National Framework of Qualifications Credit Workshop 28 January 2004

1. National Framework of QualificationsCredit Workshop 28 January 2004 Developments in ECTS Danny Brennan, Registrar Letterkenny Institute of Technology National ECTS/DS Co-ordinator

2. Berlin Communiqué • “Ministers stress the important role played by the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) in facilitating student mobility and international curriculum development. They note that ECTS is increasingly becoming a generalised basis for the national credit systems. They encourage further progress with the goal that the ECTS becomes not only a transfer but also an accumulation system, to be applied consistently as it develops within the emerging European Higher Education Area.” Credit Workshop

3. ECTS Label • Applications invited each November • Institutions must apply ECTS to all first and second cycle degree programmes • Course Catalogue (in English and local language) for all programmes in institution must be included • 4 learning agreements for outgoing students • Proof of recognition of credit received abroad • 4 transcripts of records for incoming students Credit Workshop

4. ECTS Label Issues • Major overhead for large institutions (course catalogue) • Irish and UK HEIs at advantage because of English language • Official Langauges Act, 2003? Credit Workshop

5. ECTS Label Advantages • Seen as ‘Quality Mark’, giving competitive advantage • About 90 have applied this year • Successful institutions will become part of a pilot to test the development of ECTS for Lifelong Learning Credit Workshop

6. Credit and Cycles • First cycle Bachelor (with 180-240 ECTS credits) • Second cycle Master with (90-120 ECTS credits) • Perhaps some of these (<15%) might be from first cycle • Some thought being given to assigning credit to doctorates (270-300 credits?) Credit Workshop

7. ECTS Users Guide • Revised ECTS Users Guide being finalised • Will have examples of good practice, FAQs etc. • Due to be launched at ECTS National Co-ordinators meeting in Letterkenny in late February Credit Workshop

8. Other Developments • ECTS credits are not currently ‘level’ related • Should credits be linked to levels? • Bologna implicitly created levels within higher education awards (cycles) but each cycle probably needs to be further sub-divided • We wouldn’t award a first cycle degree with 180 credits accumulated from first year subjects Credit Workshop

9. Levels and Credits 1 • Related to the development of a European Framework of Qualifications • Current thinking [in ECTS Group] is to have 2 ‘levels’ of credits for each cycle distinguished by descriptors (level descriptors) • e.g. a first cycle degree to have type ‘A’ and type ‘B’ credits; regulation might be that a first cycle degree has 180 credits, at least 80 of which shall be type ‘B’ credits (100 type ‘A’ + 80 type ‘B’) Credit Workshop

10. Levels and Credits 2 • Possibility of having some first cycle credits contribute to a second cycle award; e.g. a module on Research Methodologies which might be taught to both first and second cycle degree students • We might use similar logic to enable some FE credits to be accumulated towards a HE qualification. Credit Workshop

11. Credits and Awards • Credits reflect student workload • Assigning credits to awards • No issue with Ordinary Bachelor having diffferent credits to Honours Bachelor • There is an issue with three year honours bachelor v. four year honours bachelor. • Why should it take student ‘A’ four years to the learning outcomes for an honours degree when student ‘B’ can do it in three years? Credit Workshop

12. Credit in HETAC sector • System compatable with ECTS • All subjects have credits assigned (30 per semester; 60 per academic year) • Probably not sufficient emphasis on fine-tuning credits after initial assignment • Students should be asked if credits reflect actual workload • Some three year honours degree programmes Credit Workshop