WHAT IS ACCREDITATION?
Definition of accreditation
accreditation n. - official authorisation or approval, recognition of conforming with a
standard
to accredit v. - to recognise (an educational institution) as maintaining standards that qualify
the graduates for admission to higher or more specialised institutions or for
professional practice
Both the service offered by the course provider and the academic content of a course
can be accredited.
Academic Accreditation
Certificate courses which qualify you to teach should be accredited by one of the
following validating bodies in order to be recognised by the British Council (seen as the
benchmark of the TEFL/TESOL world):- Trinity College London; College of Teachers;
UCLES; any UK University. These courses must be at least 100 hours in length and
should either include or have access to a teaching practice.
Introductory courses cannot be accredited by the above as they are not courses which
qualify you to teach. They provide an introduction to TEFL/TESOL and are usually 40-
70 hours in length.
Service Accreditation
Established in 1969 by a joint government/private sector initiative, ODLQC is the
national body which assesses quality in open and distance learning in the UK.
Its role is to recognise quality of service through its accreditation scheme, and to
protect the interests of the learner.
Accreditation is awarded only after a rigorous assessment, by independent experts, of
the educational service offered by a provider, to ensure that it meets the Standards set
by the Council. Accredited course providers are re-assessed annually.
The ODLQC Guarantee
TEFLstop (part of the INTESOL Worldwide group) is accredited by ODLQC, the national body for qualiry in open and distance learning. This means that TEFLstop has achieved the standards set by the Council, who are satisfied that the service you the learner receive from TEFLstop will be of good quality. If it is not, or you cannot resolve a dispute with TEFLstop, please let us know AT ODLQC. Write to Leaner Support, ODLQC, 16 Park Crescent, London W1B 1AH and we will look into your case
Having been granted accreditation by the Open and Distance Learning Quality Council we at TEFLstop (part of the INTESOL Worldwide group) ensure that the following code of practice is observed:
The ODLQC Code of Practice
- To maintain the quality of service to our students, in terms of learning materials, tutorial and administrative support, to at least the standards being achieved at the time when accreditation was granted;
- To ensure that any requirements stipulated by Council as a result of the accreditation process are met as soon as practicable and the actions taken are reported to Council;
- To observe at all times the standards required by Council;
- To take all possible steps to enhance the quality of service to our students;
- To ensure that any major changes affecting the services offered to our open and/or distance learning students are formally brought to the attention of the Council's Secretary without delay;
- To take prompt action when dealing with student complaints;
- To act in partnership with the Council in promoting good practice in open and distance learning;
To submit an annual report as required by Council.
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