1. The Rome conference: concluding remarks
European experience of flexible learning
The Rome conference: concluding remarks
Howard Davies
Senior Adviser, Higher Education Policy
European University Association
SPHERE conference, UNIROMA, Rome, December

2. European experience of flexible learning
Capacity to be built…
It must be specified: by needs analysis, in the light of agreed priorities embedded in a strategic framework, at system or institutional level
Technical assistance provided by external agencies must be targeted, tailor-made, informed by the needs analysis and by agreed proof of concept
SPHERE works in a wider context: ERASMUS+, Bologna Process; implying readability, recognition, sharing of good practice
Hence the importance of visibility, dissemination and spillover

3. European experience of flexible learning
Capacity to be sustained…
Existing capacity can be built on, or replaced
Project outcomes must be achievable and measurable
Beyond that, impact is difficult to assess, but essential to monitor: direct, indirect, unintended; short-term, long-term
Impact can be magnified by better articulation of CBHE at system and institutional levels; but in E+ there is imbalance…
Curriculum development projects outnumber governance projects, but institutional capacity for strategic planning requires appropriate degree of autonomy (via TAMs)

4. European experience of flexible learning
Capacity, in the first round of break-out groups
Learning and teaching: significant advances in academic staff development (ARM, LEB) and in problem-based learning (MOL)
Mobility: evident benefits (inter-cultural understanding) do not always materialise; problem of institutions not fulfilling their own internationalisation commitments
Quality assurance: overview of national initiatives; need for further integration at supra-national level
Recognition and qualification frameworks: effective importation of good practice, but problems of implementation downstream, notably concerning the understanding of ‘competence’

5. European experience of flexible learning
Capacity, in the second round of break-out groups
Central Asia: formal definitions exist, but prioritisation and provision vary; awareness-raising at regional level is required
Southern Med: agree E+ definitions, but different levels of prioritisation and implementation; prefer social inclusion to be a transversal dimension, with outcomes for policy-makers
Western Balkans: definitions are physical and economic, deriving from good practice in Yugoslavia; no over-arching strategy; how to identify & map under-represented groups?
Eastern Europe: definitions are economic, geographic, physical; no national strategies; rigid regulatory frameworks inhibiting institutional initiatives

6. European experience of flexible learning
Capacity and reciprocity
Reciprocity is not automatic – it is a long-term objective; donors may benefit, but beneficiaries are not yet donors
One condition of successful CBHE is capacity building in the primary and secondary education sectors; need for more teacher-training projects and for early stage citizenship education
Potential for reciprocity can be richer and more enduring when the widest range of stakeholders are involved in project design and delivery
The road to reciprocity: cooperation, solidarity, trust

7. Thank you for your attention!
European experience of flexible learning
Thank you for your attention!