This is the release version of v1.0c.
Changes from 1.0b:
All constraints consolidated to the Constraints section.
issuerDescription element added to <issuer> for conformance with EuroLMAI.
objective and learningOutcome changed so that only one or the other is mandatory.
This specification is subject to a royalty free patent policy.
There are no known patents covering any of this work. If you think that part of this work may be subject to an existing or pending patent, please email the editors.
TBC
The authors wish to acknowledge the work of the supporting HEAR Technical Specification Working Group, in particular:
The Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR) technical specification defines an XML format for the content of the HEAR. It is intended to enable the interoperability of descriptions of the Higher Education achievement of learners between Higher Education providers, employers, brokers and other relevant organisations. It is compliant with the [CEN European Learner Mobility Workshop Agreement CWA 16132 ]
A HEAR XML instance document typically consists of a top-level <achievementReport> element, encapsulating:
The following diagram illustrates the main elements of the specification.
[]
[XCRI-CAP 1.2] eXchanging Course Related Information Course Advertising Profile. See
[EN 15982] EN 15982: Metadata For Learning Opportunities (Advertising)
[ISO 15836] ISO 15836: Dublin Core Element Set
[ISO 8601] ISO 8601:Data elements and interchange formats — Information interchange — Representation of dates and times
[W3C DTF] W3C Date and Time Formats. See
[W3C XML Schema] W3C XML Schema. See
[CWA 16077] CWA 16077: Educational Credit Information Model
There are two classes of application that can conform to this specification:
A product MAY belong to both classes.
A strictly conforming instance is a set of structured information constituted only of elements and attributes defined by this specification and fully qualified refinements of the elements defined in this specification.
A fully qualified refinement is defined for the purpose of conformance as an element that explicitly extends an element defined by this specification. A fully qualified refinement must be capable of being processed according to the semantics of the element it extends.
A conforming instance MAY contain additional elements and attributes not defined by this specification.
A conforming producer MUST be capable of generating and sharing strictly conforming instances.
A conforming consumer MUST be capable of processing strictly conforming instances.
A producer MUST create HEAR documents that are valid XML documents.
A producer MUST create HEAR documents with the achievementReport element as its top-level element.
A consumer MUST be able to process a valid HEAR XML document.
Guidelines This section is not normative
Multilingual HEAR data sets: Producers should create multiple XML instances for HEAR data sets required entirely in more than one language, for example English and Welsh.
This section is not normative
This specification covers the structure of the XML representation of the HEAR data; it does not define the structure of the HEAR document per se. The following information is provided to give context to the specification of the data elements. Readers are asked to refer to the HEAR Guidance Document for more details.
A HEAR must adhere to the prescribed template described in the HEAR Guidance Document The Guidance defines the sections of the HEAR and requires that sections are numbered and follow the sequence and explanatory guidance given in the Guidance Document.
The structure of the template for a HEAR is as follows:
On output for printing or for viewing electronically a HEAR should contain section numbering and standard statements as described in the HEAR Guidance Document.
This section is not normative
The HEAR Guidance Document gives details of statements that should be included in the HEAR at specified points, for example a standard statement at the start of the HEAR should be included in order to meet the requirements of the European Diploma Supplement (DS). Information about these statements is included in the Guidance sections of this specification.
Guidelines In the Contextual Information of the HEAR, institutions are advised to include the following statements:
This Higher Education Achievement Report follows the model developed by the European Commission, Council of Europe and UNESCO/CEPES for the Diploma Supplement.
The purpose of the Supplement is to provide sufficient recognition of qualifications (diplomas, degrees, certificates etc). It is designed to provide a description of the nature, level, context and status of the studies that were pursued and successfully completed by the individual named on the original qualifications to which this Supplement is appended. It should be free from any value judgements, equivalence statements or suggestions about recognition. Information in all eight sections should be provided. Where information is not provided, an explanation should give the reason why.
Producers are not required to include these statements or any other statements recommended by the HEAR Implementation Steering Group within the HEAR XML Data Set. Inclusion of these statements within HEAR documents can be implemented using a variety of methods. This specification makes provision for inclusion of of these statements in the HEAR XML Data Set if desired by systems designers.
This section defines the root achievementReport element and relates the main information elements of the HEAR XML document structure to this root element. Definitions of the other elements are given in Definition of Common Elements and Definition of Other Elements sections.
A HEAR XML document includes information drawn from Student Records Systems, Course Information Systems and supporting systems that will be created and maintained by various different administrative processes and academic practices within academic institutions. The XML document specification builds upon information about learners, descriptions of programmes and other learning opportunity structures, information about modules and other educational components enrolled on by learners, assessment results and other accredited achievements for each completed learning opportunity, and information about the awarding and providing organisations themselves.
The default root element for a HEAR.
These main elements are listed here, so that the major components of a HEAR are clearly indicated. Some of these elements are sub-elements of top level elements, as noted in this guidance.
awardedBy: A component of qualification (see [XCRI-CAP](XCRI-CAP 1.2.
qualification: A component of course (see [XCRI-CAP](XCRI-CAP 1.2.
course: A component of provider (see XCRI-CAP 1.2.
presentation: A component of course (see XCRI-CAP 1.2.
assessment: A component of presentation (see XCRI-CAP 1.2.
Guidelines This section is not normative
If there are two or more provider elements, the first provider element SHOULD be the institution awarding the qualification.
Many of the elements in the HEAR use the following common elements. Also see Definition of Other Elements For elements re-used from other namespaces (for example Dublin Core, XCRI) refer to documentation for those specifications.
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context. See [EN 15982] and [ISO 15836].
Uses namespace dc: .
Example:
http://www.bolton.ac.uk
23424341414
1234
The name of the resource.
See [EN 15982] and [ISO 15836].
Uses namespace dc: .
Details of the nature and length of qualifications or periods of study required before starting the programme.
Uses namespace xcri: .
Extension of xcri:descriptionDType.
Information about academic (credit-based) and non-academic awards made to the learner.
Uses namespace xcri: .
Extension of xcri:descriptionDType.
Details of the richer picture of verified student achievement, including additional awards (with or without academic credit), additional recognised activities, and university, professional and departmental prizes.
Uses elm: European Learner Mobility Achievement Information (EuroLMAI), for which see CWA 16132.
Describes the aim(s) of the programme.
Uses mlo:[EN 15982] EN 15982: Metadata For Learning Opportunities (Advertising)
Represented as mlo:objective.
Guidelines This section is not normative
...
To provide flexible teaching and learning programmes of high quality, in which students can develop their own interests.
To provide a stimulating and supportive environment for all students to work in.
To provide an education that will enable graduates to follow a variety of careers, including higher degrees and research.
To enable all students to have a broad appreciation of Biological Sciences and advanced knowledge of one or more areas.
To enable all students to develop subject-specific knowledge with practical and transferable skills.
To enable all students to experience, within the 4 year options, work in an external research laboratory or European University.
The details of the way in which the learner’s performance in the presentation of the course was judged.
Uses namespace xcri: .
Uses elm: European Learner Mobility Achievement Information (EuroLMAI), for which see CWA 16132{.external .text}.
Uses eds: European Diploma Supplement{.external .text}
Guidelines result: Required in an exit HEAR, at least one per assessment.
Description of the style of the assessment.
Guidelines This section is not normative
assessmentType: It is recommended that producers use an encoding scheme or controlled vocabulary for this item.
Weighting of the assessment result as a proportion of the overall assessment for the presentation.
Number of times the learner has made at the assessment.
This element identifies and names the recognised organisation (Awarding Body) that confers the qualification upon the learner.
Note Where the Awarding Body is not the provider, a second provider element should be created that contains the relevant details of the awarding body. The identifier in the awardedBy element identifies this organisation, and the provider element for the awarding body must contain <providerStatus> and a course element that identifies the programme, the qualification and confirms the awarding body through the <qualification> and <awardedBy> structure. This structure enables compliance with XCRI-CAP and EuroLMI.
Definition
The official post of the certifying individual.
Provides evidence that the HEAR is a genuine document produced by the authorised organisation.
Uses namespace dc:
A course element provides details of a learning opportunity offered by a learning provider.
Uses namespace xcri: .
Uses mlo: [EN 15982] EN 15982: Metadata For Learning Opportunities (Advertising)
Uses namespace dc:
Note At least one of <aim> or <learningOutcome> must be supplied.
Guidelines This section is not normative
Programme and course component linkage example, in relation to constraint ‘Course instances at levels lower than programme level should be related to the top level course instance using the isPartOf element, either directly through inclusion of the identifier of the top level course, or indirectly through inclusion of the identifier of another course element’:
1234
Information and Communications Undergraduate Programme
1234-01
Digital Media and Communications - Stage 1
1234
M223
Information Literacies for the Digital Age
1234-01
credit: credit values should contain credits achieved by the learner. If this is not possible, display required credits.
\
Date when the learner was born. This value MUST be in ISO 8601 date format as refined by W3C DTF ‘Complete Date’: yyyy-mm-dd (example: “1985-05-16”).
Uses scop: the SEMIC-EU Core Person Specification (not yet published in machine readable form), which is compatible with EuroLMAI.
Gives details if the qualification is a dual award, for example between two UK institutions or between a UK and European institution.
Uses namespace xcri: .
Extension of xcri:descriptionDType.
The length of the programme.
The content of this element MUST be human readable text of the form ‘value’ followed by ‘unit of time’, for example ‘Three years’. The duration SHOULD be expressed in years, unless the course is shorter than two years, in which case an expression in months or weeks is acceptable.
Producers MAY include a machine-readable attribute ‘interval’ that follows the ISO 8601 standard.
Guidelines This section is not normative
Example
Three years
A hypertext link to the learner’s ePortfolio.
Full family or surname, as included on official documents, such as a passport.
Uses elm: European Learner Mobility Achievement Information (EuroLMAI).
The complete name of the learner; components should be those included on official documents, such as a passport.
Uses elm: European Learner Mobility Achievement Information (EuroLMAI).
Full name of the official certifying the HEAR.
Information within the Additional Information element not covered elsewhere.
Uses namespace xcri: .
Extension of xcri:descriptionDType.
Indicates if, within the country of origin, the qualification normally provides access (not admission) to further academic and/or professional study, especially leading to any specific qualifications, or levels of study.
Uses namespace xcri: .
Extension of xcri:descriptionDType.
Guidelines This section is not normative
furtherStudy: Include the grades or standards normally necessary to allow progression within the EHEA.
For example:
Access to postgraduate study: Bologna FQ-EHEA 3rd cycle PhD or MD.
Access to postgraduate study: Bologna FQ-EHEA 2nd cycle degree or diploma.
All given or first names in the order specified by the learner, as included on official documents, such as a passport.
Uses elm: European Learner Mobility Achievement Information (EuroLMAI).
Information about the grading scheme used for the assessment of a presentation.
Used to indicate the provenance of the identifier or identifiers. Required text for the HUSID is as follows:
“HUSID (HESA Unique Student Identifier) is the unique national identifying number for students registered at a UK university. It is defined by HESA, the UK’s Higher Education Statistics Agency.”
Uses namespace xcri: .
Extension of xcri:descriptionDType.
Further information sources and references where more details on the qualification could be sought.
Uses namespace xcri: .
Extension of xcri:descriptionDType.
Indicates the parent course element.
The isPartOf element MUST contain only the identifier of the parent course element.
Date and time of the production of this HEAR.
Uses namespace xcri: .
xcri:dateOrDateTimeDType
Date on which the qualification was awarded.
Uses elm: European Learner Mobility Achievement Information (EuroLMAI), for which see CWA 16132.
The organisation that is responsible for producing the HEAR.
Uses namespace dc:
Guidelines This section is not normative
identifier: This element identifiers the issuing organisation, which may be a different organisation from the provider or the awarding body, for example a broker.
issuer: This element must not contain any other elements. Further elements describing the organisation(s) offering the course or awarding the qualification must be contained in the provider element.
issuerDescription: This element is included for compliance with the Europass Diploma Supplement Application Profile of the EuroLMAI.
\
A short description of the issuer.
Uses namespace dc:
Information identifying the holder of the qualification.
Uses elm: European Learner Mobility Achievement Information (EuroLMAI).
Uses scop: the SEMIC-EU Core Person Specification (not yet published in machine readable form), which is compatible with EuroLMAI.
Uses namespace dc:
Guidelines This section is not normative
identifier: Alternatives recommended in this specification include the Unique Learner Number (ULN) and the Scottish Candidate Number (SCN). Namespace refinements for these identifiers are included in the HEAR XML schema. An internal identifier from an issuer, provider or awarding body can also be included.
dateOfBirth: Note that this specification does not prescribe the final form output for date (for example in a PDF or paper document); implementers may wish to present the date to end users in an alternative format. Additionally there may be applications, such as outputs for employers, in which the inclusion of the learner’s birthday is not required.
Describes the overall learning outcome(s) of the programme.
Uses namespace xcri: .
Extension of xcri:descriptionDType.
Numerical position of the qualification in the relevant national qualifications framework.
The level element MUST contain the numerical position of the qualification in the relevant national qualifications framework.
Details of the regulations covering the minimum standards required to secure the qualification; therefore applies to the Programme only.
Uses namespace xcri: .
Extension of xcri:descriptionDType.
Details of the instance or version of the course enrolled on.
Uses namespace xcri: .
Uses mlo: [EN 15982] EN 15982: Metadata For Learning Opportunities (Advertising)
Uses namespace dc:
Guidelines This section is not normative
There are no additional elements only used in the <presentation> element at other levels.
title: Producers should draw the title from the course element, not the presentation element.
accessRequirements: Producers may implement this content using ‘boilerplate’ text and a hyperlink to specific documents held elsewhere; in this case, implementers should have regard to the persistence of the hyperlinks and the associated content, for example: “Detailed information regarding admission to the programme is available in the University’s on-line Prospectus at: www.easthampton.ac.uk/admissions/ugprospectus/06.” See HEAR Guidance Document{.external .text}, section 3.3.
minimumStandards: See HEAR Guidance Document{.external .text}, section 4.2.
Output of languageOfInstruction and languageOfAssessment: Consumers should present final form output of these elements as human readable text.
Absence of languageOfInstruction and languageOfAssessment: Where these elements are missing, consumers should interpret this as meaning that the language of instruction and assessment was English (en-GB).
Information about university, professional and departmental prizes awarded to the learner.
Uses namespace xcri: .
Extension of xcri:descriptionDType.
Details of any rights to practise or other professional standing accorded to holders of the award.
Uses namespace xcri: .
Extension of xcri:descriptionDType.
Guidelines This section is not normative
The institution may use a generic statement from a professional body or one of its own devising (see HEAR Guidance Document.
An organisation that offers one or more courses.
Note Where the provider is also the awarding body, the provider identifier MUST match the awardedBy identifier.
Uses namespace xcri:
Describes the legal status of the provider, for example as either a ‘recognised body’ or a ‘listed body’.
A status awarded to or conferred on a learner by an awarding body.
Uses namespace xcri: .
Uses elm: European Learner Mobility Achievement Information (EuroLMAI), for which see CWA 16132{.external .text}.
Uses eds: European Diploma Supplement{.external .text}
Uses namespace dc:
Nationally accepted title conferred by the award, for example Bachelor of Science (Honours).
Uses eds: European Diploma Supplement{.external .text}
Information about other recognised non-credit-bearing activities undertaken by the learner.
Uses namespace xcri: .
Extension of xcri:descriptionDType.
Container for standard, repeated or generic text used in the HEAR.
Uses namespace xcri: .
Holds standard, repeated or generic text (‘boilerplate’ text). This text will typically be recommended text from the HEAR Guidance Document{.external .text}. It can also be used for generic assessment grading schemes that might be repeated for a large number of modules, or for standardised learning outcomes, so that these pieces of text can be referenced rather than repeated.
Uses namespace xcri: .
Extension of xcri:descriptionDType.
Describes the regulations concerning degree-awarding powers in the UK.
Guidelines This section is not normative
The recommended text is: “The power to award degrees is regulated by law in the UK.”
Uses namespace xcri: .
Extension of xcri:descriptionDType.
The actual outcome of a presentation for a learner as stated by a provider or issuer.
Uses elm: European Learner Mobility Achievement Information (EuroLMAI), for which see CWA 16132.
Guidelines This section is not normative
result: Where any zeros or mark reductions have occurred, it is recommended that producers record them here.
@resultType: It is recommended that producers use an encoding scheme or controlled vocabulary for this item.
A reference to an image of a signature of the responsible official.
Uses namespace xcri: .
Represented as xcri:imageDType.
Guidelines This section is not normative
Producers should implement specific security measures to protect the image. This element is concerned with the graphical image of the signature, not with the digital signature. The actual graphical image should be external to the XML.
It is recommended that producers protect any HEAR document with an appropriate digital signature to ensure document authenticity and integrity.
Any particular features that help define the programme that are not covered elsewhere.
Uses namespace xcri: .
Extension of xcri:descriptionDType.
Main field(s) of study for the qualification.
Uses namespace dc: .
Guidelines This section is not normative
subject: Producers should put each main field of study in a separate element. On output, the elements should be concatenated to form one string. There is no nationally approved vocabulary for the subject in a HEAR. Use the institution’s own terminology. If subjects or fields of study are not held in respect of qualifications, use the subjects in respect of the top level course (programme) element.
Specifies if the qualification is a terminal (end) award or part of a hierarchy of awards.
Uses namespace xcri: .
Extension of xcri:descriptionDType.
Indicates the position of the course in a hierarchy with Programme at the top and Module or Unit at the bottom; for example programme, a module-level component or a grouping component such as semester, programme year, level or subject of a programme.
Uses namespace dc: .
This section is not normative
A W3C XML Schema is available at https://github.com/Cetis/hear/blob/master/schemas/HEAR_1.0.xsd .
A sample XML instance file is available at .
XCRI-CAP 1.2 schema and supporting schemas are available from the XCRI website{