Access to HE Diploma
A qualification that prepares adult learners to progress into Higher Education study. 

Accreditation
The process by which units and courses are approved by the OCN.

Accreditation of prior learning
A facility which enables learners to present evidence of their prior learning for the award of credit.

Assessment
The process by which judgements are made about learners' achievements, including the methods by which assessment may be carried out and the way in which it is recorded.

Assessment Criteria
A statement of the standards a learner is expected to meet to demonstrate that a learning outcome has been achieved.

Centre recognition
The process through which a centre is approved to deliver N/OCN accreditation and qualifications

Credit
An award made to a learner in recognition of the achievement of a set of learning outcomes and assessment criteria (specified in an OCN unit).

Credit accumulation
The act of building up credits within an accredited OCN course or NOCN qualification, or between different accredited OCN courses or different NOCN qualifications.

Credit framework
A set of minimum specifications for valuing, measuring, describing and comparing achievement.

Credit transcript
A summary of individual learner achievements expressed in terms of credit award and level.

Credit transfer
Transferring credit from one OCN to another member of the National Open College Network (NOCN) or vice versa. All OCN credits are transferable to other members of NOCN.

Credit value
The value of a unit, based on the time it takes to achieve the learning outcomes in that unit. One credit is assigned for10 hours of learning.

Customised accreditation
Where a centre writes units for a course that they have created specifically for their learners, submits those units to OCNLR to have them approved and then assesses their learners against those units so that the learners can receive certificates for their achievements.

Exemption
Where a learner may be exempted from having to achieve a particular unit on a course because they have a certificate from previous study which is confirmed by OCN to be equivalent to that unit.

External verification
The process, carried out by an OCNLR appointed External Verifier, of checking and confirming that a course is being delivered according to OCN quality specifications and that learners can be awarded certificates for their achievements.

Internal verification
The process by which assessment practice carried out between different tutors in a centre is checked by an appointed Internal Verifier in that centre for consistency, reliability, appropriateness and validity.

Learning outcome
A statement of what a learner is expected to know, understand and/or be able to do as the result of a specific ‘chunk’ of learning.

Learning support
The facilities offered by an organisation which provide the support necessary for a learner to achieve the outcomes of a programme.

Learning time
The amount of time a typical learner might be expected to take to complete all of the learning required to achieve a particular unit.

Level
An indicator of the level of difficulty of a unit which is determined by a combination of the demand, complexity and depth of learning, as well as the degree of learner autonomy.

Level descriptor
The description or definition of the standards expected at a given level (e.g. Entry Level, Level 1, Level 2, Level 3).

Module
A package of learning in a course that may lead to one or more units.

On-line registration
The means by which centres register their learners on an OCN course or qualification

Quality Review
The process by which OCNLR confirms that the centre has all the quality assurance systems and requirements in place to support OCN accreditation.

Recognition Panel
A specially convened meeting to review, discuss and approve one or more Access to HE Diploma courses.

Recommendation for the Award of Credit Form (RAC)
The form OCNLR sends to the centre towards the end of a course, containing the learners registered by the centre on that course. The form is for the centre to identify which units each of those learners have achieved.

Registration Programme
The group of courses that an OCNLR recognised centre is approved to deliver

Rules of combination
The specified combination of core/mandatory and optional units required for achievement of a  QCF qualification or Access to HE Diploma

Standardisation
The process of comparing assessment practice on OCN accredited courses and qualifications across centres to ensure consistency, reliability and validity.

Target group
Those learners whose needs a course is primarily intended to meet.

Unit
All learning in OCN accredited courses and qualifications is assessed against units. A unit has a set of learning outcomes, assessment criteria for those outcomes, a credit value, a level and a title.

Unit Approval
The quality process by which a unit written by a centre is reviewed and confirmed by OCN as ready for use on a course.

March 2009