Chris Jones (C.R.Jones1@livjm.ac.uk)
Thu, 10 Sep 1998 08:26:30 +0200 charset="iso-8859-1"
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From: "Chris Jones" <C.R.Jones1@livjm.ac.uk> Subject: Re: [ifets] Comment Tom Abeles Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1998 08:26:30 +0200 charset="iso-8859-1"
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On Tue, 08 Sep 1998 17:39:49 -0500 tom abeles <tabeles@tmn.com> wrote:
> There are two issues here. First, is that universities have used
> "ceertification" as a method of control. Without a certain set of
> credentials a person's knowledge is not validated. This is now changing
> and it is not the fact that certification is not needed, rather it is
> the fact that the Academy is not the only certifier and thus has lost
> its hegemony in the education market place.
I'm not sure about this. In the UK the Academy is still the place,
indeed due to the recent expansion one could argue it is expanding its
role in certification. What examples can Tom and others think of for
these alternative sources of certification and what credibility do they
have. We only have to look at elites throughout the world to know that
not al degrees are the same. The cachet of some degrees is greater than
others. Similarly the cachet of the degree still outweighs other
credentials in most areas. This reminds me of another point made in the
discussion about students being more significant than accreditation
committees. The seemingly endless supply of university students is
surely an indicator of how much the degree is still valued by at least
potential 'customers'.
> the actual methodology of assessment may also be changing and now we
> have two sub issues. First, many who hire graduates are finding that
> these individuals, even though they have the proper credentials, do not
> have the proper comeptencies.
First of all wasn't this always so? Don't employers always find
employees wanting and demand ready made model workers? Secondly I think
the point about assessment methods is important. They are changing and
we must consider what effect this may have on the trust placed in the
final credential. Much of the concern with standards is a
self-fulfilling prophecy. If employers express concern with standards
the currency of the standard is potentially debased whether or not the
'standards' have fallen.
More thoughts please,
Chris
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Chris Jones
C.R.Jones1@livjm.ac.uk
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