Mapping National Qualifications Frameworks and Awards using MapQFTool

Abstract

This paper presents MapQFTool, a software tool that provides support to the understanding and comparability of the National Qualifications Frameworks (NQFs) of the European countries. The paper starts by providing background information on the Bologna Process and the Qualifications Frameworks. It then addresses the limitations of trying to map the various NQFs against the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), and through the EQF against each other and explains the advantages of automating this process using a software tool. The paper finally presents the tool and its functionality; this is done by giving the design of the underlying database, sample data using two NQFs, sample queries and their results, as well as its system architecture and development platform. We argue that MapQFTool will be a very useful asset to all stakeholders, namely the European Commission, the National Quality Assurance Agencies of all European (and not only) countries, the educational institutions, the Ministries of Education and Labour, prospective students, students, employers, careers officers, Erasmus co-ordinators and the general public.