Transcript Implementation of ECTS - Council of Europe Office in Belgrade

Implementation of ECTS
Colin Tück
Council of Europe conference
Beograd, 27 November 2009
ECTS - Overview
 European Credit Transfer and
Accumulation System (ECTS)
 Developed for the ERASMUS exchange
programme
 Cornerstone of the Bologna Process
 A common “currency” for accumulation
and transfer of courses/modules
 A student-centred system to plan and
manage the educational process
p. 2
ECTS – Key Features (1)
 Learning Outcomes
 Stating what is learned, not what is taught
 Basis for the planning of a course/module:
 Content
 Volume
 Learning and teaching methods
 Type of assessment
 ...
 Basis for recognition of periods of study
p. 3
ECTS – Key Features (2)
 Student workload
 Measure for the volume of a course/module
 Total workload of an average student
 Contact hours
 Assignments
 Preparatory work
 Exam preparation
 ...
 Description of the average, not prescriptive
for each individual student
p. 4
ECTS - Framework
 60 ECTS represent 1 year full-time study
 A rule for study programme design, individual
students may study differently
 Which volume does one ECTS credit represent?
 ECTS Guide: usually 1 500 – 1 800 hours per year /
25 – 30 hours per ECTS credit
 Reality: also 20 hours per ECTS (UK, IE)
 ECTS used for all components




Lectures
Laboratory work
Internships / industry placements
...
p. 5
ECTS - Accumulation
 Credit ranges (Qualifications Framework
for the EHEA)
 Bachelor: 180 – 240 ECTS
 Master: 90 – 120 ECTS
(Doctorate not defined)
 Normally a combination of
 Obligatory modules/courses
 Modules/courses chosen from a list
 Freely chosen modules/courses
p. 6
ECTS – Pitfalls
 What ECTS is not meant to:





Decrease flexibility of studies
Reduce students’ free choice
Force everybody to be a full-time student
Measure importance of a course
Increase number of exams
p. 7
ECTS – Key Documents
 General:
 Course Catalogue – description of the study
programme and all courses/modules
 Transcript of Records – list of all courses/
modules successfully completed
 Only for transfer:
 Learning Agreement – between student,
home and host institution
 Student Application Form
p. 8