Implementing the Bologna Process: The experience of Estonia - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

1 / 20
About This Presentation
Title:

Implementing the Bologna Process: The experience of Estonia

Description:

Implementing the Bologna Process: The experience of Estonia Workshop: Boosting quality: International Credential Evaluation and Higher Education Quality Assessment in ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

Number of Views:88
Avg rating:3.0/5.0
Slides: 21
Provided by: gun100
Category:

less

Transcript and Presenter's Notes

Title: Implementing the Bologna Process: The experience of Estonia


1
Implementing the Bologna ProcessThe experience
of Estonia
  • Workshop Boosting quality International
    Credential Evaluation and Higher Education
    Quality Assessment in SSH (PHOENIX)
  • Bishkek, 13-14 April 2006
  • Gunnar Vaht
  • The Estonian ENIC/NARIC

2
Higher education in Estonia
  • Legal framework
  • Education Act (1992)
  • Universities Act (1995)
  • Institutions of Professional Higher Education Act
    (1998)
  • Private Schools Act (1998)
  • University of Tartu Act (1995)
  • Standard of Higher Education (2002)

3
Access to higher education
  • General requirements (qualifications)
  • Gümnaasiumi lõputunnistus (Secondary School
    Leaving Certificate - 12yrs of study) State
    Examination Certificate
  • Secondary Vocational School Leaving Certificate
    State Examination Certificate
  • Corresponding foreign qualification
  • Specific requirements
  • Results of state examinations (mother language,
    foreign language, mathematics, etc)
  • admission examinations/tests/interviews
  • average mark on leaving certificate or group of
    marks of certain subject(s)

4
Higher education institutions
  • Universities (ülikool)
  • institution of research, development, study and
    culture with programs at all higher education
    levels in several fields of study
  • Professional Higher Education Institutions
    (rakenduskõrgkool)
  • educational institutions with programs of
    professional higher education and Magister-study.
    The institution may offer secondary vocational
    programs.
  • Vocational Education Institutions
    (kutseõppeasutus)
  • institutions of secondary vocational programs.
    The institutions may offer the professional
    higher education

5
Bologna process in Estonia
  • Estonia was among the countries signing the
    Bologna Declaration in 1999
  • Large scale changes started already in the
    beginning of 1990s by removing Soviet ideology in
    the programs, increasing the university autonomy,
    introducing the credit accumulation system based
    on student workload and accreditation system
  • Bologna process was seen as a continuation of the
    developments, an opportunity to increase the
    competitiveness internationally (comparable
    degree structure) and broadening the students
    choices (national and international mobility)

6
New degree structure
  • Higher education system is binary at first and
    second level
  • University structure has three cycles following
    the bachelor-master-PhD model
  • Transfer to the new two-cycle specialist degree
    structures of academic year 2002/03

7
Legal framework for degrees
  • The Government approved the Standard of Higher
    Education (2002) functions as a broad
    qualification framework which determines the
    conditions of access to, capacity, learning
    outcomes, graduation requirements, etc of PHE,
    Bak, Mag and PhD studies
  • Special legislative acts govern the outcomes and
    content of regulated professions and other one
    long-cycle programs (in medicine, class teachers,
    civil engineers etc)
  • New Governmental decree (2004) for designation of
    academic degrees

8
Degree structure (pre-Bologna)
  • Old system (until 2002/03 admission)
  • General system as one-long-cycle structure
  • Universities
  • Bakalaureus-degree (45 years) - specialists
    qualifications
  • Magister-degree (12 years) - research degree
  • Doktor-degree (Mag4 years) - second research
    degree
  • Professional higher education institutions
  • PHE-diploma (34 years) - the access to
    Magister-study was limited

9
Degree structure (Bologna)
  • New system (since 2002/03 admission)
  • General system as two-cycle (bachelor-master)
    structure - so called 32 model
  • Universities
  • Bakalaureus-degree (bachelor-level) - 3 years
  • Magister-degree (master-level) - 2 years
  • one long-cycle programs (master-level) - 5 years
    Medicine and Veterinary Medicine - 6 years
  • Doktor-degree - 34 years
  • Professional higher education institutions
  • PHE-diploma (bachelor-level) - 34 years
  • Magister-degree (master-level) - 12 years in
    cooperation with university.In some fields also
    independently.

10
Bakalaureus-studies
  • At this level the basic knowledge and skills of a
    speciality are obtained.
  • The nominal length of study is predominantly 3
    years and the capacity of studies 120 national
    credit points (ainepunkt) 180 credits in ECTS
    system
  • The new qualification enables holder to commence
    work and continue studies at master level
  • Under a previous degree structure
    bakalaureus-studies provided a competence
    necessary for working as a specialist and the
    right to work in a position that requires high
    qualification (lawyer, engineer, teacher, etc)

11
Magister-studies
  • The aim of second cycle studies is to educate a
    specialist with profound professional knowledge.
    Study is devoted to in-depth preparation for the
    speciality and includes a narrow specialisation.
  • The nominal duration of 12 years and capacity of
    studies 4080 national credits (60120 ECTS
    credits), but along with bachelor-level studies
    not less than 5 years (32 or 41), and capacity
    of 200 national credits/300 ECTS credits

12
Comparison of old and new systems
  • Till 1991
  • Diplom-Specialist (5) - Kandidat Nauk (3) -
    Doktor Nauk ()
  • 1991-1994
  • University Diploma (5) - (Research) Magister (2)
    - Doktor (4)
  • 1995-2001
  • Bakalaureus (4) - Magister (2) - Doktor (4)
  • Since 2002
  • Bakalaureus (3) - Magister (2) - Doktor (34)
  • (Bachelor-Master structure or 32 system)

13
Professional higher education
  • The purpose of PHE study is to acquire the
    competence necessary for working in the relevant
    profession or continue studies in a master level
  • Providers
  • Professional higher education institutions
  • structural units of universities (university
    kolledzh)
  • selected vocational secondary education
    institutions

14
Doktor-study
  • Highest stage of higher education with the
    purpose of acquiring knowledge and skills
    necessary for independent research, development
    or professional creative work
  • The nominal duration is 3 to 4 years (180 to 240
    ECTS credits)

15
Recognition and comparison of old degrees
  • Draft Governmental Decree on comparison of former
    qualifications - in order to ensure the equal
    rights of graduates in access to further study
    and to the labor market.
  • Diploma Supplement - the description of
    educational system and indicates on which system
    the degree is earned
  • Estonian ENIC/NARIC - information to the foreign
    authorities

16
Recognition tools
  • Diploma Supplement - the model of UNESCO, Council
    of Europe and European Commission
  • Implemented by the initiative of individual
    universities in 1999 and issued on request (some
    fee)
  • Since 2002 the DS is a state document annexed to
    every diploma (free)
  • ECTS
  • Since 1997 higher education institutions may use
    ECTS credit and marking system simultanously with
    national system and only in student mobility
    programs
  • Since 01.09.2006 - the only credit system in
    Estonia and as the national credit system.

17
Quality Assurance
  • License, accreditation, recognition
  • License
  • issued by the Ministry of Education and Research
    (MoER)
  • State inspection
  • inspection by MoER regularly self analyse
  • Accreditation
  • part of the quality assessment.
  • Organised by Estonian Higher Education
    Accreditation Centre
  • Foreign experts for two-three days
  • Decision by Higher Education Quality Assessment
    Council
  • Approved by the Minister
  • State recognition of diplomas/qualifications
  • Statute of Diploma - state standards

18
Accreditation
  • The recognition of diplomas is dependent upon the
    accreditation decision
  • Accreditation of the program is granted for 7
    years (conditional accreditation for 3 years)
  • Accreditation criteria - content of the study
    program, quality of the teaching, management
    practices, state of the study facilities, quality
    assurance practices, teachers qualifications,
    etc.
  • During 1997-2002 the first round of accreditation
    was completed, over 500 study programs were under
    accreditation process

19
Implementation of Bologna process
  • The so-called National Bologna Group was
    established in 2000 - representatives Ministry
    of Education, Rectors Council, Student Union and
    Estonian ENIC/NARIC
  • On 2001, the Government approved the reform plan
  • Major legislative changes were implemented during
    2002 and 2003
  • Transfer to the new degree structure was very
    quick and was possible only because HEIs were
    very interested in these changes

20
Further plans
  • Ensuring the employability of the new
    bachelors
  • Recruitment of international staff with long-term
    contacts
  • Work with qualifications framework - description
    of learning outcomes
  • Joint degree programs - amendment of legislation
  • Implementing the lifelong learning principles in
    higher education - APEL
Write a Comment
User Comments (0)
About PowerShow.com