scholarly journals Problems of Introducing a Competence Based Learning within the Context of Bologna Process

Pedagogika ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 121 (1) ◽  
pp. 187-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rimantas Želvys ◽  
Aliya Akzholova
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Bologna Process ◽  
Essential Difference ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Educational Management ◽  
Central Asian ◽  
Central Asian Countries ◽  
Project Participants ◽  
The Bologna Process

The article analyzes the problems of applying a competence-based learning in higher education. The Bologna process and development of common European higher education area (EHEA) is perhaps the most ambitious project initiated in higher education during the last several decades in Europe. However, not only European nations are involved in the Bologna process. In 2009 the Republic of Kazakhstan also became a member of the Bologna movement. The other Central Asian countries – Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – do not formally participate in the Bologna process, but are inevitably affected by changes initiated by the Bologna declaration in the area of higher education. In order to support the development of educational studies along the Bologna lines, the European Commission funded the TEMPUS project „Modernization and Development of Curricula on Pedagogy and Educational Management in the Central Asian countries (EDUCA)“. Analysis of study programs developed in the course of implementation the TEMPUS project “Modernization and Development of Curricula on Pedagogy and Educational Management in the Central Asian countries (EDUCA)” showed that project participants encountered threefold problems of introducing a competence-based approach. The goal and objectives of the current study were to discuss these three strands of problems. The problems of defining competences are reflected in certain difficulties of including the component of ethical values. The problems of classifying competences are determined by attempts of the project participants to specify the broad classification offered by the Tuning methodology. The problems of differentiating between the competences and the learning outcomes arise due to the vague understanding of the participants what is the difference between the two concepts. They tend to treat them as synonimous, though in reality there is an essential difference. Competences are the qualities developed by the learner while learning outcomes are determined by the academic staff. Further clarification of the concept of competences will be needed in order to place the programs completely within the context of Bologna process.

Conformity or confusion? Changing higher education grading scales as a part of the Bologna Process: the cases of Denmark, Norway and Sweden

2009 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bettinal Lien Dahl ◽  
Åsa Lindberg-Sand
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Political Process ◽  
Bologna Process ◽  
Classification Systems ◽  
General Level ◽  
Grading Scale ◽  
Intended Learning Outcomes ◽  
The Bologna Process ◽  
Grading Scales

The aim of the Bologna Process is to make higher education systems across Europe more transparent. It is crucial for this purpose that confusion concerning the characteristics of the systems should be replaced by conformity. But, as we will show, conformity brought about at one level may create confusion at another. The curricular aspect of the Bologna Process focuses on a shift to outcome-based and student-centred programmes. Syllabi should now be based on intended learning outcomes (ILOs) and should be adjusted to general level descriptors for qualifications. However, the Bologna documents give no explicit recommendations about the use of grading scales. In Denmark, Norway and Sweden, the reforms of higher education induced by the Bologna process included a change of grading scales and referred to the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS). Through these three case studies, we describe and analyse the political process and argumentation underpinning the decisions to change the grading scales in each country. This includes the problems, both experienced and perceived, with the old grading scales, the various national assessment traditions and the new grading scales. The purpose of the change was not the same in each country, but the ongoing adaptation to a seven-step grading scale was thought to ease the international recognition of the national grades, making mobility easier. Though a seven-step grading scale was implemented in both Danish and Norwegian higher education and also by an increasing number of Swedish higher education institutions, the translation of grades only works on a superficial level. The grading scales designed are fundamentally different as classification systems; they attach different numerical values to grades with identical labels and they relate differently to norm- and standards-referenced judgements of learning outcomes. The information condensed in similar grades from the three countries cannot be equated. The vision of simple transparency turns out to be an illusion.

scholarly journals Columbus’ Egg? Qualifications Frameworks, Sectoral Profiles and Degree Programme Profiles in Higher Education

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Wagenaar
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Bologna Process ◽  
Reference Points ◽  
International Mobility ◽  
Programme Design ◽  
Subject Areas ◽  
Modernization Process ◽  
Set Up ◽  
The Bologna Process

During the last 25 years international mobility has become paramount in higher education. International and national authorities and higher education institutions have set-up effective structures to facilitate and implement this process. It has become part of a higher education modernization process which obtained a serious push with the start and development of the Bologna Process in Europe as of 1999. However the same authorities have been far less active in finding answers on how to facilitate this process in terms of curriculum development, quality assurance and recognition. The initiative was largely left to individuals supported by their employing organizations. These have proven to be visionaries. Their efforts have led to competence and learning outcomes based descriptors for meta-qualifications frameworks and to important reference points / meta profiles for subject areas. Academics have been strongly involved in developing the latter and by doing so have offered a more sustainable basis for implementing reforms based on the student-centred approach, which is so relevant for today’s world in terms of employability and citizenship. The most recent development has been the development of Tuning sectoral qualifications frameworks which allow for bridging the two European meta-frameworks, the EQF for Lifelong Learning and the QF for the European Higher Education Area, with sectoral and degree profiles. This can be seen as a breakthrough initiative because it offers us a transparent model which is developed and owned by academics and can easily be used by all involved in programme design and development, quality enhancement and assurance and recognition of (periods of) studies.

scholarly journals Acquisition of general competences using project-based learning

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula M. Castro ◽  
Francisco Laport ◽  
Adriana Dapena ◽  
Francisco J. Vazquez-Araujo
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Bologna Process ◽  
Teaching Experience ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Project Work ◽  
Explicit Learning ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Transferable Skills ◽  
The Bologna Process

During years, professors of higher education focused on the outcome of the assimilation of information through learning (i.e., in the acquisition of knowledge).  In a European context, the Bologna Process has accelerated and spread the process of defining explicit learning outcomes for higher education programs, including those in terms of general competences and transferable skills. Our teaching experience in engineering degrees have shown that these students have difficulties for understanding the math basics of some disciplines. For greater effectiveness in knowledge acquisition, we consider as an essential issue the inclusion of laboratory activities based on computer simulations performed using software. For acquiring those general competences and transferable skills, our proposal also includes several projects in which our students must develop skills such as communication, teamwork or problem solving. We have observed that such projects allow students the development of their creativity, an improvement in oral and written communication, and also an optimal training for the B.S. degree project work and even for their future professional life.

scholarly journals Qualifications frameworks for the European Higher Education Area: a new instrumentalism or 'Much Ado about Nothing'?

2008 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 77-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Berit Karseth
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Bologna Process ◽  
Curriculum Theory ◽  
Traditional Curriculum ◽  
European Higher Education Area ◽  
Much Ado About Nothing ◽  
Institutional Responses ◽  
European Higher Education ◽  
The Bologna Process

The purpose of this article is to explore the development of qualifications frameworks as a key element in the Bologna Process, which aims to develop a European Higher Education Area by 2010. By setting up descriptors of learning outcomes, a European qualifications framework is intended as an instrument that enables Europe to coordinate and exchange qualifications. Furthermore, the article analyses the proposal of a national qualifications framework in Norway and institutional responses to it. Despite general support for the idea of a framework, the analysis shows that the institutions question the possibility of a qualifications framework that fits all types of educational programmes.With reference to curriculum theory the article concludes that the idea of a qualifications framework based on measurable learning outcomes represents a turn towards an instrumental curriculum approach in higher education, in contrast to a traditional curriculum approach which foregrounds disciplinary content and its mastery. Drawing on institutional theory the article also questions the possible impact of qualifications frameworks in higher education.

scholarly journals Federal University’s Role in the Implementation of the Russian Federation “Soft Power” Conception in Central Asia (The Case of Northern (Arctic) Federal University Named After M.V. Lomonosov)

2020 ◽  
pp. 223-232
Author(s):  
Slavyana Boldyreva ◽  
Roman Boldyrev ◽  
Nataliya Beloshitskaya
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
International Students ◽  
Central Asia ◽  
Russian Federation ◽  
Soft Power ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Central Asian ◽  
Educational Programmes ◽  
Central Asian Countries ◽  
The Russian Federation

Introduction. Currently the notion of the “soft power” is perceived as an effective way of nation’s non-forcible influence on other countries with a view to implement one’s own objectives. Suchlike implementation is confined to particular spheres to form a positive image of the nation. Higher education today is one of the most efficient instruments of the “soft power” implementation in the countries of Central Asia, for it allows securing friendly political and economic elite as well as enhancing the quality of labour migrants to the Russian Federation. The aim of the research is to analyze particular features of the “soft power” implementation in the domain of higher education in case with the region of Central Asia on the example of Northern (Arctic) Federal University named after M.V. Lomonosov (the city of Arkhangelsk, Russia, henceforth NArFU). Methods and materials. The study is based on systematic and comparative approaches to the analysis of the Russian “soft power” strategy in the domain of higher education. The study in hand also draws on general approaches to the “soft power” implementation in the region of Central Asia. The main sources for the analysis are annual reports on implementing the NArFU programme of development. These reports pay a great deal of attention to academic recruiting and academic mobility. Analysis. The Central Asia region is crucial from the view point of Russia’s interests. The region is rich in hydrocarbon deposits, it boasts a great transit potential in international trade, and this is the region where the biggest number of migrants come from to Russia. For these reasons Russia is strengthening its “soft power” influence on Central Asian countries in general and in the sphere of higher education in particular. From the very day of the NArFU foundation in 2010, the region of Central Asia has been considered as a high-priority region. The example of NArFU demonstrates that the number of international students in the total number of full-cycle students has risen by 8.4 times, wherein the growth is secured mainly by students from Central Asian countries. Central Asian students’ percentage of the total number of international students is 82–89.3%. The percentage of students from the region in question, doing short-term educational programmes is also high – 49.5–61.4%. Diverse mechanisms are exploited to attract would-be students to NArFU: agreements with educational establishments of the region; visits of NArFU’s representatives (both lecturers and students) to the region; NArFU’s participation in international exhibitions on education; presenting NArFU’s educational programmes on the basis of “Rossotrudnichestvo” regional offices; inviting school graduates to study within the quota for fellow-countrymen residing abroad; arranging off-site university testing and multi-disciplinary intellectual contests; higher educational allowances and medical insurance compensation; active promotion with the help of social media. The international Friendship Club and the team of tutors were set up to ensure better social and cultural adaptation, regular events and excursions take place on the same purpose. Results. Despite the fact that there is no general state-level integral concept on attracting school graduates from the countries of Central Asia to the universities of Russia, NArFU managed to occupy the niche on the educational market of the region. University’s administration has been pursuing a clear course towards attracting would-be students from Central Asia, exploiting a wide range of mechanisms to enhance academic recruiting, relying upon the advantages of Arkhangelsk region in the sphere of migrants’ adaptation. Over the recent ten years the factors mentioned above have brought about more than eight times growth of students from the region of Central Asia in NArFU.

Multilingual education in Central Asian institutions of higher education

2020 ◽  
pp. 102-117
Author(s):  
Zeng Ting
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
International Development ◽  
Development Strategy ◽  
Language Education ◽  
National Language ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Multilingual Education ◽  
Central Asian ◽  
Central Asian Countries ◽  
Language And Education

Central Asian countries include Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, all of which are multi-ethnic and multi-lingual countries with unique multicultural spaces. After independence, the Central Asian countries along the «Belt and Road» are fully aware of the importance of education in the development of the national economy. Therefore, the internationalization of higher education is always given priority in the education development. In the context of internationalization, the choice of language education and educational language has become an important factor affecting the quality of higher education. At present, apart from Turkmenistan, the governments of Central Asian countries have proposed a multilingual development strategy for their national conditions, trying to break the deadlock of economic and social development through multilingual policies so that they can integrate with the world, and step into the international development path. The key to implementing multilingual policies and carrying on the related language and culture projects is in the correct and effective multilingual education. The development of multilingual education in Central Asian universities has constituted a unique landscape for higher education in Central Asia. It is characterized by the integration of multilingual education policy into national language and education strategies, the intervention from Europe, US and Russia, the phased planning, the equal attention to both native and foreign languages and language as the educational medium. Meanwhile, there exist some problems, including strong politicization, insufficient teachers, teaching materials and educational fund, as well as the difficulties in the development of native languages.

scholarly journals Can Students' Concept of Learning Influence Their Learning Outcomes?

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Despina Varnava Marouchou
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Bologna Process ◽  
Learning Approaches ◽  
Font Size ◽  
Conceptions Of Learning ◽  
European Universities ◽  
University Course ◽  
The University ◽  
The Bologna Process

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 150%; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">This paper aims to readdress the lack of empirical data concerning university learning and in particular the dynamics students’ conceptions of learning may have on students’ learning outcomes. This paper is written at a time when the EU commission for Higher Education (HE) through the Bologna Process declaration has put into action, since 1999, a series of reforms needed to make European Higher Education compatible, efficient and competitive for students and academics alike. One of the reforms was the development of learning outcomes in the form of the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS). </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">As part of the process the European universities require to identify and describe the learning outcomes a student is supposed to achieve, in a particular course. The learning outcomes are, now, expected to be clearly specified in all the university course syllabuses. </span></p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><br />The main argument stated within this paper is that the design of effective learning outcomes, such as the ECTS, especially for curriculum development, cannot be successfully achieved in the absence of the students’ own experience of how they conceive learning to be, including the methods (approaches) they use for learning. Thus, the first aim of this investigation is to analyse the students’ conceptions of learning and the second aim is to examine, through prior research evidence, the effects these conceptions may have on learning approaches and specifically on learning outcomes.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><br />Drawing on a 2007 study of Cypriot students’ conceptions of learning, this paper discusses the possibility of a relation between these issues and outlines the importance of taking them into consideration when exploring learning outcomes, curriculum and syllabus design and the professional development of faculty.</p></span>

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