12.2: The Principles of Articulation
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When considering how to articulate a course for transfer credit, evaluators are faced with numerous decisions. Fortunately, they can turn to a number of principles to guide them as they try to ensure that courses are articulated fairly and consistently. These can be divided into foundational principles, operating principles, and provisional principles.
Foundational Principles
Foundational principles are those which lie at the core of decisions about all articulation of courses and programs.
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Equivalence: Equivalent means “equal in value”. A course submitted for articulation will likely never be identical to the corresponding course at the receiving institution. The assessment of equivalence involves identifying the degree to which it matches in content or outcomes. Discipline and program contexts will dictate the relative importance of the similarity.
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In lieu: The act of awarding transfer credit implies the acceptance of a course in place of a course or program requirement offered at the receiving institution. The course to be transferred does not have to be identical to the course for which transfer credit is granted, but the degree of similarity should ensure that students will have the necessary knowledge and background to be successful in more advanced courses.
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Applicability: It is appropriate to award transfer credit for courses that can be used to fulfill the specific or general requirements of a credential or program at the receiving institution.
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Fairness: Provisos and restrictions (such as adding a specific grade requirement) should not be placed on equivalent courses unless those same restrictions apply at the institution awarding the transfer credit, or there are clear and defensible reasons for doing so.
Situational Principles
Situational principles provide useful guidance but are not universally applicable. While they form part of the decision-making toolkit for articulation, situations and contexts create provisos for their application. Two such principles are relevant to the articulation of online courses.
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Pedagogy: Under some circumstances it is appropriate to consider how a course is taught. Factors such as cultural sensitivity, or opportunities for practising skills, may be integral to content mastery. See “Awarding Credit” below, for more on pedagogy.
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Delivery: How a course is delivered is normally immaterial to its articulation, since teaching a course in a distance delivery format (as opposed to face-to-face) should not affect its equivalence. However, there may be occasions where the content is intrinsically linked to delivery, and an alternative mode impacts on equivalence. It may also be relevant whether a course is offered only online, or if an online course is a version of a course normally delivered in a traditional classroom.
Operational Principles
Operational principles refer to practices and attitudes that will facilitate articulation. In the case of online courses the following two are relevant:
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Comparability: Since it should be possible to compare courses, the elements of the course must be clearly outlined and should be interpretable by faculty in the same or a related field. The best assurance of comparability is a course outline that is comprehensive enough to allow for the assessment of equivalence, and that conforms broadly or specifically to the local norms of course description.
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Transparency: Assessment practices should be open to scrutiny. Any individual who assigns transfer credit based on the assessment of a course should be prepared to explain the reasons for the decision, including any influencing factors.
Using The Principles to Request and Assess Credit for Online Courses
The course developer (at the sending institution) and the course assessor (at the receiving institution) both have a part to play in ensuring that appropriate transfer credit will be allocated when a student transfers. The onus is on the course developer to provide accurate, detailed and honest information about the course, while the assessor must base his or her decision on sound principles, and act fairly and in the best interests of the student.