Qualifications and Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area –

The Bologna Process

NEASC 13 April 2011

Bryan Maguire Eurashe

Bmaguire@hetac.ie

Outline

•  Bologna Process •  EHEA Qualifications Framework •  Quality Assurance in the EHEA •  HE institutions and the EQF

Bologna Declaration

•  Not an international treaty; not an EU instrument

•  A commitment by European countries to reform their higher education systems to achieve convergence

•  Goal: a European Area of Higher Education by 2010

•  Action plan: the Bologna “process”

Bologna Process Countries

Bologna Process Countries

Ministerial Meetings

•  Bologna – 1999 •  Prague – 2001 •  Berlin – 2003 •  Bergen – 2005 •  London – 2007 •  Leuven/Louvain-la-Neuve – 2009 •  (Vienna/Budapest – 2010) •  Bucharest - 2012

Action lines 1.  Adoption of a system of easily readable and comparable

degrees 2.  Adoption of a system essentially based on two cycles 3.  Establishment of a system of credits 4.  Promotion of mobility 5.  Promotion of European co-operation in quality assurance 6.  Promotion of the European dimension in higher education 7.  Focus on lifelong learning 8.  Inclusion of higher education institutions and students 9.  Promotion of the attractiveness of the European Higher

Education Area 10. Doctoral studies and the synergy between the European Higher

Education Area and the European Research Area

Why move towards a Bologna Qualifications Framework?

•  Until 2003, little Europe-wide agreement or common understanding on what distinguishes the first 2 cycles

•  Bologna process implies the development of rigorous qualification frameworks that make qualifications really transparent

Principles

•  Qualifications are a matter of national policy and law

•  Framework for the EHEA is an overarching “framework of frameworks”

•  EHEA framework will not cover all the features required in national frameworks

Purpose of EHEA framework

•  International transparency •  International recognition •  International mobility •  Assist in identifying points of articulation

between national frameworks

EHEA Framework

•  Three main cycles – First cycle (e.g. bachelors) – Second cycle (e.g. masters) – Third cycle (e.g. PhD)

Learning outcomes

•  Key conceptual development •  Descriptors of learning outcomes,

including competences •  Generic end-of-cycle outcomes

Dublin Descriptors

•  knowledge and understanding •  applying knowledge and understanding •  making judgements •  communications skills •  learning skills

Credits •  European credit transfer system guidelines •  60 credits = one year FTE •  All awards should be linked to ECTS •  Detailed credit arrangements a national

matter •  Different system from ECVET

ECTS

•  Short cycle (within or linked to first cycle) – 120 approx

•  First cycle – 180-240

•  Second cycle – Min 60, normally 90-120

•  Third cycle – Usually not credit bearing

Linking frameworks National => European

•  Criteria •  Procedures for self-certification

Meta-framework characteristics

•  QF-EHEA •  Higher education •  May 2005 •  Agreement between

ministers •  47 countries •  3 cycles •  End-of-cycle

descriptors + ECTS

•  EQF-LLL •  Lifelong learning •  April 2008 •  Recommendation of

Parliament & Council •  33 countries •  8 levels •  Level descriptors

EHEA (Bologna) & EQF-LLL

•  Level 5, 6, 7, 8 of EQF have annotations indicating that the respective Dublin descriptors (hence for levels 6-8 EHEA framework) are examples of qualification descriptors at these levels

•  Disquiet in HE community about “advanced vocational” qualifications - not all countries have or recognize such qualifications

Quality Assurance

•  Developed by “E4” –  European Association for Quality Assurance

(ENQA) –  Universities (EUA) –  Higher Education Colleges (EURASHE) –  Students Unions (ESIB)

•  Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area

•  Adopted by ministers at Bergen, May 2005

European Standards and Guidelines

•  Part 1: internal (institutional) QA •  Part 2: external QA of institutions and/or

programmes •  Part 3: QA of quality assurance agencies

ESG Part 1: Internal QA

•  Policy and procedures for QA •  Approval, monitoring and review of

programmes •  Assessment of students •  Quality assurance of teaching staff •  Learning resources and student support •  Information systems •  Public information

QA of teaching staff

•  Institutions should have ways of satisfying themselves that staff involved with the teaching of students are qualified and competent to do so. They should be available to those undertaking external reviews, and commented upon in reports.

ESG Part 2: External QA

•  Use of internal QA procedures •  Development of external QA processes •  Criteria for decisions •  Processes fit for purpose •  Reporting •  Follow-up procedures •  Periodic reviews •  System-wide analyses

ESG Part 3: Review of QA agencies

•  Use of external QA procedures for HE •  Official status •  Activities •  Resources •  Mission statement •  Independence •  External QA criteria and processes used by

agency •  Accountability

Other QA developments

•  European Association for QA (ENQA) (39 members; 11 candidates)

•  European Quality Assurance Register (EQAR) (24 members)

•  European Forum for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (Annual)

•  European Quality Assurance in Vocational Education and Training Network (EQAVET)

Bologna and HE institutions

•  The institutions have been heavily engaged in the construction of these instruments (QF & ESG) of the Bologna Process (EUA and EURASHE)

•  The instruments broadly respect subsidiarity, both national sovereignty and institutional autonomy

ALGERIA: Bologna “source of student unrest”

•  “The 2008 law introducing the three cycle system also has a political dimension, to integrate Algerian universities into globalisation and mondialisation” Louisa Hanoune (Workers’ Party Sec. Gen.)

•  http://www.latribune-online.com/evenement/49815.html (2.iv.11)

Priorities to 2020 (Leuven 2010) •  Social dimension •  Lifelong learning •  Employability •  Student-centred learning •  Education, research and innovation •  Mobility •  Data collection •  Multidimensional transparency tools •  Funding

Websites

•  www.ehea.info (Bologna Secretariat) •  www.enqa.eu (Euro QA association) •  www.eua.eu European University Association •  www.eurashe.eu (Professional HE institutions) •  ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-policy/

doc62_en.htm (European Commission) •  ec.europa.eu/research/era/ (Euro research area)

Commentaries

•  Cliff Adelman: The Bologna Process for U.S. Eyes: Re-learning Higher Education in the Age of Convergence (www.ihep.org)

•  Paul Gaston The Challenge of Bologna Stylus Publishing, 2010