higher Education Quality Network (IHEQN) was established in 2003. It provides a forum for the principal national stakeholders in the quality assurance of higher education and training (including HETAC, the Qualifications Authority, the DIT and the IUQB) to discuss quality in a national context, to work towards the development of a common national position on key quality assurance issues and to inform the debate on those same issues at a European level. |
| Informal Learning |
Learning resulting from daily activities related to work, family or leisure. It is not organised or structured in terms of objectives, time or learning support. Informal learning is in most cases unintentional from the learner’s perspective. It typically does not lead to certification. |
| IOTI |
Institutes of Technology Ireland. IOTI is the representative body for 13 of Ireland’s Institutes of Technology. |
| ISCED |
International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) is designed to serve as an instrument suitable for assembling, compiling and presenting comparable indicators and statistics of education both within individual countries and internationally. It presents standard concepts, definitions and classifications. ISCED covers all organized and sustained learning opportunities for children, youth and adults including those with special needs education, irrespective of the institution or entity providing them or the form in
which they are delivered. |
| IUQB |
The Irish Universities Quality Board has been established to support and promote a culture of quality in Irish higher education and independently evaluate the effectiveness of quality processes in Irish universities. |
| NFQ |
Irish National Framework of Qualifications. The National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) has been in place since 2003. The NFQ is designed for the development, recognition and award of qualifications based on standards of knowledge, skill and competence acquired by learners. The Framework consists of 10 levels, from basic learning to Doctoral awards. Thus, it is designed to accommodate all types of education and training, wherever it takes place. |
| NFQ Levels |
• The Higher Certificate at level 6.
• The Ordinary Bachelor Degree at level 7.
• The Honours Bachelor Degree at level 8.
• The Higher Diploma at level 8.
• The Masters Degree at level 9.
• The Post-Graduate Diploma at level 9.
• The Doctoral Degree at level 10.
• The Higher Doctorate at level 10. |
| NQAI |
The National Qualifications Authority of Ireland is an agency of the Department of Education and Science and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and was set up in February 2001. It has responsibility for developing and maintaining the National Framework of Qualifications and has three principal objects which are set out in the Qualifications (Education & Training) Act 1999
* the establishment and maintenance of a framework of qualifications for the development, recognition and award of qualifications based on standards of knowledge, skill or competence to be acquired by learners
* the establishment and promotion of the maintenance and improvement of the standards of awards of the further and higher education and training sector, other than in the existing universities.
* the promotion and facilitation of access, transfer and progression throughout the span of education and training provision. |
| QAA |
Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education for the United Kingdom. The primary responsibility for academic standards and quality in UK higher education rests with individual universities and colleges, each of which is independent and self-governing. QAA checks how well they meet their responsibilities, identifying good practice and making recommendations for improvement. |
| QCF |
The Qualifications and Credit Framework formed a major strand of the UK Vocational Qualifications Reform Programme, so its initial focus has been on vocational and related qualifications. It is intended that it will include all qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland other than higher education qualifications (which are covered by the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications) and the qualified status granted by professional bodies.1 The QCF also forms part of the Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales, which is managed by the Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (DCELLS) |
| QualifaX |
QualifaX is the Irish National Learners Database. It provides information on a wide range of courses across further and higher education and training. It includes a range of useful tools such as an events calendar, interest assessment and information on student grants. QualifaX became part of the National Qualifications Authority in January 2008 |
| Qualification |
“Qualification” means a formal outcome of an assessment and validation process which is obtained when a competent body determines that an individual has achieved learning outcomes to given standards |
| SCQF |
The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework |
| SCQF Level Descriptors |
These define the generic outcomes for the characteristics for each of the SCQF Levels. |
| SCQF Levels |
The SCQF Framework has 12 levels. The complexity of learning and level of demand increases from Level 1 through to Level 12. |
| SEC |
The State Examinations Commission (SEC) makes school awards in Ireland. Current awards include the Junior Certificate at Framework level 3 and the Leaving Certificate at Framework levels 4 and 5 |
| Skills |
"Skills" means the ability to apply knowledge and use know-how to complete tasks and solve problems. In the context of the European Qualifications Framework, skills are described as cognitive (involving the use of logical, intuitive and
creative thinking) or practical (involving manual dexterity and the use of methods, materials, tools and instruments. |