ERASMUS Thematic Meeting: ERASMUS Placements: Put it into Practice!

Beate Körner, DAAD, EU-Ref. 603

20.11.09 ; Rome

Assuring quality in ERASMUS Placements through close cooperation and

mutual feedback between HEI and NA‘s

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Current Situation

Where do we stand?

• in ERASMUS: simplified procedures in application and reporting procedures

• tools given by Commission for evaluation are narrative report, student report form, indirectly quality commit-ment, monitoring of HEI no systematic approach

• each NA establishes own procedures in most countries HEI are free choose their own evaluation tools

• many HEI do not have the time, the human resources and the interest? to establish elaborate quality instruments such as evaluation procedures/tools

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Questions to be addressed

What do we want?

• is there still an interest in evaluating the programme – both on implementation and outcome level?

• Do we need European evaluation procedures/guidelines or should NA’s be free to choose?

• Should there be an Europe-wide discussion/action plan on quality issues in SMP?

• Is it always quantity vs. quality?• Can we assure quality and still keep high numbers of

mobility in Placements?

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Strategies NA - HEI

• What can we do?

• Overall agreement on importance of quality

• Look at quality issues of the whole programme (includ. management by NA‘s and HEI‘s, single placement, evaluation, dissemination, etc.) and focus on most important aspects

• Do the NA‘s see the HEI‘s as allies or ‚enemies‘?

• Do they really need our guidance or do they know what is best?

• Could we impose stricter regulations on them if we cannot judge and/or their infrastructure and capacity?

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Tools and procedures to be developed

• Some suggestions:

• Quality guidelines for HEI on the management of the ERASMUS Placement Programme model: what do we understand as good quality management?

• Same respectively for single placement: what are the features of a good quality placement?

• Narrative report to be filled by the universities

• Tool for electronic evaluation of student report forms for HEI ??? (prerequisite: remodeling of questionnaire with questions that really allow evaluation)

• … to be continued

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Suggestions on Narrative Report of HEI I

• Carefully think about what you want to know

can you really use the information/ the questions that you are asking?

• check back with your HEI or with somebody who has hands-on experience

e.g. information on general management, financial managment, food for thought for developing new structures & tools, selection procedures,

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Suggestions on Narrative Report of HEI II

Examples:

• Which information materials did you develop? • Have you assessed how students get their information

and built your advertising strategy accordingly?• How do you prepare your students: interculturally, their

language skills?• How are placements found?• How do you assure/document the recognition of the

placements?

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Suggestions on Narrative Report of HEI III

• What were the main difficulties for the students during the placement?

• How satisfied were the students with their placement?• To what extend did the placement influence the student

regarding their studies, their career, their personal dev.• What difficulties did you have with the management of

the placements?• Which results does the Programme have for the

participating actors (students, HEI, companies)?• What importance/impact do these results have on these

actors?• … to be continued

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Structure

• Address issues from 2 angles:• 1. relationship/ procedures NA – HEI/consortium• 2. relationship/ procedures NA – Commission

• At the end of workshop:• Come up with suggestions for evaluation tools,

procedures etc. that CAN be adopted (should not be imposed by Commission)

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Outcomes

• Et voila: let‘s start work now!!!

Thank you very much for your attention!

Beate KörnerRef. 603 ERASMUS university-enterprise cooperationkoerner@daad.deTel: 0049/228/882-257