diploma aggregation service: an introduction to release 3 for dabs march 2009

Diploma aggregation service:An introduction to Release 3 for DABs

March 2009

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1. About this guide

2. Things to know before you start

3. What’s in Release 3 for DABs?

4. What’s new for DABs as third party learner administrators?

5. Training and support available

Content

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1. About this guide

This guide provides an introduction to Release 3 of the Diploma aggregation service (DAS) for Diploma awarding bodies (DABs). It is specifically aimed at trainers to help them bring existing users up to date with the latest functionality.

Accompanying this slide show is an updated reference guide and e-Learning tool. The latter can be used by trainers in delivering refresher training or by users to self-teach.

Use the forward and backward arrows on your keyboard to navigate through the slides. Click on ‘Esc’ at any time to escape and close the file.

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2. Things to know before you start

Before we start on Release 3, let’s just recap:

• What is DAS?

• What roles can DABs be assigned?

• What is a learner account?

And discuss how to migrate from Release 2 to Release 3

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Things to know before you start cont

What is DAS?

DAS is a managed, web-based IT system that brings together all parties involved in the administration and awarding of Diplomas.

DfES QMIS TESG

LRS

Home centres

Assess-ment

centres

CABs

Delivery centres

DABs

DAS

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DAS stores information on learners and their Diplomas, and shares it between centres and awarding bodies.

Open learneraccountin DAS

KeyAwarding Body Das

RecordPLTS & WE

Enroll onDiplomacourse

Completecomponents

Validate ULNwith LRS

Enterlearner for

exams

Obtain ULNs

Post expectedresults

Learner Centre

New step – not mandatory

for CABs

Remit of Diploma aggregation service

VerifyULNs

Continues overleaf

The main tasks performed by DAS users, learners and the system prior to aggregation and claiming are shown in the figure below.

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Issue trialgrade

Learner Centre

Do more learning/

resits

Initiateclaim

DAS enables the awarding of Diplomas by managing the claims process and providing information for the transcript.

Makeavailable data for

transcript

ITC set

Aggregate components

Accept claimrequest/award

Diploma

IssueDiploma

KeyAwarding Body Das

Learner Centre

Remit of Diploma aggregation service

Post results

Amend/upgradeDiplomaContinued

from overleaf

New step

The main tasks performed by DAS users, learners and the system during aggregation and claiming are shown in the figure below.

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Results Poster


What roles can DABs be assigned?

All users are assigned a role according to the tasks they perform on the system. There are four main roles: local administrator, CAB, DAB and learner data viewer. The CAB and DAB roles have associated sub-roles, as shown.

Creates and manages user accounts

Posts results, result amendments, result withdrawals and expected results C

AB

Local Administrator

Extracts and responds to registration requests from centres

Extracts and responds to ITC requests from centres

Manages claim requests from centres, retrieves learner transcript details and

withdraws Diplomas

Searches and views learner accounts

Registration request responder

ITC request responder

Diploma awarder

Learner data viewer

DA

B

Tasks Roles

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Roles for DABs as third party learner administrators

Centres may delegate third party learner administrator rights to DABs, subject to commercial and confidentiality agreements. There are four learner administrator sub-roles enabling users to view and manage learner accounts.

Creates and manages learner accounts on behalf of a centre

Records PLTS and work experience on behalf of a centre

Registers, sets ITCs and claims Diplomas on behalf of a centre

Views and retrieves learner information on behalf of a centre

Learner data maintainer

PLTS and work experience recorder

DAB relationship manager

Learner data viewerTh

ird P

art

y L

ea

rne

r A

dm

inis

tra

tor

Tasks Roles

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What is a learner account? Within DAS, a learner account holds information on the learner, their chosen line and level of learning, and their achievements to track progress towards the completion of their Diploma.

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Learner data viewers can view learner accounts if they have accepted a registration, intention to claim (ITC), or have received a claim request.

A DAB will only see CAB-level

information once a claim request has been made

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Migrating to Release 3

There is no change to the Release 2 interfaces and DABs can continue to use these until March 2011. However, users should migrate to Release 3 before this time in order to make use of new functionality and enhanced error messages.

The Release 3 Application Programming Interface (API) Guide advises on how you should upgrade your system, including selecting the Release 3 end points (see www.qca.org.uk/dasdocs).

When the API is not available you will need to use batch files. The Release 3 Batch file definitions document shows the layouts. You will also need to indicate to DAS that you are using version 3 interfaces (see overleaf).

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From their home page, the local administrator will need to

change the version of their batch file interfaces from

Version 2 to Version 3 when they migrate to Release 3

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3. What’s in Release 3 for DABs?

New DAB functions:

Release 3 brings new notifications, flexibility to amend and upgrade awarded Diplomas, and extra information for DABs. New functionality also helps with managing batch file uploads should the API be unavailable.

Downloadnotifications

Changes tolearner details when

requests pending

Batch filestatus

Notifications Diplomas Information Batch files

The following slides discuss

these new functions in more detailQAN suffices

AegrotatDiploma

New notifications(amendments/reaggregation)

Amendawarded Diploma

View completionstatus report

Aggregation date

Provide date of birth/gender in requests

Expected results

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What’s in Release 3 for DABs? cont

Notifications 1: Batch download of notifications

DABs can download notifications received during a user-defined period and either print or save these to a computer.

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Notifications 2: Changes to learner details when requests pending

DABs can view and download notifications of changes to learner details when the registration, ITC and claim is pending or on hold.

Notifications 3: New notifications

DAS will notify the relevant DAB of requests to amend an awarded Diploma, including the impact on the certificate and/or transcript – see overleaf.

Das will also notify the relevant DAB if a Diploma is reaggregated because of an amendment to PL or a project result but there is no change to the previously-calculated grade.

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Diploma 1: Amendments to awarded Diplomas

DAS now provides a facility for centres to request an amendment to an already-awarded Diploma. These amendments include:

• upgrading from a Progression to an Advanced Diploma• adjusting the ASL shown on the transcript without changing the grade• changing to a Diploma with an endorsed title• changing from a Diploma with an endorsed title to a different endorsement or a non-endorsed Diploma.

DAS verifies the amendments to ensure that the learner has sufficient ASL for their chosen line and level of learning, and reaggregates the results, if necessary.

Learners may upgrade within five years of the original award, and change the ASL within 12 months of the original award.

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DAS is able to distinguish between the results for qualifications that have alternative pathways by using a Qualification Accreditation Number (QAN) suffix.

This four-digit identifier, to be shown in NDAQ, enables DAS to aggregate multiple achievements of the same QAN, so long as the suffices are different.

Transcripts should display the ‘endorsement’ text from the Diploma catalogue, and not the QAN suffix.

Diploma 2: Qualification Accreditation Number suffix

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DABs can award a Diploma under exceptional circumstances (Aegrotat).

DAS will update the learner account with a final grade and awards the Diploma that has not met the Rules of Combination.

This transaction may be done via the web browser. There is a new command on the ‘Manage a single learner account’ menu.

Diploma 3: Aegrotat Diploma

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What’s new for DABs as TPLAs? cont

TPLAs will not see the

qualification number, CAB or

assessment centre for

expected results

Information 1: Expected results

As a CAB, DABs can post expected results to enable centres/TPLAs to iden-tify missing results and ensure learners are awarded their Diploma on time.

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View or download expected results for one learner from their learner account, or for one or more learners from

your home page

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Information 2: Completion status reportsAfter accepting a registration or ITC request, DABs can track a learner’s progress with a new report that shows what components are required and have been completed.

Access the bar charts from the learner’s account. Click on component

heading to see the results for that component, or ‘view details’ to see

results for all components

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Alternatively, extract a report for one or more learners

from your home page to print or save to a computer

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Information 3: Aggregation date

When aggregating results, DAS now records the date a Diploma is first achieved (‘aggregation date’).

Results achieved after the aggregation date, but before the Diploma is claimed, will be associated with the Diploma. These results can be included on the transcript.

When DAS receives a confirmation of a claim acceptance from a DAB, it retains the month and year as the ‘award date’.

Information 4: Provide date of birth and gender in requests to DABs

The learner’s date of birth and gender are provided in requests to DABs (eg registrations, ITCs and claims).

These may be used to validate learner details, populate DAB systems, etc.

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Batch files 1: Batch file status

Users can be sure that their batch files have uploaded and been processed correctly by viewing a new batch file status screen.

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Users can view a file showing information, warnings and error

messages. They can also change the

‘action required’ icon to ‘reviewed’ to assist

administration

Severity 3 is an error

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4. What’s new for DABs as TPLAs?

New centre-facing functions:

Batch updateto learner

account status

Automaticde/reactivation oflearner accounts

Interface Security Completion

Release 3 is important to centres (and DABs acting as TPLAs) as it gives them a new interface and more functionality.

CentreAPI

Completion status reports and

amending awarded Diplomas have already been

discussed. The following slides discuss the new ‘interface’ and

‘security’ functions.

Amendawarded Diploma

View completionstatus report

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Current interface options:

Release 3 will enable developers to build a direct link between centres(and third parties acting as centres) and DAS which may increase efficiency and accuracy.

MIS

Web-BasedUser InterfaceWeb-Based

User Interface

Option1

DAS

Option3

Option2

Web-BasedUser InterfaceWeb-Based

User Interface

DAS

.csv.csv

DAS R3

MIS

Interface 1: Centre API

New interface:

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Security 1: Batch update to learner account status

Centres/TPLAs can improve the security of learner accounts by deactivating them in one step by uploading a new batch file, eg when a cohort leaves.

Security 2: Automatic deactivation and reactivation

If there has been no activity in a learner account for two years, DAS will automatically deactivate it for security reasons. The account will be automatically reactivated by certain triggers, eg CABs posting new results.

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5. Training and support available

Upgraded and enhanced products:

There is a portfolio of updated and enhanced training materials, support functions and guidance documents to support Release 3.

E-learning toolsfor centres, CABs

and DABs

DAS Helpdesk (forcentres) and Service

desk (for ABs)

Presentations fortrainers in centres,

CABs and DABs

Reference guidesfor centres, CABs

and DABs

QCA website,includes FAQs

EssentialGuides for centres

Training Support Guidance

DAS QuickGuide for centres

Regularcommunications

Factsheets onDAS, ULNs and verifying ULNs

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Training and support available cont

For general information, see:

DAS home page at www.qca.org.uk/das

Go direct to CAB training materials on:

Information for awarding bodies at: www.qca.org.uk/qca_19060.aspx

Access technical documentation (including the API guide) in:

Secure store at: www.qca.org.uk/dasdocs

Thank you

diploma aggregation service: an introduction to release 3 for dabs march 2009

Documents

learner information

cont learner data viewers

open learner account

das users

learner transcript details

cont roles

diploma awarding bodies

dab roles