Quality Assurance and ECTS at HEI in Serbia Prof. dr Vojin Rakić (BK University, Belgrade)

Quality Assurance “Quality assurance is everything in higher education”

Essential Relation with allocation of credits

Allocation of credits To all types of study programs, irrespective of their length To all three cycles To courses, research/theses etc. To courses that are or are not part of learner’s full cycle study program

Based on......a realistic estimation of the student workload required for the average student to achieve the learning objectives...a total number of 60 credits for one academic year...a regular gathering and analysis of bottom-up information on actual student workload

NOT based on merely formal criteria (e.g., hours of lectures or exercices alone)... status of course (“core and non-core subjects”, introductory or advanced courses) or status of teacher

ECTS grading scale and QA Grading is RELATIVE

ECTS grading scale and QA Based on the rank of a student in a given assessment, i.e. how (s)he performed RELATIVE to other students Based on classification of students into broad groups that makes the interpretation of ranking possible

Passing grades – five subgroups A: the best 10% B: the next 25% C: the next 30% D: the next 25% E: the next 10%

Failing grades – two subgroups FX: some further work required before credits can be awarded F: considerable further work required

Reason for subgroups of specific size? The relativity of grading

Suggestion to teachers To assign grades after a good insight into the entire student cohort

For that, it is useful to… Grade multiple student activities (class-participation, essays, mid-term exams, final exams etc.)

Another important suggestion to teachers To state grading criteria in advance AND to apply them!

Important Size of cohort (suggested size of cohort with passing grades is more than 30 students / if not, distribution of marks over a period covering more years is a possibility) Relationship as close as possible to one-to- one between institution`s own marks and ECTS grading scale

Institutionalization of QA at private universities in Serbia Vice-Rectors for QA Committees for QA at university level and faculty level

Institutionalization of ECTS at Private Universities in Serbia – Case: BK University Principles (1) Implementation of ECTS at BK University (first private university in Serbia) started in 2005 Central Committee was formed at University level with the duty to establish criteria, harmonize standards and to set the dynamics of the implementation process ECTS coordinators were appointed at faculty level ECTS implemented at all study levels (including core subjects and electives).

ECTS allocation (2) ECTS credits appointed to subjects based on student workload In calculating student workload, all activities foreseen by the curriculum taken into consideration, including time spent on lectures, as well as all other student activities (individual work, preparation for practical work, tests, essay writing, etc.), but students achieve credits only by passing the exam

Modularization of study programs (3) Modularization of all study programs is conducted Key principle - modularization should be based on study outcomes being grouped and equally distributed within modules Installment of the system of combining modules within different study programs is foreseen in future planes.

ESCT system utilization (4) Utilization of ECTS as system for credit accumulation (student collects credits until the moment (s)he achieves a sufficient number of credits to obtain a certain professional degree) Utilization of ECTS as system for credit transfer (student can collect credits at some other institution and than transfer them to the home institution) is foreseen.

“ECTS Assurance” (5) Special committees formed for making sure credits are allocated in accordance with ECTS principles Regular evaluations foreseen in future plans

Problem In Serbia, faculties are “legal subjects” Implications for HER