ISAR QUALIFICATIONS

The ISAR Initial Vocational Education and Training (IVET) curriculum is written by practitioners who are themselves situated within the design profession and have established reputations within the field; some are dual professionals, working as practitioners within the UK FE and Skills Sector whilst engaged in professional design activity.

The ISAR IVET curriculum is organized around three corresponding dimensions – knowledge, skills and professional values – that reflect the principles of vocational learning in the UK. The four characteristics of the vocational education and training methodology are outlined by the Commission on Adult Vocational Teaching and Learning (CAVTL) in its report on technical education. First, excellent vocational education is “delivered by dual professionals who combine occupational and pedagogical expertise”. Second, there is a “clear line of sight” between the learning environment and the work environment. Thirdly, training draws on “industry standard facilities and resources”, including up-to-date technologies. Finally, the vocational education and training curriculum contains “clear escalators to higher level vocational learning”.

Eight distinctive features of vocational pedagogy

Table 1 presents the ways in which the University of Huddersfield’s IVET curriculum links to the eight characteristic features of vocational pedagogy identified by CAVTL.

 

Our IVET curriculum aims to:		Mapping to CAVTL principles:
1.	Provide strong vocational education that connects academic knowledge to practice.	P1	Occupational expertise is developed through the combination of sustained practice and the understanding of theory
2.	Further the acquisition of situationally relevant vocational expertise and employment outcomes.	P2	Work-related attributes are central to the development of occupational expertise
3.	Draw on pedagogic processes that are underpinned by an understanding of how vocational learning happens including active learning practices, experiential and exploratory methods.	P3	Practical problem solving and critical reflection on experience, including learning from mistakes in real and simulated settings, are central to effective vocational teaching and learning.
4.	Establish a shared way of thinking about the VET curriculum that promotes social interaction, the co-construction of knowledge and collaborative problem-solution.	P4	Vocational teaching and learning is most effective when it is collaborative and contextualised, taking place within communities of practice which involve different types of ‘teacher’ and capitalise on the experience and knowledge of all learners
5.	Accurately reflect current and creative developments in VET pedagogy including technological innovation and sustainability.	P5	Technology plays a key role because keeping on top of technological advances is an essential part of the occupational expertise required in any workplace
6.	Integrate methods that replicate the assessment of work-based learning and promote metacognition and analysis.	P6	It requires a range of assessment and feedback methods that involve both ‘teachers’ and learners, and which reflect the specific assessment cultures of different occupations and sectors
7.	Promote the acquisition of experiential knowledge and technical skills across a range of vocational sites.	P7	That it often benefits from operating across more than one setting, including a real or simulated workplace, as well as the classroom and workshop, to develop the capacity to learn and apply that learning in different settings, just as at work
8.	Develop the canonical competence and skill required to work in a variety of continually evolving occupational fields.	P8	Occupational standards are dynamic, evolving to reflect advances in work practices, and that through collective learning, transformation in quality and efficiency is achieved

There are 9 qualification levels:

Entry level

Each entry level qualification is available at three sub-levels - 1, 2 and 3. Entry level 3 is the most difficult.

Entry level qualifications are:

• entry level award
• entry level certificate (ELC)
• entry level diploma
• entry level English for speakers of other languages (ESOL)
• entry level essential skills
• entry level functional skills
• Skills for Life

Level 1

Level 1 qualifications are:

• first certificate
• GCSE - grades 3, 2, 1 or grades D, E, F, G
• level 1 award
• level 1 certificate
• level 1 diploma
• level 1 ESOL
• level 1 essential skills
• level 1 functional skills
• level 1 national vocational qualification (NVQ)
• music grades 1, 2 and 3

Level 2

Level 2 qualifications are:

• CSE - grade 1
• GCSE - grades 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4 or grades A*, A, B, C
• intermediate apprenticeship
• level 2 award
• level 2 certificate
• level 2 diploma
• level 2 ESOL
• level 2 essential skills
• level 2 functional skills
• level 2 national certificate
• level 2 national diploma
• level 2 NVQ
• music grades 4 and 5
• O level - grade A, B or C

Level 3

Level 3 qualifications are:

• A level
• access to higher education diploma
• advanced apprenticeship
• applied general
• AS level
• international Baccalaureate diploma
• level 3 award
• level 3 certificate
• level 3 diploma
• level 3 ESOL
• level 3 national certificate
• level 3 national diploma
• level 3 NVQ
• music grades 6, 7 and 8
• T Level
• tech level

Level 4

Level 4 qualifications are:

• certificate of higher education (CertHE)
• higher apprenticeship
• higher national certificate (HNC)
• level 4 award
• level 4 certificate
• level 4 diploma
• level 4 NVQ

Level 5

Level 5 qualifications are:

• diploma of higher education (DipHE)
• foundation degree
• higher national diploma (HND)
• level 5 award
• level 5 certificate
• level 5 diploma
• level 5 NVQ

Level 6

Level 6 qualifications are:

• degree apprenticeship
• degree with honours - for example bachelor of the arts (BA) hons, bachelor of science (BSc) hons
• graduate certificate
• graduate diploma
• level 6 award
• level 6 certificate
• level 6 diploma
• level 6 NVQ
• ordinary degree without honours

Level 7

Level 7 qualifications are:

• integrated master’s degree, for example master of engineering (MEng)
• level 7 award
• level 7 certificate
• level 7 diploma
• level 7 NVQ
• master’s degree, for example master of arts (MA), master of science (MSc)
• postgraduate certificate
• postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE)
• postgraduate diploma

Level 8

Level 8 qualifications are:

• doctorate, for example doctor of philosophy (PhD or DPhil)
• level 8 award
• level 8 certificate

level 8 diploma