The Italian University Continuing Education Network

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The Italian University Continuing Education
Network

• Paolo De Maria
• Università degli Studi Gabriele dAnnunzio di
  Chieti- Pescara
• Joannina, 6th -9th November 2007

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• 1982- the Libera Università degli Abruzzi becomes
  the G. dAnnunzio State University (UdA)
• 2001- as Full Member of EUCEN, seat of the 22
  EUCEN Conference (Inauguration of C.Edu.C)
• 2001- Member of the Italian Network of UCE.
  Represented in the Steering Committee (7
  Universities represented)

• 2002-2005 Partner of the Equipe (European Quality
  in Individualised Pathways in Education) Project
• 2003- 2008 Partner of the present Equipe Plus
  Project
• 2005- Establishment of the Leonardo Da Vinci
  University, the first Italian on-line University,
  as a part of UdA
• 2006- about 37.000 students enrolled at the 12
  Faculties in the 2 Campuses of Chieti (registered
  Offices) and Pescara

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• Faculties
• Architecture
• Economics
• Pharmacy
• Philosophy and Humanities
• Foreign Languages and Literatures
• Medicine and Surgery
• Psychology
• Sport Science and Physical Education
• Education
• Management
• Geology
• Social Sciences

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• the Leonardo Da Vinci University on-line Courses
• Bachelor in History and Safeguarding of the
  Architectural, Historical and Artistic
  Patrimony
• Bachelor in Training and Education for the
  Teaching Professions
• Bachelor in Economics and Management of the
  Health Service
• Bachelor in Psychology
• Master in Law

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• Created in the year 2000 by the G. dAnnunzio
  Foundation in Torrevecchia Teatina, with the aim
  of constituting, at a national level, a steady
  point of reference in Continuing Education and
  Training for all those who operate in
  professional work fields
• At present it is the site of the Leonardo da
  Vinci University and a Center of Research for
  Phd students in e-learning

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LEGISLATION

• Parliament law n.229/1999
• ?
• E.C.M.
• a structured national system of
• Continuing Education in Medicine
• issues training credits to
• any health operator
• within and outside the University
• ?
• 10 credits 1 day training
• ?
• 150 ECM over a 3 years period
• Training is compulsory for health operators
• ECM Centres are accredited by the Ministry of
  Health

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Recent Legislation on APEL

• A accrediation
• P of prior
• E experential
• L learning

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Law n.144, May 17th 1999

• IFTS- Istruzione e Formazione Tecnica Superiore
• post -secondary Education and Technical Training
  System organised by the Regions (Providers
  Schools, Enterprises, Universities)
• 1200-2400 hs Courses (2-4 semesters)
• Purposes
• to promote the access of young people to the
  labour market
• to re-train and give a second chance to workers
  who have lost their job
• The acquired credits can be used to access the
  University curricula
• A System of monitoring and evaluation of the
  results is provided

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• Decree Law of MIUR n.509, Nov. 3rd 1999
• More autonomy for the University System
  (curricula, budget, administration)
• According to the Bologna Process
• the BMD System
• a CFU (ECTS) credit system
• the Diploma Supplement
• were adopted
• Universities can recognize as credits certified
  knowledge and professional skills acquired in
  post-secondary training curricula designed and
  realised in cooperation with the University

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Law n. 448, Dec. 28th 2001

• Special categories (e.g. medical attendants
  accountants journalists labour inspectors
  civil servants who have completed a training
  process at police, military or finance police
  academies etc) can have their training recognized
  as credits towards a degree at the University.
• Rules for this procedure are determined within an
  agreement between the single University and the
  involved Ministry.
• No limitation to the number of recognized credits
• Accreditation for a whole category of civil
  servants belonging to a Ministry ONLY as a
  function of the level and not on an
  individualized base

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Law n.262, Oct 3rd 2006

• no more than 60 (CFU ECTS) credits!
• (probably as an effect of unsatisfactory APEL
  procedures)

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APELs Recommended Procedures(widely unfulfilled)

• Verify if qualifications and the past experience
  are relevant for the profession corresponding to
  the academic degree one applies for
• Check that the applicants personal job
  experience matches the curricular requirements
  defined by the Insitution
• Provide evidence of that learning either in
  writing or through an interview

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Forms of learning

• Experiential learning in paid, unpaid and
  voluntary work
• Uncertified learning from self-directed study
• Certified learning from abroad
• Certified work-based learning

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Responsibility of the Institution

• Ensure that the information about the content of
  the course is accurate
• Have people specialized in the process
• Verify that the evidence offered by the applicant
  is authentic and valid in relation to the
  learning outcomes
• relevant for the level and the volume of the
  credits

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Good practices

• Policies and procedures should be explicit
• Roles and responsibilities of both certifying
  staff and applicants should be clearly defined
• Procedures and policies should be monitored and
  reviewed
• Inspectors should be trained

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The debate is open

• Only formal learning in non accreditated
  institutions
• Only non formal learning
• A mix of formal and non-formal
• Domestic vs International APL
• Formal learning recognition should require at the
  national level the accreditation of institutions
• OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
  Development) guidelines for the economic
  cooperation of multinational enterprises in the
  major areas of business ethics

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Conclusions

• It is evident that a new legislation is
  necessary to frame the issue and reduce the
  discrimination towards traditional students
• In Italy there is not a System of Quality
  Assurance on UCE at the national level
• It is fundamental to establish an adequate System
  of Quality Assurance in order to define the
  benchmarks for the control of the procedures
• However in the year 1998 (Decree Law n. 204), a
  national Committee of 7 Members (CIVR, Comitato
  di Indirizzo per la Valutazione della Ricerca)
  was appointed to evaluate the Quality of Research
  in the single Universities
• Guidelines adopted by CIVR published in 2003
  (http//www.civr.it/ecivr/guidelines/guidelines_NU
  Vm.pdf). Evaluation effective from 2004
• The funds supplied by the Ministry to support the
  Italian Universities (about the 80 of the total
  funds) depend in part (about the 10) on the
  evaluations of CIVR

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Conclusions

• In the year 1999 (Law n. 370) a similar national
  Committee (CNVSU, Comitato Nazionale per la
  Valutazione del Sistema Universitario) was
  established in order to evaluate the premises and
  quality of the didactics provided by the
  different Universities and Degree Courses
• Recently the Government has decided that the two
  Committees should be unified in one (ANVUR,
  Agenzia Nazionale di Valutazione del Sistema
  Universitario e della Ricerca)
• Guidelines on LLL (17th March 2007) approved by
  MIUR state, inter alia, that ANVUR should also
  evaluate the quality of UCE offered by the
  different Universities
• However a final approval by the whole Government
  and Parliament is necessary before implementation

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Useful references

• www.unich.it
• http//www.unidav.it
• http//www.ministerosalute.it/ecm
• http//www.bdp.it/ifts
• www.oecd.org/daf/investment/guidelines
• http//www.governo.it/governoinforma/dossier/anvur
  /index.html
• http//www.civr.it/
• http//www.civr.it/ecivr/guidelines/guidelines_NUV
  m.pdf
• http//www.cnvsu.it
• http//www.civr.it/ecivr/guidelines/guidelines_NUV
  m.pdf