Transcript ECTS and Joint degrees in the Bologna process

ECTS and Joint degrees in the
Bologna process
Raimonda Markeviciene, Helsinki, 01.06.2005
Bologna action lines
Bologna declaration (1999)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Adoption of a system of easily readable and comparable degrees
Adoption of a system based on two cycles
Establishment of a system of credits
Promotion of mobility
Promotion of European cooperation in quality assurance
Promotion of the European dimension in HE
Prague Communiqué (2001)
7.
8.
9.
LLL
HEI and students
Promotion of the attractiveness of the EHEA
Berlin Communiqué (2003)
10. EHEA and ERA – two pillars of the knowledge based society
Bologna process – why ECTS?
QA
EQF
Helsinki Recommendations
Dublin descriptors
NQF
Curricula design
LO+student workload
Recognition
LO+student workload
Comparability of cycles
(I, II, III)
Periods of study
Joint degrees
ECTS for accumulation and transfer
ECTS philosophy – from transfer
to accumulation
For accumulation should be:
ECTS created for transfer:
 Voluntary
 Period abroad – value
 Information/transparency
 Communication
 Flexibility
 Trust
automatic
academic recognition
 Non-invasive; Respect national
and institutional autonomy;
 Applicable to all sectors of HE;
 Cover all forms and modes of
learning;
 Distinguish between different
levels and types of credits;
 Allow transference with nonEuropean frameworks;
 Address all European
educational systems;
 Facilitate student-centered
learning;
 Permit accreditation of prior
(experiential) learning.
ECTS – from transfer to
accumulation
Credit was:
Relative value – allocated to
each course unit by the
institution to reflect its
workload as a proportion
to the total workload of
the academic year.
Credit became a building
block:
Absolute value.
1 credit – 25-30 hours of
student workload (15001800);
Credit remained:
Relative value:
Conventionally 60 credits
measure the workload of a
full-time student during
one academic year (30 –
per semester)
ECTS – two parameters
• WORKLOAD (ECTS Credits)
• LEARNING OUTCOMES (Competences)
The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System
(ECTS) is a student-centred system based on student
workload required to achieve the objectives of a
programme of study. These objectives should preferably be
specified in terms of learning outcomes and competences
to be acquired.
Learning outcomes and Workload: their
relationship
 Learning outcomes: Statements of what a learner is expected to
know, understand and/or be able to demonstrate after completion of
learning. They can refer to a single course unit or module or else to a
period of studies, for example, a first or a second cycle programme.
Learning outcomes specify the minimum requirements for award of
credit.
 Workload: The estimated time required to complete the activities
foreseen for each course unit / module. Workload includes all learning
activities, i.e. lectures, practical work, information retrieval, private
study, placements, fieldwork, preparation of examinations, etc.
Learning outcomes defined for a unit / programme should match the
available workload required by a typical student.
ECTS credit is based on:
Student learning time rather than teaching
hour
Desired learning outcomes, and not
teacher’s inputs
Output approach –
knowledge+understanding+abilities
Tuning
Over 130 European universities from 27
countries to develop:
Common concepts
Common reference points
Common procedures and methodology for
curriculum design
Two cycles
Departmental level
Tuning approach to credit
allocation
The need – what competences need to be developed:
The necessary steps:
 Module – allocate credits on the basis of the desired LO
and the estimated workload to reach them.
 Planning and determining student workload – educational
activities, time to carry them, assessment, etc.
 Checking of calculated workload through evaluations –
student questionnaires; real time involved.
 Adjustment of workload and/or education activities or
sometimes even LO.
Degrees in European HEA
What do we recognize
Study periods
Degrees (three c.)
Joint degrees
How do we recognize
Degree profiles
LO (competences)
Student workload
Level
Joint degrees (JD) – practical Bologna
developments fostering recognition
 Supported development in Bologna, Prague, and
Berlin Communiqués
“Ministers call upon the HE sector to increase the
development of modules, courses, and curricula…
leading to a recognised joint degree” (Prague,
2001)
 Feature to enhance the attractiveness of the EHEA
 EC support through Socrates/Erasmus PROGS
and Erasmus Mundus (2004): improve European
position in global environment – positive “brain
gain”
Working definition for JD (EUA)
• The programmes developed or approved by several
institutions;
• Parts of the programme have to be studied at other
institutions;
• Students’ stays at the participating institutions are of
comparable length;
• Periods of study at partners’ recognized automatically;
• Teachers teach at other institutions, form joint
commissions for admission and examinations;
• After completion of the full programme, the students
obtain either national degrees or joint degree awarded by
the consortium.
What is…
Joint degree
Double degree
Multiple degree
JD – institutional problems
• Student cannot be enrolled at more than one institution;
• Students are required to spend 50% or more of their study
time at a national institution;
• Students must defend their final thesis at a national
institution;
• Most often these are multidisciplinary programmes which
are marginalized as peripheral activities inside institution;
• Workload and grading standards are uneven across
institutions;
• Joint master programmes may produce quite different
outcomes in terms of qualification according to the
national systems;
JD - recognition - problems
o Study periods at partner institutions recognized
automatically;
o JD is recognized by all participating institutions
o No problems with national recognition if JD is
awarded as a national degree (certificate signed by
the partners);
o JD often recognized by other institutions in the
country (depends on quality and accreditation of
the awarding institution);
o The “real” JD awarded by several institutions
formally not not recognized in law.
JD – Quality assurance
QA necessary:
1.
2.
To guarantee necessary standard of the qualification
As an accountancy measure for taxpayers
Problems:



QAA in most cases evaluate curricula rather than
institutions
Curricula in most cases have to comply with national
assurance procedures and requirements to be accredited
International nature of the programme makes it
impossible to apply national QA procedures
Solution (?):
Internal QA + Student opinion
JD – financing – problems
Threat – “elite” students (tuition fees)
 Added expenses – meetings (planning,
examinations and grading), accommodation and
travel costs;
 At faculty level – extra departmental money to pay
teaching staff;
 “Expensive” joint cooperation – easy target for
reducing funding;
 Funds are not allocated to the programmes that
have not been nationally accredited;
 External sources may add administrative or
“political” burden;
Recommendations
 European governments have to create flexible legislative
framework in order to foster the development of variety of
structural JD models;
 The general framework should not be prescriptive;
 Institutions themselves have to decide on the structure of
the programme, admission requirements and learning
outcomes;
 Shared understanding of master qualification – emphasis
on admission requirements and learning outcomes not on
the length of studies.
What should we do?
Identify needs and resources
With partners develop and agree on:





Degree profile (+ admission requirements)
Competences
Workload
Learning/teaching/assessment
Internal QA
Solve recognition issues
European framework for JD
Lisbon Convention
European Qualification Framework
Bergen Communiqué:
“…support for the subsidiary texts to the Lisbon Recognition
Convention and call upon all national authorities and
other stakeholders to recognize joint degrees awarded in
two or more countries in EHEA.” (2005, May)
The most important thing is…
change of attitude
The main actors are institutions and only their
vision and support may affect further
development
Thank you for your attention!