ECTS CREDIT ALLOCATION BASED ON THE STUDENT WORKLOAD NEEDED IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES*

ECTS is a learner-centred system for credit accumulation and transfer based on the transparency of learning outcomes and learning processes. It aims to facilitate planning, delivery, evaluation, recognition and validation of qualifications and units of learning as well as student mobility. ECTS is widely used in formal higher education and can be applied to other lifelong learning activities.

ECTS credits are based on the workload students need in order to achieve expected learning outcomes. Learning outcomes describe what a learner is expected to know, understand and be able to do after successful completion of process of learning. They relate to level descriptors in national and European qualifications frameworks.

Workload indicates the time students typically need to complete all learning activities (such as lectures, seminars, projects, practical work, self-study and examinations) required to achieve the expected learning outcomes.

60 ECTS credits are attached to the workload of a fulltime year of formal learning (academic year) and the associated learning outcomes. At Bartın University, student workload is about 1,500 hours for an academic year, whereby one credit corresponds to 25 hours of work.
Bartın University has used ECTS credits as its only credit accumulation system starting 2005-2006 academic years. In the 2004-2005 academic year ECTS credits for each course have been allocated by the ECTS Credit Committees of each program. Furthermore, an “ECTS Credit Evaluation Questionnaire” has been prepared by experts and was administered to students at the end of each course re-evaluating the credits and assigning new ECTS credits if necessary. The questionnaire is administered for each course newly offered for the purpose of re-evaluation of its ECTS credits and dependent upon the results new ECTS values are assigned. The University Administration has decided to administer the said questionnaire every 5 years for all the courses offered to ensure objective evaluation of the ECTS credit assignments.

Bartın University was selected as one of the pilot universities for the “National Qualification Framework for Higher Education in Turkey” program.

*Adapted from ECTS Users Guide, Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, [http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-policy/doc/ects/guide_en.pdf ]