The Evolution and Future of University Accreditation
by Dr. Brian Murphy
Credentialing will play a crucial role in shaping Ireland’s future educational landscape and our modern workforce, as we transition from the Information Age to the Age of Intelligence. In simple terms, university accreditation is like a quality check for colleges. It's a process where an external body looks at a university to make sure it meets certain standards for things like teaching, facilities, and overall quality. This check helps maintain good education standards, makes sure universities are accountable and builds trust among students and employers. Being accredited also gives universities more credibility and recognition in the academic and professional world.
Accreditation Standards
In Ireland, the accreditation framework today is managed by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI). QQI, formed in 2012 by combining four Irish education and training agencies, is the national authority tasked with creating and managing the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) and ensuring the quality of education and training across the country.
The National Framework of Qualifications organises Irish tertiary qualifications into levels 6 to 10, which represent different stages of training and further and higher education. Level 6 typically includes higher certificates and vocational qualifications, providing practical skills and knowledge for specific roles. Level 7 comprises ordinary bachelor's degrees and equivalent qualifications, offering deeper understanding and specialised knowledge in various fields. Level 8 encompasses honours bachelor's degrees and higher diplomas, emphasising advanced theoretical understanding and professional competence. Level 9 involves master's degrees, postgraduate diplomas, and advanced professional qualifications, focusing on specialised expertise and research skills. Finally, Level 10 represents doctoral degrees, indicating the highest level of academic achievement and expertise, often involving significant research contributions to a particular field.
In Ireland, just like in many other countries, accreditation processes go through thorough assessments of institutions, programmes, and what students learn. This is to make sure they meet international standards and maintain a high level of education and training quality.
Ireland's strong national accreditation processes have acted as a robust defence against the spread of diploma mills and accreditation mills. Diploma mills are organisations that provide degrees or diplomas with minimal academic requirements, often for a fee. Similarly, accreditation mills are entities that assert they can assess and accredit institutions without following accepted quality standards. These questionable practices can compromise the credibility of education by awarding credentials without ensuring students meet genuine academic standards. Such institutions can prioritise profit over educational quality, resulting in a devaluation of qualifications and eroding public trust in the education system.
Ireland's commitment to strict accreditation standards ensures that educational institutions in the country meet established benchmarks, preserving the credibility of degrees, diplomas, and certificates. This proactive approach ensures that educational achievements are aligned with real learning standards, enhancing the overall quality of the educational system. Additionally, Ireland's rigorous accreditation standards serve as a strong selling point in attracting international students to come and study here. This is because our degrees have strong global currency and are internationally respected, making Ireland an appealing destination for higher education. However, Ireland’s commitment to strict accreditation standards face unprecedented challenges in the contemporary landscape.
The evolution of higher education
The internet's ever-expanding influence on education is transformative, presenting both opportunities and challenges. While online education enhances accessibility, it also opens the door to unaccredited programmes and diploma mills, posing risks to unsuspecting learners. The digitalisation of courses, a crucial aspect of modern education, improves efficiency but requires careful regulation to prevent the proliferation of substandard online courses.
The mass movement of people globally has increased the diversity of students in Ireland, presenting new challenges in ensuring that higher education meets the needs of an increasingly heterogeneous student body. Furthermore, the evolving demands of the workforce, the changing nature of work itself, not to mention the revolution in remote and hybrid working, all emphasise continuous upskilling and reskilling. As the landscape of work transforms, there's a growing recognition of the importance of lifelong learning, as well as the strong emergence in the workforce of earner-learners—individuals who balance employment with ongoing education or training. This shift highlights the need for higher education to provide flexible, relevant, and timely learning opportunities to meet the demands of both traditional students and working professionals.
Additionally, skill shortages in various industries underscore the urgency for workforce reskilling initiatives, where educational institutions play a crucial role in equipping individuals with the skills needed to fill these gaps and adapt to evolving job requirements. In Ireland, this transformative evolution in higher education reflects a broader societal recognition of the interconnectedness between education, employment, and lifelong learning.
Irish Accreditation in high demand
This evolution is also marked by a surge in demand for education in Ireland. Despite having an aging population, Ireland also has one of the EU's youngest and fastest-growing populations, boasting the highest percentage of people under 20 in the European Union. Additionally, Ireland, along with Luxembourg, leads in tertiary education attainment rates within the EU. This emphasises the growing perception that Higher Education is crucial for success in the Irish job market.
The challenge lies in addressing the supply and demand dynamics arising from a burgeoning population and the escalating need for tertiary education. To meet this challenge, Irish universities are veering away from conventional education models, aiming to establish a more adaptable and accessible learning environment. As the nation grapples with this transition, there is a need for a rigorous inquiry into the opportunities it presents for the future of Irish higher education, especially in the context of demographic and societal shifts, and its potential impact on enterprise, innovation, and future skills needs.
The role of accreditation and credentialing
Central to this evolution is the critical role of accreditation and credentialing, which plays a pivotal role in upholding the integrity of education and training and meeting the requirements of a skilled and flexible workforce.
To tackle these challenges, policymakers and educational institutions need to take into account the changing needs of students, the influence of technological progress, and the imperative of promoting a culture of ongoing learning. Furthermore, sustained cooperation between industry and academia is essential to guarantee that accredited education stays flexible, relevant, and in sync with the ever-changing demands of the modern world. As Ireland wrestles with these intricacies, Accredited Talent Development emerges as a link between education and employability, ensuring that graduates possess the skills necessary for success in the workforce.
In short, Accredited Talent Development involves officially recognised programmes designed to improve and validate individuals' skills. These programmes, meeting specific quality standards, aim to equip individuals with the essential capabilities to enhance their employability and succeed in the workforce.
Accredited Talent Development - benefits for individuals and employers
In the present era shaped by digital advancements, universities must play a vital role as partners in preparing us for future jobs, going beyond traditional learning. The evolving nature of technology is reshaping job requirements, emphasising the need for continuous learning. Universities must ensure that our education is relevant and meets the standards sought by companies. Accreditation serves as a stamp of approval, assuring that our education aligns with the demands of the digital world – a crucial aspect in a job market where possessing the right skills holds more weight than traditional qualifications. Accreditation communicates to employers that we possess the current, relevant skills they are seeking.
Employers are increasingly looking to make gaining accredited skills part of an individual’s ongoing career journey, not just a one-time accomplishment; it becomes a commitment to always doing one’s best. It encourages people to see education as something that's always important and always evolving, especially in an era when being adaptable is really important for having a successful career. To really make a difference, Accredited Talent Development should be an integral part of how companies and organisations work, not just something you achieve once. By connecting accreditation with how people progress in their careers, businesses and entities create a clear path for employees to grow, making sure they can surmount the challenges of the digital age. This also shows that a person's credentials are proof of their dedication to improving and upskilling, making the whole organisation stronger and more competitive.
The value of Accreditation
As we navigate the changes of the digital age and now the advent of Generative AI, we need a national conversation on rethinking the role of universities and how important accreditation is. Accreditation is like the glue that connects what we learn with what the workforce needs. It can help people not just survive but thrive in the digital age. As universities and companies embrace this new way of thinking, accreditation will stop being just an achievement and become a powerful force shaping careers today and in the future.
So where can all this lead us, what is the future of accreditation and what it might look like? Undoubtedly, Higher Education is on the cusp of a transformative shift, with experts anticipating a move towards more flexible accreditation models. The traditional measures of accreditation are expected to give way to a focus on outcomes and competencies, signalling a departure from the conventional norms.
Micro-credentials
In the Irish context, the emergence of micro-credentials, currently in development by the Irish Universities Association in collaboration with partner universities and industry input, offers smaller, flexible, bite-sized learning options for efficient skill acquisition in the digital age. These accredited courses act as a powerful tool, enabling learners to quickly adapt to the changing job market influenced by digital transformation, the green transition, automation and globalisation. Micro-credentials can effectively meet the demand for upskilling and reskilling, assisting employees in staying relevant and helping organisations bridge skill gaps within their workforce, fostering a culture of continuous learning that aligns with diverse learner needs and dynamic job market requirements.
Furthermore, the potential for individual micro-credentials to be stackable introduces a strategic dimension. This allows learners to systematically accumulate specialised skills, ultimately leading to a more substantial award. It is worth emphasising here that, in 2023, the OECD, in its Skills Strategy for Ireland, recommended that Irish universities “promote greater flexibility in the lifelong learning offer to help individuals and employers incorporate ongoing learning into daily life.” The OECD suggested that this could be achieved by taking action to “strengthen the recognition, accreditation and stackability of lifelong learning opportunities in line with the National Framework of Qualifications (e.g. through stackable micro-credentials, digital badges, etc.).”
Recognition of Prior Learning
Technology is poised to play a pivotal role in progressing this agenda, enabling real-time assessment and feedback. With the changing landscape of education, including the rise of online and hybrid learning, there is a growing consensus that accreditation must adapt to stay relevant. One notable trend gaining momentum is competency-based accreditation, recognised as a more effective measure of students' skills and knowledge, reflective of the evolving needs of the modern workforce. Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) emerges as a crucial component in this context, facilitating greater accessibility to lifelong learning by acknowledging individuals' previous education, skills, work experience, and societal engagement. This is in line with current national policy and indeed, Our Shared Future, the Programme for Government 2020-2025, commits to “develop and implement a standardized system of accreditation of prior learning.” Better integrating RPL into accreditation processes can democratise Irish education further, ensuring that learners receive recognition for their diverse learning pathways and experiences, thereby fostering a more inclusive and equitable educational landscape.
The above point is, perhaps, all the more relevant against a backdrop of increased immigration levels in Ireland, where, in the most recent available figures, the population saw a notable rise of 97,600 people in the year leading up to April 2023, with 141,600 immigrants, the second highest in 16 years since the final days of the Celtic Tiger in 2008. A body of literature is now emerging that shows Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is crucial for migrants. RPL recognises their varied educational backgrounds, professional experiences, and skills acquired in their home countries. This recognition aids in their smoother integration into the workforce and society of their new host country.
The Future of Accreditation
Looking towards the future of accreditation, the entrenched idea of a fixed accreditation period may face challenges as continuous assessment and lifelong learning become integral components. Accordingly, accrediting bodies are evolving to become more consultative and supportive, which, in turn, will foster continuous improvement in educational institutions.
Continuous dialogue and collaboration among stakeholders will be crucial for shaping the future of university accreditation. The pace of change in the digital age will mean a need for constant feedback loops between accreditation bodies and educational institutions, fostering a culture of ongoing improvement. With a greater focus on aligning education with workforce needs, industry partnerships and engagement will become integral in shaping accreditation standards.
In the context of essential skills for the digital age, versatility, alongside an appetite for continuous learning, will be in demand. Emphasis on critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills may lead to the development of new assessment methodologies within accreditation frameworks. As the need for interdisciplinary skills rises, accreditation processes may shift towards recognising and valuing the integration of diverse knowledge areas. This dual emphasis ensures individuals are equipped with the cognitive flexibility and innovation required to thrive in a rapidly changing technological landscape.
In the digital era, where processes can easily become distant and depersonalised, but perhaps more rapid, transparency and accountability in accreditation processes must be enhanced by placing a greater emphasis on communicating outcomes and benefits to all stakeholders involved.
As Ireland navigates an ever-changing educational landscape, marked by a surge in demand and the impact of digital advancements, Accredited Talent Development becomes crucial. It serves not only as a link between education and employability but also as a commitment to continuous learning in a dynamic job market. The future of accreditation holds promise with a shift towards flexible models. Micro-credentials exemplify a strategic approach to meet the demands of a digitised workforce. Technology, competency-based accreditation, and interdisciplinary skills recognition will shape accreditation in the digital era.
As we envision this future, a dynamic approach by accrediting bodies, coupled with industry partnerships, ensures educational institutions stay aligned with the evolving needs of the workforce. In this pursuit, the emphasis on versatility, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills will be paramount, fostering a generation of individuals equipped to thrive in a rapidly changing technological landscape. The future of higher education accreditation is a tapestry, weaving the rich history of academic validation with the demands of a technology-driven world, preparing learners for the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow.
About the author
Dr. Brian Murphy BA, PhD [NUI], PGDip is Enterprise Partnership Lead in the Technological University Dublin Enterprise Academy. Prior to taking on this role, he was a lecturer in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at TU Dublin.
Brian earned his doctorate in Modern Irish History from the School of History and Archives, University College Dublin. Brian’s monograph Forgotten Patriot: Douglas Hyde and the Foundation of the Irish Presidency was published in 2016 by the Collins Press. He previously co-edited Brian Lenihan: In Calm and Crisis, the 2014 best-selling book on the public career of the former Irish Minister for Finance. Brian’s latest book, From Whence I Came: The Kennedy Legacy, Ireland and America, co-edited with Professor Donnacha Ó Beacháin, was published in 2021 by the Irish Academic Press.
Brian is a director of the Kennedy Summer School, New Ross, and a former director of the John F. Kennedy Trust.
