International Accreditation and Recognition Council Newsletter, May 2010
Accreditation for the future
Contents:
- Welcome to our New Members
- New Website Launch
- Compliance Mills Threaten Learning by John Mason, IARC President
- Looking Ahead and Taking IARC Forward
- Teaching and Tutoring – Understanding Effective Methodologies by Jade Pollock, IARC Co-ordinator
- Committee Meeting and Annual General Meeting 2010
- Become an IARC Member
Welcome to our New Members
ADL - Academy for Distance Learning, United Kingdom.
Based in beautiful Kent in the United Kingdom, ADL provides high-quality course in psychology, tourism, business, health and wellbing, photography, equine studies and much, much more! ADL is run by professionals who have been in education and training for many years. They are a reputable and extremely well managed school and we are very pleased they decided IARC recognition and accreditation was right for them.
Check them out at www.adlhomestudy.co.uk
"Of the thousands of accrediting bodies listed worldwide, we chose IARC because of their commitment to ethical education."
Daryl Tempest-Mogg, Director of Vocational Training, ADL- Academy for Distance Learning, UK.
New Website Launch
After announcing the plans for a major refurbishment of our website in our last newsletter, we are delighted to let you know this project has gone ahead as planned. Although still an ongoing process, the website now has improved design and functionality. Check it out at www.iarcedu.com and let us know what you think.
Each member now has their own page on the website where they may list information about their school, list their courses and contact details and testimonials from students should they wish. Potential students can link directly to schools individual websites from our site which offers quick and easy contact with the school of choice.
As mentioned this is not complete as yet. We have many more features still to add such as information on our Executive Committee, FAQ page, additional course information on members pages still to be completed and some website optimisation work to ensure IARC has a stronger presence than ever as we continue to grow…
Compliance Mills are a Growing Threat to Serious Learning
by John Mason, IARC President
We've all heard about Diploma Mills and anyone with an ounce of integrity understands that paying money for a qualification without doing much work is unethical and contributes nothing to learning or career outcomes.
Over recent years there has been a growing trend for once credible learning institutions to move towards becoming "Compliance Mills".
Like a Diploma Mill, a Compliance Mill is an institution that awards qualifications for something that all too often has little, if anything, to do with real learning.
The first priority of a Compliance Mill is to comply with regulations and ensure bureaucratic requirements are met by students. Essentially, if the boxes can be shown to be ticked and the paperwork is in order, the qualification is awarded. So much effort is being put into compliance, that often, attention to providing an effective learning experience is minimal.
The first priority of a Diploma Mill is to get money. Services rendered for that money will be reduced to such an extent that any real learning is again minimal.
There are, fortunately, some institutions that are neither Diploma mills nor Compliance Mills.
Unfortunately, however, these learning-focussed institutions are often not always readily distinguished from the others without looking carefully. Many of these excellent institutions work outside government accreditation systems but so do most Diploma Mills. This can create confusion for anyone trying to decide where to study and if an institution is credible.
This situation is also complicated by the fact that Compliance Mills are sometimes supported by government bureaucracies. There are some web sites that support Compliance Mills and falsely classify anything that is not "government-recognised" as a Diploma Mill. Sadly, some very good colleges can be listed as Diploma Mills and, conversely, Compliance Mills type colleges can be listed (and perceived) as being good colleges.
Sound confusing.... it is!
What's the solution? There are a few ways of knowing if a course is being provided by a Diploma or Compliance Mill or in fact a credible institution... Look closely at the length of the course, the qualifications of teaching staff, course content and whether it focuses more on learning than assessment. Make sure you can make contact with the school easily. Make sure there is a physical address and contact names of the staff too.
These are the key indicators of quality.
Looking Ahead and Taking IARC Forward
With IARC approaching its 12th year as an industry accrediting body, we are always keen to celebrate our successes to date and strengthen our business for the future.
The Secretary of IARC, Jade Pollock, is currently working on a business development plan for the council. We aim to achieve a number of successes including:
- Increasing current membership by 20% in the next 12-18 months
- Revising policies for subsidiary membership applications
- Increasing member benefits and communication – we want to know more about your schools and colleges
- Planning of an IARC Communications and Networking Event to meet members
- Review of member fees and payment processes
- Ongoing website optimisation
- Introduction of member’s access to IARC Logo Pack and promotional material via website login
- Production of voice only media clips explaining accreditation and recognition and the history of IARC
All members should be aware that their current membership is valid until 30th June 2010. You will soon be receiving reminders to arrange payment of your annual membership fees and mini-audit documents. If you can make any suggestions of how we can make this process more simple or straightforward for you please let us know.
Teaching and Tutoring – Understanding Effective Methodologies
by Jade Pollock, IARC Secretary and Co-ordinator
The primary goal of an education program of any kind is to enable students to learn new skills and build on knowledge of something they already know a little about or to give knowledge of something new completely. In adult distance education specifically tutors must aim to enable their students to become self-directed learners.
In order to be a successful tutor, they must be able utilise resources, implement consistent assessment tools and criteria and use a variety of teaching styles and methodologies where possible. The tutor must always strive to create a positive ethos to enable his or her student’s to progress with confidence and really achieve a sense of success, reaching goals and targets in each lesson and by the end of the course.
Importantly the tutor must reflect on the process of teaching continuously. By this I mean a good tutor ought to assess and analyse the learning of the students, showing an innate ability to adapt to the students needs if necessary, but a tutor should (and I believe any good teacher or tutor instinctively does) reflect on how effective the learning was for the student at the end of a series of lessons. The purpose of this is to assess how effective their teaching style was for their students. Reflection in teaching allows for modified and improved practice. The primary goal of this is the benefit of effective teaching practice for the students.
The extensive range of teaching methodologies which exist today is a result of reflective practice in teaching and learning. As time has passed and teachers have tried and experiemented with different teaching styles, methodologies have been forced to change for the better.
For students the experience of learning via distance education is often more challenging than learning in a classroom situation. Tutors of distance education should always keep this in mind.
Tutors should also remember the varying needs and learning styles of the students which still exist even though no physical environment for learning exists.
Teaching via distance education does not make andragogical practice any easier – there are simply different challenges in teaching via distance education in which the tutor needs to overcome to ensure the learning of the students is productive and successful.
Tutors still need to be aware there are young people and adults with different skills, mixed abilities, different amounts of prior knowledge, varying motivations, personal likes and dislikes, different kinds of intelligence and different cultural and moral backgrounds. One of the challenges for tutors of distance education is that they don’t ever meet their students. They know nothing of them really, but they must strive to establish positive relationships in which the students feel confident, they feel it’s ok to make mistakes and feel motivated and encouraged when studying gets difficult. I can’t tell tutors how to do that – good tutors just know.
In assignments it is important for tutors to vary lesson content, structure and level to ensure at some point during every lesson all students have a chance to feel engaged and challenged and they have a chance to perform to the best of their ability.
Of course by providing such opportunites for success in learning, students' confidence will inevitably grow. With increased confidence, the tutor should be able to recognise increased motivation in their students - weel this is something we hope for! Tutors want students to participate, to enjoy the learning experience, to feel comfortable, be challenged and of course feel happy too.
Every student is different. The lifestyles of people and their own unique personalities are both factors which are evident in the work students produce. People’s reasons and motivations for learning evolve over time. The invisible classroom which exits in distance education is not static. There is no predictability.
So tutors, be the best you can be, keep reflecting, encourage change, growth and improvement in your practice to benefit your students and improve their learning experience.
Committee Meeting and Annual General Meeting 2010
The next Executive Committee meeting will be held in the IARC office on the Gold Coast on Thursday 13th May 2010.
The next Annual General Meeting will be held during August 2010 – the details of this event are still to be finalised.
All members can expect to receive an invite to this event in due course. We are keen to arrange a late afternoon meeting allowing for a dinner and social networking event after the meeting. AGM minutes can be made available to IARC members on request.
For those who are unable to attend, we would like to encourage conference calls to be used. Contact admin@iarcedu.com for more information.
Become an IARC Member
If you would like further information on becoming an IARC member, please contact admin@iarcedu.com and we’ll happily send you the information pack and application form or check out our website at www.iacredu.com and click on 'Members' then 'Join IARC'.
There is a straightforward application process and a $200 AUD application fee charged which covers administration costs and your membership until 30th June in that year (or year following) membership commencing. For example if you join in November 2010, membership is valid until 30th June 2011 or if you join in January 2011 your membership is paid for and valid until 30th June 2011.
We have genuinely helpful and friendly staff who can happily answer any questions you have relating to membership or the application process. Normally applications are processed in the office within 2-4 weeks and sent to and returned from the Committee (hopefully approved) within 5-10 days after that. The majority of applications are quick and simple.
Come join us and become part of it…
Accreditation for the future
IARC
Eastside Building, Space 209,
232 Robina Town Centre Drive,
Qld 4226, Australia
Phone: +61 7 5562 1088