Standardization of educational data

The full-scale realization of flexible studies across university boundaries (student mobility) and the related electronic access services are key targets for the Finnish Virtual University (FVU). Commonly approved data specifications for educational information (curricula, course execution data and credits data) are a prerequisite for educational co-operation and data transfer across university boundaries.

Commonly used data specifications are also the foundation for the electronic application system for flexible studies maintained by the FVU, which assembles data transferred from different student information systems and educational information systems.

For this reason, the FVU has strongly supported work to create common curriculum description formats and definitions for course information and academic records.

Four sets of specifications have so far been approved for common use both in Finnish universities and polytechnics (M refers to metadata):

• M0: Study Rights Data (available in English soon)
• M1: Degree, Study Module and Course Unit Data
• M2: Course Unit Realisation Data
• M3: Credits Data

The FVU owns the rights for the M specifications and the specifications are available under a CC-licence.

In the years to come, Finnish universities will increase their educational co-operation with foreign universities. The specifications are designed to accommodate the requirements of the European Higher Education Area and the ongoing international standardization.