ECTS, as a Transfer and Accumulation System, and the engineering - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

“ ECTS, as a Transfer and Accumulation System, and the engineering curriculum design ” Prof. Iacint Manoliu Technical University of Civil Engineering Bucharest Workshop “ ECD EAST, Engineering Curricula Design” Kaunas, 21-22 February 2011

Contents Credits-hours in U.S.A. ECTS in Europe CATS Thematic Network EUCEET and ECTS Tuning Thematic Network TREE and ECTS MOCCA EQF Conclusions

Credit-hours in U.S.A.

“Notes on the civil engineering education in USA” “In order to understand a study programme at an American university is necessary to explain, in first place, how are “ accounted for ” the learning activities of the students. The existence in parallel of compulsory courses and of others, which, although compulsory, can be selected from a certain block, as well as the objective necessity of facilitating the transfer from an university to an other one and, hence, to have common measuring units, lead to the generalization in the American universities of the system of credit-hours which consist in the following: to each course is attributed a certain weight expressed in “ credit-hours ” . Usually, the number of the “ credit-hours ” is equal to the number of lecture hours per week assigned to the respective subject. Sometimes, however, when besides lectures to the subject are assigned also laboratory hours or other practical activities, the number of the “ credit-hours ” can be greater than the number of lecture hours.

The final condition for the degree is the following one: the graduate must prove that he/she collected the number of “ credit-hours ” required for the given study programme, obtained from both the compulsory subjects and from the elective ones. The total number of “ credit-hours ” needed for graduation varies from institution to institution. However, a figure frequently met in civil engineering departments is 136 “ credit- hours” . For an average number of 3 hours/week assigned to a course, the 136 “ credit-hours ” imply the success, along the four years of study, in 45 courses, 5 or 6 in each semester” . Manoliu, I. ”“Notes on the civil engineering education in USA” (in Romanian) Buletinul Stiintific, Institutul de Constructii Bucuresti, Nr. 4/1969

U. T. Austin web page: http://www.utexas.edu/

ACCREDITATION BOARD FOR ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY (ABET) 2010 – 2012 CURRICULAR DISTRIBUTION THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN CIVIL ENGINEERING The Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering at the University of Teas at Austin is currently accredited by the Accreditation Board of Engineering Technology (ABET). The minimum ABET curricular distribution combines MATHEMATICS and BASIC SCIENCES (32 hours), ENGINEERING TOPICS including ENGINEERING SCIENCE and ENGINEERING DESIGN (48 hours), and GENERAL EDUCATION including HUMANITIES and SOCIAL SCIENCES (16 hours). Completion of a program of study in engineering which is accredited by ABET at time of graduation is considered to meet the education requirements for registration as a Professional Engineer by the Texas Board of Professional Engineers.

ECTS in Europe

A historical note During the period 1989-1995 the European Commission developed the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS), in close collaboration with some 145 higher education institutions. The intention of this system was to come up with a tool that would make it possible to compare periods of academic studies of different universities in different countries. Such an instrument was thought necessary to improve the recognition of studies completed abroad. ECTS was intended to be a transfer system, to connect the different higher education systems and structures of the countries in Europe. As a transfer system, based on general assumptions concerning workload and information and on a philosophy of mutual trust and confidence, it worked well.

Experience of European universities before the introduction of ECTS A Tempus projects initiated and coordinated by TUCEB: The CESNET project ( 1995 – 1998)

The Technical University of Civil Engineering Bucharest 1. Faculty of Civil, Industrial and Agricultural Buildings 2. Faculty of Hydrotechnics 3. Faculty of Railways, Roads and Bridges 4. Faculty of Building Services 5. Faculty of Technological Equipment 6. Faculty of Geodesy 7. Faculty of Engineering in Foreign Languages

Universities partner in CESNET From Romania Technical University of Civil Engineering Bucharest Politehnica University Timisoara Technical University “Gheorghe Asachi” Iasi Technical University Cluj-Napoca From EU Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées Paris City University London Technische Universitat Berlin Politecnico di Torino Universidad Politecnica de Madrid Instituto Superior Tecnico Lisbon National Technical University Athens

CESNET mobilities at undergraduate level • Romanian students at level BAC + 4 • From the whole list of subjects offered by the host institution at both undergraduate and graduate level, was established a “menu” made of those subjects which fitted in the programme of the 4 th years of study at the Romanian university

From a CESNET report at the end of the second year of the project: “The positive experience of the mobilities at undergraduate level organized in the academic year 1996-1997, led to the decision to include such mobilities, in even greater number, in the third and last year of the CESNET project. Although none of the involved institutions has so far adopted the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS), the use of documents similar to those implemented by ECTS, like the “ Student application form ”, the “ Learning agreement ” or he “ Transcript of records ” will, no doubt, be very beneficial” .

Brussels, 6 February 2009

ECTS credits and workload Credits are always described by the level at which they are awarded, based on the level of learning outcomes of the programme or component. Only credits awarded at the appropriate level can be accumulated towards a qualification. The appropriate level is stipulated in the national or institutional progression rules. From the key features: “Workload indicates the time students typically need to complete all learning activities (such as lectures, seminars, projects, practical work, self-study and examinations) required to achieve the expected learning outcomes. ”

CATS

Q: What is CATS ? A: A famous musical (second longest-running show in Broadway history) composed by Andrew Lloyd Weber … CATS = C redit and A ccumulation T ransfer S ystem

A CATS implemented at the Technical University of Civil Engineering Bucharest (paper presented at the CATS Conference in Derby by Prof. Iacint MANOLIU and Prof. Ovidiu IANCULESCU )

The CATS was introduced at TUCEB for the first year of study in the academic year 1997-1998 A sample: Plan of study in use in the academic year 2010-2011 at the Faculty of Engineering in Foreign Language for the first two-years of study

Thematic Network EUCEET and ECTS

The Thematic Network Project EUCEET, initiated by TUCEB and coordinated by ENPC EUCEET I 1998 – 2001 EUCEET Dissemination 2001 – 2002 EUCEET II 2002 – 2005 EUCEET III 2006 – 2010

Specific Project 8 of EUCEET II “ Synergies between TN EUCEET and other activities under the SOCRATES Erasmus Programme ” tackled the matter of ECTS A survey was conducted among academic partners in EUCEET, with 33 answers coming from 20 countries. One of the question was: “ Do you follow the rule that 1 ECTS credit = 30 working hours?” Only 3% of respondents said YES

TUNING Five lines of approach • generic competences or transferrable skills • subject specific competences • new perspectives on ECTS as a transfer and accumulation system • approaches to learning, teaching and assessment • the role of quality enhancement in the educational process

Tuning Educational Structures in Europe Phase II: 2003 - 2006 Phase I: 2000 – 2002 Subject areas: Business Administration Chemistry Geology As a Synergy Group in 2004 – 2005: Education Sciences Civil Engineering European Studies History Mathematics Physics

The Tuning approach Credits and learning outcomes In an accumulation and transfer system, credits and learning outcomes, expressed in terms of competences are inseparably linked. They are the two sides of the same coin. While credits express the volume of learning, learning outcomes express the content of that learning. Credits are only awarded when the learning outcomes are achieved by the learner. However, in general terms there is not a one to one relationship between credits and learning outcomes. The time required for the average learner or typical student to achieve the learning outcomes is decided not only by the volume of knowledge and skills to be taught and learned but also by the context in which the process of learning takes place.