1 / 26

(Finnish) Higher Education Qualifications Framework

(Finnish) Higher Education Qualifications Framework. Carita Blomqvist. Outline. Background (Bologna Process) National working group and its work Previous, parallel and future processes in Finland Contents of the report Next steps

emma
Download Presentation

(Finnish) Higher Education Qualifications Framework

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. (Finnish)Higher Education Qualifications Framework Carita Blomqvist

  2. Outline • Background (Bologna Process) • National working group and its work • Previous, parallel and future processes in Finland • Contents of the report • Next steps • Overarching framework for qualifications of the European Higher Education Area • Compatibility

  3. Berlin Communiqué 2003 ”Ministers encourage member states to elaborate a framework of comparable and compatible qualifications for their higher education systems, which should seek to describe qualifications in terms of workload, level, learning outcomes, competences and profile.”

  4. Berlin Communiqué 2003 ”Within suchframeworks, degrees should have different defined orientation and various profiles in order to accommodate a diversity of individual, academic and labor market needs. First cycle degrees should give access, in the sense of Lisbon Recognition Convention, to second cycle programs. Second cycle degrees should give access to doctoral studies.”

  5. National qualifications framework • Owned by national system, in many cases based on national legislation • Determines what qualifications learners will earn • Make explicit the purpose and aim of qualifications • Link to quality assurance

  6. National qualifications framework • Transparency: describes in a systematic and coherent way all qualifications, the interaction between qualifications and the possibilities for movement between qualifications in all directions • Makes it easier to earn qualifications in a variety of ways • Focus on outcomes, from procedure to content

  7. National qualifications framework Main elements: • Cycles (Levels) • Workload and credits • Profile: academic/professional • Learning outcomes • Competences

  8. Learning outcomes • Statements of what a learner is expected to know, understand and/or be able to do at the end of a period of learning • Focus on achievements • Paradigm shift from teaching to learning

  9. Higher Education Qualifications Framework in Finland • National working group appointed by the Ministry of Education in May 2004 • Proposal ready in February 2005 • Chaired by the Ministry of Education • Two secretaries

  10. Higher Education Qualifications Framework in Finland • Permanent participants: Ministry of Education, universities, polytechnics, (academics and administration), student organizations, quality assurance, ISCED, National Board of Education (ENIC) • Other: social partners, higher education institutions which are not supervised by the Ministry of Education (Police Polytechnic, National Defence College)

  11. Previous, parallel and future processes • Preparations for new degree structure started fall 2003 • 2003-2007 funding from the Ministry of Education to higher education institutions for planning and implementing the reform - field-specific coordination groups, chaired by academics - analysis of the study programs - planning and revising/renewal of core contents

  12. Previous, parallel and future processes - special group for language teaching - defining requirements, aims (and learning outcomes) - transfer to ECTS-equivalent credit system 2005-2007: - guidance and counselling of students (personal study plans) - development projects 2009: evaluation of the degree reform

  13. Proposal for the Finnish Framework • Ownership • Public understanding • Writing process/background material used: - Legislation, what does it say? Aims of the degrees - Studying the course descriptions, curricula etc. - Discussions with experts

  14. Proposal for the Finnish framework • Contents of the report: - national and international background and experience - need and purpose of the framework - classification systems (ISCED, EU Directives) - short description of some other frameworks - proposal for the Finnish framework

  15. Proposal for the Finnish Framework Finnish context: - legislation - steering/governance and development of higher education system - quality assurance - diagram, charts

  16. Universities Academically - oriented degrees Polytechnics Professionally - oriented degrees Doctorate c. 4 years Third cycle Master's 90 - 120 credits Master's 60 - 90 credits Second cycle Work experience Bachelor's 180 - 210 credits Bachelor's 210 - 240 credits First cycle Upper secondary education at least 12 years of schooling

  17. Formal aspects of the degrees For first cycle (polytechnic, university), second cycle (polytechnic, university) and doctoral - access requirement (s) - workload (credits and years), final thesis/work - access to further study - professional status/competence - profile

  18. Learning outcomes For first cycle (polytechnic, university), second cycle (polytechnic, university) and doctoral degrees Main division: -knowledge -skills -competences

  19. Learning outcomes Knowledge - breadth and depth Skills - language and communication skills Competences - cognitive, professional and ethical

  20. Proposal for the Finnish Framework Consultations • Written statements from stakeholders requested • 60 statements received, summarized in one document • Seminars on different cycles and aspects, e.g. on doctoral degrees, labor-market relevance of first (and second) cycle qualifications

  21. How to use the Framework? - Further field-specific work - Joint degrees - Diploma Supplement - Lifelong Learning, Accreditation of Prior Learning • Amendments and decision of the Ministry of Education in 2006? • Maintenance and development

  22. Overarching EHEA framework - An overarching framework that makes transparent the relationship between national higher education frameworks of qualifications and the qualifications they contain. - An articulation mechanism between national frameworks

  23. Overarching EHEA framework • Three cycles of qualifications (sometimes additional cycle within the 1st cycle) • Descriptors of qualifications and learning outcomes: generic, not subject-specific • Credit ranges in ECTS: 1st cycle: 180-240; 2nd cycle: 90-120 (minimum 60 credits at 2nd cycle level)

  24. Bergen Communiqué 2005 “We adopt the overarching framework for qualifications in the EHEA, comprising three cycles, generic descriptors for each cycle based on learning outcomes and competences, and credit ranges in the first and second cycles. We commit ourselves to elaborating national frameworks fro qualifications compatible with the overarching framework for qualifications in the EHEA by 2010 and having started work on this by 2007.”

  25. EHEA – national framework • Compatibility of the Finnish framework with the overarching framework • Criteria for the verification/self-certification process have been proposed

  26. More information • www.minedu.fi • www.oph.fi/info/recognition • recognition@oph.fi • www.dfes.gov.uk/bologna • www.bologna-bergen2005.no • http://www.relint.deusto.es/TuningProject/index.htm • http://www.let.rug.nl/Tuning/Project/index.htm

More Related