Awarding Organisations
The Learning Records Service helps streamline how individual learning and achievement information is collected, handled and shared across the education sector.
In conjunction with key partners, including QCDA, we have developed the Learner Register (formerly called the Learner Registration Service). This free product allows all awarding organisations and educational providers to create / verify Unique Learner Numbers (ULNs) and where appropriate, verify the qualification, award, credit, units and component learning information in order to streamline awarding bodies own business operations.
The Unique Learner Number (ULN) is a 10-digit identifier. It plays a significant role in the administration of many awarding organisations for the purpose of verifying your candidate details and sharing learning and achievement information such as awards. However, it will not necessarily replace awarding organisations' own enrolment or candidate numbers, but will help link information coming in from schools and being used later by colleges and universities.
Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF)
QCF will be using the Personal Learning Record, which supports Credit Accumulation and Transfer (CAT). CAT enables learners to accumulate their unit achievements within their own Personal Learning Record and transfer these units between lcentres, colleges, learning providers and awarding organisations to gain full qualifications. The ULN is the key identifier that will allow the different units awarded by different organisations to be matched together, accumulated and transferred, where appropriate, for an individual to achieve full qualifications.The ULN will be of benefit to both the candidate and centre by providing a consistent point of reference - a 10 digit identifying number.
The Learning Records Service will be rolling out the Personal Learning Record with candidates and students, schools, colleges, centres and providers. Next Steps, the new name for the all age IAG careers advice service will also be using the ULN and PLR for the direct benefit of all those seeking lifelong careers advice.
Over a third of all awarding bodies have signed up to use the ULN and the Personal Learning Record in order to comply with the new QCF reforms being introduced across all awarding bodies from September 2010. It is also being considered for their full catalogue of UK qualifications. The Welsh Assembly is pilotting its use as well as Universities in England.
Click here to read and access the new PLR agreements for Awarding Bodies. Click here to access and download an AO Business Case toolkit which is designed to help you prepare for QCF implementation and automatically flowing in candidate information into their Personal Learning Records.
14-19 Diplomas
The ULN is a compulsory element of 14-19 Diplomas. It is required by all the awarding organisations involved in the aggregation of any 'units or components' that will contribute to a Diploma. Component awarding organisations send a candidate’s component achievements to the Diploma Aggregation Service (DAS). This service aggregates a learner's component achievements, notifying the relevant Diploma awarding organisation when a learner has completed all the elements required for a full Diploma. The Diploma awarding organisation can then issue the final Diploma certificate. The ULN is the key identifier that allows the different components to be matched together and aggregated for an individual to achieve the Diploma.
The Learning Records Service provides completely free to use systems, products and functions to support:
- Better sharing of award information and data between centres, colleges, universities and Next Steps
- Aggregation of a candidates's achievement data into qualifications
- A sector wide means to streamline examination administration using one ULN which could be used as a unified Candidate Identifier
- A secure mechanism enabling student candidates to access their qualifications and other achievements electronically using the PLR
- Candidates are always in control of how that data is shared outside awarding organisations
For more information and support:
