Transcript SEMINAR: Reforms in the higher education system in Ukraine in the context of the Bologna Process, the NQF for lifelong learning and.

SEMINAR: Reforms in the higher education system in
Ukraine in the context of the Bologna Process, the NQF
for lifelong learning and legislative changes.
Kyiv, 31 May- 1 June 2011
THE NATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORK (FOR HIGHER
EDUCATION) AND THE HIGHER EDUCATION REFORM
PROCESS.
EXPLORE THE PURPOSES OF THE NQF IN UKRAINE (BOTH HIGHER AND VET)
IDENTIFICATION OF THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE HEQF FOR EXISTING ED UCATIONAL
STRUCTURES, POLICIES AND PROCESSES
• DISCUSSION ON THE NEW DESCRIPTORS
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STEPHEN ADAM
[email protected]
Any questions on the Council of Europe Report on the previous draft
Ukrainian HE QF dated 30 March 2011 – issues for clarification?
Introduction
Area for decision, further refinement and issues for development
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Stakeholder involvement
Aims and objectives of the qualifications framework
Consequential implications of developing a Ukrainian FHEQ
Sections and information to include within a UHEQF
Developing level descriptors*
Decision about the number of levels to include in the descriptors + doctoral studies
Issues associated with the use of credits – ECTS*
Clarifying the descriptor-qualifications and the future need for subject/sectoral guidance
Implementation issues
Quality assurance issues
Conclusions and recommendations
Further documents and information sources
Annex: comparison of information headings found within different QF
Observations:
 Be aware of the limitations of NQF and HEQF they and all the Bologna tools
are just a means to an end: better qualifications (improved transparency,
recognition, efficiency and mobility)
 In order to effect profound higher education reform a UHEQF would need to be
implemented and accompanied by many other reforms
 The Bologna reforms amount to a paradigm change that is not only very
challenging but also raises considerable opposition from traditionalist.
 Difficult challenges include:
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What is the appropriate relationship between the Ministry and higher education institutions (HEI)?
What does academic autonomy really mean?
What qualifications does Ukraine need + what existing qualifications (+HEI?) should be deleted?
What changes must take place to the structure, processes and approaches to HE – wholesale reform and
rationalisation?
How can HEI be modernised (organisation, structures, curriculum development, quality assurance, etc?
What is the appropriate relationship between ministry, national quality assurance agency and institutions?
How to create an effective top-down bottom-up reform strategy for change?
Implications of the draft
Ukrainian NQF (16/05/11) for
higher education reforms:
IMPLICATIONS/ISSUES:
QUOTE PURPOSE:
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‘The main aim of development
and implementation of the
National Qualifications
Framework (NQF) is to ensure
quality, widening access,
enhancing transparency and
interrelation of qualifications, and
facilitating recognition of
qualifications at national and
international levels.’
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What do you mean by quality and how will standards
be created and measured?
For whom does access need widening? Is there a need
for a social inclusion agenda? Who does the existing
education system fail/exclude?
What are the main qualification dead-end pathways
(School/VET/HE, etc.)? How can flexibility be
introduced and what rules, structures and practices
need to change to effect this? How can the
recognition of prior learning (RPL) be made possible?
Why are not all current qualifications recognised
nationally and internationally? Are the problems
associated with quality, structural issues, prejudice,
content/outcomes, corruption, etc?
Implications of the draft
Ukrainian NQF (16/05/11) for
higher education reforms:
QUOTE AIMS:
‘establishment of a system for
identification of and
correspondence between
educational and professional
(occupational) qualifications.’
IMPLICATIONS/ISSUES:
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‘providing flexibility in obtaining
qualifications, possibility to plan
different learning paths for career
and personal growth’
‘development of a basis for
sustainable dialogue among
stakeholders in the sphere of
education and professional
training’
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What qualifications do you need?
What is the nature of the correspondence between
educational and professional qualifications
envisaged?
What is the basis for the identification of
qualifications (typology)?
How much flexibility do you intend to build into the
system?
What legitimate barriers will you create/maintain?
How will you make this flexibility a reality?
What strategies and inducements will you need to
entice employers + other social partners into
permanent meaningful dialogue?
IMPLICATIONS/ISSUES:
Implications of the draft
Ukrainian NQF (16/05/11) for
higher education reforms:
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QUOTE AIMS:
‘laying a platform for
development of educational and
professional standards based on
learning outcomes (competences)’
‘facilitating validation of informal
and non-formal learning’
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‘development of a basis for
creation of sectoral qualification
frameworks’
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What is the current level of understanding of learning
outcomes and competences?
What managerial and staff-development will be
required to inform and train educators in their use?
What is the nature of the standards (external
reference points) that will need to be developed?
How can the NQF help facilitate the recognition of
informal and non-formal learning?
What else will need to be done to make RPL a reality?
Are the current generic level descriptors in the NQF an
adequate basis for the creation of sectoral
qualifications frameworks?
Will sectoral qualifications frameworks in the form of
subject benchmarks statement be developed for
higher education?
IMPLICATIONS/ISSUES:
Implications of the draft
Ukrainian NQF (16/05/11) for
higher education reforms:
QUOTE MAIN OBJECTIVES:
identification, structuring and
description of qualification levels
ensuring correspondence between
educational and professional
(occupational) qualifications
establishment of a basis for
development of educational
standards based on professional
(occupational) standards laid
down in competences
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What is the nature and basis of the generic level
descriptors – for HE are they qualifications or level
descriptors?
Do the levels describe the standard for an average
student or a threshold standard?
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How do they ensure correspondence between
educational and professional qualifications – are they
appropriate for each?
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Should all educational standards be based on
professional (occupational standards) laid down in
competences?
IMPLICATIONS/ISSUES:
Implications of the draft
Ukrainian NQF (16/05/11) for
higher education reforms:
QUOTE MAIN OBJECTIVES:
‘ensuring assessment and
recognition of qualifications,
coordination of processes of their
design’
raising trust of users (individuals,
educational institutions,
employers) to the national
qualifications system’
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‘facilitating recognition of
qualifications acquired in Ukraine
at national and international
levels’
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What is meant by ‘co-ordination of their design’?
Bologna emphasises and protects academic autonomy
and diversity.
What needs to change in the current processes for the
creation, delivery, assessment and validation of HE
qualifications (impact of learning outcomes on
curriculum development)?
How can trust in and knowledge of the NQF be
spread?
What is the role of the national quality assurance
agency in generating trust at all levels?
What role is envisaged for the Enic-Naric, Lisbon
recognition convention and Diploma Supplement to
aid the international recognition of Ukrainian
qualifications?
What is the role of ECTS in facilitating recognition (+
mobility)?
OBSERVATIONS:
Implications of the draft
Ukrainian NQF (16/05/11) for
higher education reforms:
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QUOTE PRINCIPLES OF
DEVELOPMENT:
• consistency of qualifications
levels
• compliance of the content of
qualifications with the content of
professional activity
• social partnership
• hierarchic order of
qualifications (levels) and
conformity to the national
education system structure
• flexibility
• transparency
• overarching character
• compatibility
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Compliance with the content of qualifications where
the content of professional activity is important but
education is for other reasons than just employability
– for personal development, for research, for
democratic citizenship, for cultural transmission, etc.
A hierarchical order of qualifications can be
problematic when it suggest one qualification is
better than another – all qualifications have value and
act as appropriate educational stopping off points.
IMPLICATIONS/ISSUES:
Implications of the draft
Ukrainian NQF (16/05/11) for
higher education reforms:
QUOTE BASIS OF NQF
DESCRIPTORS:
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Knowledge;
Skills;
Communication (social
competence);
Autonomy and accountability;
Professional competence.
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Do the basis work – are the categories appropriate
and useful (fit for purpose)?
Blind test new qualifications against the proposed
descriptors!
POTENTIAL BENEFITS
(List from EQF Note 2: by Jens Bjornavold (Cedefop)
and Mike Coles (UK). February 2010)
Increased consistency of qualifications
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Better transparency for individuals and employers
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Increased currency of single qualifications
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A broader range of learning forms are recognised
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A national/external reference point for qualifications standards
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Clarification of learning pathways and progression
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Increased portability of qualifications
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Acting as a platform for stakeholders for strengthening
cooperation and commitment
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Greater coherence of national reform policies
10 A stronger basis for international co-operation, understanding
and comparison
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STPEHEN ADAM: [email protected]
INTEGRATED
TOOLS FOR HIGHER
EDUCATION
New technology
REFORM!
Qualification
Frameworks
(FQ-EHEA -2012
deadline+EQFLLL +
binary divide
issues)
Mission
statement/diversit
y in university
roles
Bologna process
EHEA established.
but objectives not
achieved
(Budapest-Vienna
2010)
Mobility Targets
Revenue sources –
Finance
CURRENT EUROPEAN HIGHER
EDUCATION REFORM ISSUES
+
S U R V I V A L?
Mergers
CONTEXT:
• Growth in demand
• Constrained funding
• Demographic change
• Increased competition
• Globalisation
(By 2020 20%
study/training
abroad)
Quality Assurance
(Internal +
External) +
accreditation
issues
RANKINGS ?
Curriculum
reform/developme
nt
(for profit HEI)
Recognition issues
Markets
(Diploma
Supplement +
Lisbon Recognition
Convention + RPL)
Borderless
education (TNE)
Credit Systems +
confusions
ECTS v ECVET
Internationalisation
Student- centred
learning
Employability
Learning
outcomes –
delivery
assessment