Frederik De Decker,
Senior advisor for education
Ghent University Association
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Ghent University Association
Association = (legally in Flanders)
cooperation between one university and at
least one university college
• Ghent University
• Ghent University College
• University College Arteveldehogeschool
• University College of West-Flanders
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TUNING MOTTO
“Tuning of educational structures and
programmes on the basis of diversity
and autonomy”
* a project by and for HEI’s
* thé answer of the institutions to Bologna &
Lisbon declaration / Luxemburg process
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Why Tuning
• Lisbon-objectives (Europe as most important
knowledge society)
• Bologna-Prague-Berlin process (towards one
EHEA)
• Luxemburg-process (towards a European
labour market)
This implies:
• Competitive and attractive higher education
• Comparable and compatible degrees
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Why Tuning for Nursing?
Nursing Challenges
• EU Directive (see Conseleg:1977L0453) specified
hours, no competences and no academic level.
– National and professional regulation
– Registered/ licence to practice Nurse Education not
tied to first cycle ‘bachelors’ degree
• No commonly agreed competences, especially at higher
levels: (ICN, WHO, Standing Committee)
• Few established and operating networks to access
Universities and other stakeholders
• Labour market conditions and employer demands
(health /social care, private and public providers)
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TUNING AND NURSING
• To implement the Bologna • To develop professional
profiles and comparable and
- Prague - Berlin process
compatible learning
on university level: we are
outcomes for nursing
the first health care
• To facilitate employability by
regulated group
promoting transparency in
• To find ways to implement
educational structures (easily
two cycles (now three) in
readable and comparable
a practice based
degrees)
profession
• To develop a common
language which is understood
• To identify common
by all stakeholders (Higher
reference points from
education sector, employers,
discipline and university
regulators, professional
perspective
bodies and users of service)
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Tuning Educational Structures in
Europe - Nursing
An educational project between 14
University Schools of Nursing in Europe
Denmark, Finland, Flanders, Germany, Hungary,
Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Republic of
Ireland, Slovak Republic, Spain, Ukraine (from
2005), United Kingdom.
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Tuning: two heads
on one body
1. A methodology for educational innovation
-> see further
-> wide-spread
2. Concrete results:
• General (e.g. generic competences)
• Subject-specific (e.g. subject specific competences,
concrete learning/teaching/assessment strategies,…)
Current situation: Validation & Dissemination
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TUNING METHODOLOGY:
learning outcomes and
competences
General tendencies in higher education:
• Shift of paradigm: moving from a staff oriented
approach to a student centred approach
• Less specialised academic education in the first
cycle
• More flexibility in first and second cycle
programmes
What should a student know, understand and be
able to do to be employable?
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The Tuning Methodology
• Line 1: Generic competences
Consultation with graduates, employers and academics on
the importance of 30 generic competences and an
evaluation of how well HE institutions develop them.
• Line 2: Subject specific competences
(knowledge, understanding and skills)
Mapping of subject areas and development of common
reference points and subject specific competences of each
of the pilot disciplines.
• Line 3: ECTS as a European credit accumulation
system: new perspectives
Development of ECTS as a tool for programme design:
basis is student workload measured in time.
• Line 4: Mapping of approaches to teaching /
learning and assessment in different countries
• Line 5: Quality enhancement
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Why Focus on competences?
1. Further transparency of professional profiles in study
programmes and emphasis on learning outcomes
2. Shift to a more learner oriented approach to
education
3. Growing demands of a lifelong learning society which
requires more flexibility
4. Need for higher levels of employability and citizenship
5. Enhancement of the European dimension of Higher
Education
6. Need for a shared language for consultation with all
stakeholders
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A methodology for designing, planning
and implementing curricula
Traditional methodology:
• developed in a national context largely for
mono-disciplinary study programmes
• intended for educating graduates with a
traditional profile
• focussing on knowledge and content
Approach:
• staff / teacher oriented
• compulsory subjects to be covered
• input oriented
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A methodology for designing, planning
and implementing curricula
Tuning approach:
•
•
•
•
student centred
definition of academic and professional profiles
definition of learning outcomes
identifying generic and subject specific
competences
• output oriented curricula
Tuning methodology and model:
• appropriate for mono-disciplinary, inter- and
multidisciplinary, integrated and joint degree
programmes
• valid for graduates with wide range of profiles
• focussing on competences
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Tuning model for European comparable degrees
IDENTIFICATION OF SOCIAL NEEDS
CONSULTATION AT EUROPEAN LEVEL
LOCATION OF RESOURCES
EMPLOYERS AND
OTHER
STAKEHOLDERS
ACADEMIC
COMMUNITY:
COMMON
REFERENCE
POINTS
PROFESSIONALS AND
PROFESSIONAL BODIES
DEFINITION OF ACADEMIC AND
PROFESSIONAL PROFILES
• ACADEMIC RESOURCES
• ORGANISATIONAL RESOURCES
• FINANCIAL RESOURCES
• STRATEGIC ALLIANCES WITH
OTHER BODIES
TRANSLATION INTO DESIRED
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
• GENERIC COMPETENCES
• SUBJECT SPECIFIC COMPETENCES
TRANSLATION INTO EDUCATIONAL
UNITS AND ACTIVITIES TO ACHIEVE
DEFINED LEARNING OUTCOMES
TRANSLATION INTO CURRICULA:
• CONTENT (KNOWLEDGE,
ASSESSMENT
UNDERSTANDING AND SKILLS)
•STRUCTURE (MODULES AND CREDITS)
PROGRAMME QUALITY
ASSURANCE
APPROACHES TO TEACHING AND
LEARNING
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THE TUNING DYNAMIC
QUALITY DEVELOPMENT
CIRCLE
Definition of
academic and
professional profiles
Identification
of resources
Programme design: definition
of learning outcomes /
competences
Evaluation and
improvement
(on the basis
of feedback
and back
forward)
Programme quality
assurance
Selection of types of
assessement
Construction
of curricula:
content and
structure
Selection of teaching
and learning
approaches
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Tuning: two heads
on one body (2)
2. Concrete results:
• General (e.g. generic competences)
• Subject-specific (e.g. subject specific
competences, concrete
learning/teaching/assessment strategies,…)
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Tuning Surveys
on competences
Methodology used
1. On-line questionnaires
2. Target groups:
• Graduates (for generic)
• Employers (for generic)
• Academics (for both)
3. Relative rankings according to:
• Importance
• Level of achievement
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Tuning Survey
Nursing Subject Area Group
1. Extra element: distinction between 1st &
2nd cycle
2. About 900 answers
3. From a variety of European countries
(but no equal distribution / many parallels
between answers from same country)
4. Regrouping of competences
(from originally 40 to 23)
5. See website for more details
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First cycle/bachelor level descriptors
Intellectual competences:
• describe, formulate and communicate profession –related
issues and options for taking action
• analyse profession-oriented issues theoretically and
consider them in practice
• structure own learning
Professional and academic competences
• apply and evaluate different methodologies relevant to
nursing
• demonstrate insight into central theories, methodologies
and concepts within the nursing profession
• document, analyse and evaluate the various types of
nursing practice
• utilize research and development to develop evidencebased nursing and nursing activities
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First cycle descriptors
Practical competences
• demonstrate proficiency in the practical nursing
competences/ skills required for the registration
or licence (see list of first cycle competences)
• make and justify decisions based on his or her
own nursing experience
• show personal integrity and act within the
framework of nursing ethics
• demonstrate ability and willingness to function in
a multidisciplinary setting
• participate and conduct development work /
projects relevant to the nursing profession
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Second cycle descriptors
Intellectual competences
• Communicate complex professional and academic issues in
nursing and nursing science to both specialists and lay
people in an clear and unambiguous manner
• Formulate and analyse complex scholarly issues in nursing
and nursing science independently, systematically and
critically apply to the specialisation
• Continue own competency development and specialisation
in a manner that may be largely self-directed or
autonomous
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Second cycle descriptors
Professional and academic
• Evaluate the appropriateness of various methods of analysis
and deal with complex issues in nursing and nursing science
from an academic and advanced professional nursing
perspective
Demonstrate:
• specialist understanding in extension of the Bachelor degree
• a broader academic perspective than the Bachelor degree
• new academic competences in addition to the Bachelor degree
• Demonstrate comprehensive understanding of research work in
nursing science and therefore be capable of being active in a
research context
• Demonstrate practical insight into the implications of research
in a practice based profession (research ethics and
governance).
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Second cycle practice competences
Practical competences- more to be developed
• Make and justify decisions reflecting on social and
ethical responsibilities as well nursing and
nursing science issues. If necessary carry out
analysis that results in an adequate basis for
decision- making
• Comprehend development work based on
scholarly, theoretical and / or experimental
methods in nursing and nursing science
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Third cycle descriptors
Intellectual competences
• Communicate, and defend, a substantive, contemporary
and detailed knowledge of a specific area of nursing both
orally and in writing
• formulate and structure a long-duration, continuous
research project on an independent basis
A ‘professional’ doctorate graduate would be able to:
• Communicate, and defend, a substantive, contemporary
and detailed knowledge of a specific area of nursing
practice both orally and in writing to with peers, the larger
scholarly community and with society in general
• Lead, formulate and structure a long-duration, continuous
work based project.
• Achieve designated advanced related to their work based
function
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Third cycle descriptors
Professional and academic
• Conduct nursing research at
an international level and in
an international context
• Initiate, formulate, structure,
lead and evaluate the
appropriateness of nursing
science methods for research
projects on an independent
basis
• demonstrate specialist
nursing science
understanding of cuttingedge theories and methods
in nursing at an international
level
• display responsibility in
relation to own research
(research ethics)
A ‘professional’ doctoral
graduate is able to:
• Conduct nursing projects in their
field fully aware of the
international application and
relevance of the project.
• evaluate the appropriateness of
nursing science methods for
clinically based projects on an
independent basis
• demonstrate and promote
specialist nursing knowledge and
practice derived from cutting-edge
theories & methods in nursing.
This knowledge should be adapted
for the social and cultural context
of practice.
• display ethical responsibility in
relation to own research /work
based practice (research and
practical ethics)
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Third cycle practice competences
Practical competences
• plan and maintain academic and professional
responsibility for complex tasks based on
scientific nursing theories and / or skills and
methods of research
• make decisions supported by complex
documentation/clinical evidence
• Critically analyse, evaluate and synthesise new
and complex information that is relevant for
professional/clinical practice, society and policy
development
• develop innovative approaches to nursing
practice that are patient/client centred
The competences for the professional doctorate are
to be developed further
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Tuning Survey
Nursing Subject Area Group
1. In essence: relative results
2. But are more and more used in an absolute
way
(‘in the land of the blind one-eyed is the king’)
•
•
E.g. Bulgaria
Discussion on new European Directive
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Tuning Survey
Nursing Subject Area Group
Need for Validation and Dissemination
-> with National / European representative bodies
-> with stakeholders at national level
•
•
professional Nursing organisations
Higher education institutions (with Bachelor, Master, PHDlevel nursing eduation)
-> with academics, graduates, employers
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Tuning Nursing
Need for further development
•
1st (BA), 2nd (MA, also professional) and 3rd (PhD) cycle:
descriptors / competences = OK,
but not yet ‘professional doctorate’
•
But only for general (adult) nursing, not for
specialisations (e.g. paediatric, geriatric, psychiatric,
public health nursing)
•
Attention to “subdegree” (level 5 in EQF) (cfr. ‘Enrolled
nurse”)
•
Look into ‘subject-oriented’ competences (= shared
between different health care professions)
•
Involve more countries
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Tuning Nursing
Challenges for the CRESI project !
• Further validation
• Involve more countries
• Further linking to professional field
• Specialisations (e.g. paediatric, geriatric,
psychiatric, public health nursing) ?
• Attention to “subdegree” (level 5 in EQF)
(cfr. ‘Enrolled nurse”)
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Also check
http://tuning.unideusto.org/tuningeu/
[email protected]
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