Abstract:

This paper presents the pilot use and evaluation of ReProTool Version 3.0, a software tool that is used for the ECTS and the Bologna Process re-engineering of academic programmes. The tool is the result of an eighteen months project (February 2012 - July 2013), co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and the Republic of Cyprus through the Research Promotion Foundation and has been widely presented at international conferences and published in journals and conference proceedings.

The tool supports the design and development of university academic programmes using Learning Outcomes (LOs) and the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) of the Bologna Process and is extremely useful when used during the application of the ECTS Label, as it provides templates based on the required format of the programme and course descriptions, as well as mechanisms for checking various restrictions that have to be met.

The use of the tool in designing and developing academic programmes forces professors to rethink from the student perspective the curriculum content and the teaching/learning methods and techniques and from the employers perspective, the expected knowledge, skills and competences that graduates should have in order to enter the job market. LOs play a crucial role in the understanding and comparability of programmes and courses across institutions. Furthermore, LOs are also very important when it comes to recognition of qualifications across Europe. Therefore any tool that supports LOs indirectly provide help to Employers, Erasmus coordinators and NARIC/ENIC networks.

ReProTool is a web- application that is freely available to any University that would like to use it. It supports 3 types of users namely:

1. System Administrator (for managing (creating/editing) the end-users of the system and assigning them authorization privileges; for maintaining the data pertaining to institutions, e.g. setting the hours per ECTS, defining the semesters; for creating/editing programmes of studies, professors, co-ordinators and students).
2. Programme Coordinator (for setting up programmes and assingning LOs; for generating reports including amongst others, LOs of a course, LOs of a programme vs. the programme's courses, LOs of a programme not covered by any course and a Programme's total ECTS and Semester breakdown and ECTS)
3. Professor (for creating/editing courses and assigning LOs and learning/assessment methods; for calculating the expected student workload and thus the course ECTS; for comparing the course ECTS with the one generated by student input with regards to their actual workload and thus making relevant changes; for recording student attendances).
4. Student (for providing his/her workload and thus calculating the course average workload and the ECTS and compare it with the one calculated by the professor; for comparing his/her workload with the average workload of the class; for providing input to his/her professor with regards to the course and the teaching/learning methods employed; for creating digital portfolios.)

The paper presents the tool and its functionality. It then presents its pilot use and evaluation by professors and students and reports on the enhancement/changes needed based on the feedback of the users.

Keywords:

ECTS, Learning Outcomes, ECTS Label, Bologna Process, Software Tools, ReProTool.