QAA fails 12% of foundations
Article Abstract:
The Quality Assurance Agency, a quality watchdog, is to publish a special report in November 2003 in which it will state that 12% of two-year vocational foundation degrees are failing, raising serious questions about the standard of the degrees. Other statements made in the report claim that over 50% of the courses need improvements in the assessment and development of students' knowledge and that 50% of the courses need "significant development of work-based learning". The findings are expected to come as a blow to ministers who recently announced plans for an additional 10,000 foundation degree places.
Publication Name: Times Higher Education Supplement
Subject: Education
ISSN: 0049-3929
Year: 2003
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QAA slated over 'hasty' verdict on foundations
Article Abstract:
The QAA, a quality watchdog, has been criticised and accused of unfairly maligning foundation degrees following its publication of a report in which it gave verdicts of "no confidence" in 12% of the 33 foundation courses that it reviewed. Critics have called the report "prejudicial and premature" and have pointed out that one of the courses that had been deemed to be failing earlier in 2003 has now been given the all clear. A spokesman for the QAA denied that the agency had prejudged matters, stating that the report accurately reflects the findings of peer reviewers.
Publication Name: Times Higher Education Supplement
Subject: Education
ISSN: 0049-3929
Year: 2003
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...think vocational degrees should stop trying to be academic
Article Abstract:
A journalism student at Southampton Solent University describes her experiences on a vocational degree course in journalism. It is contended that the requirement that vocational qualifications should have a certain amount of academic study in order to qualify for degree status is actually damaging to the vocational degree, diminishing the vocational part of the course and overwhelming students with information that will be of little or no use to them once they graduate.
Publication Name: Times Higher Education Supplement
Subject: Education
ISSN: 0049-3929
Year: 2005
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