CREDITISATION OF LEARNING WILL PROVE TO BE A GAME CHANGER

Academic institutions viz…. UGC, AICTE/ N C V E T , NIOS, NCERT, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Skill Development have jointly prepared a draft ‘National Credit Framework’. It will prove to be a game changer as the framework is holistic, integrative, flexible, realistic and comprehensive. The framework claims creditisation of all learnings, assignments, accumulation, storage, transfer and redemption of credit will mandatorily subject to assessment. Credit for Academics accompanied by vocational and experiential learning has been for the first time has been quantified in an integrative manner. This will include classes, laboratory work, sports and games, yoga, physical activities, performing art, social work, field sits, NCC, training and skills, on-the-job training internship, apprenticeship etc.

SALIENT FEATURES
The framework will also take care of the equivalence between vocational and general education. Besides, it enables mobility and storage of credits through ‘The Academic Bank of Credit’. In addition, it determines pathways for multiple entry and exit opportunities for students. The framework offers not only freedom to choose learning trajectories by students and career choices but also incorporates midway correction and modification mechanisms as per students’ talent and interest. Extensive use of technology and innovative access and opportunities for DIVYANGS are special features of this framework. In this framework exams will no more be yearend appraise of the act of god but the continuous and multi-pronged realtime assessment of learning measured in terms of internalized capabilities are additional salient features of the framework. The obsession that grades are equal to learning will go now.

BENEFITS OF CREDIT FRAMEWORK
Integration of academic, vocational and experiential learning.
Vertical and horizontal mobility of students.
Removal of the need for equivalence certification Provision of credit transfer.
Encourage the exchange of international students.
Faculty with foreign universities.
Formal education and learning ecosystem.
Learning through family inheritance- informal knowledge skills.
Removal of hard separation between general and vocational education.
Enables special assessment criteria for Divyang students

There is the provision of National learning hours in which a student will be required 1200 hours per year to earn 40 credits. Learning 1200 hours per year will thus mandatorily be subject to rigorous assessment for academic provision. Assessment bend 1to 8 for vocational education, 4 for school education, 4.5 to 6 for under graduation, 6 to 7 for post-graduation and 8 for PhD have been determined by the framework. The proposed credit system will take into account the learning hours put in by a learner irrespective of stream of education (General or Vocational)

CHALLENGES AHEAD
Implementing National Credit Framework may prove to be a game changer in education and there will be a paradigm shift. The shift is towards outcomebased learning, achieving learning objectives, course objectives, and programme objectives have to be achieved which will be based on the quantum of learning on the one hand (1200 National Learning Hours rigorous continuous per year to earn 40 credits) and mandatory assessment of the quantum of learning or credit earned for the academic profession.

IT HAS BEEN LAUDED THAT THERE WILL BE CREDITISATION FOR WHAT MATTERS.
Blurring the boundaries between academics and vocational skills steam is a welcome measure but it would be very difficult to implement. Especially educational institutions having an infrastructural gap and delivering specialized professional courses only will find it difficult to implement.

Implementing the idea of the Academic Bank of credits (ABC) a digital storehouse that contains the information of all the credits earned by the students which enable the students to study across the HEI has many pros and cons before it gets implemented. If a student studies in the first year in one HEI and breaks his studies after the break. He wants to join another HEI in the second year his/her f credit earned the first year will be stored in ABC. It may prove to be difficult for the student to cope as courses offered in another HEI (Higher Education Institution) may be different. It will affect the organized and systematic structure of learning among HEI.

Framework applauds about creditisation of what matters viz… critical thinking, problemsolving, holistic development and citizenship values. It affirms the generalization of education in the name of holistic education but to achieve specific customized skills. Sometimes we need to focus on specialized learning rather than generalized learning.

There are challenges to assessment and evaluation in this framework. HEIs would need to evolve new vibrant and creative methods of assessment and evaluation of integrated kinds of learning as learning 1200 National learning hours will need a variety of assessment criteria. Academics, vocational and experiential learning can not be assessed with uniform measures.

It has been said that specialised assessment measures will be used for Divyang students but it has not been clear whether assessment measures for them will be less cumbersome for them as compared o normal students. However, this is a special feature which showed us welcomes as it has been at least thought off for the first time in a policy document.

The framework gives more focus on those courses having the highest future linkages. The country needs to identify and create these courses which are futurelinked and hence can employ youth in large numbers. Framework expects to create employable, productive, inventive and responsible global citizens. Finally, it has been said that this framework shall act as a broad enabling framework rather than a regulation. It is believed that NCRF will enable the transformation of India by providing HEIs with a greater opportunity to integrate effective skills to reap the benefits of youth dividends and future skills linkages.