The Problem of Education Levels (Part 1): Conceptualising a Framework for Credit Accumulation and Transfer

Abstract

Current presentations of a Credit Accumulation and Transfer (CAT) framework are based on a matrix with two dimensions: notional learning time and ‘general educational level”. The latter concept is currently presented in terms of hierarchical metaphors for understanding cognitive processes, organisational responsibilities, and experiential commitment. Each of these metaphors is at best highly questionable, and the assumption that they can be combined to form a CAT framework has more to do with managerial ideology than with educational theory. Furthermore, although the notion of an education ‘currency’ based on notional learning time is helpful in some respects, its use in combination with a hierarchy of levels means that the currency of educational credit is non‐convertible, revealing the limitations of the currency metaphor.