Abstracts - Earli

O 701 September 2007 08:30 - 10:30Room: 7.14SymposiumThe importance of learning and assessment of competences in highereducationChair: Edith Braun, Freie Universität Berlin, GermanyChair: Liesbeth Baartman, Utrecht University, NetherlandsOrganiser: Edith Braun, Freie Universität Berlin, GermanyOrganiser: Liesbeth Baartman, Utrecht University, NetherlandsDiscussant: David Gijbels, University of Antwerp, BelgiumSocial scientists as well as governments throughout Europe indicate the development ofcompetences within education as an explicit goal of current educational reforms. The Bolognaprocess, a political association of 45 European countries, intents to make education morevocationally oriented by stimulating the development of competences (Rychen & Salgynik, 2001).Social scientists are investigating how teaching and assessment can improve the acquisition ofcompetences. For example, Gijbels (2005) studied the variables that encourage a "deep-facelearning strategy" to use knowledge to solve authentic problems. Many researchers (e.g.Birenbaum et al., 2006) emphasise the importance of using adequate assessment methods toenhance the acquisition of competences, and employers expect general key competences ofgraduates (Teichler, 2003). This symposium focuses on improving the learning and assessment ofcompetences in higher education. Competences can be seen as vocational skills and highereducation is supposed to be partly a "vocational training". In this symposium, the concept ofcompetence is looked at from different countries’ perspectives. Each paper discusses its definitionof competence and the rationale behind this. In addition, the symposium brings together a numberof examples of where and how competences are acquired and assessed. Schaeper conducted anempirical study on which factors of the educational environment influence the development of keycompetences. Braun analysed the longitudinal correlation between competences acquired at theuniversity and later occupational success. Woodley and Little add the importance of workexperience as an important influence on the level of competences. The assessment of competencesis investigated by Baartman and Jonsson. Baartman investigated if current assessment practices invocational institutes can be characterised as being competence-based. Finally, Jonsson takes anexample of a competence assessment and investigates whether this kind of assessment can besummatively used in higher education to assess and stimulate competence acquisition.Development of competences and teaching-learning arrangements in higher educationHildegard Schaeper, HIS Higher Education Information System, GermanyIn the past decades the German higher education system experienced a shift from teaching tolearning, the introduction of new steering mechanisms and the application of performance-basedmodels for the financing of universities and their departments. Correspondingly, the interest inlearning outcomes increased while at the same time the significance of input parameters decreased.Responding to the growing concern for learning outcomes, the German graduates surveys, since1989 conducted by the Higher Education Information System (HIS), pay special attention to theissue of competences and, in particular, to the question of key competences. By means of a self-– 785 –