TVETipedia Glossary

Accreditation

Accreditation is a process by which an officially approved body, on the basis of assessment of learning outcomes and/or competences according to different purposes and methods, awards qualifications (certificates, diplomas or titles), or grants equivalences, credit units or exemptions, or issues documents such as portfolios of competences. In some cases, the term accreditation applies to the evaluation of the quality of an institution or a programme as a whole.

Source:
UIL, UNESCO GUIDELINES for the Recognition, Validation and Accreditation of the Outcomes of Non-formal and Informal Learning, 2012
UIL, UNESCO GUIDELINES for the Recognition, Validation and Accreditation of the Outcomes of Non-formal and Informal Learning, 2012
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The UNESCO Guidelines for the Recognition, Validation and Accreditation of the Outcomes of Non-formal and Informal Learning were developed to facilitate recognition, validation and accreditation (RVA) of all learning outcomes, particularly those of non-formal and informal learning. UNESCO Member States also committed themselves to establishing recognition frameworks to develop and improve RVA principles and mechanisms.

The process by which a non-govemmental private body evaluates the quality of a higher education institution as a whole or of a specific educational programme in order to formally recognize it as having met certain pre-determined minimal criteria or standards. The result of this process is usually the awarding of a status (a yes/no decision), of recognition, and sometimes of a license to operate a time-limited validity.

Source:
UNESCO CEPES 2007: Quality Assurance and Accreditation: A Glossary of Basic Terms and Definitions

The official recognition and approval of training courses, programmes and institutions.

Source:
ILO, Glossary of Key Terms on Learning and Training for Work, 2006
ILO, Glossary of Key Terms on Learning and Training for Work, 2006
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The "Glossary of key terms on learning and training for work" provides a comprehensive overview of terms and their definition used in the field of human resource development and training. Each tenn is followed by its definition and link to related terms. When a term has a broader general meaning, the definition given in the Glossary refers to its use in the training context. Both terms and definitions, as well as cross-references to synonyms and related terms are commonly used by the International Labour Office (ILO) and several other intematlonal organizations involved in human resources development and training.