Are ALISON courses accredited/recognised?

Accreditation

There are a range of for-profit and non-profit organisations for accreditation that provide guidance for the evaluation and/or accreditation of learning programmes. These differ greatly in their qualification requirements and you should review them with care, based on your goals.

ALISON provides a stringent internal review system for its interactive learning platform and completion programme.

What is Accreditation?

Educational accreditation is a type of quality assurance process, performed by an external body, to determine if the service and operations of an educational institute or programme meet applicable standards. In most countries this is done by a government organisation. In the USA it is done by private accrediting agencies.

Through accreditation, an education provider can maintain and improve its standards and practices. Accrediting bodies develop criteria or standards by which an organisation can be measured. It is the responsibility of the accrediting body to audit the programme or educational institute on the basis of quality, accountability, and improvement.

Why is Accreditation important?

Accreditation is important to various groups because it represents an organisation's commitment to quality and control. Being an accredited programme/organisation helps show those interested that the quality and control criteria set by accreditation agencies are being met.

Business and industry leaders are interested in the quality of programmes and consider accreditation status an important factor. Individuals are assured of accountability and of value for their efforts through the arrangement between the programme and the accrediting entity via procedure and policy control and compliance with established standards.

Knowing something about the accreditation of a programme or institute can tell a student a lot about the value of the course for which (s)he is paying. It is also important to make sure that the accrediting agency that has approved the institute is reputable.



On which basis is Accreditation offered?

Accrediting agencies or boards establish certain standards which are required to be met by an institution in order to get an accredited status. Their core function is to promote high-quality education by identifying standards that outline best educational practices. These boards or agencies evaluate the institute/organisation for the following areas:

•       institution’s mission or vision
•       educational practices
•       administration
•       faculty
•       financial stability
•       policies and student services.

Institutions fulfilling the requirements for these areas are then granted accreditation.


ALISON Standards

Accreditation generally means that a provider or programme has been evaluated by an independent group, and meets the standards of that accrediting agency. As seen, there are many options for accreditation. The process is VOLUNTARY; it is not required to operate. Smaller programmes often cannot fund the cost of such an ongoing review process.

In an effort to keep programme costs down and to retain the current motivational-based format of ALISON, ALISON has not sought to be, nor been, approved by the US DOE, CHEA or DETC provider and does not represent itself to be an “accredited” programme of any of these organisations.

ALISON has built a reputation around the world for providing high-quality learning services. ALISON courses are devised in accordance with best practices worldwide. Standards applied mirror those instituted by the ECDL Foundation / Microsoft Corporation, (IT Literacy), the British Council (English Learning), the Australian High School standards (our school curriculum courses) and the Health and Safety Authority. ALISON maintains and builds upon the highest standards of courseware pedagogy and relevance. Many ALISON courses match the exact curriculum requirements of leading certifications. For other courses, the curriculum chosen by ALISON is deemed by experts as the most appropriate for the level of course offered.  ALISON Certificates of Completion provide evidence that the learner has acquired the relevant knowledge/skill-set.

ALISON offers an additional feature, not available from traditional course providers; this is the ALISON Test feature which enables the testing of the knowledge level of ALISON graduates online, anywhere, at any time. The facility is used by employers and organisations and institutions around the world. No other method of learning offers such a dynamic validation of competence and knowledge. Recognition by UNESCO (ICT Excellence in Education awards) and the Ashoka Foundation is further endorsement of a world-class service from ALISON.

ALISON courses are availed of in every country by every type of organisation including universities, schools, and private and public organisations of every size.

ALISON incorporates an internal review or “self-auditing” approach to ensure consistent standards that include - but are not limited to-:

•     creating impetus for organisational improvement and assisting in the general raising of standards for granting awards,
•     offering an equal opportunity for anyone to receive evaluation and an education programme.

When choosing a course to study it is important to consider your own educational goals and learning needs, as well as accreditation status. Lack of accreditation does not mean that an educational provider is inferior or illegitimate. Accreditation is not essential for many training courses where learners acquire a skill that is of enormous benefit in a personal capacity.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Are_Alison_online_diplomas_and_certifications_recognized

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Educational_accreditation

http://www.elearners.com/guide/online-colleges-universities-and-schools/accreditation/