lifelong learning and distance higher education - Asia Pacific Region

of all possible credentials across borders be possible. Portfolio development can form avaluable addition to international credential evaluation to identify and document all formsof learning. Additionally, more objective test instruments should be developed to assesscompetencies further. Nuffic will continue to work on the development of instruments forthe assessment of prior learning of immigrants. In this process, it will continuously takenote of developments at European and international levels and, where possible, link upwith instruments developed internationally.POLICY CONSIDERATIONSThe policy issues that can be drawn from the above are summarised below:• Make sure that reliable and transparent information about the national qualityassurance and accreditation system is easily available for potential students,international credential evaluators working at national information centres or ateducational institutions and employers.Whether a diploma, degree or qualification will be officially recognised in anothercountry depends to a large extent on the quality of the study programme and theinstitution providing it. Students intending to study abroad should therefore firstmake enquiries about the quality of their proposed programme and institution andabout the recognition that their diploma will have on return to their home country.Similarly, people and organisations involved in the evaluation of diplomas awardedin other countries — admissions officers at educational institutions, employershiring holders of foreign credentials and credential evaluators at recognisingorganisations — need to know if and how the basic quality of a specific programmehas been assured. This sort of information is not always readily available, but evenwhen it is, it may not be intended for an overseas readership. With this in mind,Nuffic in the role as Netherlands NARIC / ENIC and the Netherlands FlemishAccreditation Organisation (NVAO) took the initiative to develop a Web site foroverseas readers that contains all the information they need on quality assuranceand accreditation in the Netherlands. This initiative is being supported by the ENICand NARIC networks and the European Network for Quality Assurance in HigherEducation (ENQA).• Providers of distance e-learning should try to gain access to national (orinternational) quality assurance and accreditation systemsIt is advised that providers of distance e-learning follow the providers in thetraditional distance education sector. However, they may be confronted with criteriaand standards that do not apply to their specific type of education. An alternativewould be that e-learning providers jointly define standards and criteria. In a laterstage these standards can be integrated in national (or international) quality assurancesystems.• Make sure that reliable and transparent information about the aim, structure andcontent of the study programme is available by issuing a Diploma Supplement.The Bologna process has contributed to putting recognition issues at the centrestage of the higher education policy debate in Europe. The automatic issue of theDiploma Supplement free of charge in a widely spoken European language by 2005is one of the key policy measures of this process. Institutions offering virtual studyprogrammes or courses must make sure that they issue reliable and transparentinformation on the aim, structure and content of the programme or course.130