Are You Certifiable

Image via Wikipedia

OK Let's get the sniggers out of the way first. Yes, I know that Microsoft setting up a site asking are you certifiable will be the start of many jokes but it's actually a useful site.

Designed to help consider whether Microsoft certification is the right way to go it takes the form of a trivia game with technical (and some not so technical questions). Top spots get onto the leaderboard and, far more importantly, bragging rights.

Learn more at the Microsoft Education blog:

The UK Further Education Blog : Do you know your GPO from your AD?

Related articles by Zemanta

• U.K. schools under open-source pressure (news.cnet.com)

Area #6 - Inspection Regime

Image via WikipediaThere is a clear understanding that HMIe should inspect and ensure that teaching and learning are well implemented. In general this is the case throughout the country's Computing departments but Computing often falls down in the concomitant performance indicators.

Where departments show good teaching and learning and the associated pastoral support of students, judgements should reflect more significantly that fact and poor attainment should be seen in the context of Computing across schools, colleges, HE and other countries as this is not a localised issue.

If this does not change, departments will further move towards choosing students solely on the likelihood of their passing the course. The knock-on effect for colleges, which have traditionally been the place for second chances, and the students, who have benefitted from those chances, will be significant. There will be a reduction in opportunities for those who wish to return to full or part time learning as the risks for the departments will be too high.

Area #5 - Course Standards

Image via WikipediaThere is no doubt that Computing qualifications show clear progression routes. What is less clear, however, is that units across different curricular areas, that are notionally of the same standard, actually involve the same degree of difficulty. There is anecdotal evidence that Computing subjects are subjectively more difficult than in other curricular areas. This could impact on retention and attainment for the subject.

SCQF must undertake to look at the levelling of courses on a cross-curricular level to ensure that standards are equal across them. Until this is done comparisons between different college departments will be invalid.

Related articles by Zemanta

• PIs in Computing

Shift Happens

Sometimes we forget things that are extremely powerful.

The Shift Happens video has been around for a while - but it's still relevant. This version has statistics appropriate for the United Kingdom.