Transcript European Qualifications Framework (EQF), Learning Outcomes and ECTS Be-TWIN project meeting

European Qualifications Framework (EQF),
Learning Outcomes and ECTS
Be-TWIN project meeting
15 June 2009
[email protected]
European qualification frameworks
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Two frameworks – created independently on each other
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Overarching framework for Qualifications in EHEA (QF- EHEA)
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Adopted in 2005 in Bergen – ministers responsible for HE
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Based on Dublin descriptors
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3 cycles - only HEIs; within the 1st cycle the possibility of a
short cycle
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European Qualification Framework for Lifelong Learning (EQFLLL) – European Union/European Commission
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Recommendation of the European Council and European
Parliament from 23 April 2008
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8 levels – the whole education system (last three levels
correspond with the three cycles)
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Developed within VET
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Why the European overarching framework
of qualifications in higher education?
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Restructuralisation of degree programmes within Bologna Process
Communication between the national systems of (HE) education –
mutual understanding („translation“) – „entry ticket“ into European Area
(EHEA)
Support of diversification of the study offer
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transparency
Permeability – horizontal as well as vertical
Attractiveness – growing competition for students
One methodology for the whole Europe – the description of qualifications
is based on learning outcomes (LOs), it means outputs not inputs
LOs describe
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What the graduate knows,
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What he understands,
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What he can perform after the end of studies
Support of LLL concept – methodology which can be used for recognition
of parts of studies and validation of prior learning – informal and non formal
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Any advantages of the QF-EHEA/EQF
LLL can become reality only if there
are national frameworks for
qualifications established and the
relation between the national levels
and European levels have been
clearly defined, described and
validated in a trustful, internationally
recognised way.
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National qualification framework
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National qualification framework means
an instrument for the classification of
qualifications according to a set of criteria
for specified levels of learning achieved,
which aims to integrate and coordinate
national qualifications subsystems and
improve the transparency, access,
progression and quality of qualifications in
relation to the labour market and civil society
Recommendation on the establishment of
EQF-LLL, 2008
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National framework
closest to the operational
reality; it allows for
description of all
specificities within the
national system
owned by national system
QF-EHEA/EQF-LLL
provides the broad
structure within which
national qualifications
frameworks will be
developed and allows
diversity within these limits
facilitates movement
between systems
ultimately determines what
qualifications learners will
earn
ensures compatibility
among different national
frameworks for
qualifications – serves as a
“translation tool”
describe the qualifications
within a given education
system and how they
interlink
presents a common face of
“EHEA qualifications” to
the rest of the world
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European “QF learning paths” – or
“learning curve”?
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Need of coordination at EHEA level
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Coordination group
Network of national QF coordinators?
Web page
Need coordination QF-EHEA and
EQF-LLL
Diploma Supplement/Europass
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National qualification system
National qualification system means all aspects
of a Member State's activity related to the
recognition of learning and other mechanisms
that link education and training to the labour
market and civil society. This includes the
development and implementation of institutional
arrangements and processes relating to quality
assurance, assessment and the award of
qualifications. A national qualifications system
may be composed of several subsystems and
may include a national qualifications framework
Recommendation on the establishment of EQF-LLL,
2008
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National qualification framework (NQF)
and national qualification system (NQS)
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NQF will cover both existing European QFs
Describes and creates a framework for all levels of tertiary education
to make clear the differences e.g. between
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Post-secondary and tertiary
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Between levels/cycles of tertiary /higher education
More transparency and permeability
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Between degree programmes (vertical as well as horizontal)
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Between sectors of education
Within NQS connection between the degree programmes and job
qualifications
HEIs more understandable for wider public (students, employers) –
attractiveness
Establishing cooperation with employers
New possibilities for recognition of prior learning (non-formal and
informal)
NQF and NQS self certified against QF-EHEA /referenced towards
EQF LLL– stated in the Diploma Supplement/Europass
Draft Leuven Communiqué April 2009: self certified NQFs by 2012
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National descriptors – Czech
example - work in progress
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Information function
3 levels
„General“ (common for all fields of tertiary education at a certain
level) – involve
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Dublin descriptors
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EQF-LLL descriptors
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Both – academic and practical approach
„sectoral“ for a cluster of fields at a certain level of qualification.
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Working groups – possibility to use the existing sectoral
councils (representatives of employers)
At institutional level – based on „sectoral descriptors“- degree
programmes „descriptors“ i.e." learning outcomes“
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What qualification at which level of the NQS and QFEHEA resp. EQF-LLL will the HEIs state in the Diploma
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Supplement
NQF – learning outcomes (1)
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Emphases on learning outcomes can help to
evaluate how the restructuralisation of studies
within the Bologna Process has been done
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Do we not teach the same in several different degree
programmes?
Do we reflect the labour market and/or needs of the
society?
The ECTS credits will be subordinated to
learning outcomes
New inputs for quality evaluation of degree
programmes.
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NQF – learning outcomes (2)
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LOs defined together with application sphere
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Innovation of degree programmes
Diversification of study offer
If applicable some modules might become
qualification (partial qualification) which the
employers recognise
Decrease of drop out – the „non-successful“
students gain partial qualification which the
employers recognise
Better financial efficiency and effectiveness
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NQF – learning outcomes (3)
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NQF and most probably NQS will influence the
documentation for accreditation, QA (internal as
well as external)
Cooperation with employers – possibility of having
modules recognised, added to NQS
Possibilities for recognition of prior learning –
possibility of new audience (new funding) for e.g.
partial qualifications
Less administration – one description for multiple
purposes: accreditation, degree programmes offer,
LLL offer, databases for admission procedures,
Diploma Supplements, degree programmes
descriptions, ECTS packages etc.
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Terminology (1)
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Assessment: The total range of methods (written,
oral and practical tests/examinations, projects and
portfolios) used to evaluate learners' achievement
of expected learning outcomes (ECTS Users’ Guide
2009)
Assessment of learning outcomes means
methods and processes used to established the
extent to which a learner has in fact attained
particular knowledge, skills and competence
(Recommendation of the EP and of the Council on
the establishment of ECVET dated 17.4.2009)
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Terminology (2)
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Credit (ECTS): Quantified means of expressing the volume
of learning based on the workload students need in order to
achieve the expected outcomes of a learning process at a
specified level. (ECTS Users’ Guide 2009)
The „ currency“ used to measure student workload in terms
of the time required to achieve specified learning outcomes.
It enables staff and students to assess the volume and level
of learning, based on the achievement of learning outcomes
and the associated workload measured in time. (Glossary of
Tuning terms, 2006)
Credit for learning outcomes: (credit) means a set of
learning outcomes of an individual which have been
assessed and which can be accumulated towards a
qualification or transferred to other learning programmes or
qualifications (Recommendation of the EP and of the
Council on the establishment of ECVET dated 17.4.2009)
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Terminology (3)
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ECVET points means a numerical representation of the
overall weight of learning outcomes in a qualification and of
the relative weight of units in relation to the qualification
(Recommendation of the EP and of the Council on the
establishment of ECVET dated 17.4.2009)
Award of Credit: The act of delivering learners the number
of credits that corresponds/ are assigned to the component
or a qualification. The award of credit recognises that
learners’ learning outcomes have been assessed and that
the learner satisfies the requirements for the educational
component or the qualification. (ECTS Users’ Guide 2009)
Allocation of Credit: The process of assigning a number of
credits to qualifications/ programmes or to other educational
components. (ECTS Users’ Guide 2009)
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ECTS and learning outcomes (1)
ECTS Users’ Guide - Final Version 6 February 2009
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The allocation of credits to single educational components is
performed as part of curriculum design
with reference to national qualifications frameworks, level
descriptors and qualifications descriptors– in the Czech
suggestion at national sectoral descriptors
Generally it is the responsibility of higher education institutions
and academic staff
Prior to allocating credits to individual components, an agreement
should be reached on the ‘profile’ of the specific study programme
and the associated learning outcomes . -its main features and its
specific aims
this profile is defined after consultation with relevant stakeholders
(good practice)
On the basis of the qualification profile, the academic staff design
the curriculum by defining the learning outcomes and allocating
credits to the programme components.
Credit allocation to educational components is based on their
weight in terms of the workload needed for students to achieve 17
the learning outcomes in a formal context
ECTS and learning outcomes (2)
ECTS Users’ Guide - Final Version 6 February 2009
Possibility 1
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The teaching staff define the learning outcomes of each
programme component, describe the learning activities
and estimate the workload typically needed for a student to
complete these activities. Proposals are collected,
analysed and synthesised and the estimated workload is
expressed in ECTS credits
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All the teaching staff are involved - They can put forward
their proposals in terms of learning outcomes, and estimate
the workload necessary to achieve them. Through
discussion and defining of priorities they can come to a
final decision on the basis of the credits available (60 for
each year). This procedure may result in different numbers
of credits being attributed to single components (e.g. 3, 5, 8)
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By using this option, institutions allow for maximum
freedom in designing each component with regard to the
learning outcomes and related workload. On the other
hand, components of different sizes may be problematic
when it comes to multi-disciplinary or joint programmes or
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mobility
ECTS and learning outcomes? (3)
ECTS Users’ Guide - Final Version 6 February 2009
Possibility 2
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the higher education institution or the faculty may decide
from the start to standardise the size of educational
components, giving each one the same credit value (e.g. 5) or
multiples of it (e.g. 5, 10, 15), and thus predefine the number of
credits to be allocated per component. In this case, the course
units are often called ‘modules’
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Within this predefined structure, the teaching staff define
appropriate and feasible learning outcomes and describe
the learning activities, on the basis of the standard size of
the components. The estimated workload must be consistent
with the number of credits allocated to that component .
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By standardising the size of components, institutions allow for
more flexible, multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary
pathways among programmes. On the other hand, the
definition of learning outcomes within a component is
constrained by the pre-defined number of credits that set a priori
the workload for each component .
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ECTS and learning outcomes? (4)
ECTS Users’ Guide - Final Version 6 February 2009
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Components should not be too small, to avoid
fragmentation of a programme and not too large, as that
may inhibit interdisciplinary studies and restrict the choices
available within study programmes.
Very large components are problematic for mobile
students at all levels – institutional, national or international
The main element determining the number of credits is the
estimated workload needed to achieve the expected learning
outcomes. The number of contact hours alone must not
be used as a basis to allocate credits, since contact
hours are only one element of students’ workload.
Proper credit allocation should be part of the internal
and external quality assurance for higher education
institutions.
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Further information available at
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Tuning website: http://tuning.unideusto.org/tuningeu or
www.rug.nl/let/tuningeu
Further www.bologna.msmt.cz –
http://www.bologna.msmt.cz/?id=K080108 http://www.bologna.msmt.cz/files/Adam_IH_LP.pdf - „An
introduction to learning outcomes“
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http://www.bologna.msmt.cz/files/learning-outcomes.pdf „Learning and writing learning outcomes“;
Web site of ENIC/NARIC: http://www.enicnaric.net/index.aspx?s=n&r=ena&d=qf
UNICA website for EC projects:
http://www.ulb.ac.be/unica/projects.html
Thank you for your attention
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