Skill training vs.

knowledge acquisition

“Processing the Bologna Process: Current Losses

And Future Gains”
Zagreb, March 5, 2010
Matko Barišić, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Electrical
Engineering and Computing
UNESCO Chair member
1:10
 History of teaching and
research at FER
• Precursor institutions placed great emphasis on high
quality contemporary skill training
• Large boom of research- and knowledge-creation
activity in the 60s, 70s and through the 80s
• Re-emphasis on skill training in the latter part of 90s,
00s and presently
– Proliferation of consumer-oriented ICT service and
software providers (Microsoft Croatia, Siemens Croatia,
Ericsson-Nikola Tesla Croatia, T-Com Croatia)

University of Zagreb,
UNESCO Chair in Governance and Management of Higher Education Workshop 2:10
“Processing the Bologna Process: Current Losses and Future Gains”, Zagreb, March 5 2010
 Skill training –
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths Weaknesses
• Existing and senior staff is • Short turn-around of new
well versed in high-profile versions of tools
professional software tools • Low level of student
• FER has good infrastructure motivation
• Good history of cooperation • Funding and infrastructure
with external lecturers (esp. in the context of
multiplication –
fragmentation of
University)

University of Zagreb,
UNESCO Chair in Governance and Management of Higher Education Workshop 3:10
“Processing the Bologna Process: Current Losses and Future Gains”, Zagreb, March 5 2010
 Skill training –
Opportunities & Threats
Opportunities Threats
• Immediate employability of • “Rote” toy problems,
Bachelor-level students exercises and questions
• Goodwill of industrial • Demotivation of teaching
powerhouses staff
• Discovery of flaws in • Linear economics
current tools spurs in-house • Stiffling of spin-off
development of competitive • Competition with vocational
products schools, tertiary colleges
• Application of skills to and proprietary/brand
research academias (MCP, Cisco etc.)
University of Zagreb,
UNESCO Chair in Governance and Management of Higher Education Workshop 4:10
“Processing the Bologna Process: Current Losses and Future Gains”, Zagreb, March 5 2010
 Summary –
skill training
• Loss of research infrastructure, capacity and
potential
• Inability to motivate students to put in honest effort
into skill training
• Loss of “guarantee of quality” implied by certain
types of employers
• Loss of “face” and brand consciousness in the society
=====
• All of this, if unattended, would lead to a FAILURE as
a University institution
University of Zagreb,
UNESCO Chair in Governance and Management of Higher Education Workshop 5:10
“Processing the Bologna Process: Current Losses and Future Gains”, Zagreb, March 5 2010
 Knowledge acquisition –
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths Weaknesses
• Encouraging prospective • Teaching staff
doctoral candidates – Methodology and didactics
• Quality assurance motivates – Awareness of what state-of-
average-doers the-art in tools currently is

• Direct contact with future • Quality of the studying

SME employers operating process and grading
know-how and IP • Current curriculum
dependent businesses

University of Zagreb,
UNESCO Chair in Governance and Management of Higher Education Workshop 6:10
“Processing the Bologna Process: Current Losses and Future Gains”, Zagreb, March 5 2010
 Knowledge acquisition –
Opportunities & Threats
Opportunities Threats
• Creation of potential for • Must not be divorced from
knowledge-based practical application
entrepreneurship • Risk of producing “ivory
• Strengthening of global tower intellectuals”
reputation • Risk of not staying true to
– Facilitation of the Bologna the Bologna concept of 3
goal of mobility in the EHEA distinct cycles of higher
• Exponential economics education
founded on patents,
projects, research,
development
University of Zagreb,
UNESCO Chair in Governance and Management of Higher Education Workshop 7:10
“Processing the Bologna Process: Current Losses and Future Gains”, Zagreb, March 5 2010
 Summary –
knowledge acquisition
Conceptual and foundation courses must be weighed
accordingly with real effort required of students
They must be supported rather than contrasted by skill-
training courses
Curriculum presently weighed down by superfluous or
“patchwork” courses, imposing problems on the
students, teaching staff and the schedule-master.
ECTS which in the Bologna process reform are the basis
of semester scheduling are “fudged”.
University of Zagreb,
UNESCO Chair in Governance and Management of Higher Education Workshop 8:10
“Processing the Bologna Process: Current Losses and Future Gains”, Zagreb, March 5 2010
 General Summary
• FER has historically experienced periods of both
emphasis and de-emphasis of skill training on one,
and knowledge creation on the other side
• The keys to balancing these two approaches to
teaching are:
– Fair and actual ECTS assignment to courses
– Setting for ourselves sensible learning outcomes pegged to
the 3 cycles of the Bologna process reform
(Baccalaureate / Master / Doctor)
– Controlling the quality of studying through sensible,
rational and uncompromising grading method
University of Zagreb,
UNESCO Chair in Governance and Management of Higher Education Workshop 9:10
“Processing the Bologna Process: Current Losses and Future Gains”, Zagreb, March 5 2010
Thank you for your attention!

:: I look forward to the discussion ::

10:10