Documents
Annual MIAP Stakeholder Event 2008
More than 40 of MIAP’s key partners attended the annual Stakeholder event held at the Commonwealth Club in London on Monday 20 October 2008.
The event was an opportunity for stakeholders to find out what the MIAP Programme has achieved so far and contribute to its plans for improving information services within the education sector moving forward.
Vision for Education, Learning and Skills:
Download:
MIAP Services and the Changing Post-14 Landscape
(Bobbie McClelland, DIUS)
MIAP Roadmap:
Download: The MIAP Story So Far (Dean Williams, MIAP)
Stakeholders' View of MIAP:
Download: A Student's View (Ben Weaver, ESSA)
Download: A Provider's View (Richard Prosser, Brokenhurst College)
Download: An Awarding Body's View (John Cocks, City & Guilds)
Download: MIAP and Information Standards (Dorian Bradely, ISB)
The Learner Record:
Download: The Learner Record pt 1 (David Mace, MIAP)
Download: The Learner Record pt 2 (Marcus Mitchell, Corporate Edge)
Question and Answer Session Responses:
During the event delegates had the chance to put questions about MIAP to a panel of experts from the MIAP team. Please find below responses to a number of the questions raised at the event.
MIAP – General
Q: MIAP repeatedly refers to the UK and understandably. However, the UK is part of Europe. Does MIAP presently have any relations with similar bodies in Europe and are there any issues about having to add a UK flag to the present ULN configuration? This is an issue that needs addressing now particularly for those children of Service Personnel who are presently being educated in the UK but may have European ULNs.
A: The current MIAP policy is to support the creation and maintenance of Unique Learner Numbers for anyone who wishes to undertake learning who is based, either permanently or temporarily, in the UK. Whether a learning provider requests a ULN or not is driven by whether there is a mandatory need for one, submission of an ILR return to the LSC or to register a student for the Diploma for example. If a learning provider wishes to register a UK based learners for a ULN where there is no mandated need to do so they are free to request one. MIAP does not currently support the registration of Learners who are overseas and our address formats would need to be substantially changed to accommodate this. At the same time we see a longer term need to integrate with other EU initiatives that exist or may exist in the future. Any movement to a wider European co-operation would need to address the emerging European Naming standards and the sharing of achievement information and associated equivalence issues.
Q: How are we going to market the Learner Record to older learners?
A: The initial focus is on the sixteen plus age group where the majority of registration bodies are further education providers. As the record is populated with more participation and achievement data and more awarding bodies interface with the record, the requirement to make the broader end-user market aware of its existence will become important. As mentioned at the event the focus of our communication will be through providers and therefore in most instances once learners have registered and obtained their ULN, they will be advised of the record and its benefits. If in the future there is a requirement to market to specific age groups then we will adopt a market segmentation approach to determine the requirements of each specific target audience.
Q: How much consideration have we given to people with special needs: e.g. visually impaired and where English is not the first language?
A: We use government accessibility guidelines for special needs (same as in DirectGov)
MIAP - Security
Q: Has MIAP done any risk assessment on the possible damage that could arise from malign intervention?
A: Every release of the MIAP IT system has to first be independently vetted to ensure it conforms to recognised security standards. The MIAP Security Forum (which is independently chaired) has the authority to prevent the launch of a new release if it thinks there are significant security risks. In addition the Security Forum has overseen the definition and on-going application of a comprehensive risk assessment framework.
Statement of Security of MIAP Services
The MIAP Service has been, and continues to be, the subject of a government accreditation process providing assurance that it manages information security in keeping with ISO27001.
All aspects of MIAP provided by our prime supplier and associated with the live service are certified to ISO27001 in their own right as well as having been assessed as part of the MIAP accreditation process.
During the development of the system a series of workshops were held to discuss the risks associated with provision of the service and to identify ways of reducing them. These have been implemented and are regularly reviewed.
The MIAP Security Policy and supporting documentation form the baseline for the security of the system and are translated in to agreements made between LSC and various stakeholders. Theses Stakeholder representatives meet regularly with the accreditor and technical staff at the MIAP Security Forum which monitors and resolves security issues as necessary.
MIAP – Schools
Q: Whilst there are 3.7 million ULN’s allocated to students, it is only in FE that these numbers have found their way back to the institution - because the ULN is now a mandatory field in the ILR.
Within the schools sector, the return route for the ULN has stopped one step before the school - at the Key for Success website. As the ULN is only needed by schools for Diploma students, the vast majority of school students will not have their school record updated with the ULN that has been allocated. The consequence of this is that school based examination entries will not contain the ULN and therefore the easiest route to the automatic creation of the Learner Record has become impossible.
When is DCSF likely to relent and require schools to collect the ULN for ALL their students and make it mandatory in the annual school return?
It is only then that the ULN will start to flow through the system with sufficient ease and in sufficiently large numbers for the much-vaunted (and much-needed) Learner Record to become a reality.
A: In fact although the ULN may not be known to the student, it is known to the National Pupil database (NPD). We allocate ULNs to each student on that database through a bulk load process three times a year. The examination results are loaded to NPD through an established and well proven process. DCSF have give us permission to have access to the results that are now linked to a ULN so we can load all known Key Stage 4 and 5 achievements for pupils who have been given a ULN. In addition the ULNs that have been allocated to school pupils are available to schools through the Keys to Success website and may be used, at the schools discretion, for examination entries where they have agreed this with the relevant Awarding Bodies. In the longer term we would see the need for the download of NPD details for ULN allocation to be removed once schools have direct access to the LRS. This will need to be controlled through the normal processes for MIS vendor changes.
Unique Learner Number
Q: Are ULNs truly unique? What happens when a 14-year-old moves from one school to another - does he or she get a new number?
A: Yes ULNs are unique. Once they are allocated learners keep their ULNs for life. Only if the learner has not been issued with one already does the LRS allocate a new ULN.
The purpose of the MIAP Learner Registration Service (LRS) is to ensure schools or other learning providers can verify or create a learner’s ULN. The LRS does not just work for 14 year olds; it applies to any learner when they move from provider to provider.
Q: Why was it necessary for Brockenhurst College to develop an in house validation tool for ULNs?
A: Brockenhurst College developed their own validation tool to meet specific needs. The MIAP service listens to feedback from our stakeholders and is currently developing an improved interim validation solution.
Learner Record - General
Q: When will the Learner Record be available for population by Awarding Bodies?
A: Having the Learner record populated from timely feeds from Awarding Bodies is a strategic aim of the MIAP Programme. At the same time we recognise that there are demands upon Awarding Bodies driven by both the Diploma and QCF initiatives. Since it is highly likely that the QCF Programme will be dependent in some way on the availability of the MIAP Learner record it makes sense to address the two requirements together in a controlled way.
Q: Are there any thoughts on expanding the Learner Record to allow learners to upload personal statements or employment history?
A: MIAP is currently undertaking a significant piece of consultation work on the development of the Learner Record. Opportunities will be considered based on the demand and expected level of benefit which could be delivered through additional functionality.
Q: Can an individual no longer in education obtain a ULN to credit his/hers past achievements?
A: This question is in two parts. Firstly it is possible for a Learner who is not currently in education to ask our help desk whether they have a ULN already by providing the relevant answers to some key identification questions. If in so doing, it transpires that the Learner has not been allocated a ULN the help desk will not be able to create one. The creation of the ULN would need to be done by a Learning Provider who could verify the identity of the individual. Secondly, we recognise that there will be a demand to see historic achievements that were obtained before we started to capture this data reflected in a Learner record. Dependent upon the size of this demand we may provide some form of historic capture facilities within MIAP where the achievement can be verified by a reputable source.
Q: Does the Learner Record identify qualifications either acquired whilst as a part of extra curricular school activities (such as a life-saving award) or external to school (such as a significant musical qualification)?
A: At the moment, the focus is on formal qualifications regulated by Ofqual, and their counterparts in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. In the future, if there is the demand, MIAP could extend its scope to include other achievements and qualifications. Some of the data received from the ILR returns does relate to Learning that does not lead to a formally regulated qualification and we will display that participation.
Q: Is the UKRLP able to record details of the on-line service provided by my company?
A: If your company is entitled to be listed on UKRLP then a link to your own web site can be made available. UKRLP does not have the facility to advertise specific services which you may wish to publicise.
Learner Record – Sharing
Q: As the learner is intended to be in control about what information is shared with employers, how does this work if the school/college is asked by an employer to provide information about the learner's qualifications?
A: We recommend that the college or school pass the enquiry directly back to the learner to send an extract from their MIAP record to the employer. Only the Learner has access to this facility within MIAP
Q: How can employers challenge information about qualification achievements which have been provided to them by learners, where learners are able to conceal information?
A: The employer would ask the learner for more information, which the learner could then adapt their record accordingly, if they chose to do so, to share the appropriate information with the employer. MIAP does not allow learners to change their record themselves (e.g. change their grades, or invent qualifications), but they do have the option to not share some achievements if they wish.
Learner Record – Data Challenge
Q: If information changes after it has been published in MIAP, what will the process be to communicate those changes, especially with regard to liability if the incorrect award has a negative outcome?
A: MIAP’s role is to share (not publish) data held by the original sources of that data (e.g. Awarding Bodies); therefore the sources have a duty to maintain the accuracy of that data. There are data challenge processes which MIAP will broker to assist in the correction of errors. Any liability issues resulting from errors will depend on the circumstances of individual cases.
Learner Record – Qualifications and Credit Framework
Q: What is the advice to providers, at the key data entry parts of the process, on support to address capacity and capability issues relating to recording QCF information attached to the learner when the burden of an exponential increase in course related information to the learner is a vital element in ensuring the success of MIAP in terms of accurate information for funding agencies/ awarding bodies to accredit etc/ inspectorate to report on progress?
A: We believe this question is best answered by the emerging QCF service. MIAP will support the future QCF service in minimising its burden on providers.
Q: When will the Learner Record be available to support Credit Transfer?
A: The MIAP Learner Record will be fully integrated with the QCF and other Credit Based qualifications to enable Qualification Credit transfer. The exact timing of this is currently being discussed within the Programme responsible for the delivery of the QCF Service Layer.
Learner Record - Branding
Q. Why the literal end if the record is not going to move to an acronym?
A: Our brief is to develop a straightforward descriptive name for the Learner Record. Previous research we had done indicated that this would make the Learner Record sound to users, primarily learners, more credible and approachable. At the same time learners were adamant that it should not be an acronym, because that could be off-putting – making the Learner Record seem technical or sound as if it is ‘trying to be too clever’.
Effectiveness of communication is going to be important, because it is unlikely in many situations there will be large budgets available for communication about the Learner Record. And this is another reason for using a literal descriptive name – i.e. to keep the cost of explaining what the Learner Record is in any communications, because it says what it is.
Q: How do you make sure it is future proof?
A: Unfortunately we can’t predict the precise future of the Learner Record and we can’t guarantee that the name will be future proof. Nevertheless the process we have gone through included an intensive working session with MIAP to make sure the name writers understood the benefits and functionality of the Learner Record as planned. In addition to this candidate names will be put into research later this year to help select the most appropriate and likely to be future proof name.
Q: How to avoid names that already exist?
A: A survey of existing education sector names has been conducted and the candidate names have been through a professional legal checking process for potential conflict with existing registered names.
Q: What about expressing the element of control the learner has in the name?
A: This is one of the benefits we have looked at reflecting in the Learner Record name, for example some of the candidate names use the word personal. However we could potentially have a very long name if we reflected every benefit and aspect of the Learner Record in each name. Therefore, different candidate names contain different benefits and aspects, some which include the idea of control. Even if a name with a direct link to control are not chosen, this could be an area of communication that is addressed via marketing, on the website itself or other activity associated with the Learner Record.
