An Assessment of the ECTS in Software Engineering: A Teaching Experience

Spain is currently implementing the regulatory modifications promulgated by the Declaration of Bologna, which should result in the updating of the structure of university degrees, and the inclusion of the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) methodology. In some Spanish universities, the experimental adoption of this methodology has been encouraged, with the aim of gaining experience which could be extrapolated to other qualifications and subjects when this system becomes compulsory, which is expected to be in 2008. This paper examines the teaching methodologies that follow the experimental introduction of the ECTS in the Technical Software Engineering degree course taught at the Higher Technical College of the University of Cordoba, Spain. Based on data gathered in three specific subjects during the first and third years, this paper defines the teaching strategies implemented in order to increase the active role of students during their learning. The utility of e-learning tools in this type of teaching is discussed and the academic results are compared with results obtained in previous years using more traditional teaching methodologies.