1. The Bologna process, Student Centred learning and Norway Toril Johansson Director General Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research

2. The Bologna Process • 47 countries • EU Commission • Consultative members

3. European Process • NOT an EU initiated or EU governed process • No supranational element • Original aim: Establish the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) by 2010. Decision to continue cooperation until 2020. The European Higher Education Area (EHEA) established at the ministerial meeting in Budapest/Vienna 2010.

4. Bologna Process • Structure: • Ministerial meetings every second year set new goals (Bologna 1999, Prague 2001, Berlin 2003, Bergen 2005, London 2007, Leuven 2009, Budapest/Vienna 2010, next Bucharest 2012) • Bologna Follow-Up Group (BFUG) • BFUG Board • Since Budapest/Vienna system of co-chairing • Bologna Secretariat

5. Recent developments • Independent evaluation of the Bologna Process prior to the ministerial meeting in Budapest/Vienna • Conclusions: Concurrent with previous conclusions from ”Stocktaking” • Come quite far in introducing the instrumental elements (Degree system, ECTS, recognition, Quality Assurance etc) • A lot remains with regard to in-depth implementation

6. Independent evaluation cont • Quite a lot remains with regard to e.g. • The social dimension, • LLL • Description and use of learning outcomes/qualifications frameworks One of the main points: Without national agenda attuned to the Bologna Process, compliance rather than in-depth reform seems to occur

7. The Bologna Process in Norway • Norway successful in the Bologna Process – coincided with national needs • The Quality Reform; national follow-up of the Bologna elements

8. Bologna politically important for Norway • allows Norway to have a say in the development of European higher education policy... • ... and provides a platform to learn about other countries and systems in order to inspire national policy • Priorities: global dimension and social dimensions

9. Norwegian involvement • Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research active in • BFUG • Working groups on • Reporting (implementation of the elements of the Process) • global dimension • social dimension

10. Student Centred Learning in the Bologna Process • Not a thematic area tackled directly in the Bologna process from the start But: important elements for SCL such as flexibility tools (ECTS, recognition, QFs) dealt with from early on) • Included in Leuven/Louvain-la-Neuve 2009 • Concept of student centred learning mentioned and the teaching mission of HEIs reasserted • Highly important in order to underline the aspect of teaching at the HEIs

11. Student Centred Learning • Benefits for students • Benefits for teachers and academics • The wider benefits of SCL

12. Student Centred Learning cont. • One of the necessary preconditions for SCL is student involvement - important concept in Norwegian higher education • Development of social dimension important to development of SCL – one of the priority areas for Norway in the Bologna Process.

13. Norway • No firm definition of the notion of student-centred learning, butt essential feature of the Quality Reform • Better system of follow-up of each student • Individual Education Plans • New forms of assessment • More systematic QA incl. student evaluation of teaching But: method of teaching left to the individual HEI

14. Qualifications frameworks • QFs are important as a guide through the education system – flexible learning paths and step-by step approach • Learning outcomes approach – paradigm shift from teaching to learning, from input to outcome • Norwegian QF for higher education adopted March 2009 • All HEIs in the process of rewriting their study programmes based on learning outcomes

15. Quality guiding principle • Quality should be the guiding principle in the provision of higher education in Norway – important also for SCL • Some important traits • Internationalisation • All higher education research-based • Relevance and employability • Modes of teaching and assessment • Quality assurance • Quality remains the responsibility of the HEI – where quality is made

16. Strategic dialogue • Leadership for education • The link between learning qualification frameworks, learning outcomes and Student Centred Learning

17. Mobility to high quality institutions Emphasising: • Quality criteria and lists of high quality institutions must be developed • “Freshman” year support of Bachelor degree if good enough quality • Larger grants to cover tuition fees at institutions or study programmes of high quality • Level of grants might be associated with institutional agreements • Phased in gradually – from 2011/2012 at the earliest Quality is also diversity

18. Thank you for your attention