Ad-hoc Working Group on the Revision of the ECTS Users' Guide Draft ECTS Guide Klara Engels-Perenyi, European Commission 6 th Meeting of the Structural Reforms Working Group Warsaw, 27 May 2014

Content Revision process Starting point What is new? Key definitions

Revision process

Mandate Bucharest Communiqué 2012 "We call on institutions to further link study credits with both learning outcomes and student workload, and to include the attainment of learning outcomes in assessment procedures. We will work to ensure that the ECTS Users' Guide fully reflects the state of on- going work on learning outcomes and recognition of prior learning."

Working Group Experts nominated by countries or organisations AM, BE-nl, DE, FR, HU, IT, LT, MD, NL, NO, SE, UA and UK; ENQA, ESU, EUA and EURASHE First meeting February 2013; 3 further meetings in 2013 (April, May, October) First draft by "drafting team", September 2013, Brussels Stakeholders' consultation January meetings in 2014 (February, April)

Starting point

Why revision? The current Guide was written in 2008 and published in 2009 Developments in Higher Education and the shift to a learning outcomes-based approach provide a challenge for HEIs There is a need for an up to date guide to help HEIs to develop learning outcomes and credits as the building blocks underpinning a learner-centred approach

Setting the scene Purpose: programme design, lifelong learning, recognition and mobility Scope: all higher education programmes and all kinds of learning contexts Stakeholders: students and other learners, HE staff, employers, education providers, others Status: guidelines for implementing ECTS

Benefits of ECTS Enables students to move freely for study and work Builds trust and transparency between HE systems Improves relevance and flexibility of curriculum Emphasises learning outcomes Encourages shift to a learner-centred approach Facilitates flexible learning pathways, lifelong learning and the use of new methods of learning and teaching Underpins shift to programmes developing skills and competences relevant to the needs of society.

What is new?

Structure ECTS Key Features ECTS and the EHEA ECTS for Programme Design, Delivery and Monitoring ECTS for Mobility and Credit Recognition ECTS and Lifelong Learning ECTS and Quality Assurance ECTS and Supporting Documents Annexes: Glossary, Examples for Grade Conversion, Recommended Reading List

New elements The Guide aims to Revise key definitions Provide guidance on programme design using credits; on formulating learning outcomes; on monitoring credit allocation Stress the integral relationship of learning outcomes, the associated workload and assessment Make a clear reference to qualifications frameworks Formulate principles of learning, teaching, assessment Link ECTS and doctoral education

New elements The revised Guide aims to Incorporate flexibility to accommodate all types of learning and mobility Highlight embedding mobility from the outset Address a method of transparent grade transfer Emphasise the relevance of credits for lifelong learning Demonstrate that credits apply to informal and non- formal learning Recognise the importance of Vocational Education and Training and refer to ECVET Reinforce quality enhancement

Key definitions

ECTS credits Express the volume of learning based on the defined learning outcomes and their associated workload. 60 ECTS credits are allocated to the learning outcomes and associated workload of a full-time academic year or its equivalent. Generally expressed in whole numbers.

Learning Outcomes Verifiable statements of what a learner knows, understands and is able to do on completion of a learning process. Achievement of learning outcomes has to be assessed through procedures based on clear and transparent criteria. Attributed to individual educational components and to programmes as a whole. Also used in European and national QFs to describe the level of the individual qualification.

Programme LOs The learning outcomes should adequately reflect the context, level, scope and content of the programme. The statements of learning outcomes have to be succinct and not too detailed. The learning outcomes have to be mutually consistent. The learning outcomes should be easily understandable in terms of what the student has actually achieved at the end of the programme. The learning outcomes have to be achievable within the specified workload. The learning outcomes have to be linked with appropriate learning activities, assessment methods and assessment criteria.

LOs in educational components The principles for formulating learning outcomes for educational components are the same as for programme learning outcomes. The ideal number of learning outcomes for an educational component is 6 to 8. Annex: recommended literature list with guidelines on learning outcomes.

Assessment of LOs Credits are awarded when appropriate assessment shows that the defined learning outcomes have been achieved at the relevant level. Assessment methods include the whole range of written, oral and practical tests/examinations, projects and portfolios that are used to evaluate the student’s progress and ascertain the achievement of the learning outcomes of a course unit or module. Assessment criteria are descriptions of what the student is expected to do, in order to demonstrate that a learning outcome has been achieved. The assessment methods and criteria have to be consistent with the learning outcomes and learning activities.

Workload An estimation of the time typically needed to complete all learning activities – lectures, seminars, projects, practical work, work placements, individual study – to achieve the defined learning outcomes in formal learning environments. The correspondence of the full-time workload of an academic year to 60 credits is often incorporated in national legislation. In most cases, workload ranges from 1,500 to 1,800 hours for an academic year, which means that one credit corresponds to 25 to 30 hours of work. It should be recognised that this represents the normal workload and that for individual learners the actual time to achieve the learning outcomes will vary.

Awarding credits Formally granting learners the credits that are assigned to the qualification and/or its components if they achieve the defined learning outcomes. National authorities may indicate which institutions have the right to award ECTS credits. Credits are awarded to individual learners after they have completed the required learning activities and achieved the defined learning outcomes, as evidenced by appropriate assessment. If learners have achieved learning outcomes in other formal, non-formal, or informal learning contexts or timeframes, credits may be awarded through assessment and recognition of these learning outcomes.

RPL The recognition of the learning outcomes gained through non- formal and informal learning should be automatically followed by the award of the same number of ECTS credits attached to the corresponding part of the formal programme. As with formal education, the award of credits is preceded by an assessment to verify the achievement of learning outcomes. The assessment methods and criteria should be constructed to measure the achievement of the required learning outcomes at the appropriate level, without reference to specific learning activities or workload. Appropriate staff should be appointed, with formal authority and training, to award credits for learning outcomes acquired outside the formal learning context.

Ivan Babyn (Ukraine) Tim Birtwistle (United Kingdom) Regine Bolter (Austria) Howard Davies (EUA) Béatrice Delpouve (France) Roza Dumbraveanu (Moldova) Luc François (Belgium) Volker Gehmlich (Germany) Nerses Gevorgyan (Armenia) Judit Hidasi (Hungary) Maria Kelo (ENQA) Eliane Kotler (France) Sandra Kraze (EURASHE) Janerik Lundquist (Sweden) Raimonda Markeviciene (Lithuania) Lene Oftedal (Norway) John Reilly (United Kingdom) Maria Sticchi Damiani (Italy) Anthony Vickers (United Kingdom) Nevena Vuksanovic (ESU) Robert Wagenaar (The Netherlands) Thank you