ECTS European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System history

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ECTS – European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System: history… implementation… problems…. Raimonda Markevičienė 21

ECTS – European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System: history… implementation… problems…. Raimonda Markevičienė 21 -23. 03. 2011

ECTS from birth to maturity Pilot project HEI + support on European level: 1989

ECTS from birth to maturity Pilot project HEI + support on European level: 1989 -1995 (145 HEIs; 5 study areas) Bologna Declaration Political will of Ministers of HE; Dublin descriptors 1999; Tuning 2000. EUA Zurich Conference; support of university leaders, 2002 Implemented by law in majority countries Implementation: HEIs + support on national and European levels

ECTS before Bologna process Key elements: Ø ECTS credits (relative value); Ø Transparent information

ECTS before Bologna process Key elements: Ø ECTS credits (relative value); Ø Transparent information (Information package, Learning agreement, Transcript of Records, Application form); Ø ECTS grading scale Main principles: Ø Study abroad is a value; Ø Knowledge and trust in partner institutions; Ø Voluntary basis for the introduction; Ø Full recognition of studies abroad

ECTS in the Bologna process Key elements: Main principles: Ø Student-centered system; Ø 60

ECTS in the Bologna process Key elements: Main principles: Ø Student-centered system; Ø 60 credits attached to the notional workload of a full-time student during 1 academic year and the associated learning outcomes; Ø Credits are allocated to qualifications , programmes and educational components; Ø Credits are accumulated with a view to obtaining qualifications; Ø Credits awarded in one programme may be transferred into another programme Ø Learner-centred system aiming to increase transparency of learning outcomes and learning process; Ø Facilitates planning, delivery, evaluation, recognition and validation of qualifications and units of learning; Ø Fosters mobility; Ø Can be applied for lifelong learning activities; Ø Preserves national educational autonomy; Ø Applicable to all sectors of higher education

Application of ECTS – macro level Credits from LO and student workload Cre dits

Application of ECTS – macro level Credits from LO and student workload Cre dits and from L s wor tuden O kloa t d or f s dit LO e r C ed e r ag Accumulation Quality assurance Transfer ECTS Credits from LO only Recognition Non-formal & informal /experiential learning Credits from LO only

Implementation of ECTS – evaluation in European documents - BFUG 29 Countries implemented credits

Implementation of ECTS – evaluation in European documents - BFUG 29 Countries implemented credits system used for transfer and accumulation in all programmes Other countries introduced ECTS in separate programmes One-third of the countries linked credits with LO Note: LO, problems of workload and assessment are reported in the section “Qualitative analysis of internal QA inside HEIs” Bologna stocktaking report 2009 m. LO confused “Outcomes” of the programmes “ One of the concerns…is that HEIS may learn how to provide a technically correct formal description of LO without implementing them in practice. ”

Implementation of ECTS – evaluation in European documents -ESU In 64% of Bologna signatory

Implementation of ECTS – evaluation in European documents -ESU In 64% of Bologna signatory countries ECTS is in the law 26% countries use other credits systems For the 6% of the countries the situation is unclear Note: “These legal provisions are mainly either a definition of ECTS credits and/or the value for an ECTS credit in terms of workload per credit”, i. e. there is no refence to LO “Bologna with the Student Eye”: Ø Only 12% of countries estimate and adapt student workload; it usually depends on HEI; Ø Credits are allocated on the basis of importance or prestige of the course; Ø Contact hours are still the main method to allocate credits; Ø Old credits are converted into ECTS using various formulae; Ø Increase of student workload; Ø Workload per module decreases but number of assessments increase; Ø Rigid implementation of the system where 60 credits is seen as a limit a student might take

Implementation of ECTS – evaluation in European documents - EUA “. . . Implementation

Implementation of ECTS – evaluation in European documents - EUA “. . . Implementation of ECTS continues in European HEIs, but not all institutions have introduces ECTS in the spirit that guided its more recent development as a system for transfer and accumulation of credits at institutional and national level. ” Ø The workload of ECTS credits is still largely related to contact hours; Ø The workload is not consistently estimated or calculated; Ø Credits are not linked to LO; Ø LO are confused with results achieved by students in term of marks and grades; Ø Recognition of credits by is still considered a problem.

Emphasis: 1. Attention to credit as a measure for the student workload; 2. Variety:

Emphasis: 1. Attention to credit as a measure for the student workload; 2. Variety: absolute number of hours per year and credit VS “corridor”; 3. Hierarchy of various legal documents: law, ministerial decrees, recommendatio ns of rector’s conferences, etc…

Main approaches to ECTS implementation on national levels Legal • based on law and/or

Main approaches to ECTS implementation on national levels Legal • based on law and/or ministerial decrees (strong presence of the state authorities and regulations) • Level of implementation depends on precision and prescriptions of the legal acts, experience of HEIs, traditions & collaborative culture Consensus-based • based on rectors’ (presidents’) conferences, qualification authorities , informal agreement among HEIs of a country (state authorities are not actively involved, decisions are taken by the immediate actors of HE system – HEIS and/or quality assurance agencies) • Provides elaborate methodological support – guidelines. Is permissive rather than prescriptive Recommendationbased • no express regulations from the state and no recommendations. ECTS is seen as a good practice. • The HEIs relate directly to European documents in the spirit of opencoordination method – informal consensus model

Application of ECTS at micro level a study programme perspective Indication of the time

Application of ECTS at micro level a study programme perspective Indication of the time students need to complete all learning activities Student workload Statements of what a learner is expected to Learning know , outcomes understand be able to do after the process of learning Transparency and Quality assurance Expressed through competences

Student workload – tasks have to be consistent with allocated time Suggestion: studies have

Student workload – tasks have to be consistent with allocated time Suggestion: studies have to be planned so that student would work about 40 hours per week and 160 hours per month, i. e. standard working week Workload is affected by: learning environment , LO, teaching methods, assessment methods, cultural peculiarities and differences Important how students themselves perceive workload. It seems mode heavy when: they have to use more different sources; have to reproduce knowledge; the content of subject is not clear; teacher-student relationship is tense. 1 full-time year – 60 credits 1 credit 25 -30 hours Suggestion: Students must also be provided time for their independen t work and thinking process – essence of learning

Competences and Learning Outcomes Competences – A dynamic combination of cognitive and metacognitive skills,

Competences and Learning Outcomes Competences – A dynamic combination of cognitive and metacognitive skills, knowledge and understanding, interpersonal, intellectual and practical skills, ethical values and attitudes Learning outcomes - Statements of what the learner is expected to know, understand be able to do after completion of a process of learning. confused Bachelor of History Generic competence Dictated by job market and societal needs. Property of a student which (s)he “takes away” after the process of learning. Expressed through competences. Show the level of the developed competence. Show the requirements to obtain credits. Formulated by academics. Have to be tested. E. g: Awareness of the connections between present -day issues and the past E. g. : is able to describe historiographical tendencies of the last 20 years and to identify the major actors in the debate about modernity , post-modernity and globalization and the related understanding of the relationships between world’s peoples. LO

Credit allocation Notes: Credit allocation that ensures quality of studies is a long process

Credit allocation Notes: Credit allocation that ensures quality of studies is a long process that requires student feedback, constant analysis and teachers’ team-work. There is no direct link between contact hours and credits. Number of credits do not relate to importance or prestige of the course. • LO are defined for each component, activities foreseen and workload estimated; • Proposals are collected, analyzed and estimated workload expressed in credits. • Different size of courses (3, 4, 6) • Pre-defined number of credits are allocated per component; • Feasible LO and learning activities are defined on the basis of the allocated time; • Standard credits or their multiples (5, 10, 15 …) • Staff agrees on what components have to be given the same number of credits (time); • LO and learning activities are defined on the basis of allocated time; • After teaching period the modules are compared – are LO, activities, and time consistent Bottom-up (course unit system) Top-down (modular system) Comparative (modular system)

10 steps for designing a programme – Tuning approach Determine need and potential Define

10 steps for designing a programme – Tuning approach Determine need and potential Define the profile and the key competences Formulate programme LO Decide whether to “modularize” or not Identify competences and LO for each module Determine the approaches to teaching, learning and assessment Check whether the key generic and subject specific competences are covered Describe the programme and the course units Check balance and feasibility Implement, monitor, improve

Development of the module NOTE: Module – a course unit in a system where

Development of the module NOTE: Module – a course unit in a system where each course unit carries the same number of credits or a multiple thereof (ECTS) Aims and competen ces of the Aims are module reflected in the module LO (LO written in a way that they may be tested) Assess ment Criteria tasks for grading the assess Teachin gment and learning NOTE: ØSmall modules – information more specialized but less integrated Ø Big modules – clearer structure of the programme, better coherence in the studied subject, but more difficult to transfer to other context and compare.

Application of ECTS at micro level a student perspective Credit as a tool leading

Application of ECTS at micro level a student perspective Credit as a tool leading to qualification Accumulatio n - how many, what credits (type, level) and when Transfer from various study contexts into the study programme Importance of HEI internal regulations: “Ageing” of the credits Compensation Condonment “Credit” thinking of HEI “ Where a student is granted exemption from part of the programme of study on the basis of credit transfer, the marks obtained by the student for such prior learning will not be used for classification purposes ”. U-ty of Kent

Thank you for your attention!

Thank you for your attention!

ECTS for accumulation in Lithuania before 2011 Reality: Ø National credit system for programmes

ECTS for accumulation in Lithuania before 2011 Reality: Ø National credit system for programmes and accreditation Ø ECTS used only for transfer until now Ø Mechanical conversion using multiplier 1, 5 Ø Voluntary use by the institutions Problems: Ø In reality credit not really based on student workload Ø Credits not used for curriculum design Ø No credit thinking in the country Ø No rational connection to Learning outcomes

National project – need to respond to European developments ü Project title: Development of

National project – need to respond to European developments ü Project title: Development of the Concept of the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) at the National Level: Harmonization of the Credit and Implementation of the Learning Outcomes Based Study Programme Design ü Start: 11. 09. 2009. Duration 30 months. ü Project status – national planning project funded by structural funds. ü Project coordinator –Vilnius University , Experts from VU, VDU, VPU, ISM, KMU, ŠU, VDA, LMTA, KTU, VGTU irand other Lithuanian HE. ü Project partners - Vilnius and Utena Colleges

Strategic group Project experts TUNING training for the Lithuanian experts Analysis of ECTS Iimplement

Strategic group Project experts TUNING training for the Lithuanian experts Analysis of ECTS Iimplement ation in EU countries Analysis of legal acts of Lithuania in the light of ECTS implem. Development of strategic documents Integration of ECTS in the internal QA system Competence development methodology Competences /methodology for 7 subject areas Guidelines of ECTS concept at national level demo versions of 12 (4 x 3) ECTS based study programmes Investigation and methodology for the profession field research of 7 subject areas Information campaign: conferences, trainings, articles Methodo logy for develop ment of Generic compete nces

Subject area groups Rationale: 1. subject area s should cover wide range – from

Subject area groups Rationale: 1. subject area s should cover wide range – from state regulated to arts; 2. Subject areas should offer studies at two cycles (Professiona l; Bachelor; Master) Medicine Public health Chemistry Horizontal groups Fine arts & music Informati cs Social work English philology

Challenges for the project Breaking existing culture Time factor About 140 program mes are

Challenges for the project Breaking existing culture Time factor About 140 program mes are being renewed Challenging practice and order of decision taking in HE Internalizing acquired information and developed skill – the question “WHY? ” What about other program mes and institutio ns

Challenges for institutions LO Workload Credits • Confusion between competences and LO • Lack

Challenges for institutions LO Workload Credits • Confusion between competences and LO • Lack of skills in formulating LO • Problems of translating the term and using appropriate language • There is no tradition to calculate workload and consult students – time and activities do not match • Organization of teaching and learning still teacher centred • No credit thinking in the country and most of the institutions • Credits are not seen as a tool for programme design • Limited use of credits to measure student progress