Recent projects undertaken by the AQF Council
Strengthening the AQF, 2008-2011
May 2008 - April 2011
During its first term of office The AQF Council undertook a project to Strengthen The AQF.
Three consultation processes were undertaken by the AQF Council during the strengthening the AQF project. Each consultation was supported by a separate paper outlining the proposal. The first two papers should be read together to obtain a complete understanding of the rationale and evidence base for the project.
May 2009 the consultation paper outlined the AQF Council’s proposal for the strategic strengthening of the AQF and was circulated to stakeholders for feedback.
A report on the submissions: Strengthening the AQF: A proposal - Analysis of Submissions September 2009 is available.
In October 2009, a second consultation paper Strengthening the AQF: An Architecture for Australia's Qualifications was released for comment. The paper detailed the proposed levels-based structure with levels attributes and criteria, revised qualification type descriptors and a notional duration of student learning for each qualification. The levels criteria and qualification types descriptors are defined by learning outcomes and are expressed in terms of knowledge, skills and application of knowledge and skills.
In July 2010 the consultation paper Strengthening the AQF: A Framework for Australia's Qualifications was released and comment was sought on the complete package of policies that comprised the proposed strengthened AQF including:
- A draft structure of 10 levels and criteria for each
- Draft qualification type descriptors for each of the existing qualification types
- Draft specifications for selected AQF qualification types
- Draft policies for the issuance of qualifications, generic skills in qualifications, and the addition and removal of qualification types.
Presentations on the proposed strengthened AQF were held in every Australian capital city during July 2010. A copy of the presentation is available here.
The Ministerial Council for Tertiary Education and Employment (MCTEE) approved the strengthened AQF at its meetings on November 19 2010 and March 18 2011. The Ministerial Council for Education Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs endorsed the strengthened AQF at its April 2011 meeting. See AQF First Edition July 2011.
Three research projects were commissioned by the AQF Council during the strengthening project. Information about each project and the papers outlining the findings are included below.
Empirical validation of the Strengthened AQF using item response theory
Research was commissioned to empirically test the levels criteria, the qualification type descriptors and the placement of Australia’s qualifications at a level in the proposed strengthened Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). An on-line survey was used to undertake the testing.
A consortium of experts in item response modelling for educational purposes undertook the research. The consortium was led by Victoria University and included Educational Measurement Solutions and Bateman & Giles Pty Ltd.
A two volume report (volume 1 and volume 2) on the research to inform national and international stakeholders of the AQF, was prepared for consideration by the AQF Council in June 2010. An overview of the research and findings is available.
Dr John Buchanan and colleagues from the University of Sydney Workplace Research Centre and The University of Melbourne were commissioned by the AQF Council to provide an analysis of the potential impact of the proposed stregthened AQF.
The report offers informed advice to the AQF Council on the potential of the proposed AQF to achieve its objectives and the purpose and expectation of a national qualifications framework. It also considered some of the possible impacts of implementing the proposed strengthed AQF and strategies to enhance implementation.
Generic Skills: Background report for the AQF Council
Dr Kaye Bowman was commissioned by the AQF Council to research the use and understanding of generic skills in education and training in Australia and internationally. The findings of the report informed the inclusion of generic learning outcomes in the AQF.
Pathways Project
In 2009, the Commonwealth Minister for Education and Training commissioned the AQF Council to provide advise to ‘improve the articulation and connectivity between the university and the VET sectors to enable competency-based and merit-based systems to become more student-focussed’.
The findings from this project were incorporated into the strengthened AQF.
Pathways Project Report November 2009
Pathways Project Technical Report
Background research papers
Pathways Final Report - Funding.pdf
Pathways Final Report - Policy and Regulatory Analysis.pdf
Pathways Final Report - Data Collection.pdf
Pathways Final Report - Programs and pathways.pdf