The project sought to exploit the tools and methods developed, and the experience and dynamics of JITOL (a DELTA Series 300 project) to meet needs explicitly identified in one of the pilot studies of the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) within the ERASMUS programme. To meet these needs, the tools and methods of JITOL were combined with an innovation methodology and toolset known as Les Arbres de Connaissances.
The pilot studies in the ERASMUS European Credit Transfer Scheme were concerned with promoting student mobility. In order for this to happen satisfactorily, the participating institutions had to know enough about each others courses to be able to place students in host institutions, and have a consistent approach to the acceptance of credits that the students have obtained abroad when they return to their home institution. This involved, not only knowing about the course content but about the socio-economic and legal system of the host institution and country. Much negotiation took place to establish common understanding of the systems in Member States and in arriving at an equivalence for credit transfer purposes. It was also important that the courses were well known and highly visible for the students. The objective of the NECTAR project was to explore the feasibility of using information and communication tools to assist in advancing the achievement of ECTS goals.
The system of making competence explicit on which Les Arbres de Connaissances, the Knowledge Trees, scheme is based has three key concepts:
a) a unit of knowledge, know-how, skill or competence is represented by a brevet with a specific position on a tree (metaphorically, part of the trunk or a branch, or a leaf);
b) an individual's blazon represents his collection of brevets, that is combined competences, part of which will be depicted on the tree of a particular community;
c) a complete tree represents the combination of competences held and used by members of a community.
The community's view of basic knowledge forms the trunk of the tree. Specialised knowledge is represented as parts of branches or by leaves on particular branches with leading edge competences being generally the most distant from the trunk. An exception to this may occur when a new fundamental field (branch) emerges in a community when a shoot may be formed coming directly from the trunk. As the community develops, so the tree evolves. Some branches may wither as certain competences lose their value in the community. It is important to note that the blazon of an individual will appear differently (have a different value) on the tree of different communities. Not all an individual's competences will be relevant to all communities. It is important to stress that the Knowledge Tree concept aims to provide a mapping of competences rather than seeking standardisation; this is in line with the vision of ECTS.
A software system which supports the brevets, blazons and trees undertakes measures of relationship and proximity so that the needs and competences of the community and individuals can be made explicitly visible, and can be negotiated interactively.
Impact/exploitation
The level of success in this short project in defining methodologies and tools with which tutors and students can increase and optimise student ability, is encouraging enough to extend the use of Knowledge Trees to other parts of ERASMUS (which is to become part of the SOCRATES programme).
Participants
Neurope Lab, France; KTR Unit and Centre for Studies in Management Learning, Lancaster University; University of Limerick, Management School; Aarhus School of Business; University of Siena, Programma Erasmus