The Open College’s Learning Environment
The Open College is a registered QQI QA Centre and has agreed its Quality Assurance policies with QQI. As a result learners and potential learners need to be informed of the following:
1.0 Diversity/ Equality/ Reasonable Accommodation
The Open College delivers all programmes without discrimination on the legally stated nine grounds (race, age. gender, casual orientation, disability, membership of the travelling community. religion, marital statue and family status) with respect to access, delivery and assessment
In accordance with the Equal Status Act 2000 to 2004 The Open College ensures that selection procedures, entry requirements and programme content, delivery and assessment are adaptable to facilitate learners with a particular need, such as physical special need and/or other learners covered by equality legislation. This intervention or specific support service provided through the Centre Manager, Trainers and support staff guarantees the learner or group of learners can be successfully catered for to ensure participation in learning.
Any adaption of the assessment by the assessor will facilitate the learner to demonstrate their achievement of the standards without significantly altering the standard. The adaption will amend the aspects of the assessment technique or instrument which prevent a learner’s participation in the assessment. It is applicable where a particular assessment technique or instrument disadvantages the learner in assessment.
2.0 Access, Transfer & Progression
Access and transfer refer to entering or starting a programme of education or training with recognition of learners’ skills, knowledge or competence. Preferred entry levels and special requirements are detailed in the Learner brief and/or the module descriptor section (section 6 & 7). All learners will be requested to provide a copy of documentation to satisfy any specific learner requirements as stated. This is essential for certification purposes.
The Open College operates an RPL Recognition of Prior Learning, (RPL) policy with regard to entry to, credit towards and access to an award Learners are requested to contact the trainer directly if they feel RPL relates to their circumstance. This is also applicable when learners wish to transfer from/to a programme or wish to progress to a programme which is a higher level on the national framework of qualifications. Progression refers to the ways learners can move on to higher level programmes. Each QQI programme is allocated 15 or 120 credits, depending on whether it is a Component Award or a Major Award. Where applicable associated opportunities for transfer or progress to either other programmes or awards will be highlighted on the learner brief.
Where appropriate learners will be advised in the learner brief of the criteria required for the successful participation in a programme. These ‘Equipped to Participate’ statements detail the knowledge, skills and competence required for the programme against which learners can judge if they can participate in the programme either with support or independently A full listing of QQI approved modules available can be accessed at www.theopencollege.com/all-our-courses/.
3.0 Assessment
All programmes are assessed in line with the stated assessment criteria as detailed in the relevant module descriptor. These will be detailed in the learner brief provided at the commencement of the course. Should a learner wish to clarify the assessment requirements this can be achieved in the Learner Brief discussing directly with trainer or contacting The Open College directly by emailing: info@theopencollege.com
The trainer also acts as the internal assessor. The results are then subject to internal verification, external authentication and a results approval panel Provisional results are communicated by the trainer to the learner after internal verification subject to external authentication process and results approval process. Approved results are issued to learners subject to the appeals process after both external authentication and results approval panel have been completed.
All programmes are assessed in a fair and consistent manner as per The Open College agreed QA procedures with QQI and will deal with any errors, omissions and/or deliberate acts by learners or trainers that may impact on the validity of the assessment process in a consistent, transparent and timely manner.
3.1 Submission Policy
Procedure 6.6 Feedback to Learners point 1 outlines the centre’s submission policy as follows: Information relating to assessment of the programme is provided to all learners. They are made aware of their responsibility in assessment by the trainer. Learners are informed of deadlines for assignments, examination dates etc. Submission of assessment material after advised dates is not permitted except in extenuating circumstances or grounds for compassionate consideration The Open College will judge each application for compassionate consideration or extenuating circumstances on its own merit. Examples of circumstances under which a provider may consider giving compassionate consideration include:
• Physical injury or emotional trauma • Physical disability or chronic or disabling condition such as epilepsy, glandular fever or other incapacitating illness of the learner • Recent bereavement of close family member or friend
• Severe accident • Domestic Crisis • Terminal illness of a dose family member • Other extenuating circumstances.
Learners seeking compassionate consideration will be required to provide appropriate evidence of documentation, e.g. a statement from a medical practitioner.
3.2 Plagiarism
Plagiarism is addressed in procedure 6.11 Corrective Action, and is defined as follows: Plagiarism to steal and pass off the ideas or words of another) as one’s own, to use (another’s production) without crediting the source, to commit literary theft or to present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source is forbidden in any assessments for programmes delivered by The Open College.
Where plagiarism is seen to have occurred, the learner is communicated to and provided with a mechanism to respond. If the plagiarism is validated, the learner’s assessment is deem invalid and will not be processed for certification. All project work submitted by learners may be processed through plagiarism software in order to authenticate said work is the learner’s own work.
3.3 Malpractice
The Open College reserves the right to investigate and deal with any form of assessment malpractice which could impact on the validity of assessment. Learners sign the learner testament which declares that the work is wholly their own original work.
Examples of Malpractice include:
Plagiarism as detailed above Impersonation of another learner Fabrication of evidence Alteration of results Wrongly obtaining secure assessment material e.g. examinations Behaving in any way such as to undermine the integrity of the assessment process.
Allegations of malpractice will be investigated by the trainer within a timescale that does not disadvantage a learner against whom an unproven allegation is made.
3.4 Integrity of Assessment
The Open College will ensure the integrity of assessment process with the assessor. The role of the assessor is to evaluate learner evidence and make the assessment decision/judgement on weather the outcomes of knowledge, skill or competence, as outlined in the QQI module descriptor has been achieved. The assessor will determine that the evidence is valid, reliable and sufficient to make the assessment decision.
The assessor is a qualified practitioner who has the responsibility for the assessment of learners. They may be the teacher, trainer or lecturer. It can also be a workplace supervisor, manager or team leader but will have the subject matter/technical expertise i.e. they are proficient in the subject/technical area in which they are assessing. In the instance of written exams the assessor will draw from a pool of questions to ensure the validity of assessment. learners will be advised on the allocation of marks/marking criteria in the learners Brief.
4.0 Appeals Process
Learners wishing to appeal results should contact the QA centre, The Open College directly within 14 days of receiving results. There is a fee and the appeal will be addressed by the results approval panel who will recommend appropriate action. The appeals process enables learners to appeal
(a) The Assessment process, if they perceive there to be irregular/inequality in its implementation.
(b) The Assessment Result
Only approved results can be formally appealed by the learner. The only evidence which may be presented by the learner at appeal is that which has already been submitted for assessment. New evidence may not be added by the learner for the appeal.
Learners will be informed of the outcome of the Appeals Process within an agreed timescale. Following the completion of the providers appeals process, the results for the learner concerned are forwarded to FETAC as the final result.
These final results are the basis on which QQI will issue certificates. QQI operates a national appeals process. This is only on the basis of:
(a) The completion of the provider’s appeals process, and
(b) Appealing the process, not the result.
QQI only accepts appeals from the provider, The Open College and will not accept an appeal on behalf of a learner until that appeal has gone through “due process” within The Open College‘s appeals process and all opportunities to appeal with this process have been exhausted.
5.0 Security/ Learner/Confidentiality
All learner records are stored securely by the centre and all information relating to learners is treated in a confidential manner.
6.0 Feedback
6.1 Continuous feedback from learners
All learners are encouraged to provide continuous feedback on programme access, delivery and assessment. There is a formal process upon completion of this programme and learners are encouraged to provide feedback directly to the trainers throughout the programme. This feedback is captured in the trainers report. Learners can also email the centre at: info@theopencollege.com
At the commencement of each programme the trainer will commence with a contracting exercise. This will consist of facilitating the group to detail the specific learning outcomes they wish to achieve from the programme, outlining the learning objectives of the programme and then confirm what expectations can be achieved and clarify expectations that are not addressed by the programme.
6.2 Feedback to learners includes the following:
During delivery of the programme, learning objectives are set out at the beginning of each programme unit and feedback will be given following receipt of each unit assessment.
7.0 National Framework of Qualifications.
The National Framework of Qualifications comprises of 10 levels. It accommodates awards gained in schools, colleges, universities, workplace and training centres from the most basic ( QQI level 1 ) to the most advanced (QQI level 10) levels of learning.
QQI has a responsibility for making awards from levels 1-10 on the framework (www.qqi.ie). The Framework helps to provide clarity to employers, learners and the public on the type and level of qualifications available in Ireland.
8.0 Health & Safety
THE OPEN COLLEGE is committed to assuring that all programmes, assessments and related services are delivered in accordance with current Health & Safety legislation.
9.0 Learner Protection
As a course provider our policy on the protection for learners is subject to Section 43 of the Qualifications Act. This means that if, for whatever reason, we cease to provide the programme or course that is over 3 months in duration you enrolled for, we have specific and legally binding arrangements in place to finish out or complete your course/programme for you at no extra cost. We are fully Bonded and all Major Award course fees and courses over 3 months in duration are fully protected and secured by a Bond. For programmes/courses under 3 months duration Protection for Learners is not required under Section 43 of the Qualifications Act. All our Programmes clearly state the timeframe they are to be completed by and all have ample time provided.
The Open College, The Learning Centre, Leopardstown Business Centre, Dublin 18
Tel: 01 206 1828 Fax: 01 206 1750 Email: info@theopencollege.com