1 G. Pignault 01/04/06 EFCE WPE Palermo FCC / FCCE Project « First Certificate of Chemistry / First Certificate of Chemical Engineering » CPE Lyon CEFI A project funded by the Higher Education Directory of the French Ministry of Education

2 G. Pignault 01/04/06 EFCE WPE Palermo Objectives and Orientations To explore the interest and feasibility of new diagnostic tools such as Knowledge-based Tests Competence-based Reference Frameworks specific to the fields of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. These tools would be for the use of Students (and staffs) Higher education institutions Industries to improve the comparability of H.E. programmes to promote the international mobility to help the self-evaluation.

3 G. Pignault 01/04/06 EFCE WPE Palermo Needs … Needs of students : To self-evaluate To change institution during their studies, often abroad To apply to the right institution To have competences recognized (and credits transfered…) Needs of HEI’s: To attract students To select good students To integrate correctly students in their educational programmes To diagnose needs for learning and training Needs of industries: To select good candidates To diagnose needs for learning and training

4 G. Pignault 01/04/06 EFCE WPE Palermo … and challenges In an enlarged and diversified European offer of Higher Education programmes New HEI’s New European countries Within the European historical diversity of Different industries’ placement policies Different social status and professional recognition of graduates Within a growing world-wide competition between HEI’s Competitiveness and attractiveness of the EHEA Lisbon Strategy

5 G. Pignault 01/04/06 EFCE WPE Palermo … and challenges Within the common concerns and priorities of building the EHEA: Comparability and mobility Bologna process, since 1999 In accordance with Europe’s first answers to those challenges: Short, long, integrated cycles ECTS Describe HE programmes in terms of Outcomes

6 G. Pignault 01/04/06 EFCE WPE Palermo Exploring interest and feasibility of … New diagnostic tools such as Knowledge-based Tests Competence-based Reference Frameworks As inspired by the ECTN’s work on Bachelor-level Knowledge-based tests on the Core Chemistry Chemistry Eurobachelor’s reference framework As inspired by various experiences throughout Europe On outcomes-based reference frameworks more or less specific to engineering H.E. As inspired by the EFCE’s work on Core curriculum of H.E. in Chemical Engineering

7 G. Pignault 01/04/06 EFCE WPE Palermo … the FCC/FCCE project aimed at (deliverables) Providing a demonstration version of Bachelor-level Knowledge-based test(s) on the fundamentals of Chemical Engineering Providing a background for the building of Tools to improve the transparency of HE programmes and help the evaluation of one’s competences after completing a B/M-level H.E. in Chemistry and/or Chemical Engineering

8 G. Pignault 01/04/06 EFCE WPE Palermo What the project does not intend to provide … A way for awarding labels or for institutional accreditation procedures A substitute for evaluations currently produced by institutions and used by recruiters An evaluation of one’s global proficiency in Chem./Chem.Eng. An attempt to standardize education programmes and wipe-out institution’s specificities X X X X The tests would provide: A pedagocial tool common to European HEI’s teaching Chemical Engineering Eventually additional external and objective evidence that the fundamental knowledge has been acquired The reference frameworks would provide: Bases for the HEI’s to better describe the outcomes of their educational programmes using a frame common to all HEI’s of the same field for better transparency But :