Analytic Quality Glossary A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Home
Citation reference: Harvey, L., 2004-24, Analytic Quality Glossary, Quality Research International, http://www.qualityresearchinternational.com/glossary/
This is a dynamic glossary and the author would welcome any e-mail suggestions for additions or amendments.
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Certification
Certification is the process of formally acknowledging achievement or compliance: it can be used to signify the achievement of an individual, such as a student, or of an institution.
Certification of an individual usually means that the person has achieved a required academic standard or standard of competence. For example, the Irish Higher Education Authority (2004) define a certificate as:
Award granted upon successful completion of one or two years' study at tertiary level at a non-university institution. Students may continue on to a diploma course after successfully completing a certificate course. (HEA, 2004)
Certification of an institution may follow external quality monitoring of one kind or another. Certification may be linked to accreditation, or it may be linked to achieving a generic quality standard such as ISO9000 or Investors in People or other such award.
The UNESCO and CHEA definitions of certification refer to the privileges that follow institutional certification:
The process by which an agency or an association acknowledges the achievement of established quality standards and usually grants certain privileges to the target individual (student or teacher). (Vlãsceanu, et al., 2004)
For CHEA (2001) certification is:
Acknowledgement that quality standards required for approval have been achieved. Usually accords privileges.
For AEC (2004), certification is:
The process of issuing certificates or diplomas which formally recognise the achievements of an individual, following an assessment procedure.
HEA (2004) defines certificate as:
Award granted upon successful completion of one or two years' study at tertiary level at a non-university institution. Students may continue on to a diploma course after successfully completing a certificate course.
Wojtczak (2002) defines certification in the context of medical education as follows:
The process by which governmental, non-governmental or professional organizations or other statutory bodies grant recognition to an individual who has met certain predetermined specified qualifications. In most cases such recognition is on a voluntary basis.
The Northeast Texas Network Consortium (NTNC, 2002) define certificate programs:
Programs that offer short-term training in a wide variety of areas and are often offered by community and technical colleges
De Rosario (2002, p. 8), in the context of the European Union, states:
Certification and examination arrangements can be defined as all norms or procedures used by Member States to control the evaluation of learning processes and outcomes, the validity and reliability of personal learning efforts according to fixed standards for educational and training goals.
Transfine's (2003) definition includes non-formal and informal learning:
Certification will then be used to denote the awarding of credits, a qualification or part of a qualification on the basis of non-formal or informal learning following a form of assessment.
Referring to the role of national agencies, the Glossary of the European Commission, Education and Training, The Lifelong Learning Programme 2007–2013 (2008) states that certification:
Allows NA[National Agency] to certify that a specific project and/or organisation fulfils a number of quality criteria allowing simplified application. Is used in the Erasmus Programme (since 2008) and in the Leonardo Programme (from 2009) (Erasmus Placement Certificate, Leonardo da Vinci Certificate)
In Dubai, certification refers to the process of recognition of the awards made by overseas universities operating in the free zones of Dubai:
Certification: Recognition by the Knowledge and Human Development Agency (KHDA) of the academic qualification granted by the academic institution to students who successfully meet the requirements of any acadmic qualification. (University Quality Assurance International Board, 2012, p. 2)
Association europeenne des conservatoires [Academies de musique et musikhochschulen] (AEC), 2004, Glossary of terms used in relation to the Bologna Declaration http://www.aecinfo.org/glossary%20and%20faq%20english.pdf, accessed September 2004. Not available at this address 31 January 2011.
Council For Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) 2001, Glossary of Key Terms in Quality Assurance and Accreditation http://www.chea.org/international/inter_glossary01.html, last updated 23 October 2002, accessed 18 September 2012, page not available 30 December 2016.
De Rosario, P., 2002, Types of examination and certification arrangements: draft report. European Forum on Quality in VET.
European Commission, Education and Training, The Lifelong Learning Programme 2007–2013, 2008, Glossary, available at http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/llp/guide/glossary_en.html last update: 11 April 2008, accessed 20 September 2012, page not available 31 December 2016.
Higher Education Authority (HEA) [of Ireland] 2004, Glossary http://www.hea.ie/index.cfm/page/sub/id/519
Vlãsceanu, L., Grünberg, L., and Pârlea, D., 2004, Quality Assurance and Accreditation: A Glossary of Basic Terms and Definitions (Bucharest, UNESCO-CEPES) Papers on Higher Education, ISBN 92-9069-178-6.