Euro-Agesin this regard. RPL will allow a pr<strong>of</strong>essionalto apply to an IHE to have theirprior learning assessed. RPL provides amechanism by which individuals withprior learning obtained through life experienceand/or formal education and/or workexperience are assessed for entry onto, forcredit towards and/or for exemption fromcomponents <strong>of</strong> a higher education qualification.Correct implementation <strong>of</strong> RPLshould well provide a platform for betterindustry-IHE cooperation and, by allowingaccess to educational programmes, willcontribute significantly to a pr<strong>of</strong>essionalgeologist’s lifetime programme <strong>of</strong> continuouspersonal development. Lifelonglearning, which will now be integratedinto the NQFs is also very important inthis context, as well as helping serve theneeds <strong>of</strong> an ageing population and theeconomic requirement to move towards‘knowledge based economies’. Both RPLand LLL require more flexible, studentcentredmodes <strong>of</strong> delivery (for example,part-time course work at times convenientfor in-job training and new methods <strong>of</strong>distance learning) and the widening accessto higher education.The London Ministerial Communiqué,May, 2007, (see UK Government, 2007)states “Higher education should play astrong role in fostering social cohesion,reducing inequalities and raising the level<strong>of</strong> knowledge, skills and competences insociety. Policy should therefore aim tomaximize the potential <strong>of</strong> individuals interms <strong>of</strong> their personal development andtheir contribution to a sustainable anddemocratic knowledge-based society”.Joint DegreesThe Bologna Process has paved the wayfor increasingly innovative, cooperative,cross border study programmes. The socalled“Joint Degree” has recently becomeone <strong>of</strong> the most cited examples, and suchjoint degree programmes are springing upacross Europe. The programmes leading toJoint Degrees are developed or approvedjointly by several institutions. Studentsfrom each participating institution studyfor a significant part <strong>of</strong> the programme(as opposed to short exchanges) at institutionsother than the one in which theyregister. Teaching staff from each participatinginstitution devise and administerthe curriculum together and participate inmobility for teaching purposes. Periods<strong>of</strong> study and exams passed at the partnerinstitution(s) are recognized fullyand automatically by all institutions andcountries involved. The students who havecompleted the full programme should obtaina degree awarded jointly by the participatinginstitutions, and fully recognized in allcountries. Whilst the current development<strong>of</strong> Joint Degree programmes is relativelyslow, mainly because many countries arestill in the process <strong>of</strong> implementing theBologna reforms at institutional level,this exciting development will undoubtedlybecome very important in the future,especially for careers in geoscience, whichrequire workers to be mobile and able towork in different societies and under differentconditions.Tuning higher educational structures inEuropeThis started in 2000 as a project to link thepolitical objectives <strong>of</strong> the Bologna Processand the Lisbon Strategy to the highereducational sector. Over time, Tuning hasdeveloped into a Process, adopted by 58countries world-wide, designed to assist inthe (re-)design, development, implementation,evaluation and quality enhancementin first, second and third cycle degree programmes.The motto <strong>of</strong> Tuning is “Tuning<strong>of</strong> educational structures and programmeson the basis <strong>of</strong> diversity and autonomy”.This project was initiated by JuliaGonzalez, University <strong>of</strong> Duesto, Bilbaoand Robert Wagener, Groningen University.Whilst funded by the EU, Tuning wasin effect the Universities’ response to thechallenges <strong>of</strong> the Bologna Process. Subjectarea groups <strong>of</strong> experts from acrossEurope, which included geoscience fromthe outset, were set up to try to develop theeducational tools required by the Process.These groups also met in plenary session todevelop the broader language and policiesrequired. Tuning has been highly influentialwithin the Bologna Process. The adoptionby the Ministers in their Berlin Communiqué<strong>of</strong> 2003 <strong>of</strong> the following statement“Ministers encourage the member Statesto elaborate a framework <strong>of</strong> comparableand compatible qualifications for theirhigher education systems, which shouldseek to describe qualifications in terms <strong>of</strong>workload, level, learning outcomes, competencesand pr<strong>of</strong>ile. They also undertaketo elaborate an overarching framework <strong>of</strong>qualifications for the Higher EducationArea” was directly a result <strong>of</strong> this work.This policy required a move from ‘input,teacher oriented’ programmes such asdefining a degree by giving a list <strong>of</strong> topicsto be studied, to ‘outcome, student oriented’programmes. A learning outcome isdefined as ‘statements <strong>of</strong> what a learner isexpected to know, understand and be ableto demonstrate after completion <strong>of</strong> a learningexperience’ (Tuning, 2008). Competences,be they subject specific or generic andmore related to life and the workplace,‘represent a dynamic combination <strong>of</strong> cognitiveand meta-cognitive skills, knowledge,and understanding, interpersonal,intellectual and practical skills and ethicalvalues’ (Tuning, 2008). This model for aprogramme <strong>of</strong> study requires careful definition<strong>of</strong> the competences the student mustacquire, the outcomes they must successfullydemonstrate at the end <strong>of</strong> the course,the exact pr<strong>of</strong>ile and level <strong>of</strong> the course andthe student commitment required in terms<strong>of</strong> total workload, not just contact hours.It not only gives students a clear idea <strong>of</strong>what is expected from them but it also providesa platform whereby outcomes otherthan exam scripts, for example publiclypresenting the results <strong>of</strong> project work, canbe assessed and assigned ECTS credits.Whilst there is considerable variationbetween educational traditions, studentscan expect to receive 1 ECTS credit forevery 25 ± 5 hours <strong>of</strong> study satisfactorilycompleted.The SAGs have developed internationallyvalidated templates to assist in thedevelopment <strong>of</strong> courses following thismodel. The template for the Earth Sciences(Ryan et al., 2010) is available fromthe Tuning website. This template recognizesthe enormous breadth <strong>of</strong> subjects thatfall within the remit <strong>of</strong> Earth Science (letalone the wider Earth System Sciences)and is extremely careful not to recommenda ‘standard curriculum’. However,it does elucidate the fundamental underlyingGeneric and Subject Specific competenceswhich are required to study theEarth. The template also requires that anyEarth Science training programme shouldinclude an appropriate amount <strong>of</strong> fieldwork, particularly at the Cycle 1 level,as “it is impossible to properly analyzeand interpret field-based data, whethercollected directly or remotely, without anunderstanding <strong>of</strong> its inherent limitations”(Ryan et al., 2010).Although the Tuning Europe Projectformally ended in 2009, a Tuning Academywas launched in September 2010 whoseaim is to promote training and researchto support the Bologna Process. The Minstersstate in 2009 (see: http://www.ond.vlaanderen.be/hogeronderwijs/bologna/conference/documents/Leuven_Louvainla-Neuve_Communiqu%C3%A9_April_2009.<strong>pdf</strong>) that “the potential and widespreadsignificance <strong>of</strong> learning outcomesis only just beginning to be realized .... For12 <strong>European</strong> Geologist <strong>30</strong>
this sort <strong>of</strong> bottom-up approach there is aneed for fundamental change at institutionallevel”. It is the aim <strong>of</strong> the Tuning Academyto meet this challenge. The Earth Scienceswill be represented in this endeavour.References and resourcesCouncil <strong>of</strong> Europe. 2010. (http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/highereducation/recognition/1rc_EN.asp).ENQA. 2009. ESG Standards andGuidelines for Quality Assurance inthe <strong>European</strong> Higher Education Area -3rd edition. (http://www.enqa.eu/files/ESG_3edition%20(2).<strong>pdf</strong>).<strong>European</strong> Commission. 2010. (http://www.ec.europa.eu/education/highereducation/doc1290_en.htm).<strong>European</strong> Commission. 2009a. ECTSUsers’ Guide, third edition. (http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-policy/doc/ects/guide_en.<strong>pdf</strong>).<strong>European</strong> Commission. 2008 The<strong>European</strong> Qualifications Frameworkfor lifelong learning (EQF). (http://www.ec.europa.eu/education/pub/<strong>pdf</strong>/general/eqf/broch_en.<strong>pdf</strong>).ConclusionsAlthough there is still a lot more work to do,the Bologna Process is creating a <strong>European</strong>framework in which pr<strong>of</strong>essional geologistsshould find it much easier to workin countries other than the one where they<strong>European</strong> Commission. 2009b. Studentsand Higher Education Reform:Survey among students in higher educationinstitutions in the EU MemberStates, Croatia, Iceland, Norway andTurkey. (http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/flash/fl_260_en.<strong>pdf</strong>).OECD Education at a Glance. 2010.(http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/highlights-from-education-at-aglance-2010_eag_highlights-2010-en).Official Bologna Process website.2010. (http://www.ond.vlaanderen.be/hogeronderwijs/bologna/).Ryan, P. D., Pereira, E., Anceau, A.,Beunk, F., Boulton, G., Canals, A., Delpouve,B. Dramis, F., Gehör, S., Greiling,R., Tvis Knudsen, N., Mansy, J-L.,Meilliez, F., Nogueira, P., Petrakakis,K., Roeleveld, W., Sanderson, D., Sta-qualified. The need to restructure degreeprogrammes in a manner that is morestudent centred and takes into account theneeds <strong>of</strong> society and the workplace providesour pr<strong>of</strong>ession with a unique opportunityto contribute towards high trainingstandards in <strong>European</strong> higher education.bell, B., Weiszburg, T. 2010. ReferencePoints for the Design and Delivery <strong>of</strong>Degree Programmes in Earth Science.(http://www.tuning.unideusto.org/tuningeu/index.php?option=com_docman&task=docclick&Itemid=59&bid=113&limitstart=0&limit=5).Tuning. 2008. Universities´ contributionto the Bologna Process: An introduction(2nd Edition) (http://tuning.unideusto.org/tuningeu/images/stories/Publications/Tuning_General_Brochure_english.jpg).Tuning. 2009. (http://tuning.unideusto.org/tuningeu/index.php).UK Government. 2007. (http://www.dfes.gov.uk/londonbologna/uploads/documents/LondonCommuniquefinalwithLondonlogo.<strong>pdf</strong>).Euro-AgesSUSTAINABLE NATURAL RESOURCE DEVELOPMENTSLR Consulting Ireland has over 25 geoscience pr<strong>of</strong>essionals based in Dublin who are part <strong>of</strong> the700+ strong SLR Group with <strong>of</strong>fices in the UK, Canada, USA, Australia and SE Asia.SLR provides a full range <strong>of</strong> services in the following areas:Minerals & MiningEnergy ResourcesGeothermal EnergyEnvironmental ManagementInfrastructure / GeotechnicsCompetent Person / Independent ReportingCarbon ManagementWaste ManagementStrategic Planning / ValuationsTo find out more, please contact:Deirdre Lewis / Róisín GoodmanSLR Consulting (Ireland) Limited7 Dundrum Business Park, Windy ArbourDundrum, Dublin 14T: +353 1 296 4667F: +353 1 296 4676dlewis@slrconsulting.comrgoodman@slrconsulting.com<strong>European</strong> Geologist <strong>30</strong>www.slrconsulting.com13
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