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The International Learning Unit (ILU) is an outcomes-based standard for lifelong learning. It is an alternative to the time-based CEU for measuring learner participation in lifelong learning.

Any organization, person or other entity can offer Learning Units, provided the party registers first at www.LearningUnit.com. An organization, person or other entity registering to offer Learning Units (ILUs) is referred to here as a “Provider.”

No. Providers and Approving Agencies participate in the ILU voluntarily. There is no legal nor other binding requirement for anyone to participate in the ILU. However, if a Provider or Approving Agency participates in the ILU, it must abide by the rules stated here.

No, the registration gives you the permission and ability to offer ILUs, but you are not required to offer them.

Yes. In fact, it is recommended that you plan a transition and phase in the offering of ILUs rather than attempt to offer ILUs for all your offerings immediately.

No. The Learning Unit is not a quality assurance measurement for the content of the learning. All quality assurance for the content is left to the Approving Agencies and Providers. Neither LERN nor the Commission on the ILU guarantees quality, nor seeks to measure it, nor is responsible for quality or accuracy in the content offered by ILU Providers.

An Approving Agency is any body accepting or approving Learning Units for whatever reason. Examples of Approving Agencies include, but are not limited to: State boards relicensing professionals and others in occupations; Colleges and universities converting Learning Units to credits for a degree or other academic award; Associations recognizing or approving of member qualifications for professional, trade and other occupational practice; Associations recognizing voluntary continuing education or knowledge competencies or learning achievements; Employers basing pay raises, promotions, job maintenance or job requirements of employees.

Quality assurance for particular content properly rests with Approving Agencies and Providers.

Rules governing the transferability, conversion and acceptance of any Learning Unit is decided by Approving Agencies. Simply because a Learning Unit has been earned by a Learner does not mean an Approving Agency has any obligation to accept that Learning Unit.

Yes, but it is not recommended. It is suggested you offer one standard or the other for a given offering. It is suggested that if a learner wants CEUs for an offering that uses the ILU, you simply award CEUs but require the outcome-based ILU measurement for obtaining the “CEU.”

Yes. There is no prohibition against it. Since the ILU is more rigorous than the seat-time CEU standard, agencies requiring CEUs should be pleased that the more rigorous outcome-based standard is being used. If there is any question, you can simply require the CEU attendance standard in addition to the outcome-based ILU measurement.

Yes and No. There are no grades assigned to ILUs. A learner either has earned an ILU, or not. However, if ILUs are used as the basis for some other recognition, such as a credit, grade in a course, certification, certificate program or any other grade-based recognition, then Yes, the test score for the ILU can be used as a basis for a grade.

Yes, but it is not recommended. It is recommended you have separate tests for each Learning Unit, and even each subunit. The tests can be administered at the same time. By having a separate test for each subunit, it allows the learner to pass some subunits, and then focus further study on the remaining subunits to be passed.

A subunit is 0.1 ILU. A subunit has five content items (questions).

That is left to the Provider. It is recommended that a learner be able to pass one subunit (0.1 ILU) and fail another subunit.

That is left to the decision of either the Provider or Accepting Agency. It is permitted under the ILU guidelines. In fact, it is recommended that learners be able to retake a set of content items.

No.

No.

That decision is up to other Providers and Accepting Agencies. There is no assurance or mandate that any Provider or Accepting Agency has to recognize a given Provider and/or activity/course or Learner’s Learning Units.

You contact and work directly with the Accepting Agency. The Commission of the Learning Unit has no control or authority over Accepting Agencies

In order to offer Learning Units, a Provider must first register at www.LearningUnit.org and provide the following: 1. Name of Provider, 2. Name of Contact Person and Email address, 3. Address, Phone, and URL, 4. Agree to abide by the guidelines and rules of the Learning Unit, and 5. Re-register annually. There is no fee to register.

Registration is necessary in order to provide: Communication and updates, such as helpful tips or successful techniques; Information about education and training opportunities on managing your ILU program; Monitoring the standard to protect the integrity of the ILU for everyone.

The Learning Unit is copyrighted by the Learning Resources Network (LERN) for the purpose of protecting and maintaining the credibility and validity of the Learning Unit. Any Provider registering to offer the Learning Unit has unrestricted access to use the name Learning Unit, provided the Provider abides by the guidelines and rules of the Learning Unit.

No. When you see the Learning Unit or ILU in a LERN publication, email or website, it will often have the © symbol next to it. Providers and Approving Agencies do NOT have to use the © symbol next to the terms in publicity.

The Commission on the ILU is charged with ensuring that Providers abide by the guidelines and rules of the Learning Unit. Those Providers misusing, misrepresenting or otherwise diminishing the validity of the Learning Unit may be restricted or prohibited from offering the Learning Unit. While the Commission can revoke any Provider’s ability to use the ILU, as long as you use the 80 percent standard and do not misrepresent the ILU, your organization need not worry about any revocation. Your organization would certainly be informed well in advance if there is any concern.

Yes. Providers can charge an additional fee for the awarding of ILUs. It is understood that there is some cost involved in testing, scoring tests and maintaining records. And it is understood that Providers should be able to recover costs and make a reasonable surplus or profit on the awarding of ILUs separate from the offering of the content.

Because Learning Units can be earned in tenths of a unit, they should be recorded to the first decimal point (e.g. 0.1 ILU). It is recommended you utilize an online software record system for ILUs.