IMPLICATIONS OF THE BOLOGNA PROCESS FOR MSCHE

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IMPLICATIONS OF THE BOLOGNA PROCESS FOR
MSCHE

• Jean Morse, President
• MSCHE Commission meeting
• March 5, 2009

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OUTLINE AND ISSUES

• 1. OVERVIEW OF BOLOGNA, I.E. VARIOUS EUROPEAN
  PROCESSES BEING CREATED TO IMPROVE COMPARABILITY
  OF DEGREES AND TO EASE TRANSFER OF CREDIT
• 2. DESCRIPTION OF QUALIFICATION FRAMEWORKS
• 3. DISCUSSION OF WHETHER FOUNDATION
  QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORK (I.E. DEFINITION OF
  DEGREES) SHOULD BE UNDERTAKEN IN THE U.S.

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ELEMENTS of BOLOGNA

• DEGREE DEFINITION
• DEGREE CYCLES
• CREDIT TRANSFER (ECTS)
• DIPLOMA SUPPLEMENT
• QUALITY ASSURANCE GUIDELINES
• QUALIFICATION FRAMEWORKS
• TUNING PROGRAM GOALS

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QUALITY ASSURANCE

• EUROPEAN STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES FOR
  http//www.enqa.eu/files/ESG_3edition20(2).pdf
• INTERNAL QAHIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS
• EXTERNAL QA OF HIGHER EDUCATION
• EXTERNAL QA AGENCIES
• EUROPEAN AGENCIES ARE REVIEWED AGAINST THESE
  STANDARDS TO JOIN THE EUROPEAN REGISTER OF QA
  AGENCIES

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DEGREE CYCLES323

• BACHELORS (180 240 ECTS)
• MASTERS (90 120 ECTS)
• Ph.D. (approximately 180 240 credits)
• Nations moving from 5 year degrees to 32 have
  deep concerns as to use of the First Cycle degree
• US significant not accepting 3 Year UG degree
  for graduate study

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ECTS

• European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System
• BASED ON STUDENT WORKLOAD, AND SOMETIMES, ON
  WEIGHTING OF CHALLENGE vs. US SYSTEM OF CREDITS
  BASED ON FACULTY CONTACT HOURS

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DIPLOMA SUPPLEMENT

• CREDENTIAL, ITS LEVEL, ENTRY REQUIREMENTS,
  OFFICIAL DURATION
• DEGREE REQUIREMENTS, MODES OF STUDY, ENROLLMENT
  INTENSITY, AND COMPRESSED SIGNALS OF STUDENT
  PERFORMANCE
• PURPOSE OF THE CREDENTIAL
• TRANSCRIPT AND DESCRIPTION OF NATIONAL SYSTEM ARE
  APPENDED

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TUNING DISCIPLINARY FRAMEWORKS

• INTENDED TO CREATE REFERENCE POINTS SO THAT
  THERE IS CONVERGENCE ACROSS COUNTRIES
• TO BE CREATED BY FACULTY
• PROJECTS ARE UNDERWAY IN SPECIFIC DISCIPLINES

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TUNING, CONTD

• DISCIPLINES TO ARTICULATE OUTLINES AND BENCHMARKS
  FOR
• SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE
• GENERIC SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES
• INTERPERSONAL
• INSTRUMENTAL
• SYSTEMIC
• LEVELS OF MASTERY WITHIN SUBJECT

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TUNING LEVELS

• SUBJECT DEPENDENT OUTCOMES FOR GENERAL LEARNING
• GENERAL COMPETENCY ACROSS DISCIPLINES
  (TRANSFERABLE SKILLS)
• LEVEL DESCRIPTORS FOR INDIVIDUAL COURSES
• THRESHHOLD VS. DESIRED OUTCOMES
• RELATIVE VS. ABSOLUTE VALUE OF CREDITS
• REGULAR VS. EXTRA-CHALLENGING

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THE SYSTEM IN PRACTICE COMMUNICATION SKILLS

• NATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORK AND PROGRAM
  GOALS

Progression AA can communicate about their
understanding, skills and activities with peers,
supervisors, and clients MA can communicate
their conclusions and the knowledge and rational
underpinning these, to specialist and
non-specialist audiences clearly and
unambiguously
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IN PRACTICE COMMUNICATION SKILLS - COURSES AND
TRANSCRIPTS
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THE SYSTEM IN PRACTICE SUMMARY OF COMMUNICATION
SKILLS

• FRAMEWORK COMMUNICATE INFORMATION,
  IDEAS,PROBLEMS, SOLUTIONS TO DIFFERENT AUDIENCES
• SUBJECT COMMUNICATE BASIC KNOWLEDGE IN COHERENT
  WAYS IN DIFFERENT MEDIA
• GENERAL ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE WITH EXPERTS
• LEVEL INTRO, DEEPEN, EXPERTISE
• ALSO THRESHOLD, RELATIVE VALUE,
  EXTRA-CHALLENGING
• DIPLOMA MARKERS OF STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

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QUALIFICATION FRAMEWORKS

• WHAT DOES EACH LEVEL OF DEGREE WE AWARD MEAN?
• WHAT DOES IT REPRESENT IN TERMS OF STUDENT
  LEARNING?
• HOW DOES IT DIFFER FROM LEVELS ABOVE AND BELOW IT?

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TOP 3 DEGREE LEVELS

• LEVEL 6 Demonstrate mastery and innovation to
  solve complex and unpredictable problems in
  specialized field
• LEVEL 7 Specialized problem-solving skills
  required in research and innovation to develop
  and integrate new knowledge
• LEVEL 8 Most Advanced, including synthesis and
  evaluation, to solve critical problems in
  research/innovation and extend knowledge

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LEARNING OUTCOMES

• 1. KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING breadth and kind
• 2. APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE /UNDERSTANDING
  range, selectivity
• 3. FLUENCY IN USE OF INCREASINGLY COMPLEX DATA
  AND INFORMATION
• BREADTH AND DEPTH OF TOPICS COMMUNICATED RANGE
  OF AUDIENCES FOR COMMUNICATION
• DEGREE OF AUTONOMY GAINED FOR SUBSEQUENT LEARNING

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IRISH FRAMEWORK

• COMPENDIUM, TAB 9, BLUE SHEET, DISPLAYS GRID OF
• KNOWLEDGE (BREADTH AND KIND)
• KNOW-HOW AND SKILL (RANGE, SELECTIVITY)
• COMPETENCE (CONTEXT, ROLE LEARNING TO LEARN, AND
  INSIGHT)
• WITH LEVEL INDICATORS FOR EACH LEVEL

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CANADIAN FRAMEWORK

• COMPENDIUM, TAB 9, YELLOW PAGES
• DEGREE DESCRIPTION FOR
• PREPARATION FOR EMPLOYMENT
• LENGTH OF PROGRAM
• ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

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CANADA, CONTD

• DEGREE-LEVEL STANDARDS FOR
• DEPTH AND BREADTH OF KNOWLEDGE
• KNOWLEDGE OF METHODOLOGIES AND RESEARCH
• APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE
• COMMUNICATION SKILLS
• AWARENESS OF LIMITS OF KNOWLEDGE
• PROFESSIONAL CAPACITY/AUTONOMY

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APPLICATION TO U.S

• DO WE ALREADY HAVE A FORMAL SYSTEM THAT IS MORE
  FLEXIBLE?
• ACCREDITORS
• REQUIRE LEARNING GOALS
• USE PEERS TO ADDRESS LEVEL OF GOALS
• REQUIRE GENERAL EDUCATION
• STATES SET PROGRAM LENGTH AND MONITOR OTHER AREAS
• TRADITION REGARDING MAJORS
• JOHN NICHOLS - AACU

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ISSUES

• WHETHER OR NOT NEEDED, SHOULD THE U.S. HAVE A
  QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORK FOR PURPOSES OF TRANSFER
  WITH OTHER COUNTRIES?
• WHO WOULD CREATE AND ENFORCE IT?

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DISCIPLINARYASSOCIATIONS

• COULD ACCREDITORS MOTIVATE NATIONAL DISCIPLINARY
  ASSOCIATIONS TO DEFINE LEARNING GOALS AND
  MEASURES BY STATING THAT INSTITUTIONS USING THOSE
  WOULD BE DEEMED TO COMPLY WITH STUDENT LEARNING
  REQUIREMENTS?
• INSTITUTIONS COULD ELECT WHETHER OR NOT TO USE
  THEM

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DISCIPLINARY ASSOCIATIONS HAVE EXPERTISE

• FACULTY BUY-IN
• ASSESSMENT IN POLITICAL SCIENCE (APSA 2009)
• ASSESSMENT IN HISTORY (AMERICAN HISTORICAL
  ASSOCIATION)

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AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION 10 GOALS
WWW.APA.ORG/ED/CRITIQUE_GOALS.HTML

• COMMUNICATION
• INFORMATION AND IT
• SOCIOCULTURAL AWARENESS
• PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
• CAREER PLANNING
• KNOWLEDGE BASE
• RESEARCH METHODS
• CRITICAL THINKING
• APPLICATION
• VALUES

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NEXT STEPS

• THERE MAY BE FOUNDATION GRANT MONEY AVAILABLE.
  REGIONAL ACCREDITORS HAVE DISCUSSED PARTICIPATING
  IN A PROJECT WITH A NATIONAL ORGANIZATION
  INVOLVED.
• WHAT, IF ANYTHING, SHOULD MSCHE DO?