TU DELFT EXTENSION SCHOOL FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION
A. Introduction to this regulation
i. To ensure that professional learners have a good learning experience, these regulations contain the rules regarding the education and assessments of courses that are offered under the responsibility of the TU Delft Extension School for Continuing Education, which will be referred to as the ‘Extension School’ (ES).
ii. The Extension School’s catalogue includes courses and short learning programs as follows and, if not specified, these will be referred to as ‘courses(s)’:
a. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), MicroMasters and short programs on third-party platforms/edX
b. Online Academic Courses (OACs)
c. Professional Education courses (ProfEds)
d. Professional Certificate programs (PCPs)
iii. These regulations are in accordance with the TU Delft Conditions for Contract Education.
iv. Learners participating in a course or series of courses cannot derive any rights or obligations from the Netherlands Higher Education and Research Act (WHW). Learners pay for each course or series of courses.
v. The TU Delft Extension School expects professional learners to follow the TU Delft Code of Conduct. Other rules (where applicable) include :
- the TU Delft Regulations for the use of Buildings, Grounds and Facilities by Students and Visitors;
- the TU Delft Management Regulations for the use of Educational ICT Facilities by Students;
- the TU Delft Code of Conduct and Code of Conduct.
B. Definition of terms
The following terms are used in these regulations:
| Assessment | Refers to an evaluation of the learner’s knowledge, skills and insights in relation to the learning objectives of a course. Assessments take different forms and could include graded assignments or a proctored examination. |
| Board of Examiners | Faculties that offer online academic courses have a Board of Examiners that is responsible for monitoring the quality of assessments, granting exceptions and dealing with suspected cases of fraud with regards to these courses. The Board of Examiners can advise the ES Quality Assurance Board on matters related to fraud or assessments involving learners enrolled in these courses. |
| Code of Conduct | Ensures that learners who register for a platform comply with the regulations around its use. The TU Delft Code of Conduct gives direction to all members of the TU Delft community on how to act, how to respond to integrity-related issues, and how to maintain a high level of respect for each other, for the world and the environment. Learners who take ES courses offered through third-party platforms also follow their code of conduct. |
| Capstone | A case/project-based course that is the concluding part of a series of courses, which integrates all the gained knowledge and skills. |
| Course Syllabus | The course syllabus contains information about the course or series of courses and outlines the learning objectives, study load, and form of assessments. Learners have access to the course syllabus upon successful enrolment into a course. |
| Course Team | The team that is responsible for the content and operations of the course. This includes the lecturers, teaching assistants, and course coordinator (if appointed). |
| Course Website | The course website of either the TU Delft Extension School or the course provider pages that contain specific information on the course or series of courses. |
| Credit | Credit is defined in study load either in accordance with the Continuing Education Unit (CEU) or with the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). One CEU corresponds to a study load of 10 hours. One EC corresponds to a study load of 28 hours. Only Online Academic Courses have a study load defined in ECTS. Credits are indicated on issued certificates. |
| Director of ES Education | Is primarily accountable for the management and development of the portfolio of courses and programs offered by ES to meet academic standards, societal demand, market relevance and learners’ needs. |
| ES Quality Assurance Board (ES QA Board) | Is responsible for the overall quality of examinations and final assessments, and thus that of certificates issued by ES. The ES QA Board monitors compliance with the ES QA processes. |
| Edubadges platform | Is a digital certificates platform for the Dutch education community; the platform is used by the Extension School to issue Microcredentials. |
| Fraud | Is committed when it is not possible to accurately assess the knowledge of learners. Fraud includes the use of forbidden materials during assessments, copies of the assessment questions or assignment beforehand or sharing assessment questions with others. It also includes committing plagiarism (such as copying the work of others and presenting it as own work, either on purpose or due to carelessness and/or incomplete referencing). |
| Joint program | Consists of a series of short courses for professional learners designed to provide a deep understanding, proficiency and expertise in the learner’s chosen topic. A joint program is developed and taught by experts from TU Delft and experts from at least one other institution. Each institution involved is responsible for the quality assurance of their relevant component. |
| Learner | A participant in courses who does not intend to attain a formal degree within the meaning of the Higher Education and Research Act. Such learner is also known as a non-degree student and cannot derive any rights or obligations from the Netherlands Higher Education and Research Act. The learner registers via the dedicated ES course website and pays for each course or series of courses. |
| Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) | Is an online course open to interested learners for unlimited participation all over the world. |
| Microcredential | A Microcredential (MC) is the record of the learning outcomes that a learner has acquired following a small volume of learning, for example a short course or training. ES only issues MCs in the form of digital certificates and for courses or programs that comply with the Dutch national quality framework, and thus are recognized by other institutions as reliable, accreditation-worthy education. |
| Micro learning | Teaching and learning activity that involves delivering small, focused units of educational content. Examples of such activities are: e-learning, (recorded) webinar or lecture. |
| MicroMasters® | A credit-eligible series of Master-level courses that compose a standalone certification program. |
| Online Academic Course | Accredited campus course that is part of a Bachelor or Master program at TU Delft. Online academic courses result in ECTS credits. |
| Professional Certificate Program (PCP) | Consists of a series of short courses (either MOOCs or ProfEds) designed to provide a deep understanding, proficiency and expertise in the learner’s chosen topic. |
| Professional Education Course (ProfEd) | Is a specialized course providing expert knowledge to a select group of professional learners, it includes engaged peer-to-peer interaction between professionals and offers individual feedback from TU Delft experts. |
| TU Delft Conditions for Contract Education | The TU Delft conditions for contract education are applicable to all learners (non-degree students), with the exception of the learners enrolled in courses offered via third-party platforms. |
| Third-Party Platforms | ES courses can be offered via third-party platforms (such as edX). In such cases the learner also follows the terms and conditions and code of conduct of the third-party platforms, which can be found on their website. |
| Workshop | A learning activity focused on knowledge, skills development and their application. This activity aims to equip participants with specific competencies. Examples of such activities are: training, workshop, business game, summer school. |
C. Entry level to course(s)
i. In general, the course website gives advice on the entry level for the course(s). These are based on suggested prior knowledge, (professional) skills, and insights that are suited to meeting the learning objectives. It is the responsibility of the learner to ensure they meet the entry level to successfully complete the course.
ii. In the case of some short learning programs, there may be additional requirements such as completing a course or set of prior courses before enrollment, or providing documents to demonstrate the entry requirements are met. If so, this will be stipulated on the course website and checked as part of the enrollment process.
D. Learning objectives and course structure
i. Each course syllabus has a set of learning objectives. Where there is a series of courses, the learning objectives of each course are aligned for a coherent program curriculum. The course syllabus describes the study load and the way assessments are conducted (frequency, types of assessment).
E. Participation and course completion
i. Learners should participate actively in the course(s) in which they are registered. In order to participate, learners need to have access to a functional device, internet connection, electricity and other necessary facilities for completing a course.
ii. If learners are expected to complete an assessment or meet any other requirements to successfully complete the course, these are described in the course syllabus.
F. Certification
On successful completion of a course or program, the following certification will be issued (where applicable) as specified on the course website:
i. MOOC or MicroMaster: edX will issue a DelftX certificate.
ii. ProfEd course/program: TU Delft will issue a certificate.
iii. Online Academic Course: TU Delft will issue a certificate.
iv. Course or program with an associated Microcredential: TU Delft will automatically award the relevant Microcredential digital certificate via the national Dutch Edubadges platform.
v. Joint program: TU Delft will issue a joint certificate.
vi. Micro learning or workshop without assessment: TU Delft will issue a certificate of attendance or participation (depending on the type of learning activity).
All certificates are digital and issued only once, after the assessment results are registered in the relevant administration system.
G. Course evaluation
To continuously improve ES education, the Director of ES Education is ultimately responsible for the regular evaluation of all its education. The evaluation process is documented in the ES Quality Assurance Handbook.
THE SECTIONS 4-7 BELOW HAVE DIFFERENT REGULATIONS DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF COURSE/PROGRAM BEING FOLLOWED IN THE ES CATALOGUE
H. 4.1. MOOCs, MicroMasters and short programs on third-party platforms/edX
i. Learners should register for a course via the website and before the indicated registration deadline. Learners who are not registered for a course (according to the prescribed procedure and deadline) cannot participate in that course.
ii. Registration for a verified certificate for a course also implies registration for an assessment (if any).
iii. Cancellations and/or refunds (if applicable) follow the regulations of the third-party platforms. TU Delft Conditions for Contract Education are not applicable.
I. 4.2 Online Academic Courses
i. Learners should register for a course before the registration deadline via the course website. Learners who are not registered for a course (according to the prescribed procedure) cannot participate in that course.
ii. ES may restrict participation in a course in the following cases:
a. if a course is cancelled due to unforeseeable circumstances
b. if a course is cancelled or postponed due to fewer enrolments than the minimum number required to run the course
c. if a course has reached a maximum number of participants as specified on the course website.
d. if a course has a specified entry level and this is not met
e. other reasons as specified in the course website and/or syllabus.
iii. Registration for a course also implies registration for an assessment (if any).
iv. Cancellations and/or refunds (if applicable) are addressed as per the refund policy (Article 8, TU Delft Conditions for Contract Education).
J. 4.3 Professional Education courses and Professional Certificate Programs
i. Learners should register for a course before the registration deadline via the course website. Learners who are not registered for a course (according to the prescribed procedure) cannot participate in that course.
ii. ES may restrict participation in a course in the following cases:
a. if a course is cancelled due to unforeseeable circumstances
b. if a course is cancelled or postponed due to fewer enrolments than the minimum number required to run the course
c. if a course has reached a maximum number of participants as specified on the course website
d. if a course has an entry level and this is not met
e. other reasons as specified in the course website and/or syllabus.
iii. Registration for a course also implies registration for an assessment (if any).
iv. Cancellations and/or refunds (if applicable) are addressed as per the refund policy (Article 8, TU Delft Conditions for Contract Education).
K. 5.1 MOOCs, MicroMasters and short programs on third-party platforms/edX
i. The course team lecturer is responsible for registering the assessment’s results in the third-party platform/administration system as quickly as possible and no later than 15 working days after the assessment.
ii. Learners can contact the course team directly about any questions regarding their results. If no agreement is reached between the learner and the course team, the course team can escalate the case to the ES QA Board for a binding settlement.
iii. The ES QA Board may declare an assessment invalid if a proper assessment of the knowledge, insights and skills has not proved reasonably possible. The ES QA Board may draw up further rules for this.
iv. In general, the period of validity of course results from an assessment is indefinite.
L. 5.2 Online Academic Courses
i. With the approval of the course team, there can be one retake of the final assessment. In exceptional cases, the QA Board with the advice of the Board of Examiners of the faculty offering the course, may grant an extra retake.
ii. The course team lecturer is responsible for registering the assessment’s results in the administration system as quickly as possible and no later than 15 working days after the assessment.
iii. Learners can contact the course team directly for any questions regarding their results. If no agreement is reached between the learner and the course team, the learner or the course team can escalate the case to the ES QA Board for a binding settlement.
iv. The QA Board with the advice of the Board of Examiners of the faculty may declare an assessment invalid if a proper assessment of the knowledge, insight and skills has not proved reasonably possible.
v. In general, the period of validity of course results from an assessment is indefinite.
M. 5.3 Professional Education courses and Professional Certificate Programs
i. With approval of the course team, there can be one retake of the final assessment. In exceptional cases, the ES QA Board may grant an extra retake.
ii. The course team lecturer is responsible for registering the assessment’s results in the administration system as quickly as possible and no later than 15 working days after the assessment.
iii. Learners can contact the course team directly for any questions regarding their results. The course team needs to provide the learner with a copy of the assessment work, if requested. If no agreement is reached between the learner and the course team, the learner or course team can escalate the case to the ES QA Board for a binding settlement. The QA Board will consult the learner and the course team before making a final decision.
iv. The ES QA Board may declare an assessment invalid if a proper assessment of the knowledge, insights and skills has not proved reasonably possible. The ES QA Board may draw up further rules for this.
v. In general, the period of validity of course results from an assessment is indefinite.
vi. For some courses which form part of a program, the period of validity can be restricted by the Director ES Education only if the knowledge and/or insights that were examined have become outdated or if the skills that were examined have become outdated. This is sometimes the case for short learning programs (as courses are being regularly updated). In such cases the period of validity is clearly stated on the course website or course syllabus. In such cases, if there are any delays from the ES side, the validity will be extended by the duration of the delay.
vii. In individual cases, the ES QA Board may extend periods of validity.
N. 6.1 MOOCs, MicroMasters® and short programs on third-party platforms/edX
i. If fraud is detected or suspected, the course team/lecturer is responsible for dealing with individual cases. The ES QA Board does not deal with individual cases of fraud. However, if there is a case of large-scale fraud, the ES QA Board can advise the course team to allow a re-take of the assessment/assignment, or to stop/revoke the issuance of the course certificate. The ES QA Board can also recommend stopping the further participation of a learner in the course.
O. 6.2 Online Academic Courses
i. If fraud is detected or suspected during the final assessment, the QA Board with the advice of the Board of Examiners of the faculty offering the course, can decide on one of the following sanctions (depending on the seriousness of the case):
a. an invalid result
b. a withdrawal or revocation of the certificate.
ii. In cases where there has been a breach of the TU Delft Code of Conduct, the ES QA Board with the advice of the Board of Examiners of the faculty offering the course, can decide to either bar the learner from further participation in the course or stop/revoke the issuance of a certificate.
Learners can contact the ES QA Board in case of disputes that cannot be solved with the course team: ES QA Board.
P. 6.3 Professional Education courses and Professional Certificate Programs
i. If the course team/lecturer detects or suspects fraud, they can contact the ES QA Board to handle such cases. The ES QA Board can decide on one of the following sanctions (depending on the seriousness of the case):
a. an invalid result
b. a withdrawal or revocation of the certificate.
ii. In cases where there has been a breach of the TU Delft Code of Conduct, the ES QA Board will decide what action to take with regards to the further rights of the learner(s) on the platform and in the course. The ES QA Board can decide to either bar the learner from further participation in the course or stop/revoke the issuance of a certificate.
iii. The QA Board will consult the learner and the course team before making a final decision.
iv. Learners can contact the ES QA Board in case of disputes that cannot be solved with the course team: ES QA Board.
In the event that the QA Board decides to withdrawal or revoke the certificate this will also apply to the associated Microcredential digital certificate.
The decisions of the QA Board are binding and can’t be further appealed by learners.
Q. Reasonable adjustments to assessments
i. Learners with disabilities or chronic illnesses may be eligible for reasonable adjustments in assessments upon a written request. Reasonable adjustments may include modifications to the form and/or duration of assessments and/or practical exercises to suit individual situations. These adjustments are coordinated to accommodate the personal situation of the learner as much as possible, but should not alter the quality and/or level of difficulty of an assessment.
ii. Decisions concerning adjustments relating to assessments are taken by the ES QA Board.
R. Conflicts with the regulations
i. In the case of conflict between the provisions stated in the course syllabus and other documents concerning the relevant learning and assessment, what is stated in the course syllabus will take precedence.
S. Amendments to these regulations and dissemination
i. Amendments to these regulations are adopted and implemented by the Director of ES Education.
ii. Amendments to these regulations may not lead to disadvantageous changes to any decisions that have been made regarding individual learners.
iii. The Director of ES Education is responsible for ensuring that these regulations – and any amendments – are suitably announced.
iv. In any case, the Learning and Assessment Regulations are to be posted (and updated as necessary) on the TU Delft ES (Online Learning) website.
T. Entry into force
i. These regulations enter into force on 1 February 2024.
ii. These regulations are adopted by the Director of ES Education on 1 February 2024.
(1) TU Delft Conditions for Contract Education; Article 11.2