The Bologna process, Student Centred learning and Norway
Toril JohanssonDirector General
Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research
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The Bologna Process
• 47 countries
• EU Commission
• Consultative members
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European Process
• NOT an EU initiated or EU governed process
• No supranational element
• Original aim: Establish the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) by 2010.Decision to continue cooperation until 2020.
The European Higher Education Area (EHEA) established at the ministerial meeting in Budapest/Vienna 2010.
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• Structure: – Ministerial meetings every second year set
new goals (Bologna 1999, Prague 2001, Berlin 2003, Bergen 2005, London 2007, Leuven 2009, Budapest/Vienna 2010, next Bucharest 2012)
– Bologna Follow-Up Group (BFUG)– BFUG Board– Since Budapest/Vienna system of co-chairing– Bologna Secretariat
Bologna Process
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Recent developments
• Independent evaluation of the Bologna Process prior to the ministerial meeting in Budapest/Vienna
• Conclusions:Concurrent with previous conclusions from
”Stocktaking”– Come quite far in introducing the
instrumental elements (Degree system, ECTS, recognition, Quality Assurance etc)
– A lot remains with regard to in-depth implementation
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Independent evaluation cont
– Quite a lot remains with regard to e.g.• The social dimension, • LLL• Description and use of learning
outcomes/qualifications frameworks
One of the main points: Without national agenda attuned to the
Bologna Process, compliance rather than in-depth reform seems to occur
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– Norway successful in the Bologna Process – coincided with national needs
– The Quality Reform; national follow-up of the Bologna elements
The Bologna Process in Norway
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Bologna politically important for Norway
• allows Norway to have a say in the development of European higher education policy...
• ... and provides a platform to learn about other countries and systems in order to inspire national policy
• Priorities: global dimension and social dimensions
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Norwegian involvement
• Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research active in – BFUG– Working groups on
• Reporting (implementation of the elements of the Process)
• global dimension• social dimension
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Student Centred Learning in the Bologna Process
• Not a thematic area tackled directly in the Bologna process from the startBut: important elements for SCL such as
flexibility tools (ECTS, recognition, QFs) dealt with from early on)
• Included in Leuven/Louvain-la-Neuve 2009– Concept of student centred learning
mentioned and the teaching mission of HEIs reasserted
– Highly important in order to underline the aspect of teaching at the HEIs
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Student Centred Learning
• Benefits for students
• Benefits for teachers and academics
• The wider benefits of SCL
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Student Centred Learning cont.
• One of the necessary preconditions for SCL is student involvement - important concept in Norwegian higher education
• Development of social dimension important to development of SCL – one of the priority areas for Norway in the Bologna Process.
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Norway
• No firm definition of the notion of student-centred learning, butt essential feature of the Quality Reform– Better system of follow-up of each student– Individual Education Plans– New forms of assessment – More systematic QA incl. student evaluation
of teachingBut: method of teaching left to the individual
HEI
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Qualifications frameworks
• QFs are important as a guide through the education system – flexible learning paths and step-by step approach
• Learning outcomes approach – paradigm shift from teaching to learning, from input to outcome
• Norwegian QF for higher education adopted March 2009
• All HEIs in the process of rewriting their study programmes based on learning outcomes
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Quality guiding principle
• Quality should be the guiding principle in the provision of higher education in Norway – important also for SCL
• Some important traits – Internationalisation– All higher education research-based– Relevance and employability– Modes of teaching and assessment
• Quality assurance • Quality remains the responsibility of the HEI –
where quality is made
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Strategic dialogue
• Leadership for education• The link between learning qualification
frameworks, learning outcomes and Student Centred Learning
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Mobility to high quality institutions
Emphasising:• Quality criteria and lists of high quality
institutions must be developed• “Freshman” year support of Bachelor degree if
good enough quality• Larger grants to cover tuition fees at
institutions or study programmes of high quality
• Level of grants might be associated with institutional agreements
• Phased in gradually – from 2011/2012 at the earliest
Quality is also diversity
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Thank you for your attention
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