Mobility, Recognition, ECTS Bologna Promoters’ Presentation Material (to be adapted as needed)

2  Mobility in Europe  Promoting Mobility  Recognising qualifications  ECTS Objectives  ECTS Key Features  ECTS Documents  ECTS Site Visits & Label  ECTS implementation and future challenges Content of the Presentation 2

3  A major objective in Europe since the Treaty of Rome (1957)  An essential aspect of European higher education (Bologna Process & Lisbon Strategy)…  … supported by EU programmes (Socrates Erasmus, Erasmus Mundus, Tempus, LLP, Leonardo da Vinci, Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Developement)  … implemented by European HEIs (bi/multi-lateral agreements, joint programmes)  But lack of consistent statistical information and common definition makes it hard to measure mobility flows and trends Mobility in Europe 3

4  2000 EU Mobility Action Plan  Financial support  Portability of student grants & loans  Easier access to health & welfare entitlements  Fairer tax requirements  Facilitated access for residence & work  Need to publicise the benefits of mobility  Need to make information more easily accessible to all  PLOTEUS web portal  Need to facilitate recognition of study periods abroad & foreign qualifications Promoting mobility 4

5 Tools  The 1997 Lisbon Recognition Convention 38 (out of 56) countries ratified the Convention  The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS)  The Europass portfolio (European CV, Diploma Supplement, Certificate Supplement, Europass language passport, Europass mobility)  The European and national qualifications frameworks  The 2005 EU Directive on the ‘regulated professions’ ‘Facilitators’  The ENIC & NARIC networks But lack of authority in taking binding decisions on the recognition of qualifications Recognising qualifications 5

6  Improve transparency and comparability of study programmes and qualifications  Facilitate academic recognition  ECTS as a transfer system (mobile students)  Support curricular reform  ECTS as a tool for curriculum design  Promote flexibility in learning and qualification processes  ECTS as an accumulation system (all learners) ECTS objectives 6

7  Student-centred system based on the student workload required to achieve the objectives of a programme, objectives preferably specified in terms of learning outcomes and competences to be acquired  Student workload includes all aspects of study programmes: time spent attending lectures, independent study, dissertations, placement, preparing for and taking of examinations, etc  Student workload ≠ contact hours or courses ECTS Key Features I 7

 System based on the convention that 60 credits measure the workload of an average full-time student during one academic year (1 credit = 25 to 30 hours workload)  ECTS credits can only be obtained after completion of the work required and appropriate assessment  ECTS grading system: useful in particular for credit transfer. The ECTS grading scale ranks the students on a statistical basis (it supplements local/national systems) ECTS Key Features II 8

 Information Package/Course Catalogue (information on the institution and its study programmes)  Learning Agreement (list of courses to be taken and agreed upon between the student and the institutions concerned)  Transcript of Records (documents the performance of the student with list of courses, credits grained, local and ECTS grades) ECTS Documents 9

 Since 2000, the European Commission has been funding ECTS/DS site visits to 50 HEIs per year  to help institutions introduce and implement ECTS  From 2004 to 2006, an ECTS Label was awarded to institutions which apply ECTS in the correct way in all first and second cycle degree programmes  to raise the profile of institutions as transparent and reliable partners in European and international co-operation  ECTS Label currently under consultation/revision ECTS Site Visits & Label 10

According to the Trends V report:  ECTS continues to gain ground as the credit system for the European Higher Education Area  However, incorrect or superficial use of ECTS is currently still widespread  the use of ECTS for curriculum design and its implementation as an accumulation system needs to be improved  the further development of ECTS to ensure the recognition of learning outcomes for all types of learning is a key challenge in the context of lifelong learning ECTS implementation & future challenges 11

12  European Commission’s website: _en.html  Trends V report: Web resources 12