European credit transfer and accumulation system as a time-based predictor of student workload
Impola, Jarkko (2024-09-24)
Taylor & Francis
24.09.2024
Impola, J. (2024). European credit transfer and accumulation system as a time-based predictor of student workload. Higher Education Research & Development, 44(2), 417–430. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2024.2406490.
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© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s)or with their consent.
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s)or with their consent.
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:oulu-202409306122
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:oulu-202409306122
Tiivistelmä
Abstract
Delivering an appropriate student workload is important for quality higher education, especially for curriculum design, student well-being and success in studies. Academic credit systems are being increasingly used to determine workload for higher education studies. However, they rely on presumptions about workload, which educational theory and research do not always substantiate. A key example is the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS), which awards credits to students for their academic achievements and the related workload that is measured in study time. This article examines the ECTS from the perspective of its conceptualisation of workload and compares it to earlier research on student workload. Based on a literature review and conceptual analysis, a student workload model is presented and compared to the operating principles of ECTS. In conclusion, ECTS relies on a misleading conceptualisation of student workload with far-reaching implications for higher education research, policy and practice. Recommendations for informed applications and further development of ECTS are presented.
Delivering an appropriate student workload is important for quality higher education, especially for curriculum design, student well-being and success in studies. Academic credit systems are being increasingly used to determine workload for higher education studies. However, they rely on presumptions about workload, which educational theory and research do not always substantiate. A key example is the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS), which awards credits to students for their academic achievements and the related workload that is measured in study time. This article examines the ECTS from the perspective of its conceptualisation of workload and compares it to earlier research on student workload. Based on a literature review and conceptual analysis, a student workload model is presented and compared to the operating principles of ECTS. In conclusion, ECTS relies on a misleading conceptualisation of student workload with far-reaching implications for higher education research, policy and practice. Recommendations for informed applications and further development of ECTS are presented.
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