Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and Credit Transfer
Document Currently Under Review
Current Status: In Collaboration - Stakeholder Consultation 23 February 2021
Assessment is central to the vision, mission, culture, activities, practices and future development of the University. The purpose of this policy is to:
- Identify and describe principles underpinning the approach to Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and Credit Transfer assessment adopted by the VET sector of the University,
- Inform and guide the University community in the design and implementation of VET RPL and Credit Transfer assessment.
RPL and Credit Transfer are alternative pathways to achieving an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) qualification. They are distinguished by the way they relate to learning achieved through recognition of equivalence of formal education and training (Credit Transfer) and assessment of an individual's relevant prior learning (RPL). By removing the need for duplication of learning, RPL and Credit Transfer encourages an individual to seek diverse and inclusive pathways to lifelong learning, formal qualifications and improved employment outcomes.
This policy is to be applied to all VET qualification offered by the University, irrespective of delivery mode or location. This includes programs delivered by partner providers on behalf of the University.
RPL
RPL is an assessment process so therefore must adhere to the requirements of assessment: refer to the VET Assessment Policy and Procedure.
There must be no training provided as part of the RPL assessment. The RPL process applies to all students who:
• are enrolled in courses (including government funded, fee for service, international, and third party provider delivery) leading to a nationally recognised Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification or statement of attainment; and
• seek recognition for skills and knowledge previously gained through experience in the workplace, volunteer work, social or domestic duties or through formal and informal studies.
RCC
RCC is a specific form of RPL that only applies to designated units of competency where a student who holds the competency is required by an industry to be re-assessed to check that competency is being maintained.
The RCC procedure applies only to fee for service enrolments. It cannot be used with any other funding codes.
The University does not claim government funded Student Contact Hours for a granted RCC. There must be no additional training provided as part of an RCC assessment. If training is provided the RCC application must be withdrawn.
Credit Transfer
The University does not claim government funded Student Contact Hours for granted Credit Transfers. Credit Transfers can be granted under any of the following circumstances:
1. Under the principles of National Recognition a student is granted an automatic credit for any unit that they successfully completed at any other Registered Training Organisation (RTO):
a) When the unit has exactly the same code and title, even if it is not from the same Training Package.
b) When the unit has been reviewed and this has resulted in minor changes to the unit code or title e.g. A code to B code. This indicates that the outcomes of the unit have remained substantially the same and there is at least 80% commonality with the original unit.
c) When the unit has been transferred from another Training Package/curriculum and recoded, however the learning outcomes remain the same.
Source: Standards for RTO’s 2015.
Assessment is only conducted by persons who meet the following requirements:
- Hold TAE40116 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment or its successor or
- TAE40110 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment plus the following units:
- TAELLN411 (or its successor) or TAELLN401A, and
- TAEASS502 (or its successor) or TAEASS502A or TAEASS502B or
- A diploma or higher level qualification in adult education.
- Hold relevant vocational competencies at least to the level being delivered or assessed;
- Meet any specific Training Package / licensing requirements;
- Demonstrate current industry skills directly relevant to the training / assessment being provided;
- Through professional development activities, continuously develop and improve their:
- Vocational Education and Training (VET) knowledge and skills that informs their training and assessment
- Vocational knowledge and skills relating to their relevant industry, and
- Trainer/Assessor knowledge and skills
- Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) Registration – for staff delivering VCAL Strand Units;
- Hold a current WWCC; and
- Staff delivering any qualification from the TAE training package or its successor must hold:
- TAE5011 – Diploma of Vocational Education and Training or its successor; or
- TAE50211 – Diploma of Training Design and Development or its successor; or
- A higher level qualification in adult education.
These definitions apply specifically to VET assessments. They meet the requirements of the National Vocational Education and Training Act 2011, Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015 and/or the VRQA Guidelines for VET Providers 2016.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| AQF | Australian Qualifications Framework. |
| AQF qualification | AQF qualification is the result of an accredited complete program of learning that leads to formal certification that a graduate has achieved learning outcomes as described in the AQF. |
| Assessment | Assessment means the process of collecting evidence and making judgements on whether competency has been achieved, to confirm that an individual can perform to the standard expected in the workplace, as specified in a Training Package or VET accredited program and is conducted in accordance with the principles of assessment and the rules of evidence. |
| Assessment system | Assessment system is a coordinated set of documented policies and procedures (including assessment materials and tools) designed and implemented to ensure that assessment of learners conforms to assessment policy and procedures. |
| Assessment requirements | Assessment requirements are the endorsed components of a Training Package that underpins assessment and sets out the industry's approach to valid, reliable, flexible and fair assessment. |
| Assessment tools | Assessment tools include the following components: the context and conditions of assessment, tasks to be administered to the student, an outline of the evidence to be gathered from the candidate and evidence criteria used to judge the quality of performance (i.e. the assessment decision-making rules). Refer to the Assessment Tool Templates |
| Assessment Appeals |
Assessment Appeals refer to the process whereby a student may appeal within 10 working days of official publication of the final grade on any of the following grounds:
Further information refer to Statute 5.3 |
| Assessor: | A qualified assessor is a person who has the competencies required under the Standards for RTOs and relevant Training Package or Curriculum Qualification who assess a learner's competence. |
| Cheating |
Cheating is the intention to gain an unfair advantage in the assessment of a unit. This may include (but is not limited to):
|
| Competency | Competency means the consistent application of knowledge and skill to the standard of performance required in the workplace. It embodies the ability to transfer and apply skills and knowledge to new situations and environments. |
| Competency Based Completion (CBC) | Competency Based Completion means the Apprentices are no longer locked into fixed time periods and can complete the apprenticeship at their own rate. The apprentice is completed when the RTO gets employer confirmation of competence in all areas required under the qualification. In some industries, wages are affected at progression points. |
| Completed student assessment items | Completed student assessment items are the actual piece(s) of work completed by a student or evidence of that work, including evidence collected for an RPL process. An assessor’s completed marking guide, criteria, and observation checklist for each student may be sufficient where it is not possible to retain the student’s actual work. However, the retained evidence must have enough detail to demonstrate the assessor’s judgement of the student’s performance against the standard required. |
| Credit transfer: | Credit Transfer relates to institutional recognition of any unit of competency or module a student has successfully completed at any other Registered Training Organisation (RTO). Credit transfer is a process that provides students with agreed and consistent credit outcomes based on identified equivalence in content and learning outcomes between matched qualifications. |
| Current Industry Skills |
Current industry skills are the knowledge, skills and experience required by VET trainers and assessors and those who provide training and assessment under supervision in accordance with national standards for RTOs to ensure that their training and assessment is based on current industry practices and meets the needs of industry. Current industry skills may be informed by consultation with industry and may include, but are not limited to:
|
Industry engagement |
Industry engagement may include, but is not limited to, strategies such as:
|
| Learner | Learner means a person being trained and/or assessed by the RTO for the purpose of issuing AQF certification documentation. |
| Licensed or regulated outcome | Licensed or regulated outcome means compliance with an eligibility requirement for an occupational license or legislative requirement to hold a particular training product in order to carry out an activity. |
| Moderation of assessment | Moderation of assessment is the process of bringing assessment judgements and standards into alignment. It is a process that ensures the same standards are applied to all learner assessment results within the same units. |
| Official Publication of Results | Official Publication of Results refers to when students' ratified results are entered into the Student Management System and published. |
| Plagiarism | Plagiarism is the presentation of works of another person / other persons as though they are one's own by failing to properly acknowledge that person / those persons. Proper acknowledgement means to clearly identify which parts of a work originate from a source. For further information, refer to the Student Plagiarism Policy |
| Professional Development | Professional development means activities that develop and/or maintain an individual's skills, knowledge, expertise, and other characteristics as a trainer or assessor. This includes both formal and informal activities that en-compass vocational competencies, currency of industry skills and knowledge and practice of vocational training, learning and assessment, including competency based training and assessment. |
| Program | Program is a series of courses (units of competency) of vocational education and training, or the modules of a VET accredited course / program that combine to become a qualification from an accredited Training Package or skill set. |
| Recognition of prior learning (RPL): | Recognition of prior learning (RPL) means an assessment process that assesses an individual's formal, non-formal and informal learning to determine the extent to which that individual meets the requirements specified in the Training Package or VET accredited courses. |
| Recognition of current competency (RCC): | Recognition of Current Competency (RCC) only applies if a learner has successfully completed the requirements previously for a unit of competency or module and is now required to be reassessed to ensure that the competence is being maintained (AVETMISS Standard Edition 2.2 April 2013). RCC is an assessment process. |
| Skill Set | Skill Set means a single unit of competency or a combination of units of competency from a Training Package that link to a licensing or regulatory requirement or a defined industry need. |
| Statement of attainment | A statement of attainment recognises that one or more accredited units has been achieved. |
| Third Party (Subcontracting) | Third Party means any party that provides services on behalf of the RTO but does not include a contract of employment between an RTO and its employee. |
| Training Package | Training Package refers to a set of qualifications for a defined industry, occupational area or enterprise endorsed by the Industry and Industry Skills Council or its delegate in accordance with the Standards for Training Packages. The endorsed components of a Training Package are: units of competency; assessment requirements (associated with each unit of competency); qualifications; and credit arrangements. |
| Unit of competency | Unit of competency is the unit of learning in a VET qualification including assessment requirements and the specification of the standards or performance required in the workplace as defined in a Training Package. |
| VET accredited course | VET accredited course means a course accredited by the VET regulator in accordance with the Standards of VET Accredited Courses. |
| Vocational Competencies | Vocational competencies as applied to trainers means broad industry knowledge and experience usually combined with a relevant industry qualification. Vocational Competency is determined on an industry-by-industry basis and with reference to the relevant Training Package or VET accredited program. |
Granting of RPL and Credit Transfers in VET will be established and maintained in accordance with:
- The Standards for National Vocational Education and Training Regulator (VVR) Standards for RTOs 2015
- The VRQA Guidelines for VET Providers 2016
- Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Pathways Policy
This policy is based on the following assumptions:
- Students must apply for RPL and/or Credit Transfers
- The University grants RPL and/or Credit Transfers based on an application and assessment of the required evidence
- Once the RPL and/or Credit Transfer has been granted, unless compelling educational reasons are presented, it will not be rescinded.
The University implements an assessment system that ensures that VET assessment (including Recognition of Prior Learning) complies with the assessment requirements of the relevant training package or VET accredited programs conducted in accordance with the Principles of Assessment and the Rules of Evidence contained in the table below.
Principles of Assessment
| Assessment Principles as defined in Standards RTOs 2015 | |
|---|---|
| Principle | Definition |
| Fairness |
The individual learner's needs are considered in the assessment process. Where appropriate, reasonable adjustments are applied by the RTO to take into account the individual learner's needs. The RTO informs the learner about the assessment process, and provides the learner with the opportunity to challenge the result of the assessment and be reassessed if necessary. |
| Flexibility |
Assessment is flexible to the learner by:
|
| Validity |
Any assessment decision of the RTO is justified, based on the evidence of performance of the individual learner. Validity requires:
|
| Reliability | Evidence presented for assessment is consistently interpreted and assessment results are comparable irrespective of the assessor conducting the assessment. |
| Rules of Evidence | |
| Validity | The assessor is assured that the learner has the skills, knowledge and attributes as described in the module or unit of competency and associated assessment requirements. |
| Sufficiency | The assessor is assured that the quality, quantity and relevance of the assessment evidence allows a judgement to be made of a learner's competency. |
| Authenticity | The assessor is assured that the evidence presented for assessment is the learner's own work. |
| Currency | The assessor is assured that the assessment evidence demonstrates current competency. This requires the assessment evidence to be from the present or the very recent past. |
Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF)
Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) Guidelines for VET providers
Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015
ASQA General Direction: Retention requirements for completed student assessment items 2013
Statute 5.1 - Academic Awards and Courses
Statute 5.2 - Entry Quotas, Admissions and Enrolment
Statute 9.2 - Fees and Charges
Assessing Indigenous (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Learners in TAFE Programs Guidelines.
Integrity in Assessment Guidelines.
Integrity in Assessment Procedure.
Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy
VET Course Delivery Procedure
VET Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Assessment Procedure
VET Recording Assessment Results Procedure
VET Teacher Qualifications and Competency Policy
VET Validation of Assessment Procedure
The Policy will be communicated throughout the University via:
- Announcement Notice under 'FedNews' website and through the University Policy 'Recently Approved Documents' webpage to alert the University-wide community of the approved Policy;
- Inclusion in the University Policy Library
- Faculty Learning and Teaching Committee
- Faculty Executive and Leadership Meetings
The Policy will be implemented throughout the University via:
- Information sessions and/or
- Training sessions
1. Academic Board is responsible for the scheduled review of this Policy.
2. Chair, Learning and Teaching Committee (L&T) is responsible for maintaining the content of the procedure as delegated by Academic Board.
3. Executive Officer, Academic Secretariat is responsible for the administration support for the maintenance of this procedure as directed by the Chair (L&T).
4. Program Managers / Coordinators are responsible for submitting the adjusted VET Assessment and VET RPL Assessment Tools through the internal IVET approval/validation process to ensure it meets the required assessment needs of each unit/qualification.
5. The Director of Faculty/College/Centre is responsible for the operational implementation of this procedure.
| Title | Location | Responsible Officer | Minimum Retention Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master Copy:RPL Assessment Tool | Faculty/Centre /College qualification file and ECM | Education Manager | Permanent |
| RPL Assessment Evidence | Faculty/Centre /College Student file or ECM if electronic records are kept | Education Manager/ Assessor/ Student administration |
Store on Student file - retain 7 years after completion of the program. Transfer non-active student files to archives as per transfer process in records Management procedure |
| Record of Assessment | Faculty/Centre /College Student file or ECM if electronic records are kept | Manager Student Administration |
Permanent Transfer non-active hard copy records to archives as per transfer process in the Records Management Procedure. |
| Final Assessment Results | Faculty/Centre /College Student file or ECM if electronic records are kept | Manager Student Administration |
Permanent Transfer non-active hard copy records to archives as per transfer process in the Records Management Procedure. |
| RPL application form | Faculty/Centre /College Student file or ECM if electronic records are kept | Education Manager Student administration |
Store on Student file - retain 7 years after completion of the program. Transfer non-active student files to archives as per transfer process in records Management procedure |
| Credit Transfer Form | Faculty/Centre /College Student file or ECM if electronic records are kept | Education Manager/ Student administration |
Store on Student file - retain 7 years after completion of the program. Transfer non-active student files to archives as per transfer process in records Management procedure |
University records must only be disposed of in accordance with the University’s Records Disposal Process as out- lined in the Records Framework Procedure. Authorisation must be obtained from the Director of iVET, Records Management Services and the Director of Academic Services or their delegate prior to disposal. Records must not be destroyed where it is known that those records may likely be required in evidence, either now or in the future.
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