Qualifications frameworks for the European Higher Education Area. A new instrumentalism or "much ado about nothing"?

The purpose of this article is to explore the development of qualifications frameworks as a key element in the Bologna process, which aims to develop a European Higher Education Area by 2010. By setting up descriptors of learning outcomes, a European qualifications framework is intended as an instru...

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Autor principal: Berit Karseth
Formato: Artículo científico
Publicado: Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Unidad Xochimilco 2010
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Acceso en línea:http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=34014049002
http://biblioteca.clacso.edu.ar/gsdl/cgi-bin/library.cgi?a=d&c=mx/mx-024&d=34014049002oai
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Sumario:The purpose of this article is to explore the development of qualifications frameworks as a key element in the Bologna process, which aims to develop a European Higher Education Area by 2010. By setting up descriptors of learning outcomes, a European qualifications framework is intended as an instrument that enables Europe to coordinate and exchange qualifications. Furthermore, the article analyses the proposal of a national qualifications framework in Norway and institutional responses to it. Despite general support for the idea of a framework, the analysis shows that the institutions question the possibility of a qualifications framework that fits all types of educational programmes. With reference to curriculum theory the article concludes that the idea of a qualifications framework based on measurable learning outcomes represents a turn towards an instrumental curriculum approach in higher education, in contrast to a traditional curriculum approach which foregrounds disciplinary content and its mastery. Drawing on institutional theory the article also questions the possible impact of qualifications frameworks in higher education.