Current developments in the ECTS/DS - Good Practice in Finland

Bratislava 22 – 23 February 2008

Matti Isokallio

Outline• ECTS and DS

• Situation before and after 2005– Degree structure – Credit system– Curriculum

• ECTS & Curricula development & Learning Outcomes– switch from old credits to ECTS Credits– How we did Curriculum reform – Introduce of LO and new national approach

ECTS and DS

ECTS and DS Labels

- Labels will stay separate- the relaunch will be in this year- there will be national prescreening

ECTS Key Features

- new version dated December 2007

- no drastic changes

- Learning Outcomes included

Figures of HE in Finland

Universities of Applied Science Universities

Institutions 28 20

Students 130 000 160 000

Entrants annually33 000 28 000

Population in Finland is appr. 5 000 000 inhabitants.

Situation in Finland before 2005

• Old credit system:

– based on student’s workload

– in law: one credit equals to 40 hour work

– in practice: ratio between credit and workload was distorted

• Curriculum

– often atomistic studyplan of disconnected subjects

• Degree structure

– Intergrated 5 year Masters in University

– Only Bachelors in Universities of Applied Science (Pilot of Master programmes launched in 2003)

Bologna reform in Finnish Higher EducationUniversities started reform in 2002. Reform in Universities of Applied Sciences were launched 2004. New legislation came into force 2005 including Diploma Supplement, two cycle system and ECTS based credits in both sectors. Ministry of Education financed both sectors in reform. Coordination inside the sectors were good, but between sectors it was insignificant.

The position of the degrees awarded inthe Finnish higher education system (NQF Draft, 2005)

5 yearMaster programme

before 2005

PHASE 1. PROPOSALS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ON TRANSITION TO THE ECTS CREDIT SYSTEM

1. Lenght of academic year

2. Extent of training

3. Minimum extent of study unit

4. Transition timetable

5. Introduction of Diploma Supplement

IMPLEMENTATION OF PROPOSALS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Lenght of academic year40 week academic year at least on paper, in practice

still some problems2. Extent of training

Succeeded3. Minimum extent of study unit

Proposal: minimum 5 credit, 20% 5 credit, 80% 3 credit4. Transition timetable

From national credit to ECTSEither 1.1.2005 or 1.8.2005, result 50/50

5. Diploma Supplement12 Universities of Applied Science have Label

PHASE 2. Towards Learning-Centered Curricula

Planning learning processes (adapted from Koli & Silander 2002)

Different levels or scales of core competence and core content analyses applied in the ECTS project

PROPOSAL FOR DEFINING SUBJECT-SPECIFIC COMPETENCES AND THEIR USE IN A CURRICULUM

Principles of theTuning project are applied:

1) competences are divided into subject-specific (professional) competences and generic competences and

2) a matrix (grid) is used as a curriculum outline.

Subject-specific competences

• the aim is to describe a programme profile with the help of3-6 subject-specific competences

• the competences are defined on the basis of national and international competence descriptors (e.g. the Tuning project)and work carried out at Finnish HEI’s

• some subject-specific competences may be shared by severalprogrammes of the same field

• competences should be clearly distinguishable from each otherand assessable as learning outcomes

Subject-specific competences

• competence titles and descriptors should be clearly phrasedand readable (throughout Europe). The descriptors are producedin Finnish/ Swedish and English.

• the knowledge and skills of each competence are formulatedbriefly with a few sentences

• definitions are produced in programme-specific groups, whichare coordinated by people responsible for the field of study

• definitions are produced collaboratively with all interest groups,i.e. teachers, students and representatives of working life

Generic competences

• generic competences are defined by a national expert group,which will be assembled by the end of 2005

• the aim is to create a set of 5-7 generic competences that canbe shared by all degree programmes

• the definitions are founded on the Polytechnic Decree, theEuropean and National Qualifications Frameworks, literatureand studies on competences and work carried out at Finnishpolytechnics

• generic competences should include self-regulation skills thatare needed in professional development

• a similar formulation and wording as with subject-specificcompetences should be used

Six generic competences were defined

• learning competence,

• ethical competence,

• communicative and social competence,

• development competence,

• organisational and societal competence, and

• internationalisation competence

SUBJECT SPECIFIC COMPETENCES

DP in Horticulture as an example

Project steering and participation

Finnish ECTS project was under Rectors Conference steering and financed by Ministry of Education. The lenght of the project was steering committee and project managers.

In the first phase every institution nominate contact person. Several seminars were arranged.

In the second phase original network of contact persons continued plus field specific networks and generic network were named. Training for curriculum reform was organised nationally and regionally.

Sources

www.ncp.fi/ects Finnish ECTS project for Universities of Applied Science

http://www.w5w.fi/ Finnish project for implementing Bologna in Universities

http://www.minedu.fi/OPM/ Ministry of Education