ECTS and Joint degrees in the Bologna process

Raimonda Markeviciene, Helsinki, 01.06.2005

Bologna action lines

Bologna declaration (1999)1. Adoption of a system of easily readable and comparable degrees2. Adoption of a system based on two cycles3. Establishment of a system of credits4. Promotion of mobility5. Promotion of European cooperation in quality assurance6. Promotion of the European dimension in HE

Prague Communiqué (2001)7. LLL8. HEI and students9. Promotion of the attractiveness of the EHEA

Berlin Communiqué (2003)10. EHEA and ERA – two pillars of the knowledge based society

EQFHelsinki Recommendations

Dublin descriptors

NQF

QACurricula design

LO+student workload

RecognitionLO+student workload

Comparability of cycles(I, II, III)

Periods of studyJoint degrees

ECTS for accumulation and transfer

Bologna process – why ECTS?

ECTS philosophy – from transfer to accumulation

ECTS created for transfer: Voluntary Period abroad – value Information/transparency Communication Flexibility Trust automatic

academic recognition

For accumulation should be: 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 non-

European 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 (1500-1800);

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 conceptsCommon reference points Common procedures and methodology for

curriculum designTwo 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 How do we recognize

Degree profiles

LO (competences)

Student workload

Level

Study periods

Degrees (three c.)

Joint degrees

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 institutionso 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. To guarantee necessary standard of the qualification2. 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 – problemsThreat – “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 resourcesWith 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!