CALOHEA - UNIVERSITY OF SAN AGUSTIN

CALOHEA Regional Subject-Specific Reference Frameworks as tools for promoting recognition and internationalisation

One of the tools created by the CALOHEA Erasmus+ project participants in order to facilitate recognition of degrees and periods of studies both within the ASEAN region and between the ASEAN region and other world regions are Regional Subject-Specific Reference Frameworks.

A Qualifications Framework is a structure that allows us to classify different qualifications in a geographical area covered by the framework and establish a broad equivalence of qualifications (e.g. first cycle of higher education education/undergraduate, etc.) across the region. This is done through describing what a learner will have developed in terms of knowledge, skills, attitudes, competences, etc upon successfully completing a particular level of studies.

Regional Qualifications Reference Frameworks seek to establish broad equivalence among qualifications offered in more than one country. Such frameworks are intended to be used as Reference Documents – facilitating recognition but not overruling National regulations or National Qualifications Frameworks. The ASEAN Qualifications Reference Framework (AQRF) and the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) could be two good examples here.

CALOHEA Subject-Specific Qualifications Reference Frameworks facilitate recognition through allowing to:

1) clearly see which key dimensions must be addressed by each programme in the subject area;
2) establish equivalence between qualifications offered in different countries in terms of their level, regardless of how the qualifications are referred to in each of the countries;
3) express specialisation of a particular programme in terms of the sub-dimensions addressed;
4) compare the level of achievement aimed at for each of the sub-dimensions – in terms of knowledge, skills or responsibilities;
5) compare shorter periods of study as well – periods of study during which only particular types of knowledge, specific skills or capacity to perform particular responsibilities can be developed.

CALOHEA Regional Subject-Specific Qualifications Reference Frameworks state in a detailed manner what knowledge, skills, attitudes, competences, etc. are expected from graduates of a ARQF Level 6 degrees in Civil Engineering, Medicine and Teacher Education; & allow recognition across all the countries involved in the development of the Frameworks.

To see the CALOHEA Reference Frameworks, visit https://calohea.org/

The CALOHEA Erasmus+ project is coordinated by the Tuning Academy of the University of Groningen (the Netherlands) and the ASEAN University Network and is co-funded by the European Commission.

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Testimony of CALOHEA Project Participants

“The CALOHEA project made me realize as an educator to be more sensitive with the way I present my lessons and how to eventually achieve its objectives most especially the affective ones which is something students would eventually apply in the real world scenarios. It reminds me to persevere in attaining more balanced lesson plans wherein constructive alignment is applied highlighting learner-centered strategies & activities. It also provides a more conducive venue wherein students are given more autonomy to discover concepts on their own while the teacher becomes an efficient facilitator of learning.”

I cannot deny the fact that, I heard students’ complaints of being overworked by too much assignments or homework given by the subject teachers. But, sometimes, it’s hard to ascertain whether they were really overwhelmed or they just want the easiest way to pass the course. Thus, it made me stop and think about it. Is giving less workload produce better results or it might just hinder achieving high-quality education? I was really grateful to have attended CALOHEA where the culture of Student Workload as an integral part of curriculum design was discussed to us. The training session introduced approaches for measuring student workload and how to best include student workload estimations in curriculum planning to be internationally recognizable. Furthermore, significant benefits for faculty members, students and the institution such as efficient and productive teaching and learning environment, innovative classrooms and achievement of learning goals may be reached through proper workload management in higher education. Lastly, as a teacher, the greatest benefit for me is a healthy work-life balance.