Title
A computing perspective on the Bologna process
Abstract
The Bologna process is intended to culminate in the formation of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) by 2010. Its aim is to facilitate the mobility of people, the transparency and recognition of qualifications, quality and development of a European dimension to higher education, and the attractiveness of European institutions for third country students.This paper provides an overview of progress towards implementation in EHEA member states using official documents and interview data from faculty teaching computing in countries represented at the ITiCSE 2006 meeting. The key areas where the structures established by the Bologna process are problematic for computing education arise from the rapidly changing nature of the curriculum. It seems that the maturity and capability criteria, as well as the manner in which learning outcomes are specified, being developed within the Bologna process are too general. This endangers the properties of transparency and mobility that the process intends to promote.Progression and prerequisite knowledge in computing degrees can be very specific. For instance, generic learning outcomes for an introductory programming course quite rightly will not specify the programming language, or languages, used to implement algorithms. However, suppose a student intends to study an advanced algorithms and data structures course in which Java is the language of implementation which has an introductory course in programming as a prerequisite. If the introductory course language was Standard ML it is not clear that the prerequisite course actually provides the student with a suitable background. These types of complexities are typical of computing, where early subject curricula are not standardised nationally or internationally, and create significant hurdles for realising the Bologna objectives.
Year
DOI
Venue
2006
10.1145/1189215.1189181
SIGCSE Bulletin
Keywords
Field
DocType
europe,bologna declaration,computer science education,standardization and curriculum issues
Data structure,Transparency (graphic),Software engineering,Standard ML,Computer science,Engineering management,Knowledge management,Curriculum,Bologna Process,Computer programming,Higher education,Bologna declaration
Journal
Volume
Issue
ISSN
38
4
0097-8418
ISBN
Citations 
PageRank 
1-59593-603-3
5
1.12
References 
Authors
1
5
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Ursula Fuller113314.69
Arnold Pears230034.58
June Amillo3348.65
Chris Avram451.12
Linda Mannila524720.01