12th of January, 2007

Institut Technik und Bildung (IT+B)

Started:

11 hrs until 16.30 hrs

Attendencies:

Johanna Lasonen, Pekka Kämäräinen, Ludger Deitmer (from 12.30 onwards), David Guile, Jeroen Onstenk, Magda Balica, Magdolna Benke, Krista Loogma (until 13 hrs), M’ Hamed Dif

Excused:

Philipp Grollmann, Marja-Leena Stenström, Lorenz Lasnigg, Fernando Marhuenda, Barbara Stalder

Welcome

A short introduction about the research work of the ITB was undertaken by Michael Gessler.

1. Briefing session on the possibilities of the VETNET to monitor the work with EQF (input Pekka)

Pekka please bring in some sentences on this point here….

2. Planning of next VETNET/ ECER conference, for 2007, at University of Gent, Belgium (departing from out ideas to improve the performance of the conference and planning the next call)

Ludger gave brief report on VETNET community.

Summary of Ludger's report on VETNET community:

• Increased attendance of VET participants for conferences in Hamburg (03), Crete(04), Dublin (05) and Geneve (06). Rising international interest from abroad, like Canada, Australia.
• Active by co-support by programme chairs: Nikitas Patiniotis for Crete; Barry Nyhan for Dublin and Barbara Stalder for Geneva.
• Double blind review process has improved the quality of the proposals.
• Wide spectrum of VET contributions for environment, systems, learning processes and professional developments.
• Establishment of two regular joint plenary sessions: Opening colloquium and VETNET Forum
• Equipping the Homepage with detailed programme abstracts and list of authors (as during the last years) and over 600 people have been registered on the page

Following that, Ludger suggested some points for improvement to be envisaged for the next period of the Board (2006-09). One of his major arguments was to realize a better administrative (electronic!) support for the review process while handling over 200 reviews. Also he sees the production of conference proceedings as an rather urgent task. For next conferences it has to be avoided to set up four parallel sessions and to bring more focus and clarification into the programme. Instead of a rising umber of symposia (Geneva: 9!) also other conference arrangements like round table and workshops should be favorised. The communication with the network in total may be improved. An electronic journal as well as an extension of the homepage service may help in this.

Departing from the initial Boards wish list several proposals to improve the quality of the 2007 programme in Ghent were discussed. I was agreed that the broad participation in the VETNET programme at ECER 06 (over 90 contributions from ca. 150 authors) has made some changes necessary. The Board will try to fit all presentations to three parallel strands to allow more time for reflective discussion.

Here the Board decisions points:

• Thematic sessions: The Board agreed to claim for thematic sessions within VETNET in order to deliver a better orientation. Also more Posters and round table sessions were given priority to enhance dialogue. It was agreed to cover within VETNET seven thematic areas:
  1. Globalisation, Vet Systems and Innovation
  2. Accreditation, Qualifications and Frameworks
  3. Work Based Learning, Apprenticeship and Re-Training
  4. Professionalisation, Competence Development and Life Long Learning
  5. Boundary Crossing, Transitions and Transfers
  6. Curriculum, Pedagogy and Learning Resources (including E-Learning)
  7. Cultural Diversity, Learners and VET
• Number of Contributions: The board decided that the proposals should be limited to a maximum of two prepared contributions (e.g. one paper and/or poster and/or paper at a symposium). Round tables are recommended as forums for free discussion on emerging ideas and research initiatives.
• Detailing the Title of the session: Topic of the particular session is not clear enough only with the title in the programme. Two to three sentences might enrol what is on stage and deliver for better orientation.
• Delivery of papers beforehand: It was agreed that in order to provide proceedings and strengthen the homepage it is necessary that every author has to deliver a draft version of his paper before the conference. The length of this draft is from four pages (at a minimum) to ten papers (at a maximum). For our next conference the date is the 3rd. September at the latest.
• Dummy abstract: The abstracts on the submitted proposals could be improved by presenting a well elaborated abstract. This can be done for the next conference in 2008.
• VETNET prize: Set up a prize for best paper in VETNET. This proposal was rejected for this year because of limited resources and difficulties to get this organized.
• Link with the ECER programme for Forum session: VETNET Forum should be also open for the whole EERA conference – into the parallel session programme
• Amendments on programme setting: For the future any amendments after the programme is finalised and set up (July 07) have to be neglected.
• Electronic support: Effective electronic support for review process has to be envisaged. Board members are requested to look out for possible solutions. Ludger talks with Graham
• VETNET electronic newsletter: one before the conference and one after. The first letter should report about the programme and may be launched in June or July. Ludger, Pekka and Graham will make proposal for this.

3. Re-organizing the work of the Board (proposal by the Convenor)

This point will be discussed in Ghent on the next Board meeting.

4. Discussion on the main agenda /issues for VET in the near Future (ISSUES Mapping)

Johanna and Ludger prepared for an issues debate on the mapping of current R&D issues in VET. The main purpose of this mapping is to anticipate some future needs of VET research in Europe and to start a dialogue between the board members (rather tentative and subjectively). This could contribute in a later stage (!) to a R&D plan of the VETNET programme and its Board. The benefit of such plan would be to anticipate current issues in VET research and to contribute to thematic clustering. This may deliver also for research collaborations under each other personally (and institutionally) in respect to European research funding possibilities.

The following four questions were prepared for this debate:

1. What is the relevant agenda for VET that should be followed up in the near future from your point of you?
2. What is the relevance of this agenda for VET policies in a European perspective, e.g. LLL AND FP7?
3. What are the main obstacles by following up this specific VET agenda point?
4. What could be the research and development implications?

Because of time restrictions only the first questions was addressed during our meeting. Here the results.

Next VETNET board meeting 12.30 - 14.30 Thursday, Sept 20 at Ghent University

The next VETNET board meeting will be held at Ghent University on Thursday, Sept 20th between 12.30 and 14.30.

• room will be announced
• (Basket Lunch)

Downloadable version:

[Word] Minutes of International VETNET Board meeting 2007, University of Bremen

Preview Info - minute_bremen_board_meeting_12_01_07.doc - 57.00 Kb

microsoft Word version of the minutes of the VETNET Board meeting 2007, University of Bremen