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Frederik De Decker,Senior advisor for educationGhent University Association

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Ghent University Association

Association = (legally in Flanders) cooperation between one university and at

least one university college

• Ghent University

• Ghent University College• University College Arteveldehogeschool

• University College of West-Flanders

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TUNING MOTTO

“Tuning of educational structures and

programmes on the basis of diversity

and autonomy”

* a project by and for HEI’s

* thé answer of the institutions to Bologna &

Lisbon declaration / Luxemburg process

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Why Tuning • Lisbon-objectives (Europe as most important

knowledge society)

• Bologna-Prague-Berlin process (towards one

EHEA)

• Luxemburg-process (towards a European labour

market)

This implies:

• Competitive and attractive higher education

• Comparable and compatible degreesComparable and compatible degrees

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Why Tuning for Nursing?Nursing Challenges

• EU Directive (see Conseleg:1977L0453) specified hours, no

competences and no academic level.

– National and professional regulation

– Registered/ licence to practice Nurse Education not tied to first cycle

‘bachelors’ degree

• No commonly agreed competences, especially at higher levels: (ICN,

WHO, Standing Committee)

• Few established and operating networks to access Universities and other

stakeholders

• Labour market conditions and employer demands (health /social care,

private and public providers)

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TUNING AND NURSING

• To implement the Bologna - Prague - Berlin process on university level: we are the first health care regulated group

• To find ways to implement two cycles (now three) in a practice based profession

• To identify common reference points from discipline and university perspective

• To develop professional profiles and comparable and compatible learning outcomes for nursing

• To facilitate employability by promoting transparency in educational structures (easily readable and comparable degrees)

• To develop a common language which is understood by all stakeholders (Higher education sector, employers, regulators, professional bodies and users of service)

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Tuning Educational Structures in Europe - Nursing

An educational project between 14 University Schools of Nursing in Europe

Denmark, Finland, Flanders, Germany, Hungary, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Republic of Ireland, Slovak Republic, Spain, Ukraine (from

2005), United Kingdom.

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1. A methodology for educational innovation-> see further-> wide-spread

2. Concrete results:• General (e.g. generic competences)• Subject-specific (e.g. subject specific competences,

concrete learning/teaching/assessment strategies,…)

Current situation: Validation & Dissemination

Tuning: two heads on one body

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TUNING METHODOLOGY: learning outcomes and competences

General tendencies in higher education:

• Shift of paradigm: moving from a staff oriented

approach to a student centred approach

• Less specialised academic education in the first

cycle

• More flexibility in first and second cycle

programmes

What should a student know, understand and be

able to do to be employable?

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The Tuning Methodology• Line 1: Generic competences

Consultation with graduates, employers and academics on the importance of 30 generic competences and an evaluation of how well HE institutions develop them.

• Line 2: Subject specific competences (knowledge, understanding and skills)Mapping of subject areas and development of common reference points and subject specific competences of each of the pilot disciplines.

• Line 3: ECTS as a European credit accumulation system: new perspectivesDevelopment of ECTS as a tool for programme design: basis is student workload measured in time.

• Line 4: Mapping of approaches to teaching / learning and assessment in different countries

• Line 5: Quality enhancement

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1. Further transparency of professional profiles in study

programmes and emphasis on learning outcomes

2. Shift to a more learner oriented approach to

education

3. Growing demands of a lifelong learning society which

requires more flexibility

4. Need for higher levels of employability and

citizenship

5. Enhancement of the European dimension of Higher

Education

6. Need for a shared language for consultation with all stakeholders

Why Focus on competences?

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A methodology for designing, planning and implementing curricula

Traditional methodology:• developed in a national context largely for

mono-disciplinary study programmes• intended for educating graduates with a

traditional profile• focussing on knowledge and content

Approach:• staff / teacher oriented• compulsory subjects to be covered• input oriented

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A methodology for designing, planningand implementing curricula

Tuning approach:• student centred• definition of academic and professional profiles • definition of learning outcomes• identifying generic and subject specific competences• output oriented curricula

Tuning methodology and model:• appropriate for mono-disciplinary, inter- and

multidisciplinary, integrated and joint degree programmes

• valid for graduates with wide range of profiles• focussing on competences

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IDENTIFICATION OF SOCIAL NEEDS

CONSULTATION AT EUROPEAN LEVELLOCATION OF RESOURCES

EMPLOYERS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS

ACADEMIC COMMUNITY: COMMON REFERENCE POINTS

PROFESSIO-NALS AND PROFESSIO-NAL BODIES

DEFINITION OF ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL PROFILES

TRANSLATION INTO DESIRED LEARNING OUTCOMES:

• GENERIC COMPETENCES

• SUBJECT SPECIFIC COMPETENCES

TRANSLATION INTO CURRICULA:

• CONTENT (KNOWLEDGE, UNDERSTANDING AND SKILLS)

•STRUCTURE (MODULES AND CREDITS)

APPROACHES TO TEACHING AND LEARNING

• ACADEMIC RESOURCES

• ORGANISATIONAL RESOURCES

• FINANCIAL RESOURCES

• STRATEGIC ALLIANCES WITH OTHER BODIES

TRANSLATION INTO EDUCATIONAL UNITS AND ACTIVITIES TO ACHIEVE DEFINED LEARNING OUTCOMES

ASSESSMENT

PROGRAMME QUALITY ASSURANCE

Tuning model for European comparable degrees

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THE TUNING DYNAMIC QUALITY DEVELOPMENT

CIRCLEDefinition of academic and professional profiles

Programme design: definition of learning outcomes / competences

Identification of resources

Construction of curricula: content and structure

Selection of teaching and learning approaches

Selection of types of assessement

Evaluation and improvement (on the basis of feedback and back forward)

Programme quality assurance

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2. Concrete results:•General (e.g. generic competences)•Subject-specific (e.g. subject specific

competences, concrete learning/teaching/assessment strategies,…)

Tuning: two heads on one body (2)

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Methodology used

1. On-line questionnaires2. Target groups:

• Graduates (for generic)• Employers (for generic)• Academics (for both)

3. Relative rankings according to:• Importance• Level of achievement

Tuning Surveys

on competences

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1. Extra element: distinction between 1st & 2nd cycle

2. About 900 answers3. From a variety of European countries

(but no equal distribution / many parallels between answers from same country)

4. Regrouping of competences (from originally 40 to 23)

5. See website for more details

Tuning Survey

Nursing Subject Area Group

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First cycle/bachelor level descriptors

Intellectual competences:• describe, formulate and communicate profession –related

issues and options for taking action• analyse profession-oriented issues theoretically and

consider them in practice • structure own learningProfessional and academic competences• apply and evaluate different methodologies relevant to

nursing• demonstrate insight into central theories, methodologies

and concepts within the nursing profession• document, analyse and evaluate the various types of

nursing practice• utilize research and development to develop evidence-

based nursing and nursing activities

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First cycle descriptors

Practical competences• demonstrate proficiency in the practical nursing

competences/ skills required for the registration or licence (see list of first cycle competences)

• make and justify decisions based on his or her own nursing experience

• show personal integrity and act within the framework of nursing ethics

• demonstrate ability and willingness to function in a multidisciplinary setting

• participate and conduct development work / projects relevant to the nursing profession

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Second cycle descriptors

Intellectual competences

• Communicate complex professional and academic issues in nursing and nursing science to both specialists and lay people in an clear and unambiguous manner

• Formulate and analyse complex scholarly issues in nursing and nursing science independently, systematically and critically apply to the specialisation

• Continue own competency development and specialisation in a manner that may be largely self-directed or autonomous

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Second cycle descriptors

Professional and academic • Evaluate the appropriateness of various methods of analysis

and deal with complex issues in nursing and nursing science from an academic and advanced professional nursing perspective

Demonstrate: • specialist understanding in extension of the Bachelor degree• a broader academic perspective than the Bachelor degree• new academic competences in addition to the Bachelor degree• Demonstrate comprehensive understanding of research work

in nursing science and therefore be capable of being active in a research context

• Demonstrate practical insight into the implications of research in a practice based profession (research ethics and governance).

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Second cycle practice competences

Practical competences- more to be developed

• Make and justify decisions reflecting on social and ethical responsibilities as well nursing and nursing science issues. If necessary carry out analysis that results in an adequate basis for decision- making

• Comprehend development work based on scholarly, theoretical and / or experimental methods in nursing and nursing science

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Third cycle descriptorsIntellectual competences• Communicate, and defend, a substantive, contemporary

and detailed knowledge of a specific area of nursing both orally and in writing

• formulate and structure a long-duration, continuous research project on an independent basis

A ‘professional’ doctorate graduate would be able to:• Communicate, and defend, a substantive, contemporary

and detailed knowledge of a specific area of nursing practice both orally and in writing to with peers, the larger scholarly community and with society in general

• Lead, formulate and structure a long-duration, continuous work based project.

• Achieve designated advanced related to their work based function

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Third cycle descriptorsProfessional and academic • Conduct nursing research at

an international level and in an international context

• Initiate, formulate, structure, lead and evaluate the appropriateness of nursing science methods for research projects on an independent basis

• demonstrate specialist nursing science understanding of cutting-edge theories and methods in nursing at an international level

• display responsibility in relation to own research (research ethics)

A ‘professional’ doctoral graduate is able to:

• Conduct nursing projects in their field fully aware of the international application and relevance of the project.

• evaluate the appropriateness of nursing science methods for clinically based projects on an independent basis

• demonstrate and promote specialist nursing knowledge and practice derived from cutting-edge theories & methods in nursing. This knowledge should be adapted for the social and cultural context of practice.

• display ethical responsibility in relation to own research /work based practice (research and practical ethics)

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Third cycle practice competences

Practical competences• plan and maintain academic and professional

responsibility for complex tasks based on scientific nursing theories and / or skills and methods of research

• make decisions supported by complex documentation/clinical evidence

• Critically analyse, evaluate and synthesise new and complex information that is relevant for professional/clinical practice, society and policy development

• develop innovative approaches to nursing practice that are patient/client centred

The competences for the professional doctorate are to be developed further

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1. In essence: relative results

2. But are more and more used in an absolute way (‘in the land of the blind one-eyed is the king’)

• E.g. Bulgaria• Discussion on new European Directive

Tuning Survey

Nursing Subject Area Group

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Need for Validation and Dissemination

-> with National / European representative bodies-> with stakeholders at national level

• professional Nursing organisations• Higher education institutions (with Bachelor, Master, PHD-

level nursing eduation)-> with academics, graduates, employers

Tuning Survey

Nursing Subject Area Group

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Need for further development

• 1st (BA), 2nd (MA, also professional) and 3rd (PhD) cycle: descriptors / competences = OK, but not yet ‘professional doctorate’

• But only for general (adult) nursing, not for specialisations (e.g. paediatric, geriatric, psychiatric, public health nursing)

• Attention to “subdegree” (level 5 in EQF) (cfr. ‘Enrolled nurse”)

• Look into ‘subject-oriented’ competences (= shared between different health care professions)

• Involve more countries

Tuning Nursing

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Challenges for the CRESI project !

• Further validation

• Involve more countries

• Further linking to professional field

• Specialisations (e.g. paediatric, geriatric, psychiatric, public health nursing) ?

• Attention to “subdegree” (level 5 in EQF) (cfr. ‘Enrolled nurse”)

Tuning Nursing

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Questions ?

Frederik.DeDecker@augent.be

Also check http://tuning.unideusto.org/tuningeu/