The Bologna process, Student Centred learning and Norway

Toril Johansson Director General Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research

The Bologna Process

• 47 countries • EU Commission • Consultative

members

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Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research

European Process

• NOT an EU initiated or EU governed process • No supranational element • Original aim: Establish the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) by 2010.

Decision to continue cooperation until 2020.

The European Higher Education Area (EHEA) established at the ministerial meeting in Budapest/Vienna 2010. 3

Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research

Bologna Process

• Structure: – Ministerial meetings every second year set new goals (Bologna 1999, Prague 2001, Berlin 2003, Bergen 2005, London 2007, Leuven 2009, Budapest/Vienna 2010, next Bucharest 2012) – Bologna Follow-Up Group (BFUG) – BFUG Board – Since Budapest/Vienna system of co-chairing – Bologna Secretariat 4

Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research

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Recent developments

• Independent evaluation of the Bologna Process prior to the ministerial meeting in Budapest/Vienna • Conclusions: Concurrent with previous conclusions from ”Stocktaking” – Come quite far in introducing the instrumental elements (Degree system, ECTS, recognition, Quality Assurance etc) – A lot remains with regard to in-depth implementation

Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research

Independent evaluation cont

– Quite a lot remains with regard to e.g.

• The social dimension, • LLL • Description and use of learning outcomes/qualifications frameworks One of the main points: Without national agenda attuned to the Bologna Process, compliance rather than in-depth reform seems to occur 6

Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research

The Bologna Process in Norway

– Norway successful in the Bologna Process – coincided with national needs – The Quality Reform; national follow-up of the Bologna elements 7

Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research

Bologna politically important for Norway

• allows Norway to have a say in the development of European higher education policy...

• ... and provides a platform to learn about other countries and systems in order to inspire national policy • Priorities: global dimension and social dimensions 8

Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research

Norwegian involvement

• Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research active in – BFUG – Working groups on • Reporting (implementation of the elements of the Process) • global dimension • social dimension 9

Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research

Student Centred Learning in the Bologna Process

• Not a thematic area tackled directly in the Bologna process from the start But: important elements for SCL such as flexibility tools (ECTS, recognition, QFs) dealt with from early on) • Included in Leuven/Louvain-la-Neuve 2009 – Concept of student centred learning mentioned and the teaching mission of HEIs reasserted – Highly important in order to underline the aspect of teaching at the HEIs 10

Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research

Student Centred Learning

• Benefits for students • Benefits for teachers and academics • The wider benefits of SCL 11

Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research

Student Centred Learning cont.

• One of the necessary preconditions for SCL is student involvement - important concept in Norwegian higher education • Development of social dimension important to development of SCL – one of the priority areas for Norway in the Bologna Process.

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Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research

Norway

• No firm definition of the notion of student centred learning, butt essential feature of the Quality Reform – Better system of follow-up of each student – Individual Education Plans – New forms of assessment – More systematic QA incl. student evaluation of teaching But: method of teaching left to the individual HEI 13

Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research

Qualifications frameworks

• QFs are important as a guide through the education system – flexible learning paths and step-by step approach • Learning outcomes approach – paradigm shift from teaching to learning, from input to outcome • Norwegian QF for higher education adopted March 2009 • All HEIs in the process of rewriting their study programmes based on learning outcomes 14

Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research

Quality guiding principle

• Quality should be the guiding principle in the provision of higher education in Norway – important also for SCL • Some important traits – Internationalisation – All higher education research-based – Relevance and employability – Modes of teaching and assessment • Quality assurance • Quality remains the responsibility of the HEI – where quality is made 15

Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research

Strategic dialogue

• Leadership for education • The link between learning qualification frameworks, learning outcomes and Student Centred Learning 16

Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research

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Mobility to high quality institutions

Emphasising: • Quality criteria and lists of high quality institutions must be developed • “Freshman” year support of Bachelor degree if good enough quality • Larger grants to cover tuition fees at institutions or study programmes of high quality • Level of grants might be associated with institutional agreements • Phased in gradually – from 2011/2012 at the earliest

Thank you for your attention 18

Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research