Current Developments and Challenges in the Bologna Process

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Current Developments and Challenges in the
Bologna Process

• Bologna Presentation
• (adapted by J. Stašková)

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Bologna Basics 1 What is the Bologna Process?

• Bologna Declaration
• June 1999, 29 countries,
• Joint declaration on The European Higher
  Education Area (EHEA)
• Commitment to achieve EHEA as a key way to
  promote citizens mobility and employability and
  Europes overall development
• Bologna Process
• Intergovernmental process
• Meanwhile 45 countries (i.e. EU and non-EU)
• Bologna Follow-up Group, Board, Secretariat
• Key role of European HE institutions and students

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Bologna Basics 2 Action Lines

• Easily readable and comparable degrees
• Two cycle structure
• Use of credits such as ECTS
• Mobility
• Cooperation in quality assurance
• European dimension
• Lifelong learning
• Involvement of students
• Attractiveness and competitiveness of the EHEA
• Doctoral studies and synergies between EHEA and
  ERA

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The Three-Cycle System

• Pre-Bologna
• Various types of degrees across Europe
• Increased students and academics mobility
• Recognition problems
• From two to three cycles
• Bologna, 1999 first and second cycle
  (undergraduate and graduate)
• Berlin, 2003 doctorate as third cycle
• Bologna Declaration
• First cycle lasts at least three years
• First cycle qualification gives access to second
  cycle and shall be relevant to European labour
  market
• Use of a credit system (ECTS)

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Why Qualifications Frameworks?

• A tool for fostering transparency, flexibility
  and mobility of learners
• On the national level need for systematic
  articulation and navigation between
  qualifications
• Overarching (European) qualifications frameworks
  serve as translation device
• Keep in mind
• Individual qualifications do not directly relate
  to overarching qualifications frameworks (only
  via national qualifications frameworks or
  systems)
• QFs have to be generic and multi-purpose

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Qualifications Framework for the EHEAStarting
Point - the Berlin Communiqué

• Ministers encourage the member states to
  elaborate a framework of comparable and
  compatible qualifications for their higher
  education systems, which should seek to describe
  qualifications in terms of workload, level,
  learning outcomes, competences and profile
• They also undertake to elaborate an overarching
  framework of qualifications for the European
  Higher Education Area.

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The Lisbon DeclarationEuropes Universities
beyond 2010 Diversity with a Common Purpose

• I. Introduction
• Strong Universities for Europe
• Europes universities have, since their
  foundation
• over 800 years ago, championed enquiry, fostered
  a civilised and
• tolerant society and prepared young people for
  their role in society
• and the economy. Europe now expects its
  universities to perform
• an even wider role, enabling civil society to
  meet the
• challenges of the twenty-first century.

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The Lisbon DeclarationEuropes Universities
beyond 2010 Diversity with a Common Purpose

• 2. Universities and the Knowledge Society
• 3. A diversified university system Universities
  recognize that moving from an elite to a mass
  system of higher education implies the existence
  of universities with different missions, and
  strengths. This requires a system of academic
  institutions with highly diversified profiles,
  based on equality of esteem for different
  missions.
• 4. The fundamental importance of university
  autonomy For universities, the adaptability and
  flexibility required to respond to a changing
  society and to changing demands relies above all
  on increased autonomy and adequate funding,
  giving them the space in which to find their
  place.

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The Lisbon Declaration Europes Universities
beyond 2010 Diversity with a Common Purpose

• 5. Universities and an inclusive society
• Europes universities accept their public
  responsibility for
• promoting social equity and an inclusive society.
  They are
• making great efforts to widen the socio-economic
  basis of their
• student populations they are dedicated to
  ensuring access and
• giving opportunities to succeed to all those who
  are qualified and
• have the potential to benefit from higher
  education. Success in this
• task requires partnership with governments and
  other parts of the
• educational system.

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The Lisbon Declaration Europes Universities
beyond 2010 Building the European Higher
Education Area

• 6. Refocusing on key goals
• Universities are fully committed to building the
  EHEA, as the
• immense success of the rapid introduction of a
  three cycle
• higher education structure across Europe shows
• to ensure that a stronger student focus,
  employability, mobility, attractiveness and
  social inclusion are firmly embedded as
  characteristics of the emerging EHEA.

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The Lisbon Declaration Europes Universities
beyond 2010 Building the European Higher
Education Area

• 7. A stronger student focus
• Universities are aware that additional efforts
  are needed to
• meet the challenges of the shift towards
  student-centred learning.
• This involves encouraging use of learning
  outcomes and being
• explicit about what graduates are expected to
  know and be able
• to do, but also encouraging critical thinking and
  the
• active engagement of students.

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The Lisbon Declaration Europes Universities
beyond 2010 Building the European Higher
Education Area

• 8. ECTS
• Trends V shows the effective role of ECTS in
  structuring learning
• processes, when it is used properly on the basis
  of learning
• outcomes and student workload. It provides a
  basis for trust
• within and between institutions, cycles and
  disciplines, thus
• promoting the flexible and multi-faceted mobility
  that is a key
• objective of the Bologna Process.
• Universities strongly urge the European
  Commission to build on the
• achievements of ECTS in the further development
  of proposals for
• a credit system for vocational education and
  training (ECVET).

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The Lisbon DeclarationEuropes Universities
beyond 2010 Building the European Higher
Education Area

• ECTS
• Every effort should be made to avoid the
  existence of two
• separate credit systems within one lifelong
  learning
• strategy. Universities wish to take a leading
  role in the further
• development of ECTS. EUA will take up this
  challenge as part
• of its continued support to universities in
  implementing the
• Bologna Process reforms through the Bologna
  Handbook and
• the organisation of dedicated seminars and other
  events as
• the Trends V results demonstrate -
• this process will take time!!!

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• Thank you for your attention.

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Qualification Framework for the EHEA
Min. 3 years
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Learning Outcomes Dublin Descriptors

• Generic statements of typical expectations of
  achievements and abilities associated with
  qualifications at the end of a cycle
• Outcome approach Results are more important than
  how they are acquired
• Dublin Descriptors look at knowledge and
  understanding, its application, making judgments,
  communication, learning skills
• Descriptors should be read in relation to each
  other (Bachelor Master Doctorate)

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Example Dublin Descriptors on Making Judgements

• Bachelor (involves) gathering and interpreting
  relevant data
• Master (demonstrates) the ability to integrate
  knowledge and handle complexity, and formulate
  judgements with incomplete data
• Doctorate (requires being) capable of critical
  analysis, evaluation and synthesis of new and
  complex ideas

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Key Features of ECTS

• ECTS European Credit Transfer and Accumulation
  System
• History from mobility to accumulation
• Quantitative measure based on student workload
  required to achieve learning outcomes
• Additional mobility tools Diploma Supplement,
  Learning Agreements, Mobility Pass
• ECTS principles
• 60 credits full-time academic year (1500 1800
  hours)
• i.e. 1 credit ca. 25 30 working hours
• Credits for all components of study programmes
  reflect quantity of work each component requires

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Issues to think about when setting up NQFs

• What is the need for NQF?
• Promote foster objectives not just a
  mechanism (flexible learning, student-centred
  learning, LLL, learning outcomes, etc.)
• Wide consultation dialogue has to be first step
• Involve right people in development from
  beginning (institutions, students, employers)
• Make use of experience of countries that have
  successful experience

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Example of NQFGerman Qualifications Framework

• Three cycles (Bachelor, Master, Doctorate)
• Described in terms of
• Knowledge and understanding (Wissen und
  Verstehen)
• Ability to do (Können)
• Formal aspects, incl. access and articulation,
  length and workload (ECTS)
• E.g. Bachelor (formal aspects)
• 3 4 years of full-time study/180 240 ECTS
• All Bachelor degrees give the right to access
  Master programmes
• Types of degrees BA, BSc, BEng, BMus, LLB,
  Diplom (FH)

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EQF for Lifelong Learning

• Eight levels covering different forms of learning
  incl. basic learning, Vocational Education
  Training, HE, informal learning, etc.
• Learning outcomes/Descriptors
• Knowledge
• Skills
• Competences
• No measure of workload (no credit system)
• Level 6 8 Descriptors correspond to Dublin
  Descriptors in QF for EHEA
• Recommendation from the European Commission to
  the European Council Parliament (EQF for LLL
  not adopted yet)

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QF for the EHEA vs. EQF for Lifelong Learning
QF for EHEA
EQF for Lifelong Learning
45 Bologna countries
25 (EU) countries
Geographical scope
Higher education
Lifelong learning
Educational scope
3 Bologna cycles
Eight levels
Levels/ Cycles
Learning outcomes (Dublin Descriptors), ECTS
Learning outcomes
Elements
Adopted by 45 ministers in Bergen, 2005
Not yet adopted
Status
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Implementation Issues (from EUAs Trends reports)

• Access and articulation From Bachelor to Master
  entry requirements for Doctorate
• Employers understanding New system well
  understood by employers? What should be done in
  order to better promote the new degrees?
• Diploma Supplement Issued everywhere to all
  students?
• ECTS Correct use?
• Recognition Problems solved?
• Curriculum reform Formal adoption of new degrees
  or profound reform?
• Students centred learning Already well
  understood?
• National Qualifications Frameworks Do HEIs
  understand their value and purpose? Are
  stakeholders involved in the development?
• Overarching Qualifications Frameworks Helpful or
  confusing?