After Tuning There Is Articulation
Towards a stronger subject-specific dimension of the Bologna process after 2010, with music as an example

12-13 February 2010, Ghent

The AEC studies the effects of the Bologna declaration on higher music education in Europe since 2001. Reacting to European developments and projects, the music sector has embraced the overall aim/task of “tuning higher education structures” by defining points of reference, convergence and common understanding for the higher music education institutions, based on a methodology used for various disciplines in order to ensure transparency and comparability across Europe within the sector and with other disciplines.

Thus, the ‘Polifonia’ first project phase (2004-2007) has resulted in the development of a sectoral qualifications framework for higher music education, including a description of the characteristics, learning outcomes and competences of higher music education. Various handbooks and reports have been published and ‘Bologna’ counseling visits have been developed. In parallel, the ‘Accreditation’ project (2006-2007) has studied the emerging issue of quality assurance and accreditation and the music sector has started to develop a discipline-specific approach to quality assurance and accreditation, with review visits to higher music education institutions.

In the music field, an initial step for a performance consists in tuning the instrument; a further step in articulating the piece, i.e. to join the notes using various performance techniques. The same could apply for the implementation of the Bologna process: the first step is to tune the higher education structures; the second is to articulate the various elements which have resulted from the Bologna Declaration principles using practical tools.

The conference ‘After Tuning there is articulation’, organized jointly by the Bologna and Accreditation Working Groups of the ‘Polifonia’ second project phase (2007-2010) will deal with articulation in different aspects.

• Articulation of policy developments
  Participants will be informed during Friday afternoon session on the latest (and future) European and international developments in higher education, as well as on the work of both working groups. Participants will be encouraged to link the music sectoral approach to the European and international context (and/or vice-versa) and to reflect on the relevance and benefits of such a discipline-specific approach to the future of the Bologna process.

• Articulation of a curriculum
  During the workshops proposed on Saturday, participants will be encouraged to combine the approaches and elements developed by the AEC until now (cycle-level descriptors, learning outcomes, handbook on assessment procedures, programme evaluation criteria). Participants will be brought step by step to (re-)designing and developing a music curriculum, from its description in terms of learning outcomes until its external quality assurance review.

   

Programme
The programme includes keynote speeches by European officers and stakeholders as well as an American perspective on the European music education sector and the current European policy development. A panel discussion is planned with stakeholders representing universities and higher education institutions, students and quality assurance agencies in order to provide participants with background information and lines of thinking before they split in small groups and take part in successive workshop sessions to study ways to implement these developments in conservatoire curricula.
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• Programme

Practical information

Conference venue Conservatorium Ghent Hoogpoort 64 9000 Ghent Download here: Directions to the conference venue from close airports/stations About the host: Conservatorium Hogeschool Gent, Belgium

Presentations of After Tuning there is Articulation
Speech of Sam Hope (National Association of Schools of Music) 12.02.2010	Download here
Presentation of Marlies Leegwater (Head Bologna Secretariat) 12.02.2010	Download here
Presentation of Robin van IJPeren (European Commission, DG Education & Culture) 12.02.2010	Download here
Presentation 'Bologna' and Music by Martin Prchal, Ester Tomasi-Fumics and Christopher Caine	Download here
Presentation of Stefan Delplace (EURASHE) 12.02.2010	Download here
Presentation of Helka Kekäläinen (ENQA) 12.02.2010	Download here
Presentation of Christian Bjerke (ESU) 12.02.2010	Download here
Introduction to the Workshop Sessions 12.02.2010	Download here
Introcution to workshop 3: Internal Quality Assurance as Preparation for the Evaluation of a Degree Programme 13.02.2010	Download here

Suggested reading for the conference
After Tuning there is Articulation Conference Reader	Download here

Preparatory material for Workshops
Example of a first cycle programme	Download here
Questions for workshop session 1: Mapping Learning Outcomes for a Degree Programme	Download here
Questions for workshop session 2: Mapping Assessment for a Degree Programme	Download here
Questions for workshop session 3: Internal Quality Assurance as preparation for the External Evaluation of a Degree Programme	Download here
Curriculum template for workshop session 1	Download here
Assessment template for workshop session 2	Download here
AEC/Polifonia-Lernergebnisse für den ersten, zweiten und dritten Musikstudienzyklus	Download here

Preparatory material
Tuning Educational Structures in Europe - Reference Points for the Design and Delivery of Degree Programmes in Music	English
AEC Framework Document "Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Music Education: Characteristics, Criteria and Procedures	English, Français, Deutsch
Handbook for Internal Quality Assurance in Higher Music Education	English, Français, Deutsch
Curriculum Design and Development in Higher Music Education	English, Français, Deutsch