European Credit Transfer System Research Articles

INITIAL ANALYSIS OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CREDIT-MODULE SYSTEM OF EDUCATIONAL PROCESS ORGANIZATION AND ATTITUDE OF MEDICAL COLLEGE STUDENTS TO IT

The training of a mid-level healthcare professional involves studying a significant number of different subjects and assimilating a large amount of information in a short period of time. The credit-modular system of educational process organization according to the standards of the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) of education provides good prospects for the implementation of this task, ensuring the acquisition of relevant knowledge and competencies, which is necessary in the context of competition on the global labour market and innovative development of society.
 The purpose of the study was to find out and analyse the opinions of students, academic and teaching staff of Physiology department, their attitude and suggestions regarding the implementation of ECTS at the Professional Medical College of IFNMU, where this system started working since 2021.
 Materials and methods. An anonymous survey was carried to achieve the set objectives. Separate questionnaires were drawn up for students and teachers, which included questions about their attitude to teaching disciplines (including Physiology) in accordance with the ECTS principles, its positive and negative aspects, wishes and suggestions for improving the educational process organization and other items. In total, the questionnaires contained eight questions for teachers and sixteen for students.
 Results. The analysis of the survey results gives grounds to assert that not all students of the Medical College are fully ready to the study based on ECTS at the moment, transition from passive to active forms of it, where individual and creative work is preferred. Actually, in our opinion one of the key problematic issues of the credit transfer system of education is that students are not entirely focused on the priority of independent learning of the curriculum material and a significant part of extracurricular learning in it. Also most students consider that the amount of material assigned for independent study is too much. On the other hand, our teaching experience shows that they do not always work through the topics properly, although there are consultation hours during extracurricular time, where students can discuss unclear questions with the teacher. The attitude to test control as an integral part of the educational process and one of the methods of students’ knowledge evaluation is ambiguous. Among the positive aspects of ECTS education the most often are noted the following: constant and versatile preparation for classes, a better evaluation system, the possibility of retaking unsatisfactory marks, which is an important additional motivation to improve the level of knowledge from the subject and improve academic performance.
 Conclusions. As a result, the following conclusions can be drawn: a) as of today, the perception of the IFNMU Medical College students the credit-modular system of education, their readiness and attitude to it are quite ambiguous with the corresponding positive and negative aspects; b) there is an evidently need for further work to improve the training of both students and teachers, optimisation of their collaboration and creation a closer relationship between them; c) it is necessary, in our opinion, on the one hand, to preserve maximally the positive achievements of the national education system, on the other hand – to use effectively the experience of European countries. This will create the basis for training a qualified, mobile, creative specialist of mid-level healthcare.

THE EXPEDIENCY OF INCLUDING AN INDIVIDUAL SCIENTIFIC WORK AS A MANDATORY COMPONENT IN THE EDUCATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL PROGRAM OF MEDICINE

Among the tasks of the "Concept of Sustainable Development", it is worth highlighting tasks 3 and 4: "Good health and well-being" and "Quality education". In this way, the training of students under the educational and professional program "Medicine" at the Poltava State Medical University meets two tasks from the "Concept of Sustainable Development".
 Modern specialists of the medical profile are in the conditions of the need to use a scientific approach and elements of critical thinking in their professional activities. At this stage, the educational and professional program "Medicine", which provides for the training of students at the Poltava State Medical University, does not include educational components that provide students with competencies related to scientific activity (scientific writing, critical analysis of literary sources, methods of scientific research).
 The purpose of this work is to justify the feasibility of including the mandatory component "Scientific training" developed on the basis of the mandatory component "Pathophysiology" in the educational and professional program "Medicine" at the Poltava State Medical University.
 The article uses general scientific theoretical research methods such as: analysis, synthesis, comparison of concepts, abstraction and generalization.
 We offer the following structure of the compulsory component "Scientific training", which consists of the following modules: Module 1 "Modeling of typical pathological processes in various organs and systems", Module 2 "Methods for the study of pathological changes in organs and systems", Module 3 "Principles of pathogenetic correction of typical pathological processes" and Module 4 "Methodical approach to the analysis of obtained experimental results". The total number of credits provided for studying the compulsory component "Scientific training" is 16 credits in accordance with the European credit transfer system. Approximately 2/3 of the hours provided for the study of the mandatory component "Scientific training" are planned to be used for independent work by students of higher education. Such a number of hours for independent work is argued by the need to write an individual research paper, which is an analogue of a master's thesis in other specialties.
 Modernization of the educational and professional program "Medicine" by including the mandatory component "Scientific training" is a promising way of improving the quality of education for students of the II (master's) level studying in the specialty 222 "Medicine".

Integrating oral health in the nursing curriculum: Formulating learning objectives using a Delphi-study.

Background. Oral health and oral health care should be an integral part of the standard health care provision for care dependent individuals. Nevertheless, it is often neglected when confronted with limited time for daily hygiene care by caregivers, and it is experienced as difficult, intimate, and sometimes even shameful for both the caregiver and the care dependent person. Previous research revealed that nurses had poor knowledge, skills and attitudes towards oral health. Recently, training programmes in oral health care are being developed for care-organisations and international research is exploring the curriculum of caregivers. This research showed half of the respondents being aware of the relation between oral and general health and did not see the need to incorporate oral health care in the curriculum.
 Aim. The aim of this study is to gain insight into the extent of oral health care education in the curriculum that is necessary and feasible to make nurses competent to provide good oral health care for dependent persons. This will be translated into learning objectives that can be implemented in the curriculum of nurses.
 Method. First, to map the proportion of oral health care in the Flemish curricula for nurses, all European Credit Transfer System files (ECTS fiches) were evaluated. In addition, a survey was sent to teachers and curriculum coordinators to ask about the extent of oral health education in their program. Second, a Delphi study will be set up to build a consensus about the relevant oral health topics for nurses. The Delphi study consists of 3 rounds and an additional round with focus groups. Three target groups will be asked to participate: (1) oral health professionals, (2) teachers of the curriculum for nurses, and (3) nurses already employed in the field. A fourth round will discuss the ambivalent topics within and between target groups using several focus groups of important stakeholders.
 Results. ECTS files of the academic year 2019-2020 were used in the analysis. About half of the organisations who offered a 4-year nursing bachelor mentioned oral health care related topics in their ECTS fiches. The organisations spent a little over 2 hours on oral health care theory and 1.5 hours of practical oral health care training during the 4-year bachelor training or in the school. Lack of time, difficulty of the subject and low relevance were the most important mentioned barriers. A practical training was mentioned about the performance of oral care during their internship. The Delphi study will be carried out between November 2022 and June 2023. Preliminary results will be discussed during the ICIC conference.
 Discussion. Even though oral health care is an essential part of the daily care for patients, oral health care is seen as not so relevant and it is only minimally covered in their curriculum. With the reported barriers in mind, reaching a consensus between oral health professionals and caregivers is crucial for the introduction of oral health care learning objectives in the curriculum for nursing degrees.

Redesigning Professional Development on Digital Transformation Using Andragogy as a Theoretical Lens

Regarding the ongoing digitalisation in the knowledge society, professional development seems more crucial than ever. The need for upskilling and reskilling is described as continuous lifelong learning, which must be combined and synchronised with the life of full-time working learners. Content, pedagogical models and instructional design in university courses are often created for students in Bachelor's and Master's programs instead of tailored for adults working full-time. This study describes and discusses andragogy as a potential knowledge base for redesigning professional development courses on digital transformation. Evaluations from two instances of a course for professionals on digital transformation showed that the course participants overall are satisfied with the course. However, only a few course participants take the exam to get credits. Therefore, the research question that guided this study was, "What redesign options for increased pass rates and learner satisfaction in professional development for adult learners can be identified using andragogy as a theoretical lens?" The course is on distance and contains four modules with synchronous and asynchronous learning activities, resulting in five European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). The empirical material consisted of course participants' check-in presentation before the course started, mid-term evaluation, final evaluations, and a learning diary containing 58 entries. The data was deductively analysed using the theory of andragogy as an analytical lens. The findings imply that instructors should put effort into how different parts of the course are connected, supporting learners' need to know. Further, to enhance the course participants' prior experience as a resource for learning by adding learning activities, they exchange experiences and examples with each other, adding to their learning process and networking. The pedagogic parts of understanding the theoretical course material could be split into pieces through exercises where the participants apply conceptual models and concepts to real-situation problems. The learning diary could help the participants align the new knowledge with their prior knowledge with a focus on professional roles and work situations. The identified redesign options create opportunities to increase pedagogical parts like readiness, orientation, and motivation to learn according to the current higher education system.

Immersive technologies as an innovative tool to increase academic success and motivation in higher education

The latest techniques and technologies significantly improve the academic performance, engagement, and motivation of students. VR and AR open up numerous opportunities for the educational system. The purpose is to evaluate the effectiveness of using immersive technologies as a tool to increase the level of academic success, involvement, and motivation among students. The research involved a total number of 180 students in two higher educational institutions. This study presupposed using a previously elaborated program for further use in the experimental group. This program was introduced into the study program within the participating universities. The study included three tests to collect the data under the Motivation and Engagement Scale, as well as European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System. The experimental group provided positive indicators during statistical data analysis; thus, it demonstrates the effectiveness of the studied methods. Although the engagement and motivation of students from the experimental group increased, there were no differences in academic achievements between the groups. Therefore, it cannot be argued that immersive technologies have a direct impact on grades, which are the main indicator of success in learning. The new experimental data obtained in this study and the analysis of previous modern experimental studies allowed us to draw relevant conclusions about the expediency and high efficiency of immersive education technologies for teaching university students.

Disciplinary Boundaries and Methodological Issues of Teaching Geopolitics in Turkey

This study aims to present a critical portrayal of teaching geopolitics at Turkish
 universities by assessing both undergraduate and graduate levels of Political
 Science and International Relations (IR) curricula. Geopolitical analysis has gone
 through several phases and traditions by conceiving space as a crucial element
 for representing world politics. In addition to interstate rivalries, geopolitics also
 refers to many conflicts and rivalries within an intrastate framework in the context
 of multiple territorial scales. While geopolitics seems to be falsely perceived as
 something equal to a state-centric and hard realist academic subfield under a
 strong military tutelage in Turkey, it lacks a broad multi-level analysis, as well
 as geographical and historical reasoning. In this study, I propose to consider
 cartography, territoriality, and geopolitical representations, which form the
 basis of contemporary geopolitical analysis. The article evaluates weekly
 schedules, learning outcomes, content, and objectives of the courses available
 on the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) information
 packages on university websites. Based on a qualitative case study, it eventually
 aims to improve the methodological character of geopolitics teaching, indirectly
 influencing the level and quality of geopolitics in Turkey.

The university training of the sports manager in Italy between legislative misapplications and overlapping degree courses

PurposeThe implementation of the 2021 sports reform in Italy introduced new professional figures, including the sports manager, defined by Legislative Decree no. 36/2021. According to this law, a master's degree in Organization and Management of Services for Exercise and Sport Sciences (LM-47) is required to practice as a sports manager. However, some universities offer bachelor's and master's degree courses in sports management under different study classes, such as Sciences of Legal Services (L-14), Administration and Organization Sciences (L-16), Business and Management Sciences (L-18), and Business Economics (LM-77). These degree courses may qualify individuals as pseudo-sports managers, despite substantial differences in the educational content compared to the legally defined sports manager profile. This study aimed to assess the illegitimate overlap of degree courses outside the class LM-47 and the discrepancies in their study plans compared to those of LM-47, which is the only one corresponding to the sports manager profile.MethodsThis documentary investigation used the two Ministerial Decrees of 2007 of the bachelor’s and master’s degree classes to extrapolate the degree courses involved in the overlap. Universitaly portal was used to identify the relevant subjects included in the individual degree courses in sports management other than the LM-47. The textual analysis of the objectives and content of the degree courses was done through the literature review tool Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), highlighting the relevant or consistent elements of the profile of the sports manager as established by law.ResultsDegree courses in Law and Sports Management in class L-14 have a juridical professional profile, which is minimally relevant to the sports manager's role. Similarly, degree courses in Economics and Business Management Sciences in the class L-18 and Administration and Organization Sciences in the class L-16 focus on economic–financial administration and management control, lacking alignment with the sports manager profile. Even master's degree courses in the class LM-77 exhibit disparities with the sports manager profile as defined by the law. Furthermore, all these degree courses lack European credit transfer system (ECTS) credits in the exercise and sport sciences area, an essential aspect of the sports manager profession.ConclusionThere are evident contradictions in the degree courses designed for sports managers other than LM-47. According to the law, a master’s degree in study class LM-47 is required to pursue this profession, but there are several degree programs from different classes of study (juridical and economic) available in the national educational offering. This situation may lead to the misapplication of Legislative Decree no. 36/2021 and result in problems with professional accreditation and limited employment opportunities for graduates of such courses. To promote the development of this professional figure, it is necessary to improve the educational offerings in the LM-47 with a more integrated approach to various economic and juridical knowledge to meet the educational needs of future sports managers who navigate the real dynamics of the sports industry.

“FLIPPED ASSESSMENT”: Proposal for a Self-Assessment Method to Improve Learning in the Field of Manufacturing Technologies

Striving toward goal completion and achieving objectives is one of the motors of personal advancement. The path to goal completion is fueled by many reasons, among which motivation stands out as one of the core impulses. Motivation acquires a particularly high relevance in learning, prompting educators to mind its substance when designing not only the material to be imparted but also the approach and the mechanisms to assess knowledge acquisition. The intrinsic nature of motivation might stem from self-realization, thriving in specific goals, or even exploring unknown ground. One of the main teacher–student interactions is the provision of adequate tools to achieve learning outcomes. One of the tools available to teachers is the exercise of extrinsic motivation. This paper proposes and assesses the initial implementation of a student-involved extrinsic motivation method. A pilot group in the Junior year of a Bachelor in Mechanical Engineering program was selected, in which the evaluation system was slightly modified with respect to the system that is normally used. The course selected for the study was a compulsory six European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) course covering production and manufacturing technology. Students were asked to partake in the drafting of questions to assess their own knowledge, hence indirectly increasing their motivation to learn the content. The tentative results obtained with the pilot group appear to be positive and relevant. Students showed a higher engagement during class and reported needing fewer hours of preparation at home (32% reduction). In addition, global satisfaction with the course was improved.

Teaching Qualitative Research in Psychology: A Look at the Portuguese Reality

Qualitative research has been increasingly used in the field of psychology. Consequently, concerns about the development of students’ skills in qualitative research have arisen. The main goal of this paper is to characterize the current state of art of the qualitative research teaching in Portuguese bachelor’s degrees in psychology. A documentary analysis was performed, and the data collection was conducted through an online search: first on the website of the General Directorate of Higher Education, and afterwards on the online sites of each of the Portuguese universities where the first cycle of psychology is taught. A content analysis was made by two coders and a discussion about categories was made until a consensus was reached. The data revealed the existence of 31 undergraduate courses in psychology at 31 Portuguese teaching institutions. There were 12 undergraduate courses at 12 public universities, and 19 undergraduate courses at 19 private universities. Despite the diversity in the study plans in the degree of psychology, most of them included qualitative research methodology teaching. However, the data analysis revealed different designations of the curricular units (CUs) related to qualitative research, as well as a different number of credits (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System—ECTS). In addition, there were variations in the academic year in which the qualitative research CUs were taught and registered in their syllabi. This study indicates that undergraduate Portuguese psychology students generally have some training in qualitative research but the way it is carried out and the training contents are not uniform for all the existing degrees. It is important to reflect on the importance of qualitative research in psychology and further studies on qualitative methods teaching practices are still needed.

An adaptive methodology for curriculum redesign based on performance indicators of the student progression

ABSTRACT We propose an adaptive methodology for the curricular redesign based on the performance indicators of the student progression observed after a follow-up period. The feasibility of adopting the same approach should be thoroughly studied to assess its compatibility with institutions and countries that employ an academic credit system based on student workload, such as the European Credit Transfer System. This approach was applied here for the Chilean system, which is highly consistent with the European case. The resulting methods can be automated and integrated into institutional databases for the management of teaching-learning processes to enhance decision-making. Special attention is devoted to the methods for estimating the credit points and the relative position of each course in the curriculum sequence chart of a university degree. As an example of application, we discuss the curriculum redesign of the B.Sc. degree in Physics offered by the Universidad Católica del Norte. The analysis is based on the statistical report of performance indicators of this undergraduate program during the follow-up period 2015–2019 (five years). We report a certain correspondence between the problem of credit allocation and the behavior in the student progression, which represents an empirical evidence of the effectiveness of the associated credit points estimation.

Distribution analysis of ECTS credits allocated to physical training sciences and methodology (M-EDF/01) and sport sciences and methodology (M-EDF/02) in Italian master’s degree programs in exercise and sport sciences

PurposeIn Italy, the 2021 sports reform recognized the professional figure of kinesiologist, with its related specializations. Three master’s degrees in Exercise and sport sciences (ESS) are offered by Italian high institutions with different purpose and distribution of the European credit transfer system (ECTS) credits. Those allocated to ESS area can be divided in two specific academic disciplines (ADs): physical training sciences and methodology (M-EDF/01) and sport sciences and methodology (M-EDF/02). The aim was twofold: first, to provide the exact measure of the ECTS credits distribution allocated to ESS area, both aggregated that disaggregated by M-EDF/01 and M-EDF/02 ADs, in the three different master’s degrees in ESS; second, to investigate their differences, to check their consistency with the professional profiles of kinesiologist.MethodsThe sample consisted of all the Italian master’s degree in ESS in 2022. The total no. of ECTS credits allocated to ESS area, both aggregated that disaggregated by M-EDF/01 and M-EDF/02 ADs, were collected through Universitaly portal. Descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA were performed to analyze data.ResultsA great degree of heterogeneity within the same of degree course was found. The problem was not about the differences between the no. of ECTS credits allocated to ESS area among different degree courses, but within the same degree courses. From the scatter indices, the unevenness of the distribution of ECTS credits within the same degree courses and, consequently, the unrepresentativeness of the average, emerged.ConclusionsThe heterogeneity of ECTS credits distribution allocated to ESS area (both aggregated and disaggregated by ADs), generate different undergraduate education, which varies according to the University at which one enrolls. Systemic action is needed to ensure the same education to students that choose the same master’s degree course but in different sites.

A Qualitative Research on the Analysis of the Use of European Credit Transfer System Tools in Vocational Secondary School

The aim of this research is to examine the level of European Credit Transfer System tools in Vocational Secondary School in Erasmus+ mobility projects carried out and granted by the Turkish National Agency. European Credit Transfer System tools in Vocational Secondary School has been developed as a tool of policy which aims recognition, verification and transfer of the documents, certificates and diplomas acquired in European Union countries, regardless of where they have been obtained. The data of the research are obtained from school principals, vice principals, branch managers and vocational teachers working at vocational schools which, in the 2019-2020 Erasmus+ project application period, applied to The Turkish National Agency for a grant and announced that ECVET tools would be used. Furthermore, vocational skills, qualifications, certificates and the recognition of the acquisitions obtained abroad by the students within the scope of Erasmus+ mobility project have been evaluated in this study. It has been concluded that vocational school principal, vice principal and teachers use European Credit Transfer System tools in Vocational Secondary School in Erasmus+ mobility projects, apply these tools and consider them to be favorable. In the study, suggestions regarding the application and use of European Credit Transfer System tools were made for the institutions that are planning to carry out Erasmus+ mobility project in vocational secondary school.

A qualitative document analysis of national guidelines in Nordic nursing education using the European Federation of Nurses Associations Competency Framework

Initial harmonization has been found within nursing education in the European Union member states, but with a need for the establishment of further, well-defined standards. The aim of this study was to describe and analyze the main content of nursing education expressed in national guidelines in the Nordic countries, seen as comparisons between the countries and to the European Federation of Nurses Associations (EFN) Competency Framework. A qualitative deductive research method and content analysis were applied to analyze 20 documents, using the EFN Competency Framework as a theoretical framework and analysis matrix. The study was performed in line with the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR) checklist. Variations in structure between the included countries was seen and evident uniformity was lacking. There were differences, e.g. the number of European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) credits needed for a degree that needs to be further explored in relation to the quality of education and the competence of newly qualified nurses. There is a question of whether the EU Framework corresponds to the need for nursing competencies for today and the future. Homogenization of guidelines and structures might facilitate further development and deeper collaboration between the Nordic countries, thereby leading to enhanced patient safety and care quality.

University education for physical education teachers, sports and preventive and adapted physical activities kinesiologists and sports manager

Purpose: The study aims to measure and verify the relationship between the distribution of European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) in the three essential fields (biomedical, physical activity-sports and psycho-pedagogical) related to the master's degrees in sport science and techniques (LM-68) and science of preventive and adapted physical activities (LM-67) and in the three essential fields (physical activity-sports, economic-legal and psycho-sociological) of the master's degrees in sport management (LM-47). Method: The method is document-based. Using Universitaly portal, data on ECTS numerosity in the three essential fields for each degree course were collected. Multiple linear regression was used to predict the value of a dependent variable based on the value of other two independent variables. Results: The predominant field for LM-67 is biomedical, in LM68 physical activity-sports and in LM-47 economic-legal, all with high degrees of variation. Regarding the distribution of ECTS in the three essential fields in LM-68 and LM-47, the result is not statistically significant (P >.05). No one area can predict the other two, therefore, there is no relationship underlying the degree course designs. In LM-67, the ECTS of the biomedical field predict significantly those in the physical activitysports and psycho-pedagogical ones (P < .05). Conclusion: The results show that only in LM-67 there is a relationship between ECTS distribution in the three essential field, in which the ECTS in biomedical field predict how ECTS in the other two fields are distributed, showing a certain degree of agreement among universities on how to distribute them. Keywords: core curricula, master’s degree, kinesiologist, sports reform

Сучасні тенденції розвитку педагогічної освіти в умовах євроінтеграції

It was determined that at the current stage the formation of pedagogical education is under the influence of the European integration process. It was noted that the fulfillment of the tasks of the Bologna reform led to the formation of long-term trends as a result of the reform of pedagogical education: the introduction of two cycles of study – Bachelor’s and Master’s; implementation of the credit-module system, based on the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS); promotion of European cooperation in ensuring the quality of education; activation of mobility of students, teachers, scientists, administrators; ensuring employment of graduates, as well as attractiveness and competitiveness. We emphasize the formation of trends as challenges of the XXI century. social and economic needs of the development of Ukraine. Among them, we single out: reforming the system of pedagogical education within higher education; modernization of the educational process, which led to changes in forms, methods, means, methods of knowledge transfer; introduction of European educational standards into the educational process of higher education institutions of Ukraine; introduction of distance education in the process of teacher training in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic. The peculiarities of the development of the trend of international cooperation, which is relevant in the period of the involvement of domestic higher education in the European educational space, are considered, using the example of the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv. At the current stage of the development of higher education, we observe the active participation of bachelors and masters in the educational programs «Erasmus Mundus», «Erasmus+», «Erasmus+ KA107», DAAD, short-term academic mobility programs. Training and internships for students at universities in Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic, involvement of teachers in conducting research at universities in the USA, the UK, Spain, Turkey, Poland, etc. countries contribute to the formation of the trend of development of international cooperation and activation of mobility. Keywords: trends in education, teacher education, Bologna process, international cooperation, academic mobility, education reform, modernization, globalization.

INDEPENDENT WORK OF STUDENTS AS AN IMPORTANT FACTOR OF LEARNING ACCORDING TO THE CREDIT-MODULAR SYSTEM

An important place in the education system is occupied by educational work in credits. It is proposed to adopt the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) as a basis. The credit-modular organization of the learning process ensures the psychological development of the relationship between the teacher and the student. These relationships contribute to the development of general teaching skills and habits, in addition to the independence of students in the educational process.

АДАПТАЦІЯ СИСТЕМИ ОЦІНЮВАННЯ УСПІХІВ НАВЧАННЯ ДО КОМПЕТЕНТНІСНОГО ПІДХОДУ НАВЧАННЯ

The article solves the problem of assessing the academic success of students studying the disciplines Health Pedagogy and Fundamentals of Medical Knowledge and Health-Saving, taking into account the need for the formation of such components of valeological competence as cognitive, activity, motivational-value and personal. It is proposed to use the functionality of the Moodle learning environment to assess the level of competence formation. The strategy of joint formation of competencies by various departments of a Higher Education Institution within the educational program is described. Proposed mechanisms for harmonizing the results of the qualitative assessment of competence formation with the system for assessing academic success in the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System.

A process-aware approach for blockchain-based verification of academic qualifications

The global trend of credentialism as well as increased mobility in studies and work bring new requirements regarding the verification of academic qualifications. So far, traditional nostrification processes face challenges related to high process cycle times, elevated fees, and fraud incidents. In the higher education domain, blockchain-based approaches have emerged to revitalize the verification of academic qualifications, but they mostly rely on closed concepts offering their facility to a limited circle of entities. As a result, the verification of degrees is not publicly available to any third party. Moreover, in most cases, a concise process-aware approach describing the intended functionality with appropriate models is missing; this absence raises ambiguity and trust issues in the implemented application. This paper presents the design and early implementation of the VerDe (Verified Degrees) platform; a proposed blockchain-based application for registration and verification of academic qualifications. The novelty of the approach presented in this paper is the implementation of VerDe as a decentralized application utilizing Business Process Model & Notation (BPMN). This work demonstrates that usage of BPMN constructs provides an efficient method in addressing blockchain usability and complexity issues and facilitates the design and implementation of blockchain-based applications. The benefits of deploying VerDe in conjunction with BPMN are an efficient and transparent facility able to handle mobility consequences, detect fraud, and overcome administrative barriers by offering the verification capability to any third-party, and employing a custom-made token that emulates the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS).

유럽연합의 고등교육 시스템

Higher education policy is a policy area that is deeply located in the realm of national sovereignty, and member countries have objection to the unified policy of the European Union. Accordingly, higher education policy at the EU level was very limited. However, the Bologna Process was launched outside the European Union in 1999 to internationalize higher education due to the heightened sense of crisis caused by the decline in competitiveness of European universities. The Bologna Process aimed to establish a European Higher Education Area through mutual recognition and harmonization of degrees and certificates between European universities.
 European Union was also stimulated by the launch of the Bologna Process in the 2000s, expanding its higher education program and establishing several technical systems for student and faculty exchanges across borders. Specifically, the European Union expanded the Erasmus and Erasmus Mundus programs for the internationalization of universities. At the same time, the European Union actively implemented systems for human exchange, such as the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS).
 On the other hand, Bologna Process also built its own system such as Bologna Cycle for degree certificate and qualitative evaluation of higher education. The Bologna Process also introduced the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System, already implemented by the European Union. It is noteworthy that the Bologna Process, which consists of 46 European countries, includes all 27 European Union member states. Accordingly, the European Union’s higher education policy coexists with the Bologna Process, and mutual exchange and system convergence are taking place.
 In Korea, internationalization of universities is also a major issue, and in order to promote exchanges and cooperation with the European Union, which has a similar academic level, it is necessary to discuss bilateral projects between the two sides. In addition, in order for Korean universities to promote international exchanges, it is necessary to establish a system for unified grades and degree certificates and qualitative evaluation of education among universities.

Assessment of Actual Workload and Student Performance in the Agricultural Engineering Final Degree Project in a Spanish Higher Education Context

Twenty years after the Bologna Declaration and a decade after Spanish university engineering degrees were updated to comply with the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS), there is still uncertainty on the degree of adaptation to the ECTS system of the final degree project (FDP) course in engineering programs, especially in terms of the workloads allocated to students. The inherent characteristics of the FDP course, with all the learning activities of an unstructured nature, make the real student workload as well as that of the FDP teachers very uncertain. This study addresses this issue by (1) identifying the nature of the unstructured student learning activities related to the FDP course, (2) measuring the time spent by students in the different FDP learning activities throughout the course, and (3) measuring the workload of FDP teachers. A user-friendly smartphone application was configured so that students and teachers in the agricultural engineering degree program at the University of Seville registered the time spent daily on each of the identified FDP learning (students) and supervising (instructors) activities. The results showed that the reported FDP workloads by students who passed the FDP course in either of the two exam periods of the academic year were not significantly higher than the nominal ECTS credit hours stipulated for the FDP course. The FDP teachers reported notably higher workloads than those stipulated by the university regulations. No significant correlation was found between student workload and FDP scores.