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The proposed three-paper series is the authors' attempt to address at least tangentially the whole diversity of quality assurance practices in higher education, the way this diversity has been dynamically manifested and comprehended at the eleven European Quality Assurance Forums (2006-2016). Of course, the authors' intention is to reflect this collective conceptual and methodological activity in the context of the Bologna Process, which obviously has already gone through an optimistic round of its first decade and entered into a contradictory, multi-speed and multilevel reality of transition to the institutional level of reforms.The first article deals with some issues of the current stage of Bolognatransformations amid financial, economic and demographic crisis. The authors briefly touch upon a great potential of Russian higher education, which in late 20 century - early 21st century they described as "Russian pre-Bologna".

Purpose: This paper aims to ask how the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) has orchestrated a sustainable development (SD) agenda in its international policy since 2020. Design/methodology/approach: By drawing on theoretical ideas around policy orchestration as a key UN governing strategy and applying them to the analysis of the progression of the SD agenda in the EHEA, the paper conducts a thematic analysis of six recent key EHEA international policy documents and 19 interviews with key Bologna stakeholders in France, Germany and Italy. Findings: The resultant analysis uncovers three overarching key themes that show the EHEA has the capacity to mitigate pitfalls in the UN's SD agenda; some weaknesses of the UN's orchestration of SD are translated into weaknesses in the EHEA's formulation of its SD agenda; and the further development of an SD agenda as an essential direction of EHEA's work. The paper then goes on to discuss how EHEA policies only mention SD discourse, omit concrete plans for its implementation and keep the very meaning of SD ambiguous throughout international policy documents. Originality/value: The authors offer three original recommendations that the EHEA should adopt in an attempt to mitigate the issues raised in the run-up to its 2030 deadline for implementing its policies: the EHEA should develop an explicit definition of SD; recognise the Euro-centredness of EHEA policies and open them up to other voices; and cite academic research when developing policy documents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research examines the incorporation of Design for All (DfA) in the human nutrition and dietetics curriculum within the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), aligning with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). A bibliographic review in the Scopus database focused on literature connecting DfA with this degree. The study also analyzed Spain's legal and educational frameworks, including ANECA's White Book and Order CIN/730/2009. The findings highlight a gap in explicitly including DfA in Spanish universities' curricula for this degree. The paper stresses the importance of integrating DfA across essential courses like public health and diet therapy. It suggests a pedagogical approach blending theory, problem-solving, and service-learning to foster an understanding of inclusivity. The article proposes strategies for embedding DfA in the curriculum, recommending the development of specific subjects and integrating DfA content into existing courses. This approach aims to prepare future professionals to offer inclusive nutrition and dietetic services, ensuring equitable access and participation for all, including those with disabilities. This curricular integration is vital for addressing societal needs and upholding quality and inclusivity in health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the attempt to make a further step toward a research-based definition of the core professional development needs of teachers of languages for specific purposes (LSP), this paper aims to upgrade the framework of professional development needs of LSP teachers developed by Bocanegra-Valle and Basturkmen (2019). With this objective in mind, the paper will examine the differences in the professional development needs of LSP teachers in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) based on their experience with LSP teaching in higher education, qualification level, and LSP taught. The results suggest that the core LSP teacher professional development needs are distributed across the categories of course development, knowledge of the target discipline/profession/industry, knowledge of language use in the target discipline/profession/industry, peer collaboration, and professional development opportunities. Efficient LSP teacher professional development could be based on a three-stage model: a general LGP teaching methodology course, followed by a general LSP teaching methodology course, and finally discipline-specific acculturation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Higher Education Area (EHEA) is an international initiative for the harmonisation of higher education (HE) systems in 49 countries. Literature about UK's participation in the EHEA is limited, and the role of EHEA's membership for the UK, particularly after the end of the Brexit transitional period, has not been researched. The originality of the study reported in this paper is in addressing this gap by exploring the perspectives of key UK HE actors on the strategic significance of UK's memberships in the EHEA post-2020 for the UK. The paper draws on the theoretical ideas of rational choice neo-institutionalism, differentiated Europeanisation and internationalisation, and a thematic analysis of 19 official communications of key stakeholders and six in-depth interviews with their representatives. The findings contribute to filling in a significant gap in the literature about Bologna in the UK in making a distinction between its two memberships in the EHEA and the differences and complexities of the roles they play in constructing UK's overarching agenda in HE particularly in the post-Brexit context. The article has also contributed to the literature about Bologna more widely, presenting an investigation into differentiated Europeanisation that has been taking place within one unique post-EU country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International scientific mobility and research careers are two concepts that are intimately related. Yet, it has been very difficult for scholarship to pinpoint exactly how international mobility impacts on research careers. This paper contributes to this question by investigating links between international mobility, research career stage progression and job changes. It does so using a large-scale survey (MORE) which targets researchers based in European universities. The results establish that the profile of international mobility varies by academic research career stage. They also show that for researchers in the established mid-career phase who are working internationally, there are career advancement benefits associated with return mobility to their home country. However, these benefits may reduce if the timing of return is too delayed. The paper concludes by discussing the implications of these results for researcher mobility policy in the context of the European Higher Education Area and the European Research Area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the theoretical and practical need for research into the learning conditions that influence a student’s self-assessment of their competences in management education. By means of a theoretical review, the paper introduces a model that integrates various learning conditions related to a student’s affective learning ability and the role of the teacher that may have an influence on a student’s self-assessment of their competences in the field of management. Design/methodology/approach – The authors describe the analysis of data from questionnaires on the experience of undergraduate students from business administration at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Findings – The results reveal the importance of a student’s motivation for professional development, their self-efficacy as well as the important role of the teacher in a student’s self-assessment of their competences. Originality/value – The paper fulfils an identified need to study the conditions that influence a student’s self-assessment of their learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Higher Education Area was implemented as a result of the Bologna Process and set the mobility of students and staff as its main goal, suggesting tools to facilitate it. The European Union has supported the suggested measures, as mobility can be a way to support a common European identity and a strategic way to improve the quality of higher education institutes. Architectural studies, due to their special character as both an art and a science discipline, are chosen as the education area most suited for mapping degree mobility and highlighting the characteristics that differentiate each school in terms of attraction to international students. How do architectural students select the school to continue their studies? On what criteria is that based? There were more than 351 schools of architecture in the European Higher Education Area with 49 participating countries at the time the research was conducted. Do international students choose them at the same degree? What makes a difference between them, causing some of them to become famous schools of excellence while others are barely visible in the international competition? To answer the above questions, a research based on two questionnaires was conducted during the academic year 2018-2019. The aim of both questionnaires was to map the state of the art in architectural studies and determine the criteria students value the most to make their choices at master studies. The process of combining the data collected from both questionnaires showed that the study programmes and the city or country of the school are the main reasons for master's students to choose a specific school and for schools to stand out. This is followed by the criteria: offered studies' quality, institution's reputation, teaching language, the host city's economy, giving students the possibility to work during and/or after studies, the offer of third cycle. The paper concludes suggesting changes schools could implement if they wish to get a better position in the competitive market of attracting international students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's age of knowledge and technology, societies are changing fast, on both macro and micro levels. Hardly anyone could have predicted several years ago such an acceleration of change and its impact on society, and in particular, on higher education. In Europe as well as globally, higher education has been undergoing many changes for more than two decades. In many countries, the number of higher education institutions has increased, mass education has replaced more elite systems, universities have adopted different agenda, and research has become more competitive. In this new context, doctoral education has also needed to be redefined in order to better respond to societal and academic challenges. Doctoral education—a crucial segment of higher education and the main link between the European Higher Education Area and the European Research Area—has been receiving continuous attention for more than 15 years. This paper provides an overall view on changes in doctoral education in Europe, the background of this change process, and the context that led to these major changes. The main analysis will be presented from a European academic context perspective, but it will also reflect a global perspective. It will provide an analysis of all the milestones and consider the relevant policies and recommendations on the supranational level and their reflection on the national level. While taking the reader on a 15‐year journey of the doctoral education system in Europe, a brief look to the future of doctoral education will be sketched as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to provide a review on the state of the art of translator education into B/C languages in the Spanish post-Bologna university system. During the last ten years, Translation Studies in Spain have witnessed the implementation of new programmes adapted to the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). Universities have gained autonomy to design their translation curricula, which has led to significant differences between programmes. This could not but affect approaches to translation into B/C languages, whose role in translator education has long been considered a sensitive issue. Results from an analysis of working languages and A-B/C translation course units embedded in undergraduate and postgraduate (Master) curricula show that a large number of translator-education units no longer offer the 'inverse' translation direction. This perception is felt more strongly in Master programmes despite translation out of the A language has been listed in a number of translation competence models. More importantly, it is a competence considered important or essential in the local and European employment markets, especially in translation environments where English has a place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the unique case of Kosovo alongside the broad context of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) development. Kosovo started implementing the Bologna Process in 2001, although to date, it has not been formally admitted as a member. This paper provides evidence on the impact of the Bologna-influenced reforms on developing quality assurance and enhancement in Kosovo's higher education during 2001–2019. The study opted for a qualitative method design combining content analysis and semi-structured interviews to investigate both the normative and operational aspects of institutional learning and change that followed these reforms. The study builds on other Bologna-related studies, demonstrating that higher education institutions have placed accountability at the forefront of their ambitions. Findings recommend that a balance between quality control and improvement is imperative towards developing a quality culture. Therefore, there is a need to redistribute quality assessment 'power' equally among all stakeholders in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Differentiated integration was conceived of as a political methodology and as a technology to achieve a European "union" in the field of knowledge policies. However, the non-achievement with regard to the political goals of the European Higher Education Area has highlighted the limitations of this approach to promote furthering the EHEA. In this paper, unthinking is both a research strategy aiming to question those limits and a pedagogical tactic to question the assumptions about the futures. As a research strategy, articulations between unity and diversity are examined. Based on the analysis of the documents endorsed by the Education Ministers in keeping the pace of the Bologna process, the paper contributes to expand knowledge on the nature of Bologna's differences and underlines the paradoxes in dealing with those differences. As a pedagogical tactic, unthinking questions the assumptions about the future scenarios sketched for higher education. Alternative ways to further integration are discussed on the basis of the idea of integration of the "differences", bringing to the centre education as a political concern, as higher education institutions, professors, and students/graduates are those at the core of the political management of the "differences". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A review of articles published in Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, over the last eight years (2006–2013) on assessment in higher education, since the introduction of the Bologna process, is the subject of the paper. The first part discusses the key issue of assessment in higher education and the method used for selecting articles. The second part presents results according to the main emerging themes arising from data analysis: assessment methods, modes of assessment and assessment related to a given teaching and learning method. The paper concludes that the foci of the studies are aligned with assessment practices other than the written test, in accordance with a learner-oriented perspective. Although the implementation of the Bologna process has had different kinds of impact in different European countries, the review shows that the use and effects of a diversity of assessment methods in higher education have been investigated, particularly those pointing to the so-called alternative methods. Implications of the findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of CEPS Journal is the property of University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The positive side of employment during studies is the increase of net investments in human capital. The main objective of this paper is to discover factors influencing the work of students in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro and to compare students’ employment in these three Western Balkan countries. Quantitative analysis based on binary logistic regression has been performed using datasets from fifth wave of EUROSTUDENT survey. The models were built on the basis of seven predictors which describe opportunity structure in higher education and socio-economic background of students. The entered set of predictors is significantly influencing the students’ employment during study terms. The significant predictor of working status in all three countries is the age of students. Additionally, the significant factor in Serbia is the level of studies, in Montenegro the level and field of studies, while in Bosnia and Herzegovina the educational level of parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the observation that the Bologna process and inter-university competition pave the way for new study programs that often combine or transcend traditional academic disciplines, this paper investigates the position that the "Framework for qualifications of the European Higher Education Area" (QF EHEA) takes in relation to disciplinary, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary modes of organizing higher education and research. A framework for understanding and identifying disciplinary, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches is developed and applied in an analysis of the QF EHEA document. It is concluded that the document reflects ideas characteristic of transdisciplinary approaches to knowledge production and higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The authors’ thesis statement is that the literature on quality management in higher education is evolving towards an idea of integration. Considering Part 1 of the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG) (ENQA, 2009) to be a framework for the implementation of quality management practices in universities, the purpose of this paper is to understand whether the ESG represent a truly integrated quality management model.Design/methodology/approach The authors analyse the content of the ESG taking into account three levels of analysis: the process level, the organisational level and the quality management principles level.Findings The analysis shows that the ESG are a quality management model, covering different processes, organisational levels and quality management principles. This is despite not being a truly integrated quality management model. Indeed, the ESG are mainly focussed on teaching and learning and on support processes, neglecting other processes of universities, such as research and scholarship and the third mission. In addition, they leave aside quality management principles more directly linked with a systemic and holistic approach to quality, such as the system approach principle.Originality/value The paper presents a new analysis of a much discussed quality management model for higher education. It explores the ESG in the light of the concept of integration, discussed according to a new framework of analysis. It also highlights the importance of a broader reflection on these standards and of their integration in the management systems of institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the feasibility of teaching generic competences (such as those related to moral reasoning aspects) through Science lessons at university level. The authors have implemented a new instrument called "Moral Cross Dilemma" which involves the use of argumentation and moral reasoning within the students of Primary Education Degree (prospective primary teachers). This tool seems to be an effective pedagogical resource in Higher Education Levels. It is a step forward from the well-known dilemma, a consolidated strategy for the development of ethical competences based on argumentative and discursive methodologies. This paper is focused on the description of this technique and applies it for the first time on experimental data. Moral Cross Dilemma is applicable to environmental conflicts and can be used as a discursive technique for improving the personal ethic level. This work shows empirical evidences from the preliminary implementation within university studentsThe experience was carried out on a 47-student sample. They were prospective teachers learning Natural Sciences. The main results revealed no difference and were observed between self-perceived and peer evaluation of the moral status, although the environmental-friendly argumentation position clearly set out higher scoring in the moral reasoning level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper analyses new dynamics as teaching methodologies in the context of the degrees adapted to the EHEA. The aim of this study is double: to assess whether there is greater involvement in seminars with these new dynamics and to test if learning also experienced changes. Design/methodology/approach: To experiment with the introduction of innovative dynamic games in an introductory course in accounting. These new dynamics are applied during the academic year 2010-11 in the UPF. The design, implementation and evaluation of the methodology devised have followed three stages: 1) Game Design and adequate dynamic; 2) To test the games; 2) Implementation during the course. Findings: The results show that students value positively those dynamics improving their learning and creating greater involvement. Research limitations/implications: There are some contradictory results regarding the knowledge gained by the students. Another area to be explored relates to the skills that the teacher must have in order to manage this type of dynamics. Originality/value: In an introductory level of the Financial Accounting course the most common dynamics is solving exercises. Due to the nature of matter, these are closed so they not provoke discussion among students. However, you can use activities that allow greater participation, especially through dynamics or games. This paper shows that. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twenty years after the signing of the Bologna Declaration, this special issue contributes to a discussion of the Bologna process with a particular focus on the implementation of the two-cycle degree structure (3+2) and the practices and paths of higher education students. In this introduction, it is argued that there is a need for more research concerning the policy as text, that is, the way the Bologna process is enacted by students and teachers in their daily practices. The 3+2 degree structure has indeed affected the practices of students, particularly by introducing a new transition and decision point in many countries. However, when considering the Bologna policy as text, it becomes visible that there are differences in the students' concerns and practices across the six countries represented in the papers in the issue. This is not only the case due to differences in the national contexts prior to the Bologna process, but also to the role of other factors affecting the enactment of the policies. Thus, there are variations in the implementation – for example, concerning the social dimension – and the enactment differs due to national as well as programme differences, and differences related to academic disciplines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the questions traditionally posed in forums of legal translation training and teaching is whether legal translations should be done by translators or jurists. Very often, the answer lies halfway, and current theoreticians agree that a double competence, in both translation and law, is the most adequate solution. In accordance with this idea, the present paper examines, on the one hand, the pedagogical elements which should be considered when preparing a legal translation course within the university context, and presents, on the other, a model of lesson planning, in the light of the future European Higher Education Area and according to the real needs of legal, sworn or court translators. Many of the reflections contained in this paper stem from the pedagogical practice of legal translation courses taught at the University of Alicante, and are also grounded in the teaching experience of the author as a legal translation trainer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Credit mobility has been acknowledged not only to broaden personal and intellectual horizons but also to have positive effects on the skills development and employability of undergraduate students. Academics, policymakers and organizations representing the labour market have presented a broad number of skills-related explorations proposing different frameworks to help develop students' skills. However, the identification of explicit skills is still a difficult endeavour. This study aims to revise main conceptual skills frameworks applicable in the European higher education area (EHEA), determine the skills relevant in European credit mobility and categorize skills among the examined schemes in order to create a normative model of the skills students should obtain in exchange programmes. Design/methodology/approach: The approach used to identify related literature was a search in three main databases such as Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar for scientific and relevant articles after 1990 using the following combination of keywords: "skill frameworks" AND "higher education" OR "skill frameworks" AND "mobility exchange programs". It produced 391 articles but only 32 deal with skill frameworks in European higher education. After the review of these existing literature (summaries, tables and conclusions), we found out that most articles focused on specific skills (transferable, employable, etc.) in the EHEA, but merely 16 academic publications offered a complete depiction of skills frameworks applicable in credit mobility programs. Most current accounts about skills outlines, specifically the ones related to employability, come from grey literature, namely comprehensive records and reports. Findings: Data seem to confirm that there is scarce agreement on a common taxonomy of skills. However, considering the results, which summarize relevant educational, institutional and occupational perspectives, it can be noticed that there is consensus on the classification of only four skills: ICT, literacy and numeracy, which are considered basic, key or core skills in most researched papers together with problem solving, which is generally regarded as a cognitive skill. The general tendency is that policymakers and academia focus on some particular domains: basic/key, core/global foundation/fundamental skills, transferable, transversal and other skills. Studies analysing the workforce skill requirements have projected mainly cognitive and learning skills, whereas mobility programmes concede relevance to employability, management, career and life skills. Research limitations/implications: Measuring skills involves limitations as records vary depending on continuous emerging data from institutions, occupations and education. The key frameworks surveyed have provided a representative classification and depiction of the current skills from specific perspectives which are also believed to have their shortcomings. In combination, however, it is believed that the results presented can help provide a theoretical basis for assessing skills in credit mobility and Erasmus programmes within the EHEA. The resulting framework presents a founded basis for skills appraisal which expects to be meaningful for various stakeholders and helps determine how mobility policies can help improve the attainment of skills in the EHEA. Practical implications: Research has suggested that education systems will have to adapt to the changing needs of the labour markets' reshaping roles to balance technology and human intellect. The workforce seems to realize that cognitive skills such as problem solving, organization and decision-making are needed in today's society; advanced basic learning skills such as numeracy and literacy are essential. Findings appoint to new areas for exploration in skills development in order to prepare European higher education students for current trends in the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the fusion between digital, physical and biological spheres. Social implications: Data seem to confirm that a sole degree does not guarantee success, but the maturity of certain skills and the commitment to lifelong learning. This can be strengthened by taking part in EHEA credit student mobility that has proved to improve not only basic and linguistic skills but also self-development and respect for several aspects such as diversity and (inter)cultural awareness. Taking into account the perceptive and interpersonal abilities mentioned in reports on future skills, it seems that education will need further support for updated teaching practices and assessment of the skills that are expected to have greater demand, namely STEM. Institutions will need to update and promote the teaching of new skills based on a new collective and moral consciousness as recently indicated in OECD's (2018) Global Competence in order to make future citizens understand and act on issues of universal significance in today's interconnected world. Originality/value: For several decades, government, education and industry have proposed different outlines for what graduates should know and be able to do. Limited academic studies have been found, however, with updated concrete data on which skills should preferably be developed or whether and how students can further improve these skills as part of EHEA credit student mobility. This study has synthesized works and identified domains which featured the importance of generic core, cognitive and employability skills. The revision of skill frameworks has underscored existing literature and reports on future skills which anticipate that, in order to confront the expanding and prevalent role of technology, graduates will need to focus on developing unique human skills such as effective communication and creative innovation, critical thinking and collective ethical values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Military training has always been considered as an education system with its own characteristics that distinguished it from the rest of higher education. However, different initiatives have been developed in order to integrate military education in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). This paper analyses the European system of military institutions of higher education (MHEI). Results indicate MHEI sector has distinctive features that have increased the diversity of European HEIs. Further, the emergence of the MHEI sector can have benefits for both the European defence and their educational attainment. From a defence point of view, it can help the development of a European strategic culture and increase cooperation between countries in defence and security. From the education area modernisation, it will improve defence and security related research and may enhance defence knowledge transfer. In this way, the MHEI sector will be positioned as key player in the development of the Common Security and Defence Policy and a European strategic culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the puzzle of the unlikeliness of the implementation of elements of the Bologna Process agenda in Europe and post-Soviet higher education systems. Following mainstream policy science theories, the policy initiative would be qualified as "prone to failure", but surprisingly many governments took up the challenge to develop regulations and guidelines and to change the structures of their higher education systems. Looking at the adoption of Bologna process elements in various countries – east and west – I will be able to point at factors that contribute to explaining why and to what extent countries engaged with the process and hence to contribute to the literature on Europeanisation and policy adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to discover whether the performance of university students has improved in the wake of the changes in higher education introduced by the Bologna Declaration of 1999 and the construction of the European Higher Education Area. A principal component analysis is used to construct a multi-dimensional performance variable called the LEArning Society-adapted Outcome Index. A quantile regression is then applied to ensure that the analysis does not focus solely on average figures, and the performance of students of various types is analyzed. Significant improvements are found in the acquisition of systemic and interpersonal skills and in student satisfaction but not in cognitive aspects. There are improvements in students of all types, but they are smaller among the best students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the paper is to present the actual tendencies in curriculum design for the university study programmes, taking in consideration the requirements of the labor market. These requirements consist in linking the qualification standards with the learning outcomes and with the competences, which will be assessed during the learning process, and at the end of the learning process, to the exam for licence, master dissertation or PhD. The paper presents few examples of curriculum design and curriculum lifecycle, proposed by European scholars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Policies on comprehensive internationalisation are currently in the focus of discourses on the development of internationalisation in European higher education. However, it remains to be answered, whether in Slovenian higher education, internationalisation policies and practices are indeed being implemented consistently and comprehensively, contributing to the overall quality of the higher education system. The paper obtains answers to this question through the analysis of different documentary sources and findings from semi-structured interviews, which were conducted as part of the PhD research. Firstly, it provides a general overview of the Slovenian higher education system, whilst afterwards, it explores the comprehensiveness of internationalisation in Slovenian higher education through the analysis of internationalisation policies before and after the Bologna Process. Based on the distinction between the 'abroad' and 'at home' dimension of internationalisation in higher education (Knight 2008), it continues with the examination of trends in mobility and internationalisation at home, which represent essential parts of comprehensive internationalisation policies and strategies. On this basis, it discusses the real importance of internationalisation for the quality of (Slovenian) higher education and concludes that the existence of different internationalisation models results from diverse approaches and rationales for internationalisation and hence, from often-contrasting views of individual actors and stakeholders on what is the quality of higher education and its (comprehensive) internationalisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses convergence as a political issue stemming from the political coordination of the European Higher Education Area. From the perspective of cultural theory, this issue relies on the fact that the influence of ways of life are not evenly influential in the political coordination of the European Higher Education Area. Convening the results of previous studies on the progress of Bologna, this paper underlines how goal displacement is challenging convergence in the ambit of the broader European Union political project. Additionally, the paper concludes that education within the European Higher Education Area is being configured by the prominence of the individualist and the fatalist ways of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the process of creation and implementation of the subject "Communication towards Equality" at the University Jaume I in Spain, within the new European Higher Education Area (EHEA) framework. The purpose of the paper is to present this experience of University teaching reform as a potential guideline for the implementation of equality in other programs. The EHEA offered challenges and possibilities for University reforms, which included the implementation of capacity-building for students. At the communication programs of our University, the curriculum has included issues of gender equality, aimed at training future professionals towards citizen empowerment. The paper is organized around three sections. First, we present the legal and epistemological framework that sustains our experience. This includes an overview of legal regulations (EHEA, Spanish and international laws) and a revision of the epistemological and methodological background, mainly based on Critical Theory and Pedagogy on communication for social change. Second, we unfold the subject "Communication towards Equality" with its main contents and methodologies. Finally, we draw some reflections on its two years of implementation and the implications for training undergraduate students in communications for social change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Lusofona de Educacao is the property of Universidade Lusofona de Humanidades e Tecnologias, CEIEF and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Curricula designed in the context of the European Higher Education Area need to be based on both domain-specific and professional competencies. Whereas universities have had extensive experience in developing students’ domain-specific competencies, fostering professional competencies poses a new challenge we need to face. This paper presents a model to globally develop professional competencies in a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) degree program, and assesses the results of its implementation after 4 years. The model is based on the use of competency maps, in which each competency is defined in terms of competency units. Each competency unit is described by a set of expected learning outcomes at three domain levels. This model allows careful analysis, revision, and iteration for an effective integration of professional competencies in domain-specific subjects. A global competency map is also designed, including all the professional competency learning outcomes to be achieved throughout the degree. This map becomes a useful tool for curriculum designers and coordinators. The results were obtained from four sources: (1) students’ grades (classes graduated from 2013 to 2016, the first 4 years of the new Bachelor’s Degree in Informatics Engineering at the Barcelona School of Informatics); (2) students’ surveys (answered by students when they finished the degree); (3) the government employment survey, where former students evaluate their satisfaction of the received training in the light of their work experience; and (4) the Everis Foundation University-Enterprise Ranking, answered by over 2000 employers evaluating their satisfaction regarding their employees’ university training, where the Barcelona School of Informatics scores first in the national ranking. The results show that competency maps are a good tool for developing professional competencies in a STEM degree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Student-centred learning has gradually come to the foreground of the Bologna Process. In parallel, learning outcomes have been advocated as key degree descriptors, illustrative of student-centred approaches. This paper examines learning outcomes in their diverse understandings and enactment in three European countries – England, Portugal and Denmark – further to Bologna policy developments. Resorting to a conceptualisation of the intersection between global and local policy fields and to policy theories highlighting the interpretative nature of policy processes, the implementation of learning outcomes is analysed from the perspective of different policy fields (European, national and institutional). Variation in understandings and usage has been observed especially between the institutional fields in the three national contexts, as well as between academic practice and student experience. A discrepancy has also emerged between the policy discourse which highlights students' centrality in a learning-outcomes-based approach and the limited relevance of learning outcomes to students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence and development of quality assurance schemes in European countries over the last 15-20 years has inspired many national case studies of the systems and procedures adopted. The methods, contexts, and procedures associated with this policy change are diverse. But although individual countries have set about changing policy in different ways there appear to be some common developmental patterns within the Europe of the Bologna Process. How can these developments be conceptualised? In a first step this paper advances a typology based on the quality assurance literature. In a second step, the paper applies the typology to quality assurance developments in three countries. The third part of the paper discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the modelling approach in the light of the empirical evidence and a political science analysis of policy change. The paper concludes with a discussion on future directions for the comparative study of policy change within the European Higher Education Area on the basis of this conceptualisation of developments in quality assurance policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay discusses the changes promoted in European universities by the ‘Bologna Process’ and the ‘European Higher Education Area’. Through an analysis of the main policy documents and mechanisms, the paper demonstrates that the European Higher Education Area is designed to dismantle academic autonomy across the continent. Before setting out to examine this transnational policy process, the paper specifies in its first part the meaning of academic autonomy – a particular European creation, as it argues – through an overview of the historical material. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

At European level the implementation of both the Bologna process and of the Lisbon Strategy have been promoting the development of policy implementation tools. In this paper, we discuss the tools of policy implementation and how they contribute to changing the European higher education systems towards the establishment of a European Higher Education Area (EHEA), a goal of the Bologna process. Empirical data is used to assess how far the use of soft law mechanisms has been effective for the implementation of the Bologna process at institutional level, including its coordination capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The creation of the new European Higher Education Area (EHEA), with the corresponding changes in the structure and content of university degrees, offers a great opportunity to review learning methodologies. This paper investigates the effect on students of moving from a traditional learning process, based on lectures and laboratory work, to an approach closer to continuous evaluation. To this end, various types of weekly assessments were included in a Distributed Information Systems course; these assessments and the teacher's feedback were both intended to increase students' participation in the learning process. Data for seven academic years have been compiled, representing a total of more than 750 students. Analysis of the results established that most students preferred to participate in the course following the new methodology. Although both the pass rate and the final students' grades improved, the percentage of students dropping out of the course increased slightly. The impact of carrying out the proposed assessments was the same, regardless of gender and whether the student had taken this course before. In addition, compulsory attendance at office hours did not impact the degree of student participation in the new methodology. Finally, it was found that the greater (more continuous) effort demanded by the new methodology had an effect on the teacher's evaluation, whose scores were slightly lower with the new methodology, even though the students' performed better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bologna Accord was launched a decade ago and established an authority and conceptual landscape called the European Higher Education Area. In 2010, the European Union Ministers of Education triumphed by attaining full international and national implementation of the Bologna Accord, a feat unmatched in the annals of higher education reform. The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief discussion of the Bologna Accord and to highlight the strategic initiatives endorsed by the Accord: the European Higher Education Area, the Educational Accumulation and Transfer Credit System, and the Diploma Supplement. From a global perspective, it is important that academics at all levels have a clear understanding of the educational changes prompted by the Bologna Accord. Among the issues discussed are the level of preparation of the new three-year bachelor's degree and the level of achievement relative to obtaining parity to Anglo-American curricula. In this paper these Bologna Accord issues are thoroughly examined and an example of marketing curriculum reforms instituted at a Romanian university is presented. The results of this study indicate that, at the institutional level as implemented in Romania, the new three-year degree initiative falls short of the goal of achieving parity with Anglo-American curriculum levels, and appears geared more toward preparing graduates for vocational rather than managerial positions. However, since many universities have struggled at the institutional level to incorporate Bologna Accord reforms in highly diverse educational settings, Romania is representative and not unique in these outcomes. Finally, we present recommendations for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The project of the Bologna process to create a 'European Higher Education Area' (EHEA) has established the necessary conditions for the emergence of a new sociopolitical space of higher education in Europe. This space has become a cooperation/competition area that changes the European and national balance of power: the relations the countries maintain both between them and with the European Commission are situated in a cooperation/competition game. The European Commission plays a central role in this area, alongside actor organisations who see themselves forced to discuss issues that had previously divided them and to modify their relationships at a national level. This article can be seen as a contribution to the analysis of international strategy in a global knowledge economy, especially to the two-level game theory of Putnam for which international agreements are negotiated with success only if they lead to national advantages. In particular, it studies the role of the European Commission in this sociopolitical area and the mechanism by which it has taken the piloting of the Bologna process, which was launched in a field of national competency, to make it an instrument for the realisation of the Lisbon strategy aimed at making the European Union the most competitive economy in the world. This paper is based on data sources provided by the analysis of papers produced by the actors of the process and on 50 interviews of these actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to "The European Higher Education Area in 2015. Bologna Process Implementation Report", data on progress in internal quality assurance were "necessarily limited". Therefore EIQAS "Enhancing Internal Quality Assurance Systems" Erasmus+ project responded to this information gap in higher education area. In 2014 project partners from Bulgaria, Poland, Portugal and Slovenia decided to map the stage of IQA development in their countries and their readiness to follow revised ESG 2015. In this paper, we discuss main conclusions from the cross-country research that was based on the survey's findings on Part. 1 ESG & IQA as well as further reviews with QA coordinators. The survey was conducted in 2015 in four projects' countries that have different history and maturity of IQA development. Whereas the current stage of IQA evolution could be considered as the function of overall progress of QA at the national level, project partners decided to cooperate towards the enhancement of IQAs through the capacity building of HEIs and QA agencies. Our major findings are as follows: firstly, most surveyed HEIs implemented IQAS during the last decade, primarily as a tool for quality assurance of learning and teaching. The ESG, both 2005 and 2015, were used as a general framework. Secondly, awareness and understanding of ESG standards, as well as level of their implementation, considerably varies across HEIs, their units and fields of studies. Thirdly, numerous barriers in implementing ESG were identified. The integration of all ESG standards in a consistent and comprehensive IQA system is one of the main challenges. Fourthly, better cooperation with internal and external stakeholders is needed as well as more intensive dialogue between QA agencies and HEIs. Besides, the level of state intervention into quality assurance processes should be much lower. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this study is to analyze and assess the impact of cooperative learning in the acquisition of generic skills in teaching students.Design/methodology/approach The methodology underlying this research has a qualitative orientation. An ad hoc questionnaire has been used as an instrument, in addition to a team notebook, and the observation as procedure to analyze the perceptions of the students in the process.Findings The main results indicate that thanks to the active methodologies, more specifically, the cooperative learning, students develop and improve transferable skills, such as negotiation, leadership, teamwork, reflection, etc. Similarly, the authors have observed improvements in the classroom environment and their social interactions.Research limitations/implications The limitations and possible implications of this study are in the direction of analyzing the implemented cooperative learning methodology techniques to observe the existence of differences in learning. Moreover, they are also related to the analyzing of individual implications for teamwork to assess group learning and its influence on motivation and teamwork. Finally, they are related to the analysis of the involvement of observation and self-regulatory mechanisms in the teamwork learning.Practical implications With this research, the authors incise in the necessary methodological change in universities, responding to the demands of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and highlight the importance of using active methodologies.Social implications Cooperative learning is an effective teacher training tool for future teachers who will have to develop in an interpersonal context and, in turn, will teach students who need to acquire a personal and social skills.Originality/value This paper evaluates the impact of using active methodologies and how they contribute to the development of transversal or generic competencies in a real context of university learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bologna Process opened the door to the globalization of higher education, by creating a unified architecture that enhances the potential of higher education and encourages increasing and continuous interconnection among different higher education strategies in the world, and particularly in Europe. This paper introduces and describes an innovative model for a thorough, organized and systematic analysis of the educational context ̶ MICRA (model for identifying and classifying Competencies and Learning Outcomes), based on the official documents of the Course Units (syllabus and assessment components). The MICRA model was validated by means of a case study. Competencies and Learning Outcomes were identified in the Computer Science Course Units of the Accounting and Business Administration degree at the Institute of Accounting and Administration of Porto (ISCAP/IPP). We are aware that the adoption of this model by different institutions will contribute to the interoperability of learning outcomes, thus enhancing the mobility of teachers and students in the EHEA (European Higher Education Area) and third countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bologna Process is an important factor which has had an impact on higher education in Europe. In this paper the implementation of the Bologna Process in Poland, the Netherlands and Flanders is discussed, to show how the different contexts influenced its realization. In order to study the transformation of higher education, new institutionalism and resource dependence theory were applied. Research focuses on six case studies – different universities, which are seen as organizations operating in a specific context and which respond to changes in this context. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents new insights into the relationship between inequality in access to higher education and social stratification through the analytical lens of refugees' access to high participation systems of higher education (HPS). Taking stock of the growing numbers of refugees and their increasing—yet still marginal—demand for accessing higher education, the paper analyses the specific statuses and rights they are granted, and how they combine in two European Higher Education Area HPS, England and Germany. The comparative analysis draws on the desk-based study of immigration and access to higher education policies and mechanisms for refugees in the two countries. The concept of assemblage is called upon to highlight how complex combinations of asylum, welfare and access to higher education policies lead to differential rights which create different spaces of opportunity for refugees with higher education aspirations. More generally, analysing how these rights intersect allows for a better understanding of inequalities in access to higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the issue of how to enhance student participation in university governance. This issue is approached by taking into account the growing pressures of the European Commission’s modernization agenda on the educational policies of the European Higher Education Area, and by focusing on the way these pressures affect students’ conceptions of themselves and of the mission of higher education. The thesis presented in this paper is that design thinking and the humanities share a common epistemological core that enables them, if applied in educational settings, to play a major role in fostering students’ trust in their governance skills and in their ability to influence educational policies through a creative mindset and a deeper comprehension of the stakes in present-day higher education. An experimental workshop combining design thinking with the humanities and with the constructivist approach of student-centered learning was held within a course in a humanities bachelor program on the basis of a heuristic framework developed through an interdisciplinary research process. This process was conducted according to the principles of design and hermeneutics. The outcomes of the workshop in terms of the participants’ enhanced self-confidence and decisional skills validate the thesis of this study.