MQA launches guidelines to enable flexi-education & lifelong learning

PETALING JAYA: GREATER support is being put in place to enable Malaysians have the opportunity for a more flexible education and partake in lifelong learning with the launch of two guidelines developed by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) that took place here, today.

The Guideline for the Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning Credit Award – APEL (C), and the Credit Transfer for MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses) Guideline allow individuals with working experiences and various short courses to be entitled for credit transfers taken in the respective academic programmes offered in higher education institutions – decreasing the duration of their studies compared to regular studies.

In his speech at the event, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh said APEL supports the Ministry’s effort in realising flexible education by allowing individual without academic qualifications but with working experiences to pursue higher education.

“APEL (C) encompasses assessment on prior learning experiences (non-formal and informal) for the purpose of awarding credits. This includes learning through MOOC and other self-learning method in the Malaysian Qualifications Framework (MQF).

“With the earlier implementation APEL (A – Admission) which provides opportunity for individuals with working experience to pursue their studies, APEL (C) acknowledges those experiences by excluding individuals from subjects they have proof competent,” he said.

APEL (C) can be prescribed by students who have registered at higher education institutions either through normal route or APEL (A). Higher education providers may implement APEL (C) upon obtaining MQA’s approval and will be subject to the related policies on APEL (C).

Currently, MQA has granted approval for four higher education institutions to implement APEL (C); namely Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Open University Malaysia (OUM), Wawasan Open University (WOU) and INTI International University.

The Guidelines on Credit Transfer MOOC, meanwhile, is an output transpired from the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2015-2025, said Idris.

“This has made Malaysia the first in the world to own a national policy on credit transfer on MOOC,” he highlighted.

Idris said the advancement of technology has contributed to the major shift of today’s landscape of higher education. It is no longer about formal or informal education but has evolved towards flexible education.

“Globalised Online Learning has placed its importance in the blueprint which aims to promote quality in learning and reduction of cost, introducing Malaysian expertise worldwide and encouraging lifelong learning among Malaysians.

“Local higher education providers are encouraged to collaborate in the development of MOOC and to establish mechanisms of recognising learning through MOOC for the Accreditation of credits, in a move towards achieving these aims,” he said.

To award credits for MOOCs, three major criteria has to be fulfilled: quality, sufficient curriculum content and equivalency of credits for the MOOC offered, and authentication of candidates and verification on the achievement based on the competency assessed.

In his welcoming speech earlier, MQA chief executive officer Datuk Professor Dr Rujhan Mustafa thanked the two expert committees that developed the guidelines which were headed by Datuk Prof Dr Amin Embi from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (Credit Transfer for MOOC) and Dr Andy Liew Teik Kooi from WOU (APEL C).

Source: https://www.nst.com.my/news/2017/03/176499/mqa-launches-guidelines-enable-flexi-education-lifelong-learning