Design and Delivery of Quality History Programmes A European Strategy Ann Katherine Isaacs Coordinator CLIOHnet2, CLIOHRES, Tuning EU/LA Management Madrid, 25 October 2007

Scheme: Background Context Results News Where to find infomation Madrid, 25 October 2007

Roots in ECTS Pilot Project, beginning in Discovery of the other (next door) (periodisation, interests, contents, methods) History is the most diversified subject area History faces the greatest challenges but has the most to gain from international interaction Madrid, 25 October 2007

From those roots: CLIOH CLIOHnet CLIOHnet2 CLIOHRES.net Tuning Educational Structures in Europe/Latin America HUMAN PLUS Madrid, 25 October 2007

CLIOH (Curriculum Development) CLIOHnet (Thematic Network) CLIOHnet2 (Thematic Network 2° cycle) CLIOHRES.net (FP6 Network of Excellence) Tuning Educational Structures in Europe/Latin America (University designed and driven project to give substance to the Bologna Process)

HUMAN PLUS: The Archipelago of Humanistic Thematic Networks, a Network of Networks

All with the support of the European Commission (EAC, Research, EuropeAid)

The context: European Expansion and Integration Bologna Process Lisbon Strategy

A change in paradigm: first of all, the student.

In this context, Quality means fostering the competences for employability, citizenship, and personal satisfaction (ESIB-ESU) The student is the real stakeholder: the student has the most at stake

General (Tuning/Bologna) Principles - output-based and student centered: - not input-based and teacher centered) Madrid, 25 October 2007

Are we able to make this shift in paradigm?

Can the Decreto and autonomy be translated into practice?

Ten steps to curriculum design: 1. first, i s there a need? 2. Define the academic and professional profile 3. Express the expected results in learning outomes, defining the key competences (e.g.10)

4. Modularise?Using ECTS credits 5. Define outcomes and competences for each course unit.

6. Choose the best approaches to learning teaching and assessment, ensuring variety 7. Check that all desired competences have been taken into account.

8. Describe the programme in terms of competences 9. Check for balance 10. Implement, monitor and improve.

Specific to History: what we discovered in Tuning: 1. from consultation with employers, graduates, academics: a. History is important b. History graduates find employment c. About 50% in non History related work d. History Graduates have valuable competences Madrid, 25 October 2007

Specific to History: what we did in Tuning: 2. we elaborated reference points, cycle level descriptors (overarching objectives) and subject specific competences (17 countries, with input from 30 countries) Madrid, 25 October 2007

Specific to History: what we did in Tuning: 3. We surveyed approaches to learning/teaching/and assessment, linking them to competances and recommending use of many different approaches Madrid, 25 October 2007

Specific to History: what we did in Tuning: 4. We elaborated tools to help universities to apply the new principles in pratice (published in Tuning 2) Madrid, 25 October 2007

Specific to History: what we did in Tuning: 5. We contributed to elaborating the Tuning Quality Cycle including the use of ECTS as a tool for planning curricula and enhancing Quality Madrid, 25 October 2007

Some CLIOHnet findings: History matters, essential critical competences for citizenship Gender history as part of all history, not a ghetto History has new resources thanks to ICT and e- learning: National history is not enough Madrid, 25 October 2007

More CLIOHnet findings: History is associated with memory: more exactly with amnesia. Teaching of eastern and southern European History is largely absent in other countries All history is contemporary: we need ancient, medieval and modern history too Madrid, 25 October 2007

CLIOHnet and CLIOHRES: Higher education and research must be linked all along the students experience. Not just at the Masters or Doctoral level. Madrid, 25 October 2007

CLIOHnet and CLIOHRES: have prepared materials, books available in hard copy and on line (26 to date) guidelines: coming, e-learning for history guidelines Sample teaching learning units (core of the core, Materials Commission, virtual book on Migration) Childrens books Spin-off projects (Masters in Mediterranean studies) Madrid, 25 October 2007

Prospects: We have many resources, esperiences and tools which can be of use in designing and implementing new curricula. History is the forerunner, a pilot discipline… Prospects: We have many resources, esperiences and tools which can be of use in designing and implementing new curricula. History is the forerunner, a pilot discipline… Madrid, 25 October 2007

Tuning results for Latin America are published (in Spanish, Portuguese and English): one of the disciplines is History Madrid, 25 October 2007

Guidelines and reference points for History are now being developed in Russia and in Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan) and will soon be published Madrid, 25 October 2007

Third cycle (Doctorado), Tuning-CLIOHnet with CLIOHRES.net: - have conducted a pan-European survey of History doctoral candidates - developed a new view of the necessary competences - suggest L/T/A approaches and use of ECTS as a planning tool.

Third cycle: Main findings: - students are aware that most will not find jobs immediately or ever as academic researchers. - students need and want broader competences and a better methodological overview of History and related disciplines.

Third cycle: Main findings (2): - students need better structured programmes - ECTS can make programmes fairer, more effective and more transparent.

EQF for the Third cycle: Includes important competences not often considered by doctoral supervisors

. Qualifications that signify completion of the third cycle are awarded to students who: have demonstrated a systematic understanding of a field of study and mastery of the skills and methods of research associated with that field; have demonstrated the ability to conceive, design, implement and adapt a substantial piece of research with scholarly integrity; have made a contribution through original research that extends the frontier of knowledge by developing a substantial body of work, some of which merits national or international refereed publication;

. AND ALSO….. are capable of critical analysis, evaluation and synthesis of new and complex ideas; can communicate with their peers, the larger scholarly community and with society in general about their areas of expertise; can be expected to be able to promote, with academic and professional contexts, technological, social or cultural advancement in a knowledge based society.

The draft study on the Doctorate is available on-line for comment ( The final version will soon be published on the new Tuning Journal

The immediate future: Tuning Validation Panel for History will meet with the Subject Area Group on 5 November. A Project for SQF for Humanities including History will define necessary competences on entry to University HUMAN PLUS 2008: Structuring Intercultural Dialogue will establish scientific and technical competences for Humanities students and vice versa.