Search

Higher education provides graduates with both monetary and non-monetary benefits. Globalization and technological developments foster utilitarian approach, therefore the transmission of competences that are relevant in labour market is an important target for higher education institutions. The paper presents findings of research on the match of generic competences of higher education graduates to labour market needs. Research population consisted of graduates of EU member states and Turkey; the issue was analysed through nine sections. Mainly, graduates lack field mastery, time management and ability to work under stress; they have over-developed competences of international orientation. (Contains 8 figures and 6 footnotes.)

Various texts related to education policy and education research have recently started using two conjugate concepts "competency" and "competence". These terms are sometimes treated as synonyms of a single concept; however, in other cases they are separated and used as two terms of different educational concepts. English also has some confusion over the terms "competency" and "competence". They are presented and discussed differently in different resources, i.e. in some cases their meanings correspond but in other cases they differ. All this unnecessary confusion indicates the necessity of concept harmonisation. The analysis of the features of the Lithuanian concepts and their comparison with the English equivalents has shown no objective reasons to use both concepts. These reasons are revealed when discussing the whole microsystem of the concept "competence". The microsystem involves such concepts and terms as "competence", "skill", "aptitude", "ability", "knowledge", "understanding", and "automatic skill". The authors of the article suggest to stop using the English term "competency" and the Lithuanian "kompetencija" as they do not have a clear place in the system of concepts, are synonymously used together with other terms to name already existing concepts or sometimes even do not signify any concept at all. This would prevent from both subject field and translation related confusion. (Contains 15 footnotes.)

In this article, an example of translation of the English term "learning outcome" into the Lithuanian system of educational terms is used to discuss semantic peculiarities of translating professional terms. Consistency of a concept signifier and content of a concept, as well as their tune with already existing systems of educational terms are revealed, taking into consideration different evolution of education, cultural tradition and linguistic as well as terminological differences. Semantic risks of direct translations from one system of educational terms into another when a translated term does not correspond to the original meaning of a phenomenon in a primary educational tradition are identified. (Contains 1 figure, 1 table and 46 footnotes.)

This article presents generalisations drawn from experience gained designing and renewing study programmes so that the use of learning outcomes became the underlying principle of curriculum organisation. Conceptions of a purpose (profile), aim and outcomes of a study programme are presented, their formulation requirements are discussed and examples of their formulations are given. The logic of designing study programmes on the basis of learning outcomes is discussed; the structure of learning outcomes and the links of its dimensions and parameters are analysed; possibilities for critical alignment of divided and grouped study programme outcomes, as well as examples and an analysis of links among components of a study programme, are presented; illustrative outcomes of study programme components, and criteria for assessment of their achievement, are provided; some problems related to allocation of study credits to learning outcomes are discussed. (Contains 2 tables and 34 footnotes.)

The article discusses the concept of generic skills, underlines the importance of their development in studies of higher education, introduces methodology and results of the research on the match between generic skills of Lithuanian universities' and colleges' graduates (N=1021) and labour market needs, as well as reviews potentialities for the improvement of the quality of study programmes development in this field. (Contains 3 tables and 1 figure.)

The concepts important for creation of the common European higher education ("The Bologna declaration", 1999) and vocational education and training ("The Copenhagen declaration", 2002) areas and their relation are discussed in the article. The structure of ability, competency, learning/study outcome, qualification and competence is presented. The role of precise naming and definition (explanation) of educational phenomenon for quality (validity and reliability) of educational research as well for quality of the study process at universities is revealed. (Contains 4 figures and 1 footnote.)

The article discusses theoretical preconditions of added value of internationalized studies for students' knowledge and skills development in the area of professional training within the system of higher education. The premise is formulated that the value and quality of academic exchange is possible to assess grounding on the research into international exchange participants' experience. Such kind of research should become an integral component of the system of study quality assessment and could contribute to quality assessment and development of higher education institution internationalization. The article presents research results on ERASMUS students, representing 13 countries attitude to the impact of international dimension in studies on development of their competencies. The research into ERASMUS students' view revealed: 1) students' motives to experience internationalized studies; 2) students' attitude concerning added value of internationalized studies for their personal development and acquisition of subject knowledge and skills; 3) reasons presented by students explaining the necessity to internationalise higher education. Aiming at validating the applied value of research into exchange students' experience for the value and quality assessment of international academic exchange, some criteria and indicators of quality assessment of higher education internationalization are formulated. (Contains 3 footnotes, 1 table, and 8 figures.)

The article presents the findings of the research into professional development needs of study programme managers at four Lithuanian higher education schools (two universities and two colleges) and a revised methodology for research into study programme managers professional development needs in the didactical domain of teacher qualification related to designing, realizing and improvement study programmes within the study outcome paradigm. The research participants were 149 study programme managers (84 from universities and 65 from colleges). The purpose of the present research is to further a discussion on the improvement of study programme quality within the study outcome paradigm. (Contains 6 tables and 12 figures.)

Study outcomes are an immensely important parameter of higher education quality. They reflect the relationship between studies and labour market needs; determine the framework and internal logics of study programme curriculum: sequence of study objectives, their particularity, study content, methods, student achievement assessment criteria and methodology, material, intellectual, time and financial resources necessary for studies. Study outcomes facilitate the description of the study programme, its internal and external evaluation, serve the maintenance of standards and quality system, and are important in implementing an easily comparable qualification and diploma recognition system in the European higher education area. This article is intended to reveal the importance of study outcomes for study quality in a more comprehensible way and to substantiate the main aspects of quality assessment of higher education in study outcomes paradigm. (Contains 1 footnote.)

A number of small countries face similar problems while organising external assessment of higher education institutions: how to select proper experts, how to prepare them and maintain? How to avoid bias or interest conflict between experts who evaluate the institution and the institution being evaluated? How to reduce the financial costs of institutional assessment that are relatively high for a small country (isn't it a luxury?), and etc. Therefore, often a question arises if a small country should possess and attempt to maintain appropriate intellectual and organisational resources, necessary for external review of universities, colleges and scientific research institutions? Maybe it would be more purposeful to invite experienced foreign experts to perform assessment? The article presents an attempt to discuss this issue. The authors draw a conclusion that creation and maintenance of such intellectual and organisational resources is indispensable even for such a small country as Lithuania (3.4 mln inhabitants). If Lithuania seeks to be recognised and acquire confidence in higher education quality assurance area, "certain appropriate financial and material resources should be allocated for this purpose." (Contains 4 footnotes, 6 tables, and 1 figure.)

In Lithuania in the last decade of the 20th century, L. Jovaisa used the controversial term "educology" for the first time in the history of Lithuanian discourse about the educational process. Jovaisa introduced the term "Educology" in the books "Introduction to Educology" (1993) and "ABC's of Educology" (1993), but he did not indicate clearly the set of phenomena about which "educological" investigation might conduct inquiry and research. For example, he did not explain clearly whether the term "educology" refers to the science of child education, i.e. pedagogy, or the investigation of self-education, i.e. andragogy or to the inquiry into effective coordination among educational systems, i.e. studies of the management of education. Jovaisa defined the term in a rather controversial way. He stated there is no "doubt [that] both words--educology and pedagogy--have the right to exist. The Lithuanian equivalent "should be" [our italics] the "science of child education" (L. Jovaisa, 1993, p. 9). (Contains 1 note and 3 diagrams.) [This article was first published in the 2003 Vol. 17, No. 1 and 2 issue of cd-IJE and was edited and introduced, then, by the previous co-editors of cd-IJE, i.e. Drs. Christensen and Fisher.]

The article discusses dimensions and criteria, which are used to assess the quality of higher education in different countries. The paper presents dimensions and criteria that could be appropriate for assessment of the quality of higher education at Lithuanian universities. Quality dimensions, assessment criteria and indicators are defined and explained. It is suggested who could make decisions on the quality of higher education at universities. (Contains 2 tables.)

The article presents a research which determines the intergenerational inheritance of social inequalities in Lithuania. Many scientists and researchers were inspired by its social transformations that occurred in the economic, political, and social life since the 1990s. They started to analyze social issues including marginalization and polarization, social inequality and exclusion, and social differentiation and deprivation. According to the respondents, social exclusion and poverty have an inheritance aspect and the family is one of the social institutions influencing the emergence of and solution to several social issues. The factors were identified by the participants for transmitting social inequalities through generations including economic, political, pscychological, and pedagogic.