Development and challenges of the credit point system in Dutch higher education

Abstract

This article will focus on the credit point system and especially on the Dutch system. In many countries such a system has a long history, but in others it is a relatively new phenomenon. In the first section, the objectives of credit point systems will be introduced. In the second section the emergence and characteristics of the credit point system in the Netherlands will be presented. In the third section, some results of student behaviour in the first year in Higher education will be shown for different groups of students, such as how many credit points on average they earned and how many hours per week on average they studied. The findings demonstrate how empirical results from student behaviour, combined with the norms of the credit point system, can be used to evaluate the accountability of the academic programmes. In the last section, some challenges for the use of credit point systems in the nearby future will be discussed. Recently, one can see a rapid change from the traditional ways of testing to the assessment of competencies of students and student portfolios.     

Who succeeds in advanced mathematics and science courses?

Few students (particularly few girls) currently choose to take their Final School Examination (FSE) in advanced mathematics, chemistry and physics, a combination of subjects that is the best preparation for a science‐oriented study in higher education. Are these subjects attainable by more students than is currently the case? This study examined 6033 students in upper secondary education, including 720 students who took their FSE in advanced mathematics, chemistry and physics. The results show that the latter group (and in particular the girls in that group) had higher scores on math ability than students who chose other examination subjects. Regression analyses demonstrated the relative importance of math ability and achievement motivation for attainment in these science subjects. However, an expected positive effect of homework time as well as possible mediating and moderating effects of the predictors could not be confirmed.     

本科生医学教育课程的国际认证

本文是一篇由世界医学教育联合会(WFME)执委会起草的文件。该文件系统地论述了WFME一项对本科生医学教育机构和课程实施国际认证的政策,重申认证医学教育机构和课程的基本原则。在这一文件中,作者也论述了认证的目的、目标、内容和方法。最后,作者宣布,为适应认证的需要,WFME将出版一本新的卫生专业教育机构全球指南,并开发一个有关认证医学院校和课程的数据库。