Background and Overview
The scheme of the European Credit Transfer System was set up in 1989 as a pilot within the framework of the Erasmus programme. Initially it allowed students who were on mobility programmes to transfer credits gained as a result of study abroad. Over time it expanded to be used in over one thousand higher education institutions.
The signatory states of the Bologna process have identified ECTS as one of the cornerstones of the Higher Education Area. Many countries have already adopted ECTS by law as an accumulation system others are considering doing so. It has been agreed by the European University Association that ECTS will have a fundamental place in the design of the European Qualifications Framework. It is being used by thousands of people in higher education who may be working in very different circumstances and cultures. The use of ECTS facilitates the comparison of study programmes. This does not depend on the mode of delivery and it also covers self-study and work experience. It can be used with mobile and non-mobile students and serves to facilitate transfer between institutions as well as accumulation within institutions. The transfer may be within a country or across country boundaries. For these reasons the acronym ECTS now stands for the “European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System”.
The system is based on ‘student workload required to achieve the objectives of a programme of study’. It is usual that these are specified in terms of learning outcomes and competencies. ECTS credit is based on the principle that 60 credits measure the workload of a full-time student during one academic year. They can only be obtained after successful completion of the work and the assessment of its outcomes. Workload time reflects all the educational components of a study programme. Determining workload can be difficult and the Directorate for Education and Training have devised a four step approach to facilitate this. They believe that the project “Tuning Educational Structures in Europe ” provides a promising approach. Learning outcomes are ‘sets of competences’ which enumerate what students will be able to know or do after a period of study. They specify the requirements for award of credit. The Directorate state that it is important also to grade achievement. They believe that it is necessary to make the various grading systems in Europe more transparent to allow smooth transfer of grades from one system to another when students are mobile. At the heart of the ECTS grading system is the classification of students into broad groups thus making interpretation of ranking simpler.
As not all learners are full-time students enrolled in regular degree programmes this system can also be used to provide transparency and recognition of the range of courses or modules which may contribute to Continuous Professional Development for example. Thus the system is also useful in Lifelong Learning. Although this may sound difficult it can be achieved by applying the two basic parameters of ECTS: workload and learning outcomes.
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