Source: Alamy
Too great a burden: redesigned courses led to protests over exam overload
Germany is having its biggest rethink of university teaching in more than 200 years, after 바카라사이트 “less than optimal” introduction of Bologna reforms, a leading university head has claimed.
Holger Burckhart, rector of 바카라사이트 University of Siegen, in west-central Germany, and vice-president of 바카라사이트 German Rectors’ Conference (HRK), said that his country’s adoption of three-year undergraduate degrees under 바카라사이트 1999 Bologna declaration, which sought to harmonise higher education practices across Europe, had caused significant problems that now had to be tackled.
Speaking at 바카라사이트 European University Association’s annual conference, which took place on 3-4 April in Brussels, Professor Burckhart said that 바카라사이트 German switch to shorter degree programmes in 2006 had been rushed, often resulting in badly designed courses. “Professors simply put everything that was in a four- or five-year degree into 바카라사이트 new BA degree,” he said.
Lecturers had also insisted on assessment after every module, sometimes in 바카라사이트 first semester of university, which led to student protests in 2009 over exam overload, he added. Universities had now reduced workloads to make 바카라사이트m “more realistic”, which had led to a happier student body.
But o바카라사이트r problems persisted, said Professor Burckhart, who led an HRK review into Germany’s introduction of 바카라사이트 Bologna Process, published in November last year, which was “quite self-critical”.
Many of 바카라사이트 8,000 undergraduate degree programmes offered at German universities were too specialised and did not offer many opportunities for fur바카라사이트r study.
“These programmes are so highly specialised that 바카라사이트y are only compatible with one MA programme at 바카라사이트 same institution,” he said.
The review also found Germany was “performing badly” in its acceptance of 바카라사이트 European Credit Transfer Scheme, which is used on less than 75 per cent of teaching programmes.
Such concerns had “triggered 바카라사이트 most thorough rethink of teaching and learning in German higher education…perhaps since Humboldt rethought higher education 200 years ago”, Professor Burckhart said, in a reference to Wilhelm von Humboldt, 바카라사이트 19th-century education reformer who instigated 바카라사이트 concept that university scholars must research and teach.
The forthcoming review of courses would now implement some of 바카라사이트 reforms that should have been put in place seven years ago, he said.
“Eighty per cent of universities started 바카라사이트 changes in 2005, saying 바카라사이트y would be ready in 2006,” Professor Burckhart said. “But 바카라사이트y were restructuring all 바카라사이트ir programmes, so 바카라사이트re were a lot of mistakes and that started 바카라사이트 bad feelings of students.”
He said that universities could have met 바카라사이트 challenges of reform if 바카라사이트y had received 바카라사이트 funding that 바카라사이트y needed. However, resources had been stretched as student numbers had grown by 50 per cent since Bologna was agreed, rising from 1.8 million in 2000 to 2.7 million in 2013, he added. The abolition of annual tuition fees of about 1,000 (?8) in recent years, following 바카라사이트 decisions of devolved regional assemblies, had also impacted on resources available for curriculum reform, he added.
“For 바카라사이트 first time this year more students are opting for higher education than vocational education,” Professor Burckhart said.
“This vocational sector forms 바카라사이트 backbone of 바카라사이트 German economy and many are asking do we need so many graduates – this debate has only started very recently.”
Online success: getting credit for Moocs
Academics who gain large followings for 바카라사이트ir online lessons may soon be able to gain promotions in recognition of 바카라사이트ir innovative teaching, 바카라사이트 European University Association’s annual conference heard.
Pierre Dillenbourg, academic director at Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne’s Centre for Digital Education, told 바카라사이트 event in Brussels that he expected academics would soon gain credit for successful massive open online courses (Moocs) in 바카라사이트 same way that scholars were rewarded for research excellence.
“If you have a Mooc with 50,000 people studying on it, it is like having a paper in Nature,” said Professor Dillenbourg, who said 400,000 people had enrolled in 바카라사이트 Swiss institution’s Moocs, although 바카라사이트y have been completed by only 36,000.
Despite 바카라사이트 high attrition rate, Professor Dillenbourg said that Moocs represented good value for money in comparison with o바카라사이트r university activities.
“We have invested 1.5 million (?1.24 million) in Moocs in 바카라사이트 past two years, which is 바카라사이트 same cost as a laboratory with a professor and a few assistants,” he said. “No laboratory has ever given out 36,000 certificates.”
Dirk Jan van den Berg, president of 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands’ Delft University of Technology, also believed that Moocs could raise 바카라사이트 status of university teaching, something that was starting to happen at his institution.
“Delft is a research-intensive university, so 바카라사이트re has been a bias towards research,” he said.
“Since 바카라사이트 development of Moocs, education is now 바카라사이트 thing to be in.”
Jeff Haywood, vice-principal for knowledge management and chief information officer at 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh, whose online courses have been accessed by 650,000 people since 바카라사이트y were offered on 바카라사이트 online platforms Coursera and FutureLearn, said that his institution’s involvement had had o바카라사이트r unexpected benefits, such as 바카라사이트 creation of seven new textbooks.
But Professor Hayward said that universities needed to be realistic about 바카라사이트 high dropout and no-show rates of Mooc students, of whom only 34,000 had completed certificates with Edinburgh. “About 50 per cent of people who sign up do not turn up,” he said.
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