The genesis of calculative practices in higher

education: Points systems

Keith Dixon, University of Canterbury

Accountingus Curriculorum*

CrAFIS234 15ECON135 13PHYS358 23. 49

Bal b/f 36

DrECON135 13

Bal c/f 36. 49

*Bekhradnia (2004), Trowler (1998), and Wellman and Ehrlich (2003) associate “Points Systems” with “Curricular Accounting”

Name: Cook, C. H. H. (8900670)

Accountancy, Finance and Information SystemsDepartment of Accountancy Finance and Information Systems

AFIS 102 Accounting and Financial Information

18 points 0.1500

EFTSAn introduction to business information; financial reports; emerging

issues in reporting; cost/volume/profit analysis, cost flows, budgeting;

time value of money, project evaluation and cost of capital.

R: AFIS 101, AFIS 111, AFIS 122, AFIS 132, AFIS 188.

AFIS102-08S1 (C) Semester 1 AFIS102-08S2 (C) Semester 2Source 2008 on-line Calendar. See also AFIS102 on the UC CSQ webpages

Source 1879 Canterbury College Calendar.

Why no Points System 1873 to 1973+

Canterbury College small and intimate Trust in governance by great and good Entrustment of curriculum to “Oxbridge” professors Curriculum provision and choice not extensive Credit transfer limited and definitive Ditto New Zealand University University-College counterbalance Oversight of standards and activities via

professorial clan, supported by institutional bureaucracy

Points technology unknown Irrelevant accounting knowledge and no computing power

•Canterbury College small and intimate

No. of students

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

16000

18000

20000

1873 1879 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2005 2008

No of students

•Canterbury College small and intimate

No. of academic staff

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1873 1879 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2005 2008

No of academic staff

Total staff in the four NZU affiliated colleges in 1910 = 82; in 1950 = 600+ (6)

% of staff from Oxbridge

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

1873 1879 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940

% of staff from oxbridge

•Entrustment of curriculum to “Oxbridge” professors

Significant proportion of NZU examiners were Oxbridge or other British based up to 1949

•Canterbury College small and intimate;•Curriculum provision and choice not extensive

No. of exam papers/courses

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

1873 1879 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2005 2008

No. of courses/papers

•Canterbury College and UNZ small and intimate•Curriculum provision and choice not extensive No. of qualifications

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

1873 1879 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2005 2008

No. of qualifications

Graph does not reflect endorsements, specialisations, majors

Oxbridge, Durham, Birmingham, London,

Manchester

St. Andrews, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen

Dublin, Queens, Royal

Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide

Yale, Toronto

A big small world of university institutions within the Dominion Empire, with institution to institution equivalence and concessions – ad eundem gradum

Credit transfer limited

Can/USA – Atlantic – UK/EU

Pacific

Asia

LA

Australia

AfricaC&LA WCNA

Credit transfer an important aspect of increasingly global market in qualifications, study programmes and credit

Kiwiquals New Zealand Qualifications Authority

NZ Committee on University Academic Programmes

•Canterbury College small and intimate•Oversight of standards and activities via professorial clan, supported by institutional bureaucracy

No. of Academic Divisions

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

1873 1879 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2005 2008

Academic divisions

From Clan to Market

Brown, Sale, Cook, Hight, Wall, Shelley, Brownlie et al.

NPM, Purchaser-provider splits, EFTS funding system, financial crisis, one-line College budgets, massification of higher education

Bourn and Ezzamel (1986) FAM

c. 1875 Canterbury College – NZU Qualifications

Bachelor degree (Pass) [B.A.]: Latin (until 1911) and Maths (until 1917), plus

choice of 3 out of 9 Subjects Three year’s “keeping terms” and pass “annual

college exams” in subjects Pass NZU exams after two years and three years

Bachelor degree with Honours [B.A. Hons.]: Choice of 1 or more of 6 Subjects One year’s “keeping terms” in year after B.A. Pass NZU exams

Master degree [M.A.] Study 1 or more of 6 Subjects, then pass NZU

exams, or Apply on strength of B.A. Hons (and pay 5

guineas?).Sources: 1873 Calendar NZU and 1879 Calendar CC, and Gardner et al. (1973)

Bachelor Degree(s) 1870 >>>

B.A

B.A B.Sc. B.Com.By 1910

LL.B. B.Mus.

1873 degree of low standard, more akin to matriculation than to bachelor, and so upped c. 1875 to become a general degree, more Scottish than English, aimed at training next generation of colony teachers – Gardner et al. (1973)

1925 degree(s) again attracted criticism for being of a lower standard than “overseas” (meaning Britain and its Dominions), an opinion backed by Ernest Rutherford, then in Canada and England (Gardner et al., 1973).

Gardner, W. J., Beardsley, E. T. and Carter, T. E. (1973) A history of the University of Canterbury 1873-1973. Christchurch: University of Canterbury.

SubjectsFrom initial offerings, these extended thus: Horizontally – more content, requiring a similar

foundation and a similar application of intellect Vertically – content requiring higher application of

intellect, demarcated by Pass, Honours Pass, Advanced, Honours; Junior, Senior, Honours First year, Second year, Third year, Fourth year;

Honours/Masters Stage I, Stage II, Stage III , Honours/Masters (post 1930) 100-level, 200-level, . . . . 700-level (post 1980)

Subjects and Levels in Degree Regulations I

1870s (B.A.): Latin and Maths (4 exam papers), plus choice of 3 (6 exam

papers) (later 4 subjects and 8 exams) out of 9+ Subjects. 1910 (B.Com.)

Six lower branch subjects (10 exam papers) and two year’s keeping terms; followed by four higher branch subjects (6 exams).

1920 (B.Com.) Nine compulsory subjects (11 exam papers), along with 5

subjects from short choice, with only a few restrictions on order of sitting exams, except that at least 3 must be passed at any sitting.

1930 (B.Com.) Seven compulsory subjects (10 exams), plus 2 out of 8 subjects

in Group II, plus the 5 subjects in either Group A, B or C in Group III, with few restrictions on the order in which exams should be sat, except that at least 2 must be passed at any sitting.

Subjects and Levels in Degree Regulations II

1950 (B.Com.) Nine compulsory Stage I and Stage II subjects; and

3 Stage III subjects, from a limited choice 1960 (B.Com.)

Twelve Units (i.e. one year’s work in a subject)* in two groups, Group I of which was compulsory with 6 Stage I and 3 Stage II Units; and choice of subdivisions (i) or (ii) of 3 Stage III Units each from Group II

1970 (B.Com.) Nine Units (with two or three exam papers), 5 of

which were compulsory, and the rest were chosen according to list of choices.

* Units first pushed by Prof Arnold Wall in 1920s as part of trying to raise standards.

Subjects and Levels in Degree Regulations III

1980 and 1990 (B.Com.) Comprised courses chosen from a schedule (of 6- and 12-

point papers) and otherwise totalling at least 108 points, including at least 36 points above Stage I of which 12 points must be Stage III in a single subject. Provided that a pre-1975 Unit is 12 points - no other definition of a “point”.

Courses not on schedule included 4-, 8- and 24-point courses. Where applicable, courses shown with prereqs and restrictions. Alpha numeric course codes now in use, with 5th character indicating level of course (i.e. 100-, 200-, 300-level).

Courses in Calendar above Stage III (i.e. post grad courses) did not have a points value.

2000 (B.Com.) Comprised courses chosen from a schedule (of 3-, 6- and 12-

point papers) and otherwise totalling at least 102 points, including at least 48 points above Stage I of which 12 must be Stage III in a single subject.

Courses listed in Calendar with lecture and lab or tut hours specified but these were not proportionate to points.

Subjects and Levels in Degree Regulations IV

2008 (B.Com.) Comprises courses with a total value of at least 360 points,

chosen from a schedule (at least 254 points) and otherwise, including at least 216 points above 100-level, of which 84+ must be at 300-level, of which 56+ points must be in a single subject.

Courses in schedule range among 11, 14, 18, 22, 28 points. [NB. 28 = 84 ÷ 3; 22 = (216 – 84) ÷ 6; 18 = (360 – 216) ÷

8] No definition of a “point” No specification of lecture and other contact hours. Courses in Calendar above 300-level (i.e. post grad courses)

do not have a points value. All courses have an EFTSs value, which in case of those with a

points value = no. of points ÷ 120 rounded to 4 decimal places

NB increase in 300- and 200-level study compared with 2000(5).

By 1990

By 1920

1870-74

Changing Official Shape of Bachelor Degree

2008

2008

Bachelor Degree

Link here to NZQA source

THE NEW ZEALAND NATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORK

Levels

OU Undergraduate Levels Framework Kiwiquals NZ equivalent

Let’s now get to the Point

Points are measures within Levels, as above (NB learning outcomes differ from level to level)

Let’s now get to the Point

Points reflect the time a typical learner takes to cover the learning:

1 point = 10 hours' notional learning

time.

Let’s now get to the Point

The points value for a course is evaluated from how long it would typically take people to achieve the stated outcomes in the context specified. Notional learning hours include direct contact time with teachers and

trainers ('directed learning') time spent in studying and doing

assignments etc ('self-directed' or 'on-task' learning)

time spent in assessment.

Let’s now get to the Point

Points are measures within Levels , as above (NB learning outcomes differ from level to level)

Points reflect the time a typical learner takes to cover the learning:

1 point = 10 hours' notional learning time. The points value for a course is evaluated from how

long it would typically take people to achieve the stated outcomes in the context specified. Notional learning hours include

direct contact time with teachers and trainers ('directed learning')

time spent in studying and doing assignments etc ('self-directed' or 'on-task' learning)

time spent in assessment.

Let’s now get to the Point

Kiwiquals definition Recognised by NZVCC Committee on

University Academic Programmes (CUAP) as a common system of credit

For government funding purposes, a full-time single year programme translates into 120 points

Incorporated in Establishment of Credit Parity Across Courses, a document issued by Jan Cameron, AVC (Academic) on 8 June 2008

A NZ point has most characteristics of a UK credit accumulation and transfer system(s) point (see Bekhradnia (2004))

How does this technology compare with “sliced bread”?

A unimane view on points as expressions of notional learning hours:

“A “total workload” model is unattainable. We are happy for there to be information on the objective aspects of workload e.g. lectures, tutorials, labs etc. Any attempt to set out a “total workload”, including “revision” and independent study, is at best nebulous and at worst fatuous. There may need to be more flexibility in contact hours, particularly with respect to those courses which are more “engineering/science like”, i.e. courses which traditionally have high contact hours, particularly with laboratories etc, compared with those courses which are more “arts like”, where students traditionally have fewer contact hours, but do more independent study.”– written in response to UC’s Student Workload policy - DRAFT

2005

Source: Sastry and Bekhradnia (2007) – reflects how student workloads in English universities differ despite several years or so of CATS points systems

“Europe” – another NZ look-alike

European Qualifications Framework (EQF) Aim:

To promote lifelong learning and mobility by increasing the mutual recognition of qualifications across national borders

CompositionA set of common reference points referring to learning outcomes and levels of

competences related to a qualification obtained at national level

located in a hierarchy of 8 levels Unit of Currency

ECTS – derived from European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System

EQF Level 1EQF Level 1

EQF Level 2EQF Level 2

EQF Level 3EQF Level 3

EQF Level 4EQF Level 4

EQF Level 5EQF Level 5

EQF Level 6EQF Level 6

EQF Level 7EQF Level 7

EQF Level 8EQF Level 8

Qualification

Qualification

Qualification

Qualification

Country ACountry A Country BCountry B

Qualification

Qualification

Qualification

ECTS a la Wikipedia

One academic year corresponds to 60 ECTS-credits that are equivalent to 1500-1800 hours of study

So, 1 ECTS = 25-30 notional learning hours But 1 ECTS = 2 CATS in UK! (and 2 NZ

points!) Bologna agreement now in “progress”!

(see Bekhradnia (2004)) Like NZ, ECTS are “student-centred”

Student Hour (or Credit Hour) a la

Wikipedia And now for something completely different This U.S.A. system is “teacher-contact oriented”

a Student Hour is the equivalent of one hour (50 minutes) of lecture time for a single student per week over the course of a semester, usually 14 to 16 weeks

Derives from Carnegie Unit, used in secondary schools Dates back at least a century The credit hour is a universal translator that allows

complicated institutions to translate disparate activities into a common language. It contributes to bad habits within the academy, particularly in relation to goals and assessment of student learning. Further, ways need to be sought to correct for the inequities in the student credithour system – Wellman and Ehrlich (2003).

Translation to NZ – over to you

Some sources to consult

Bekhradnia, B. (2004). Credit accumulation and transfer, and the Bologna process: an overview. Higher Education Policy Institute. http://www.hepi.ac.uk/downloads/13CATFullReport.pdf

Greatorex, J. (2003). Developing and applying level descriptors. Westminster Studies in Education, 26(2), 125-133.

Keevy, J. A. (2005). A Foucauldian critique of the development and implementation of the South African National Qualifications Framework. Unpublished thesis. http://etd.unisa.ac.za/ETD-db/ETD-desc/describe?urn=etd-05312006-151405

Sastry, T. and Bekhradnia, B. (2007). The academic experience of students in English universities. Higher Education Policy Institute. http://www.hepi.ac.uk/downloads/33TheacademicexperienceofstudentsinEnglishuniversities2007.pdf

Trowler, P. (1998) What managerialists forget: Higher education credit frameworks and managerialist ideology. International Studies in Sociology of Education 8, 91-110.

Wellman, J.V. and Ehrlich, T. (2003) How the student credit hour shapes higher education: The tie that binds: New directions for higher education. New Directions for Higher Education Whole issue.

Young, M. (2008). Towards a European qualifications framework: some cautionary observations. Journal of European Industrial Training, 32 (2/3), 127-137.

The slides that follow contain

definitions taken from the

Glossary

on UC’s Courses, Subjects and

Qualifications web pages

Calendar The official published record of the

current regulations of the University. Includes important information on degree, diploma and certificate regulations. The Calendar can be viewed in the Central Library, at Level 1 of the Registry, in public libraries, on the Publications website and can be purchased from the University Book Shop.

Course (sometimes called a paper)

Courses are the building blocks of degrees and other qualifications. Each course has a credit point value which counts towards your degree. Each subject offers a range of courses. You must complete a certain number of points at 100-level (first year courses) before you can progress to 200-level courses in that subject and so on.

Courses either run for the whole year (February–November) or half a year (one semester) or over summer (November–February) and consist of lectures, assessment (tests, essays, reports etc) and tutorials or laboratories.

Levels

The courses which you will usually study in your first year are called 100-level courses, e.g., SPAN 101 is the code for a first-year Spanish course. Courses at 200-level begin with a ‘2', e.g., SPAN 201 is the code for a 200-level Spanish course, and 300-level courses begin with a ‘3', e.g., SPAN 301.

Points Each course has a credit point value that reflects the

workload for the course. Under the new system introduced in 2006, typical courses at 100-level are worth 18 points, courses at 200-level are worth 22 points and courses at 300-level are worth 28 points. If you pass the course, all the points for that course are credited to your degree. If you fail, none of the points are credited.

Each qualification has regulations which state the required total number of points required for completion and the points requirements at each level. UC degrees are made up of 120 points per year or 360 points for a three-year degree and 480 points for a four-year degree. Students should ensure they are fully aware of the points requirements for their degree and choose their courses accordingly.

Cross-crediting/transfer of credit

If you have studied at another university or at a polytechnic, or if you have points from university courses in another discipline, some of those points may be able to be counted towards your degree. If you would like more information on cross-crediting and transfer of credit contact an on-campus Student Advisor in the relevant College or School.

EFTS

The workload of a course is specified by its EFTS (Equivalent Full-Time Student) value. From 2006 onwards, course EFTS are directly related to course credit points so either may be used as a guide when planning your workload. The StudyLink definition of a full-time workload is a minimum of 0.8 EFTS (96 points). A workload of 0.4 EFTS in first or second semester also qualifies as a full-time workload for students undertaking part year study.

Grade Point Average A system of recording academic achievement

based on an average which is calculated by multiplying each grade’s value by the course’s weight to achieve a sum, which is then divided by the sum of the course weightings. [see web page for example calculation]

Major

Your major is the subject you decide to study in-depth or specialise in within a flexible degree. In most cases for the BA, BCom and BSc this means you take at least 56 points at 300-level in this subject. A double major is when you take 56 points in each of two subjects at 300-level. In most subjects you will also need to complete other requirements, such as completing a certain number of points above 100-level – for more details check the Enrolment Handbook.

Subject

A subject is a particular area of study that the university offers courses in, e.g., English, French, Mathematics or Geology. You will study more than one subject for your degree.

While you can study many subjects at 100-level, some subjects, including Biochemistry, Electronics and Soil Science begin at 200-level and require passes in certain courses at 100-level before you can take them.

Supervisor of Studies

The Head of Department or School (or an approved member of the academic staff) from within the Department/School which teaches the subject you have chosen as your main area of study, commonly known as your major.

Prerequisites, co-requisites and restrictions A prerequisite is a course that you must pass before you

can do another, usually more advanced, course. For example, if BIOL 112 is a prerequisite for BIOL 210 you must pass BIOL 112 before you can enrol in BIOL 210. A co-requisite means that the course must be taken at the same time as another course. You cannot credit a course towards your degree if you have already completed a course which is restricted against that course, i.e., you cannot do both courses.

It's important to research these thoroughly when planning your course of study, so that you take the right prerequisite courses at 100-level to get into the courses you want to at 200-level and so on. Information on prerequisites, co-requisites and restrictions can be found in the Enrolment Handbook and on the Courses, Subjects and Qualifications website.