ECTS, as a Transfer and Accumulation System, and the engineering - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
ECTS, as a Transfer and Accumulation System, and the engineering curriculum design Prof. Iacint Manoliu Technical University of Civil Engineering Bucharest Workshop ECD EAST, Engineering Curricula Design Kaunas, 21-22 February
Technical University of Civil Engineering Bucharest
Kaunas, 21-22 February 2011
Workshop “ECD EAST, Engineering Curricula Design”
Credits-hours in U.S.A. ECTS in Europe CATS Thematic Network EUCEET and ECTS Tuning Thematic Network TREE and ECTS MOCCA EQF Conclusions
“In order to understand a study programme at an American university is necessary to explain, in first place, how are “accounted for” the learning activities of the students. The existence in parallel of compulsory courses and of others, which, although compulsory, can be selected from a certain block, as well as the objective necessity of facilitating the transfer from an university to an other one and, hence, to have common measuring units, lead to the generalization in the American universities of the system of credit-hours which consist in the following: to each course is attributed a certain weight expressed in “credit-hours”. Usually, the number of the “credit-hours” is equal to the number of lecture hours per week assigned to the respective
are assigned also laboratory hours or other practical activities, the number of the “credit-hours” can be greater than the number of lecture hours.
The final condition for the degree is the following one: the graduate must prove that he/she collected the number of “credit-hours” required for the given study programme, obtained from both the compulsory subjects and from the elective ones. The total number of “credit-hours” needed for graduation varies from institution to institution. However, a figure frequently met in civil engineering departments is 136 “credit-hours”. For an average number of 3 hours/week assigned to a course, the 136 “credit-hours” imply the success, along the four years of study, in 45 courses, 5 or 6 in each semester”.
Manoliu, I. ”“Notes on the civil engineering education in USA” (in Romanian) Buletinul Stiintific, Institutul de Constructii Bucuresti, Nr. 4/1969
The Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering at the University of Teas at Austin is currently accredited by the Accreditation Board of Engineering Technology (ABET). The minimum ABET curricular distribution combines MATHEMATICS and BASIC SCIENCES (32 hours), ENGINEERING TOPICS including ENGINEERING SCIENCE and ENGINEERING DESIGN (48 hours), and GENERAL EDUCATION including HUMANITIES and SOCIAL SCIENCES (16 hours). Completion of a program of study in engineering which is accredited by ABET at time of graduation is considered to meet the education requirements for registration as a Professional Engineer by the Texas Board of Professional Engineers.
During the period 1989-1995 the European Commission developed the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS), in close collaboration with some 145 higher education institutions. The intention of this system was to come up with a tool that would make it possible to compare periods of academic studies of different universities in different countries. Such an instrument was thought necessary to improve the recognition of studies completed abroad. ECTS was intended to be a transfer system, to connect the different higher education systems and structures
concerning workload and information and on a philosophy of mutual trust and confidence, it worked well.
Technical University of Civil Engineering Bucharest Politehnica University Timisoara Technical University “Gheorghe Asachi” Iasi Technical University Cluj-Napoca
Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées Paris City University London Technische Universitat Berlin Politecnico di Torino Universidad Politecnica de Madrid Instituto Superior Tecnico Lisbon National Technical University Athens
both undergraduate and graduate level, was established a “menu” made of those subjects which fitted in the programme of the 4th years of study at the Romanian university
“The positive experience of the mobilities at undergraduate level
include such mobilities, in even greater number, in the third and last year of the CESNET project. Although none of the involved institutions has so far adopted the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS), the use of documents similar to those implemented by ECTS, like the “Student application form”, the “Learning agreement” or he “Transcript of records” will, no doubt, be very beneficial”.
Brussels, 6 February 2009
Credits are always described by the level at which they are awarded, based on the level of learning outcomes of the programme or
accumulated towards a qualification. The appropriate level is stipulated in the national or institutional progression rules. From the key features: “Workload indicates the time students typically need to complete all learning activities (such as lectures, seminars, projects, practical work, self-study and examinations) required to achieve the expected learning outcomes.”
(paper presented at the CATS Conference in Derby by
for the first year of study in the academic year 1997-1998
A sample: Plan of study in use in the academic year 2010-2011 at the Faculty
EUCEET I 1998 –2001 EUCEET Dissemination 2001 –2002 EUCEET II 2002 –2005 EUCEET III 2006 –2010
“Synergies between TN EUCEET and
tackled the matter of ECTS
A survey was conducted among academic partners in EUCEET, with 33 answers coming from 20 countries. One of the question was: “Do you follow the rule that 1 ECTS credit = 30 working hours?” Only 3% of respondents said YES
Phase I: 2000 – 2002 Subject areas: Business Administration Chemistry Geology Education Sciences European Studies History Mathematics Physics Phase II: 2003 - 2006 As a Synergy Group in 2004 – 2005: Civil Engineering
In an accumulation and transfer system, credits and learning outcomes, expressed in terms of competences are inseparably linked. They are the two sides of the same coin. While credits express the volume of learning, learning outcomes express the content of that learning. Credits are only awarded when the learning outcomes are achieved by the
credits and learning outcomes. The time required for the average learner or typical student to achieve the learning outcomes is decided not only by the volume of knowledge and skills to be taught and learned but also by the context in which the process of learning takes place.
In the quantitative framework assured by the use of credits, it would seem beneficial to develop course programmes on the basis of desired learning outcomes. The learning outcomes foreseen for the first cycle and the second cycle must be clearly
discipline/ programme related, more general objectives can be formulated also. In practice two types of learning outcomes can be distinguished:
subject related skills) Both should have a recognisable place in the course programme and should be verifiable at the end.
Four steps
Student workload
Programme of Studies: …………………………………………………………..........…......….................. Name of the module / course unit: ……………………………………………..............…….............. Type of course (e.g. major, minor, elective): …………………..............………………………………. Level of the module / course unit (e.g. BA, MA, PhD): …………………………..….........……….. Prerequisites: ..............……………………………………........…………………………....……………………. Number of ECTS credits: ……………………………………………………….........…….......................... Competences to be developed:
Learning outcomes Educational activities Estimated student work time in hours Assessment
PLANNING FORM FOR AN EDUCATIONAL MODULE (to be completed by the teacher)
Programme of Studies: …………………………………………………………..........…......….................. Name of the module / course unit: ……………………………………………..............…….............. Type of course (e.g. major, minor, elective): …………………..............………………………………. Level of the module / course unit (e.g. BA, MA, PhD): …………………………..….........……….. Prerequisites: ..............……………………………………........…………………………....……………………. Number of ECTS credits: ……………………………………………………….........…….......................... Competences to be developed:
Learning outcomes Educational activities Estimated student work time in hours Assessment
FORM FOR CHECKING WORLOAD OD AN EDUCATIONAL MODULE (to be completed by the student)
Special Interest Group A2: From ECTS to a complete qualification profile in Engineering Education
A survey among institutions, with 28 respondents
“Have been undertaken in your institution actions in order to link the credits with the learning outcomes and levels of study?” YES or NOT 12 – YES 16 – NOT
A survey among students – 30 respondents from 6 countries
Few questions and answers
“Was the respondent involved in the preparation of the learning agreement between the sending institution and the host institution?” YES or NOT 28 – YES 2 – NOT “Was the learning agreement modified after the arrival of the respondent at the host institution and for what reasons?” YES or NOT 12 – YES 18 – NOT “Following the recognition of the study period abroad, had the respondent to undertake additional activities at the house institution, in
(chapters, projects etc)? YES or NOT 4 – YES 26 – NOT “In a ranking scale of 1 to 4, please make an evaluation of the impact made by the study period aboard on your academic development” (1 – little; 2 – moderate; 3 – great; 4 – very great) 4 – moderate; 7 – great; 19 – very great
Brussels, 6 February 2009
Volker Gehmlich, Andy Gibbs, Raimonda Markeviciene, Terence Mitchell, Graeme Roberts, Anne Siltala, Marina Steinmann (2008) Yes! Go! A Practical Guide to Designing Degree Programmes with Integrated Transnational Mobility, DAAD http://eu.daad.de/eu/mocca/06493.html
NQRHE is the instrument for
curricula, for ensuring readability and convergence
levels and types of programmes within the national qualifications
for the implementation of the Bologna process and an essential stage for the European and international recognition of diplomas and qualifications.
15 years after its introduction, ECTS became a system quasi generalized in the European higher education area. The tremendous development in recent years of the mobility of Erasmus students would have not been possible without the use of ECTS. Accumulation of credits, following the rules established by each higher education institution, sets a basis for successful completion of a degree programme. As a quantitative framework, expressing the volume of learning, credits have a role in the design of a curriculum. However, this cannot be a principal role. In first place should come the learning outcomes (in correlation with the level in the qualifications framework). Then, credits required for achieving the learning