1. IMPLEMENTING EUROPEAN SLPS -
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
STAKEHOLDERS
Ingrid Thaler
FernUniversität in Hagen
Germany
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2. 1. Background - Surveys
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• Based on two internal surveys among
the project partners
• Survey 1: slps at partner institutions –
• Survey 2: strategic embedding

3. Who We Are
Project consists of 13 partners:
10 dedicated distance ed universities
FernUni Hagen, OUUK, OUNL, UNED, OUC,
HOU, UNINETTUNO, AU, Uab, UOC, JYU,
+ 3 on-campus universities
KUL, NADE, AGH
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4. Who Are You?
SURVEY
• Distance ed university
• On-campus university
• National policy maker
• European policymaker
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5. 2. Recommendations for European
and national policy stakeholders

6. Outline: Fields of Action
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7. Find common ground
Think European and national policy
levels together
 institutional level reflects diversity of
European higher education systemy
(funding, quality assurance/
accreditation,length of BA/MA programs)
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8. Outline: Fields of Action
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9. FoA I: SLPs within European HEIs
• define: academic competences, small-
sized learning units 5-30 ECTS
• SLPs as European he format and brand:
integration into Bologna cycles
Success depends on sufficient
recognition
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10. FoA I - continued
• Assess and link European and national
needs for lifelong learning via
a)European level: joint English offerings
b)national level: individual, national-
language offerings
Mediate European and national higher
education foci with input from national
and institutional stakeholdersCC-BY-SA 4.0 10

11. FoA II: Content and QA
• focus on lifelong learning
offerings on all levels strengthens European he
• Established QA practices too extensive
develop a fast-paced European quality
assurance via E-xcellence label
Design SLPs within a year
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12. FoA III: Funding
• SLPs challenge existing business models within
higher education
address diversity of European higher education
business models
• SLPs rely on additional, targeted European funding
schemes
dedicate a European funding program for lifelong
learning SLP development and implementation
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13. FoA IV: visibility and incentives
• Increase visibility through a central,
international and open repository
eSLP Platform
• Creating incentives for mission-based SLPs
as incubators for innovation
 across all academic fields
from technological innovation to teacher training and local leadership
professions
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14. Recommendations for higher
education institutions

15. Fields of Action
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16. FoA I: Institutional Profile
• Reconcile European initiatives with your
institutions’ learners
SLPs adapt European-induced content for local
and regional learners
• Adapt an institutional lifelong mission to be
eligible for funding
SLPs can shape the lifelong learning mission of
higher education institutions.
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17. FoA II: designing and implementing SLPS
• Define the format
 SLPs are stackable, short offerings, covering 5 to 30 ECTS.
 Identify institutional stakeholders:
 Market analysis and research
 Students: satisfaction surveys and other forms of student
feedback
 Regional cooperation, among them with cities,
municipalities, or federal states
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18. FoA II: continued
 Partnerships with local and civil society
 Business partners, such as companies and corporations
 Trending agencies and employer’s representative associations
 SLPs rely on the identification of stakeholders through
different means.
• Develop a dedicated extension scheme for continuing education
development in your institution as “incubator for innovation”
 SLPs form part of dedicated continuing education schemes in
order to innovate existing programs; avoid spin-off scenarios
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19. Conclusions
• Focus is on policy level: we need the
Bologna framework
• Future perspective on institutional level:
European collaboration projects to move
things forward
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20. Conclusions
Short Learning Programmes
1. need to focus on academic competences;
2. need to be integrated into the Bologna structures to be a
vital European offering;
3. should be used to mediate European and national higher
education foci;
4. need input from regional and institutional stakeholders;
5. help to maintain learners’ interest in higher education;
6. should be integrated into quality assurance mechanisms;
7. challenge existing business models within higher education;
8. rely on additional, targeted funding schemes.
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21. Conclusions
Short Learning Programmes
9. Increase their visibility through a central, international and open
repository.
10. demand recognition as incubators for innovation in higher education
institutions.
11. adapt European-induced content for local and regional learners.
12. can shape the lifelong learning mission of higher education
institutions.
13. should be perceived as stackable, short offerings, covering 5 to 30
ECTS.
14. rely on the identification of stakeholders through different means.
15. have to form part of continuing education units to innovate existing
programs.
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22. Contact
Ingrid Thaler
International Office
ingrid.thaler@fernuni-hagen.de
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23. Erasmus+: 590202-EPP-1-2017-1-NL-EPPKA3-PI-FORWARD
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