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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Things to know before you start cont
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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Things to know before you start cont
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
Things to know before you start cont
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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Things to know before you start cont
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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Things to know before you start cont
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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Things to know before you start cont
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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Things to know before you start cont
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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Things to know before you start cont
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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What’s in Release 3 for DABs? cont
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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What’s in Release 3 for DABs? cont
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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What’s in Release 3 for DABs? cont
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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What’s in Release 3 for DABs? cont
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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What’s new for DABs as TPLAs? cont
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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What’s in Release 3 for DABs? cont
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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What’s in Release 3 for DABs? cont
Alternatively, extract a report for one or more learners
from your home page to print or save to a computer
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What’s in Release 3 for DABs? cont
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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What’s in Release 3 for DABs? cont
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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What’s in Release 3 for DABs? cont
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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What’s new for DABs as TPLAs? cont
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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What’s new for DABs as TPLAs? cont
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