The discipline of education is a multi-faceted system that must constantly integrate new strategies and procedures to ensure successful learning experiences. Enhancements in education provide learners with greater opportunities for growth and advancement. "Open Learning and Formal Credentialing in Higher Education: Curriculum Models and…

"I am shortlisting a candidate with GCSE in English and another with Level 2 in Literacy; does it mean they have the same skill at the same level? Also what is Key Skills in Communication? I am confused!" There are many different qualifications available in the lifelong learning sector and it is not always easy to see how they relate to…

Teaching adults is a specialist area. Current education policy defines adult learners as those over 19. However these days if one teaches in some parts of the further education sector one may find teaching students from age 14 upwards. Adult learners may be studying to improve their skills and qualifications for work, or to progress to further…

I would hope that we will be able to accept nurses on the basis of their competence and ability to perform their jobs well, rather than the length of formal education they have received--whether it be a traditional or non-traditional program. (Author)

The author presents a model of continuing education for social work, with the concept of lifelong learning as its philosophic base. Three components of the model represent three areas on which continuing education programs must focus. These are in-service training, or upgrading of professional knowledge; fulfillment of licensing requirements; and…

In recent years, the emergence of non-traditional educational experiences such as online learning and certification, combined with the growth of the life-long learning market, has presented a new set of challenges for the higher education community. Increasingly, the U.S. economy is technology driven, and the need for trained personnel to support…

Adults learn from many sources, such as volunteer work, community services, homemaking, jobs, and other activities, and they increasingly want this learning to be recognized so that they can reenter the job market, get a promotion, or return to college. Therefore, scientific methods have been developed to help adults document their experiential…

Educational institutions need to help women get a better education by taking into account the learning they have acquired through experience in homemaking, volunteer work, and other activities. This paper examines the need for recognition of women's prior learning by educational institutions and delves into some of the intricacies of the process.…

Drawing from a study on mental health delivery systems, this report focuses on issues related to credentialing the mental health continuing education activities of individual workers and the programs themselves. The first of seven sections reviews the current status of sanctioning and credentialing in mental health continuing education by various…

A project was designed to develop a process by which the life experiences of women could be assessed for entry into employment and for entry into or advanced placement in vocational education programs. Following a review of literature and interviews to determine the approaches currently used to accredit women's life experience learning,…

European structures of qualification levels were examined through a review of reports on recent developments in Germany, Spain, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. The examination focused on the following topics: the scope of the national frameworks; the definition of standards and qualifications; the definition of levels in…

Recent trends and developments related to the structures of qualification levels in Germany, Spain, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom were examined in a quasi-experimental study that was part of a more comprehensive study on the same topic. The study focused on standards, qualifications, and classifications at the tertiary level of…

This document contains reports on the structures of qualification levels in Germany, Spain, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom that were commissioned during a study to identify trends and developments in the European Union related to national certification frameworks. Each country report examines the following topics: the history of…