I am pleased to update you on the revised ECTS Users’ Guide, which was adopted by the Ministers at the Bologna Ministerial Conference in Yerevan, May 2015. As you know, the correct implementation by higher education institutions of credit transfer and recognition is a condition of holding the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education and so participation in the programme.

The revision was undertaken by experts nominated by 14 different countries and 4 European stakeholder organisations of the European Higher Education Area, and coordinated by the European Commission. The revised Guide takes into account recent developments in the Bologna Process such as the paradigm shift from teacher-centred to student-centred higher education, the increasing use of learning outcomes, the consolidation of lifelong learning, and the development of new modes of learning and teaching. It includes a specific focus on programme design and delivery, and builds on the experience of higher education institutions in applying ECTS principles in academic practice and for learning mobility.

The Guide offers guidelines for implementing ECTS that will be helpful to students, international officers and academic and administrative staff in higher education institutions, as well as to employers, education providers and all other interested stakeholders.

Now that the guide has been revised, it is essential to make sure that the higher education community, students and other stakeholders become more familiar with the concept of ECTS, so that it can achieve its full impact in terms of planning curricula, delivering courses, assessing learning outcomes and improving learning mobility experiences.

The new  ECTS website includes the ECTS Guide, along with a glossary and examples of formulating learning outcomes, a suggestion for grade conversion and 5 short videos explaining the underlying principles and use of ECTS.

07.09.2015