ESRC
ECONOMIC
& SOCIAL
RESEARCH
COUNCIL

LEARNING SOCIETY
PROGRAMME

PRINCIPAL
RESEARCHERS

Dr Pat Davies
City University

Professor John Bynner
Centre for Longitudinal Studies
Institute of Education
University of London
20 Bedford Way
London  WC1H 0AL
Tel:	0171 612 6901
Fax:	0171 612 6880
Email:   jb@cls.ioe.ac.uk

CONTACT 
ADDRESS

Dr Pat Davies
Continuing Education
City University
Northampton Square
London  EClV 0HB
Tel: 0171 477 8254
Fax: 0171 477 8256
Email:  p.a.davies@city.ac.uk

Duration
40 Month

THE IMPACT OF CREDIT-BASED SYSTEMS OF LEARNING
ON LEARNING CULTURES

Credit-based learning systems have been designed to overcome barriers to people taking part in learning.  They promote a culture of achievement since each small step in learning is rewarded.  The systems are very flexible as credits can be accumulated in different ways for different purposes.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the study was to analyse the contribution of credit-based systems of learning to the development of a learning society. Specifically, it sought to investigate the impact of credit-based systems of learning on:
1.	the participation and progression of traditionally non-participant groups in a variety of different settings;
2.	the learning cultures, as reflected in the motives, values, attitudes and patterns of behaviour of learners, tutors and managers.

APPROACH

The study involved:
	collection and analysis of policy documents at national, local and institutional levels
	quantitative analysis of the National Child Development Study (NCDS) and the London Open College Network (LOCN) datasets, supplemented by data from the Université de Lille I and a survey of tutors and learners on Trade Union (TUC) programmes
	case studies in two London further education (FE) colleges
	interviews with staff and learners in: 3 prisons, 2 private sector companies and the French programmes of study in Lille.

MAIN FINDINGS

Credit-based systems could make a major contribution to a more inclusive learning culture since they are attractive to non-traditional participants and offer flexibility and openness to employers, tutors and learners.

1. Participation and progression

Credit-based learning systems are becoming increasingly popular among people who have not previously engaged in learning.  More than 70,000 people registered for credit through the London Open College Network between 1992-3 and 1996-7.  The number was increasing each year, and in 1997-8 alone, 30,000 registered

The new entrants were typical of people categorised in a national sample (NCDS - see above) as non-participants:
	The majority were women and over 25 years old.
	Between 66% (1996-7) and 79% (1994-5) were not working: of these two thirds were unemployed and one third unwaged.
	Two thirds of those registered in 1994-6 were awarded credit, which compares favourably with national data.
	The patterns of progression have become increasingly diverse, particularly between 1994-5 and
1996-7.

In another sample of learners, this time national and registered through the TUC, nearly 70% had left school at 16 or younger, 39% had left with no qualifications, and 73% were in manual occupations.

For many students who otherwise would have had no access to any form of certification, the system was their first experience of achieving a qualification.

The Open College credit system has been outstandingly successful in attracting large and growing numbers of traditional non-participants.

1.	Learning cultures

Learners
Learners were not confronted by radical change but by incremental change; and due to effective targeting and flexible part-time provision, they were in company with others who ‘are people like me’. They believed they had little or nothing to lose and probably something to gain from taking part.

These were people who were not pre-disposed against learning but against formal education because of their past experiences.  The replacement of formal examinations by innovative assessment methods, and a sense of equality and respect from the tutor were very important to their involvement.  The award of a certificate was important to almost all the students: it was taken for granted rather than a motivating factor.

Tutors, employers
For many tutors in further education, accreditation was challenging and often changing their practice. There was little engagement in credit by employers in London (although much more in France), or in the prisons, but involvement of the voluntary sector was growing.

There was no evidence of a credit culture per se but credit has been used by tutors, managers, and some employers, often very effectively, as a set of tools to respond to pressures for change.

POLICY IMPLICATIONS

	Funding arrangements should take account of increasingly diverse patterns of participation and progression.
	Support should be given to community projects and voluntary sector organisations to develop alternative assessment regimes and flexible approaches to accreditation.
	Employers should be encouraged to engage with credit-based learning.
	Development work and staff training is required on the construction, management and uses of student record databases.

At a local level, involvement with users was continuous throughout the project and resulted in several reports on specific topics (eg database structure and management) and supplementary projects commissioned by the local Training and Enterprise Council and the TUC.

KEY PUBLICATIONS

Davies, P. (1997) “Ever onward and upward.  Are we pursuing a flat earth policy for adult learning?”, Adults Learning, 9,3,14-16
Davies, P., Gallacher, J. and Reeve, F. (1997) “The accreditation of prior learning: a comparison of current practice in the UK and France”, International Journal of University Adult Education, 36,2,1-21
Capizzi, E., Carter, J. and Davies, P. (1998) “Making sense of credit: FE staff managing change”, Journal of Access and Credit Studies, 1,1,40-52
Davies, P. (1999) “Inclusion and exclusion: credits and unités capitalsables compared” In F. Coffield (ed) Why’s the beer always stronger up north? Studies in Lifelong Learning in Europe. Bristol: Policy Press, 43-52
Davies, P. (1999) “A new learning culture? Possibilities and contradictions in accreditation”, Studies in the Education of Adults, 31,1,10-20