scholarly journals Acquisition of general competences using project-based learning

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula M. Castro ◽  
Francisco Laport ◽  
Adriana Dapena ◽  
Francisco J. Vazquez-Araujo
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Bologna Process ◽  
Teaching Experience ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Project Work ◽  
Explicit Learning ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Transferable Skills ◽  
The Bologna Process

During years, professors of higher education focused on the outcome of the assimilation of information through learning (i.e., in the acquisition of knowledge).  In a European context, the Bologna Process has accelerated and spread the process of defining explicit learning outcomes for higher education programs, including those in terms of general competences and transferable skills. Our teaching experience in engineering degrees have shown that these students have difficulties for understanding the math basics of some disciplines. For greater effectiveness in knowledge acquisition, we consider as an essential issue the inclusion of laboratory activities based on computer simulations performed using software. For acquiring those general competences and transferable skills, our proposal also includes several projects in which our students must develop skills such as communication, teamwork or problem solving. We have observed that such projects allow students the development of their creativity, an improvement in oral and written communication, and also an optimal training for the B.S. degree project work and even for their future professional life.

scholarly journals Humboldt Meets Bologna: Developments and Debates in Institutional Writing Support in Germany

1969 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Felicitas Macgilchrist ◽  
Katrin Girgensohn
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Coming Of Age ◽  
Bologna Process ◽  
Writing Pedagogy ◽  
Transferable Skills ◽  
Social Sciences And Humanities ◽  
The Social ◽  
Key Competencies ◽  
The Bologna Process

This article outlines the coming of age of writing pedagogy in German institutions of higher education and explores the role of the ‘Hausarbeit’ in contemporary universities. Traditionally, the 6,000-12,000 word Hausarbeit was the mainstay of academic writing in all university courses in the social sciences and humanities in Germany. This assignment was tied into dominant discourse (‘Humboldt discourse’) in which the main point of higher education was to cultivate future independent scholars. Since 1999, the increasing predominance of ‘Bologna discourse’ has led to the radical restructuring of higher education across Europe. This discourse emphasizes internationalization, transferable skills and key competencies, i.e. the point of higher education is not primarily to cultivate independent scholars but flexible, creative and enterprising future professionals. With indications that the Hausarbeit could disappear in the Bologna process, we argue not only that it can be saved but also that it has a significant role to play in developing the new competencies. This will only happen, however, if students receive institutional writing support, and if writing curricula in Germany rise to the new challenges.Key words: writing centres, discourse, Bologna reforms, writing pedagogy, Hausarbeit

Conformity or confusion? Changing higher education grading scales as a part of the Bologna Process: the cases of Denmark, Norway and Sweden

2009 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bettinal Lien Dahl ◽  
Åsa Lindberg-Sand
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Political Process ◽  
Bologna Process ◽  
Classification Systems ◽  
General Level ◽  
Grading Scale ◽  
Intended Learning Outcomes ◽  
The Bologna Process ◽  
Grading Scales

The aim of the Bologna Process is to make higher education systems across Europe more transparent. It is crucial for this purpose that confusion concerning the characteristics of the systems should be replaced by conformity. But, as we will show, conformity brought about at one level may create confusion at another. The curricular aspect of the Bologna Process focuses on a shift to outcome-based and student-centred programmes. Syllabi should now be based on intended learning outcomes (ILOs) and should be adjusted to general level descriptors for qualifications. However, the Bologna documents give no explicit recommendations about the use of grading scales. In Denmark, Norway and Sweden, the reforms of higher education induced by the Bologna process included a change of grading scales and referred to the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS). Through these three case studies, we describe and analyse the political process and argumentation underpinning the decisions to change the grading scales in each country. This includes the problems, both experienced and perceived, with the old grading scales, the various national assessment traditions and the new grading scales. The purpose of the change was not the same in each country, but the ongoing adaptation to a seven-step grading scale was thought to ease the international recognition of the national grades, making mobility easier. Though a seven-step grading scale was implemented in both Danish and Norwegian higher education and also by an increasing number of Swedish higher education institutions, the translation of grades only works on a superficial level. The grading scales designed are fundamentally different as classification systems; they attach different numerical values to grades with identical labels and they relate differently to norm- and standards-referenced judgements of learning outcomes. The information condensed in similar grades from the three countries cannot be equated. The vision of simple transparency turns out to be an illusion.

scholarly journals Columbus’ Egg? Qualifications Frameworks, Sectoral Profiles and Degree Programme Profiles in Higher Education

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Wagenaar
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Bologna Process ◽  
Reference Points ◽  
International Mobility ◽  
Programme Design ◽  
Subject Areas ◽  
Modernization Process ◽  
Set Up ◽  
The Bologna Process

During the last 25 years international mobility has become paramount in higher education. International and national authorities and higher education institutions have set-up effective structures to facilitate and implement this process. It has become part of a higher education modernization process which obtained a serious push with the start and development of the Bologna Process in Europe as of 1999. However the same authorities have been far less active in finding answers on how to facilitate this process in terms of curriculum development, quality assurance and recognition. The initiative was largely left to individuals supported by their employing organizations. These have proven to be visionaries. Their efforts have led to competence and learning outcomes based descriptors for meta-qualifications frameworks and to important reference points / meta profiles for subject areas. Academics have been strongly involved in developing the latter and by doing so have offered a more sustainable basis for implementing reforms based on the student-centred approach, which is so relevant for today’s world in terms of employability and citizenship. The most recent development has been the development of Tuning sectoral qualifications frameworks which allow for bridging the two European meta-frameworks, the EQF for Lifelong Learning and the QF for the European Higher Education Area, with sectoral and degree profiles. This can be seen as a breakthrough initiative because it offers us a transparent model which is developed and owned by academics and can easily be used by all involved in programme design and development, quality enhancement and assurance and recognition of (periods of) studies.

scholarly journals Qualifications frameworks for the European Higher Education Area: a new instrumentalism or 'Much Ado about Nothing'?

2008 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 77-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Berit Karseth
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Bologna Process ◽  
Curriculum Theory ◽  
Traditional Curriculum ◽  
European Higher Education Area ◽  
Much Ado About Nothing ◽  
Institutional Responses ◽  
European Higher Education ◽  
The Bologna Process

The purpose of this article is to explore the development of qualifications frameworks as a key element in the Bologna Process, which aims to develop a European Higher Education Area by 2010. By setting up descriptors of learning outcomes, a European qualifications framework is intended as an instrument that enables Europe to coordinate and exchange qualifications. Furthermore, the article analyses the proposal of a national qualifications framework in Norway and institutional responses to it. Despite general support for the idea of a framework, the analysis shows that the institutions question the possibility of a qualifications framework that fits all types of educational programmes.With reference to curriculum theory the article concludes that the idea of a qualifications framework based on measurable learning outcomes represents a turn towards an instrumental curriculum approach in higher education, in contrast to a traditional curriculum approach which foregrounds disciplinary content and its mastery. Drawing on institutional theory the article also questions the possible impact of qualifications frameworks in higher education.

scholarly journals Demand for Higher Education Programs: The Impact of the Bologna Process

2008 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 229-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. R. Cardoso ◽  
M. Portela ◽  
C. Sa ◽  
F. Alexandre
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Bologna Process ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
The Bologna Process ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals Can Students' Concept of Learning Influence Their Learning Outcomes?

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Despina Varnava Marouchou
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Bologna Process ◽  
Learning Approaches ◽  
Font Size ◽  
Conceptions Of Learning ◽  
European Universities ◽  
University Course ◽  
The University ◽  
The Bologna Process

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 150%; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">This paper aims to readdress the lack of empirical data concerning university learning and in particular the dynamics students’ conceptions of learning may have on students’ learning outcomes. This paper is written at a time when the EU commission for Higher Education (HE) through the Bologna Process declaration has put into action, since 1999, a series of reforms needed to make European Higher Education compatible, efficient and competitive for students and academics alike. One of the reforms was the development of learning outcomes in the form of the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS). </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">As part of the process the European universities require to identify and describe the learning outcomes a student is supposed to achieve, in a particular course. The learning outcomes are, now, expected to be clearly specified in all the university course syllabuses. </span></p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><br />The main argument stated within this paper is that the design of effective learning outcomes, such as the ECTS, especially for curriculum development, cannot be successfully achieved in the absence of the students’ own experience of how they conceive learning to be, including the methods (approaches) they use for learning. Thus, the first aim of this investigation is to analyse the students’ conceptions of learning and the second aim is to examine, through prior research evidence, the effects these conceptions may have on learning approaches and specifically on learning outcomes.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><br />Drawing on a 2007 study of Cypriot students’ conceptions of learning, this paper discusses the possibility of a relation between these issues and outlines the importance of taking them into consideration when exploring learning outcomes, curriculum and syllabus design and the professional development of faculty.</p></span>

scholarly journals Problems of Introducing a Competence Based Learning within the Context of Bologna Process

Pedagogika ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 121 (1) ◽  
pp. 187-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rimantas Želvys ◽  
Aliya Akzholova
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Bologna Process ◽  
Essential Difference ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Educational Management ◽  
Central Asian ◽  
Central Asian Countries ◽  
Project Participants ◽  
The Bologna Process

The article analyzes the problems of applying a competence-based learning in higher education. The Bologna process and development of common European higher education area (EHEA) is perhaps the most ambitious project initiated in higher education during the last several decades in Europe. However, not only European nations are involved in the Bologna process. In 2009 the Republic of Kazakhstan also became a member of the Bologna movement. The other Central Asian countries – Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – do not formally participate in the Bologna process, but are inevitably affected by changes initiated by the Bologna declaration in the area of higher education. In order to support the development of educational studies along the Bologna lines, the European Commission funded the TEMPUS project „Modernization and Development of Curricula on Pedagogy and Educational Management in the Central Asian countries (EDUCA)“. Analysis of study programs developed in the course of implementation the TEMPUS project “Modernization and Development of Curricula on Pedagogy and Educational Management in the Central Asian countries (EDUCA)” showed that project participants encountered threefold problems of introducing a competence-based approach. The goal and objectives of the current study were to discuss these three strands of problems. The problems of defining competences are reflected in certain difficulties of including the component of ethical values. The problems of classifying competences are determined by attempts of the project participants to specify the broad classification offered by the Tuning methodology. The problems of differentiating between the competences and the learning outcomes arise due to the vague understanding of the participants what is the difference between the two concepts. They tend to treat them as synonimous, though in reality there is an essential difference. Competences are the qualities developed by the learner while learning outcomes are determined by the academic staff. Further clarification of the concept of competences will be needed in order to place the programs completely within the context of Bologna process.

scholarly journals Emotional Performance of a Low-Cost Eco-Friendly Project Based Learning Methodology for Science Education: An Approach in Prospective Teachers

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 3385
Author(s):  
Míriam Hernández-Barco ◽  
Jesús Sánchez-Martín ◽  
Isaac Corbacho-Cuello ◽  
Florentina Cañada-Cañada
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Science Education ◽  
Prospective Teachers ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Bologna Process ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Traditional Student ◽  
Cognitive Improvement ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Bologna Process

Enhancing the emotional dimension of prospective teachers in science subjects—which has become increasingly important in recent decades—is a responsibility of higher education institutions. The implementation of active methodologies has the potential to modify the traditional student-teacher roles that are encouraged by the educational policies implemented in the Bologna Process. Simultaneously, it is possible to promote knowledge of sustainability, as well as the attitudes and behaviors required by UNESCO. The main aim of this work is to describe a project-based learning methodology with a transversal sustainability approach (low-cost and eco-friendly) and to introduce this as a potential resource for the emotional and cognitive improvement of 19 prospective primary teachers enrolled in scientific subjects. This is a qualitative study in the context of a research line focused on higher education for sustainable development. A questionnaire was designed and filled in by students at two different stages, before and after implementation of the activity. The initial feedback from students was surprisingly enthusiastic due to the fact that they were working with rockets, despite this not being considered a common emotion expressed by students in science lessons. The results show the emotional improvement of prospective teachers after implementation of the activity. It is concluded that a good science education, with implementation of sustainable approaches is necessary during the training of teachers, taking into account their emotional dimensions and social repercussions as a consequence of future transmission.

Academic Course Evaluation

2009 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 297-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edith Braun ◽  
Bernhard Leidner
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Education Reform ◽  
Bologna Process ◽  
Course Evaluation ◽  
Higher Education Reform ◽  
Teaching Behavior ◽  
Personal Benefit ◽  
Quality Of Higher Education ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
The Bologna Process

This article contributes to the conceptual and empirical distinction between (the assessment of) appraisals of teaching behavior and (the assessment of) self-reported competence acquirement within academic course evaluation. The Bologna Process, the current higher-education reform in Europe, emphasizes education aimed toward vocationally oriented competences and demands the certification of acquired competences. Currently available evaluation questionnaires measure the students’ satisfaction with a lecturer’s behavior, whereas the “Evaluation in Higher Education: Self-Assessed Competences” (HEsaCom) measures the students’ personal benefit in terms of competences. In a sample of 1403 German students, we administered a scale of satisfaction with teaching behavior and the German version of the HEsaCom at the same time. Using confirmatory factor analysis, the estimated correlations between the various scales of self-rated competences and teaching behavior appraisals were moderate to strong, yet the constructs were shown to be empirically distinct. We conclude that the self-rated gains in competences are distinct from satisfaction with course and instructor. In line with the higher education reform, self-reported gains in competences are an important aspect of academic course evaluation, which should be taken into account in the future and might be able to restructure the view of “quality of higher education.” The English version of the HEsaCom is presented in the Appendix .

Promoting Autonomous Learning through Self-, Peer-, and Co-assessment to Ensure High Quality in Georgian Higher Education (a case study of International Black Sea University, Georgia)

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Irma MESIRIDZE ◽  
Nino TVALTCHRELIDZE
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Black Sea ◽  
Communication Technology ◽  
Bologna Process ◽  
Education Quality ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Higher Education Quality ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
The Bologna Process

The Bologna Process, Information and Communication Technology, and market forces have brought manyinnovations and great changes to higher education systems throughout Europe. Reforms in higher educationhave taken a new direction, towards making higher education students more autonomous. However, manycountries have not really adopted this innovative way of teaching and still maintain an old ‘transmission’ stylewhich often entails teachers trying to pour knowledge into the minds of their students. Promoting autonomouslearning (the ability of students to manage their own learning) in higher education is crucial both for theindividual and society, as the idea of an academic student comprises critical reflective thinking and theimportance of becoming an independent learner. This article will discuss the importance of promotingautonomous learning throughout self, peer and co-assessment for higher education quality enhancement. Thepaper will examine the case of International Black Sea University’s MA students enrolled in the Higher EducationManagement program. The analyses of a survey will be used to discuss the significance of autonomous learningfor students and their readiness for self, peer and co-assessment.

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