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SUMMARY:Ensuring comparability in a diverse and unregulated qualifications
  market - Professor Robert Coe (Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring\, Dur
 ham University)
DTSTART:20110428T143000Z
DTEND:20110428T160000Z
UID:TALK28393@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Liz Ford
DESCRIPTION:The aim of reducing central regulation of qualifications and a
 llowing a range of different providers to offer the qualifications they ju
 dge to be appropriate may have educational benefits\, as well as fitting w
 ith current political directions. Against this\, the pressure for regulati
 on comes partly from the need to ensure comparability of standards across 
 different specifications\, subjects and qualification types. How can we re
 concile these conflicting demands? Can we reduce regulation and allow a di
 verse range of qualifications\, but still maintain comparability?\n\nIn th
 is talk Professor Coe will propose a structure for doing this. The startin
 g point is that there is no such thing as absolute comparability\, only co
 mparability for a specific purpose. For key purposes such as using qualifi
 cations to select applicants to higher education\, or for school accountab
 ility\, there are a number of statistical models that can be used to defin
 e comparability at the point of use\, rather than in the process of awardi
 ng. These would allow awarding bodies to define\, judge and certify outcom
 es as they see fit\, but then to assign different values to those certifie
 d outcomes (eg grades) according to their relevance to the particular purp
 ose being considered. Examples will be given\, together with a discussion 
 of pros and cons of different approaches.\n
LOCATION:Cambridge Assessment\, 9 Hills Road\, Cambridge
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