Designing Courses for the NQF: Issues for Coherence, Assessment and Complexity

Abstract

This thesis investigates the influence of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) in New Zealand on course design, teaching and learning. The research focuses on diploma level programmes being delivered in private training establishments and polytechnics/institutes of technology. It analyses the views of a range of people including: teachers experienced in using unit standards for assessing student achievement; teachers experienced in assessing students for provider qualifications that do not use unit standards; teachers with experience in both of the previous contexts; students in both types of programmes; and representatives from four industry training organisations (ITOs). The thesis reveals that although the NQF has provided clarity to students and teachers around what must be achieved to gain a particular qualification, this has been at the expense of flexibility and creativity in teaching. Teachers in both types of programmes have identified a need to develop coherent courses that encourage holistic learning so that students are able to make linkages across different parts of their programme. The general view of participants in this research suggests that this is more difficult in unit standards based programmes than other types of programmes. The manageability of assessment, problems associated with moderation, and the existence of bureaucratic processes around the NQF, also contribute to greater support from participants for programmes that do not involve the assessment of unit standards. This thesis provides data that reinforces some of the critical commentary that has challenged the NQF over the past decade. As a result of the research a conceptual model has been developed that uses the notion of "integrated-holism" (an aspect of complexity theory) to show the alignment of various learning theories and ideologies with curriculum design and assessment. The thesis argues that the NQF supports a “complicated" as distinct from “complex" view of learning through its modelling of behaviourist theory in the development and content of unit standards. There is a need for the NQF to provide an approach to standard setting that accommodates a range of learning theories that support the development of higher-level abilities generally associated with holistic learning. It is suggested that a paradigm shift is required in standard setting if the NQF is to ensure that it is able to respond to the different kinds of learning that it needs to support.