ECTS Credit Allocation Based on the Student Workload Needed in Order to Achieve Expected Learning Outcomes

At Ege University, two types of credits, national credit and ECTS, have being used for each course. The national credit is based on contact hours (i.e. theoretical or practical hours per week). 1.0 credit stands for each hour of lecture a week and 0.5 credit stands for each hour of laboratory, or practical a week. The allocation of ECTS credits to course units has been based on student workload required to achieve the learning outcomes of the course units. They reflect the quantity of work each course unit requires in relation to the total quantity of work necessary to complete a full year of academic study at Ege University, that is, lectures, laboratory study, preparation of projects, clinical study, practical work, seminars, tutorials, fieldwork, private study – in the library or at home – and examinations or other assessment activities. ECTS has been based on a full student workload and not limited to contact hours only.

In the allocation of the credits, the key features of ECTS have been applied. Credits have been allocated to all educational components of a study program (modules, course placements, practical training, thesis study, etc.)

During the period of ECTS credits allocation , first the aims of the courses and the learning outcomes expected have been defined and then the student workload acquired have been allocated by the instructors. 60 ECTS credits are attached to the workload of a full-time academic year, and normally 30 ECTS credits per semester. At Ege University, student workload is 1800 hours for an academic year, whereby one credit corresponds to 30 hours of work.

In the ECTS credits implementation first the credits of the common courses at the university level and at the faculty level have been allocated upon the decision by the committee whose members are ECTS faculty coordinators. Last, the ECTS credits of the individual courses at the departmental level have been allocated upon the decision by the committee whose members are the academic staff of the department .

The studies on checking of the student workload of each course unit have being implemented by the results of the questionnaires applied to students.