Using ECVET for Geographical Mobility

Using ECVET for Geographical Mobility (2012) Part II of the ECVET Users’ Guide - A revised version of the guide 'Using ECVET for Geographical Mobility' is now available. Download ECVET Mobility Guide - 2012.
The first version of this document was prepared by the ECVET Users’ Group on May 2011. This revised version includes key issues for quality assurance when using ECVET for mobility. It was also prepared by the ECVET Users’ Group on May 2012. By emphasising the quality assurance aspect the guide reflects the growing need for a coherent use of European tools that facilitate the transparency and recognition of skills and competences, notably the European QualificationsFramework (EQF), the EUROPASS and the European Quality Assurance Reference Framework for VET (EQAVET). It is part of the series of guidance documents and notes which constitute the ECVET Users’ Guide.
1 Introduction
The European Credit System for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET) is a technical framework for the transfer, recognition and where appropriate, accumulation of individuals’ learning outcomes with a view to achieving a qualification. ECVET tools and methodology comprise the description of qualifications in terms of units of learning outcomes with associated points, a transfer and accumulation process and complementary documents such as Learning Agreements, transcripts of records and ECVET users’ guides. Recommendation of the European Parliament and the Council
The implementation of ECVET has two broad objectives:
• To support mobility of European citizens
• To facilitate lifelong learning
This document concerns the use of ECVET for geographical mobility, in particular mobility that is organised as an element of learners’ education and training pathways.
To support mobility, ECVET is expected to improve the possibilities for recognition of learning outcomes and thus to enable people to build on what they have learned abroad, in a different education and training institution or in different situations. In other words, thanks to ECVET, it should become easier to fully integrate mobility into learners’ learning pathways and to make visible and recognised what they have learned abroad. The success of ECVET will depend on the development of mutual trust among competent institutions.
ECVET is based on a set of technical components that are all underpinned by the use of learning outcomes. The technical components referred to in this document are defined in the ECVET Recommendation and further explained in the document entitled ECVET Questions and Answers. The relationship between the ECVET technical components and the ECVET objectives is schematically presented in Figure 1.
3 Quality in ECVET mobility
‘Piloting and testing is important to find out what work works well and what needs to be adjusted. Use your
experiences, even if they are partly negative, as sources to learn from.‘ Quote from a participant at a seminar of the ECVET pilot projects in autumn
The ECVET pilot projects, as well as other ECVET projects under the Lifelong Learning Programme and national ECVET projects, have developed approaches for the implementation of ECVET for geographical mobility. Many of these projects have carried out mobility exchanges in order to test the procedures and tools developed in practice and to revise them based on experience (feedback from teachers, students as well as results). Some tools are already available and those who want to start with ECVET can use them. In many cases, however, the tools will need to be adjusted when applied to other contexts to reflect the specificities of each partnership. Therefore, to ensure quality and to further improve the use of ECVET for geographical mobility, piloting, testing and reflecting on experiences are important aspects with regards to continuous improvement. However, it is recommended to map out evaluation and review procedures at the beginning.
The quality assurance procedures underpinning the use of ECVET for geographical mobility are based on the EQAVET quality circle: planning – implementation – evaluation – review. On the one hand, this circle applies to the process of arranging each specific mobility experience: from the planning of the mobility experience to credit recognition and continuation of the learner’s pathway. On the other hand, the quality circle also applies to the quality management of each mobility partnership. Ideally, ECVET is implemented in partnerships. They are set up to support regular mobility exchanges (larger numbers of learners) and are expected to last for a duration that is longer than a specific mobility exchange.
Therefore, two quality circles (one for individual learner mobility and another one for partnerships), using the same approach, can be distinguished and are summarised below. Download ECVET Mobility Guide - 2012.