1:10

Skill training Skill training vs.vs. knowledge acquisition knowledge acquisitionSkill training Skill training vs.vs. knowledge acquisition knowledge acquisition

“Processing the Bologna Process: Current Losses And Future Gains”

Zagreb, March 5, 2010

Matko Barišić, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and ComputingUNESCO Chair member

University of Zagreb,UNESCO Chair in Governance and Management of Higher Education Workshop“Processing the Bologna Process: Current Losses and Future Gains”, Zagreb, March 5 2010

2:10

History of teaching and History of teaching and research at FERresearch at FERHistory of teaching and History of teaching and research at FERresearch at FER

• Precursor institutions placed great emphasis on high quality contemporary skill training

• Large boom of research- and knowledge-creation activity in the 60s, 70s and through the 80s

• Re-emphasis on skill training in the latter part of 90s, 00s and presently– Proliferation of consumer-oriented ICT service and

software providers (Microsoft Croatia, Siemens Croatia, Ericsson-Nikola Tesla Croatia, T-Com Croatia)

University of Zagreb,UNESCO Chair in Governance and Management of Higher Education Workshop“Processing the Bologna Process: Current Losses and Future Gains”, Zagreb, March 5 2010

3:10

Skill training – Skill training – Strengths & WeaknessesStrengths & WeaknessesSkill training – Skill training – Strengths & WeaknessesStrengths & Weaknesses

Strengths• Existing and senior staff is

well versed in high-profile professional software tools

• FER has good infrastructure• Good history of cooperation

with external lecturers

Weaknesses• Short turn-around of new

versions of tools• Low level of student

motivation• Funding and infrastructure

(esp. in the context of multiplication – fragmentation of University)

University of Zagreb,UNESCO Chair in Governance and Management of Higher Education Workshop“Processing the Bologna Process: Current Losses and Future Gains”, Zagreb, March 5 2010

4:10

Skill training – Skill training – Opportunities & ThreatsOpportunities & ThreatsSkill training – Skill training – Opportunities & ThreatsOpportunities & Threats

Opportunities• Immediate employability of

Bachelor-level students• Goodwill of industrial

powerhouses• Discovery of flaws in

current tools spurs in-house development of competitive products

• Application of skills to research

Threats• “Rote” toy problems,

exercises and questions• Demotivation of teaching

staff• Linear economics• Stiffling of spin-off• Competition with vocational

schools, tertiary colleges and proprietary/brand academias (MCP, Cisco etc.)

University of Zagreb,UNESCO Chair in Governance and Management of Higher Education Workshop“Processing the Bologna Process: Current Losses and Future Gains”, Zagreb, March 5 2010

5:10

Summary – Summary – skill trainingskill trainingSummary – Summary – skill trainingskill training

• Loss of research infrastructure, capacity and potential

• Inability to motivate students to put in honest effort into skill training

• Loss of “guarantee of quality” implied by certain types of employers

• Loss of “face” and brand consciousness in the society=====• All of this, if unattended, would lead to a FAILURE as

a University institution

University of Zagreb,UNESCO Chair in Governance and Management of Higher Education Workshop“Processing the Bologna Process: Current Losses and Future Gains”, Zagreb, March 5 2010

6:10

Knowledge acquisition – Knowledge acquisition – Strengths & WeaknessesStrengths & WeaknessesKnowledge acquisition – Knowledge acquisition – Strengths & WeaknessesStrengths & Weaknesses

Strengths• Encouraging prospective

doctoral candidates• Quality assurance motivates

average-doers• Direct contact with future

SME employers operating know-how and IP dependent businesses

Weaknesses• Teaching staff

– Methodology and didactics– Awareness of what state-of-

the-art in tools currently is• Quality of the studying

process and grading• Current curriculum

University of Zagreb,UNESCO Chair in Governance and Management of Higher Education Workshop“Processing the Bologna Process: Current Losses and Future Gains”, Zagreb, March 5 2010

7:10

Knowledge acquisition – Knowledge acquisition – Opportunities & ThreatsOpportunities & ThreatsKnowledge acquisition – Knowledge acquisition – Opportunities & ThreatsOpportunities & Threats

Opportunities• Creation of potential for

knowledge-based entrepreneurship

• Strengthening of global reputation– Facilitation of the Bologna

goal of mobility in the EHEA• Exponential economics

founded on patents, projects, research, development

Threats• Must not be divorced from

practical application• Risk of producing “ivory

tower intellectuals”• Risk of not staying true to

the Bologna concept of 3 distinct cycles of higher education

University of Zagreb,UNESCO Chair in Governance and Management of Higher Education Workshop“Processing the Bologna Process: Current Losses and Future Gains”, Zagreb, March 5 2010

8:10

Summary –Summary –knowledge acquisitionknowledge acquisition Summary –Summary –knowledge acquisitionknowledge acquisition

Conceptual and foundation courses must be weighed accordingly with real effort required of students

They must be supported rather than contrasted by skill-training courses

Curriculum presently weighed down by superfluous or “patchwork” courses, imposing problems on the students, teaching staff and the schedule-master.

ECTS which in the Bologna process reform are the basis of semester scheduling are “fudged”.

University of Zagreb,UNESCO Chair in Governance and Management of Higher Education Workshop“Processing the Bologna Process: Current Losses and Future Gains”, Zagreb, March 5 2010

9:10

General SummaryGeneral SummaryGeneral SummaryGeneral Summary

• FER has historically experienced periods of both emphasis and de-emphasis of skill training on one, and knowledge creation on the other side

• The keys to balancing these two approaches to teaching are:– Fair and actual ECTS assignment to courses– Setting for ourselves sensible learning outcomes pegged to

the 3 cycles of the Bologna process reform (Baccalaureate / Master / Doctor)

– Controlling the quality of studying through sensible, rational and uncompromising grading method

10:10

Thank you for your attention!Thank you for your attention!Thank you for your attention!Thank you for your attention!

:: I look forward to the discussion ::