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This article describes the strategy adopted at South Manchester Community College in the United Kingdom for providing a responsive approach to those students seeking to return to study, as well as one which gives appropriate credit for the experiential learning of their students. Show less

This paper, describing curriculum change in further education in the UK, is presented in 4 parts: (1) a brief look at how the curriculum for further education used to be determined and the implications for the curriculum development process and for supportive research (2) the contrast with recent years and an assessment of the implications for the curriculum development process and research (3) what it means for managers and teachers to make the curriculum development process more fundamental to operational strategy and (4) conclusions for future directions. Show less

The author’s visit to the Scottish School of Further Education coincided with the release of a report detailing a two year evaluation of teaching, learning and assessment in National Certificate courses taken at Scottish Further Education colleges. This article outlines the changes in the Scottish system to a new, modular, competency-based system, with the development of staff support and development, a curriculum development unit (the Scottish Further Education Unit), and the setting up of industry lead bodies. The article discusses the findings of the evaluation team, and points out that the evaluation touches upon many of the issues confronting TAFE in Australia. These include the question of standards, which lies at the heart of any discussion of criterion/competency-based education, the need for open free comment by all staff, and assessment techniques, including the danger of over-assessment in competency-based systems. The evaluation team has called for a holistic view of the student’s experience and for the combining of modules into coherent blocks in which assessment is meaningfully centred, well made and relevant. Show less