Introduction to Credit Transfer Schemes (ECTS1 and UCTS2) and the New Definition of UCTS: A comparative analysis and its

implication in Asia and Pacific

Taiji Hotta, Ph.DVice-Executive of International Affairs,

Associate ProfessorHiroshima University, Japan hotta@hiroshima-u.ac.jp

All opinions in this presentation are solely my own view and do not represent any policy of the Japanese government

UMAP Workshop on Student Mobility and Credit Transfer ImplementationGreat Ballroom, 3rd Floor, Century Park Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand, July 13, 2012,

The Importance of “Permeable” Framework in Asian Higher Education

Why need a Permeable Framework for Mobility?

Part １Introduction of ECTS

(European Credit Transfer System)

Development of ERASMUS

ERASMUS3 (European Community Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Student) was established as a new scheme for students exchanges in EU in 1987

(1987-1995) (1) Professors’ strong initiatives for the expansion of departmental exchanges & (2) Staff exchanges

(1996-2000) Development of institutional exchanges and decentralization of finance from EU to universities

(2000-2006) More expansion with SOCRATES II. (also with Development of Bologna Process since 1999 and ERASMUS MUNDOAS since 2003)

(2007–2013) the Lifelong Learning Programme. Integration of various educational programs, including ERASMUS

Development of ECTS

There are currently 2,000+ higher education institutions participating in ERASMUS across the 31 countries involved in the Socrates programme and 1.7 million students have already taken part. Now about 160,000+(2006/7) student mobility annually in Europe. (out of 17millions students)

Development of ECTS (European Credit Transfer Scheme) for credit transfer. ECTS requires 60 credits per year （ 1500-1800 hours of workload ） . ECTS is a very systematic and permeable credit transfer system: 60 ECTS/ year (consists of the largest numbers of common measures, i.e.,1,2,3,4,5,6,10,12, 15, 20, 30, 60 ) for the world

Now, many universities use it, but not in full scale. there are around 1,000 institutions actually use it, but many of them use only for departmental exchanges, not for institutional exchanges

Development of Bologna Process

June 19, 1999, 29 Ministers of Education had a meeting at Bologna, Italy. (eventually, members expanded to 46 nations)

Six missions in Bologna Declarations. Some of them are the promotion of (1) common framework of readable and compatible degrees (ECTS, Diploma supplement and learning outcomes), (2) two cycle system (3-2 v.s. 4-1) (3) ECTS for accumulation towards degree (1 ECTS=25-30 hours of workload) and (4) mobility of students and teachers in Europe

By 2010, the major restructure of high. Ed. system under the Bologna Process has been nearly completed by initial member states.

ECTS in Bologna Process

ECTS as an official credit system for European universities. (Accumulation System) 　

Many European nations are under the process of their reform to use ECTS as a national standard

Selection of “ECTS Label” institutions by the European Commission.

ECTS has created an increase of “transferred domestic students” with credits (btw 1st & 2nd Cycle)

ECTS has caused the development of student centered curriculum from institutional pre-designed course work

Issue: Use of ECTS grading has been limited.

Part 2

Comparative analysis of UCTS (UMAP4 Credit Transfer System) and ECTS

Challenges of UCTS

• UCTS modeled ECTS. (1 year study =60 ECTS/UCTS) However, it did not use the concept of 1 ECTS=25-30 workload.

• No strong international link in UMAP, unlike EU in Europe (No common goal?)

• There were active government initiatives for the promotion of both UCTS in Asia. However, no legal change or very limited university reform was done, unlike the Bologna Process in Europe.

Dilemma of UCTS

• The expansion of student mobility under USCO5 in UMAP has been limited compared to ERASMUS.

• The limit use of UCTS might be due to somewhat difficult conversion process of it

• However, more serious cause is that we do not need any conversion when we transfer credits with many other Asian and also American universities.

Part 3

Seeking A Permeable Framework among Asian Higher Education Institutions:

New Definition of UCTS and its implication

11

FOR FUTURE DISCUSSION

All opinions in this part of presentation are solely my own view and do not represent any policy of the Japanese government

Importance of “Permeability” in Asia

1. “Convergence” as a key concept of the Bologna Process, but a major restructuring of the system in Europe

2. “Harmonization” process in Asian higher education and the development of “UCTS” by UMAP and “ACTS6” by AUN7 and SEAMEO8

3. “Globalization” for international competition, but also for “Lifelong Learning” (acceptance of different educational backgrounds)

4. Improvement of “Permeability” in Asia: Establishment of educational recognition system which allows students to transfer their educational experiences from one institution to another without any biased judgment

12

Background of recent researches & Presentation

1 credit = 13-17 hours of teachingThe number of teaching hours is more commonly used for counting credits than the amount of student workload.

1

4 year bachelor’s programsExcept Malaysia and Laos. Medicine and engineering require 5-6 years

2

120 to 150 credits for a (4 years) bachelor’s degree. 3

Estimated student workload is 40-50 hours/credit (Based on # of hours/credit in internship, lab work and field work)

China ( 40-45 ), Japan (45), Cambodia (45), Indonesia (46), Malaysia (40), the Philippines (51), NTU in Singapore (39), Thailand (45)

4

Common Tendencies in Asia (Part 1)

Two semester system and 13-17 weeks of instruction per semester. However, the majority are between 14-16 weeks to teach per semester

5

More use of absolute grading than relative gradingHowever, grading policies vary from institution to institution and even from department to department

6

Two general patterns of academic calendar However, academic calendar greatly varies from institution to institution and from nation to nation (See next chart)

① Brunei Darussalam, China, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia. Laos, Singapore and Vietnam

② Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Thailand

7

Common Tendencies in Asia (Part 2)

A comparative chart of academic calendars in Asia

Key Conditions for a New-UCTS

How should we count One UCTS ?＊ If we use a total # of credits/year (current UMAP method)

One Current UCTS = 2.0-1.6 ECTS (approx.120-150 credits in a 4 year-Bachelor’s program)

＊ If we use the concept of “student’s workload” (ECTS method),

One new UCTS credit = 1.5 or 1.6 ECTS (if 38-48h of workload, (35-45 or 40-48h of workload) including 13-16 h of teaching)

17

A common framework of credit system among Asian and Pacific nations is;

One New UCTS≒38-48 hours of workload,

(including 13-16 hours of teaching and 25-32 hours of students’ additional workload for homework, lab, preparation for quizzes and exams, and writing a term paper, etc)

18

1. Proposal of New Definition on UCTS

2. Propose: one UCTS = 1.5/1.6 ECTS w/ workload

19

General Trends in Asia and Europe　 ASIA EUROPETotal # of years for an undergraduate program 4 years 3 years

Total # of credits towards graduation 120-150 180 ECTSAverage # of credits per year 30-37.5 60 ECTSTotal hours of workload per year 1200-1850 h 1500-1800 hTotal hours of workload necessary for graduation** 4800-7500 h 4500-5400 h

Range of hours of (quasi-)student workload per credit 40-50 hours 25-30 hours

Proposed transfer scheme 1 credit 1.5/1.6 ECTSProposed workload of UCTS 38-48 hours 37.5-48 hours

**Total amounts of workload are somewhat similar even though Asian institutions require 4 years of study, while Europeans require 3 years.

Common Complains to use current UCTS

• Too much extra work, especially in English

• Very difficult to change curriculum and credit system

• No one use it (takes long time to establish)

• Professors have authority for credit transfer (no power of international office)

1. Too much extra work, especially in English• If we accept a new definition of UCTS, all UMAP

participating institutions will transfer credit one to one. It’s much simpler conversion than before.

Reaction to Complains (part 1)

• You do not need to change any credit system. Just submit a UMAP pledge agreement to UMAP-IS and provide somewhat detailed information about your education to use this new definition of UCTS for student mobility in Asia and Pacific region.

2. Very difficult to change curriculum and credit system

3. No one use it (takes long time to establish)• If each university starts sending information about

their education under a new UCTS scheme, we can transfer credit one to one without sophisticated conversion

Reaction to Complains (part 2)

• You do not need the approval of all professors. Your office can provide merely a UMAP study plan and UMAP academic records with a new UCTS concept for credit transfer for your student exchanges.

4. Professors have authority for credit transfer. (no power of international office)

How does UCTS make exchanges easier?

UCTS will make transfer of foreign credits easier especially with new exchange partners

UCTS will improve your quality assurance to exchange partner institutions and students

UCTS will be useful for exchanges with European universities which use ECTS

THANK YOU

Taiji Hotta, Ph.DVice-Executive of International Affairs,

Associate Professor, Hiroshima University, Japan hotta@hiroshima-u.ac.jp

Glossary

1. ECTS: European Credit Transfer System2. UCTS: UMAP Credit Transfer Scheme3. ERASMUS: European Community Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students4. UMAP: University Mobility in Asia and Pacific5. USCO: UMAP Student Connection Online6. AUN’s ACTS: ASEAN Credit Transfer System7. AUN: ASEAN University Network8. SEAMEO: Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization