The Role of Articulation Agreements in Creating Seamless

The Role of Articulation Agreements in Creating Seamless Education in the Higher Education Sector Raquel LM Sukhu Peter C Thomas 1 st National Conference on Quality Assurance in Higher Education held by The Accreditation Council of Trinidad and Tobago November 17 & 18, 2011

“Articulation agreements are the bridge to seamless education through lifelong learning” (Josey, 2009) Powerpoint Templates Page 2

Objectives q Define seamlessness in education q Identify strategies seamlessness q Examine articulation agreements as a strategy within HE q Highlight key challenges q Review best practices issues, Powerpoint Templates to achieve benefits and Page 3

Seamlessness in education Coordination of smooth transition between ECCE, primary & secondary education systems An integrated concept of education stretching from early childhood through a four-year college/university degree Educational preparation among institutions without a break in content Powerpoint Templates Page 4

Strategies towards Seamlessness Dual credit programmes Prior learning assessment & recognition (PLAR) School-towork programmes Common general education core Common course numbering Qualifications and credit framework Integrated student unit record data system Articulation agreements Powerpoint Templates Page 5

Articulation q “generally understood to mean the institutional policies or other structures that are implemented to encourage, facilitate and monitor the student transfer process” q “refers to the mechanisms that enable student mobility within and among the institutions that comprise the tertiary system” Powerpoint Templates Page 6

Articulation q “the process of coordinating curricula at different levels of education in order to foster the efficiency and effectiveness of the educational process” which is “used as a vehicle to encourage collaboration between educational institutions” Powerpoint Templates Page 7

Articulation q “Through articulation, credentials from one institution are recognised by another, allowing students to attain advanced standing in a new post secondary programme” Powerpoint Templates Page 8

Articulation q “Articulation is closely linked to the concept of ‘transfer’ – “the process of moving a student’s credits across different institutions” q Numerators of the transfer rate tend to be focused on student transfer, and not transfer of credits Powerpoint Templates Page 9

Articulation q The intention of articulation policies (in the US context) is not to improve transfer rates… it is to prevent the loss of credits when students transfer. Powerpoint Templates Page 10

Articulation “Student movement is multi-directional: q Vertical – • upwards or • downwards (reverse) q q Lateral – between similar institutions Swirlers – frequently alternating between two- and four-year institutions” Powerpoint Templates Page 11

Articulation Agreements United States – 100 year history of articulation; statewide agreements South Australia – integration of PLAR, articulation with TAFE South East Asia - pathways for technical and vocational education graduates Powerpoint Templates Page 12

Articulating in Trinidad & Tobago A number of HEIs have established agreements Scholarship on the need for seamlessness and articulation ‘Guidelines for Framing Articulation Agreements in Trinidad and Tobago’ Powerpoint Templates Page 13

Key Issues q Differentiation and diversification q The binary divide q Drift (academic; vocational) q Ensuring mobility, inclusive of swirlers and reverse articulation Powerpoint Templates Page 14

Benefits of High Articulation FOR STUDENTS 1. Improved access and freedom of movement 2. Lower rates of drop-out or failure without credit 3. Increased programme choice 4. Less wastage – time, endeavour, money Powerpoint Templates Page 15

Benefits of High Articulation FOR STUDENTS 5. The possibility of non-traditional learning experiences being credited towards a degree 6. Opportunities to change concentrations or institutions midstream, or to delay final choices whilst still carrying forward relevant credits Powerpoint Templates Page 16

Benefits of High Articulation FOR STUDENTS 7. Possibility of moving between institutions in accordance with aspirations 8. Opportunities to pursue lifelong learning through the flexible accumulation of credits over a long or short time period Powerpoint Templates Page 17

Benefits of High Articulation FOR INSTITUTIONS 1. Effective means of facilitating equity under conditions of inter- and intrainstitutional differentiation 2. Possibility of greater interdisciplinary programme linkage across institutions 3. Fewer repeaters and drop-outs Powerpoint Templates Page 18

Benefits of High Articulation FOR INSTITUTIONS 4. Less curriculum duplication / overlap 5. Increased academic collaboration 6. Increased pass rates 7. Improved internal institutional efficiency along with the possibility of increasing student numbers Powerpoint Templates Page 19

Best Practice Seven Guiding Principles 1. Parity among institutions 2. Parity of students 3. Faculty have primary responsibility for crafting agreements 4. Accommodate students’ transfer without a minimum of associate degree Powerpoint Templates Page 20

Best Practice Seven Guiding Principles 5. Agreements in specific programme majors as well as transfer of programme major courses 6. Both public and private institutions should participate 7. Data-driven evaluation of performance of agreements Powerpoint Templates Page 21

In conclusion… The articulation agreement is a key mechanism upon which the development of a seamless HE system in Trinidad & Tobago is dependent and as participants in the HE system we must begin to critically evaluate the ways in which we build and employ them. Powerpoint Templates Page 22

In conclusion… Differentiated and diversified HE systems with insufficient articulation will, at best, be fragmented systems, far from seamless. Powerpoint Templates Page 23

Thank you! Powerpoint Templates Page 24