Towards a culture of learning: a European policy perspective

Two of the most important education and training policies developed (and still being developed) by the European Commission (EC) are those of the Validation of Non-formal and Informal Learning and a Learning Outcomes approach to the specification of learning. Both of these policies are intended to contribute to the achievement of a Lifelong Learning culture within the community. This short article is based upon a half-day training session delivered to officers of the EC (Brussels, October, 2008) and the follow-up summary paper

The individual perspective on VPL : a comparison of experiences from Germany, Poland, Denmark and Turkey

The validation of prior non-formal and informal learning (VPL) is central to the EU’s approach of lifelong learning. It aims to enhance the employability, labour market opportunities and educational perspectives of disadvantaged individuals on the labour market, such as low-skilled, unemployed and migrant workers. VPL is seen and conceptualised as a tool to improve social inclusion and the labour market mobility of all age groups. At the same time, it increases the transparency and usability of informal learning outcomes. This paper emphasises the individual perspective on VPL in Germany, Poland, Denmark and Turkey. Going beyond the policy level, it is necessary to focus on the individual benefit of a validation process. The paper links institutional VPL practice based on the national validation policy with the concrete benefits to the individuals who have started or completed a validation process. This comparative analysis of the four European countries, with their varying regions and socio-cultural context, shows the differences between national understandings and practices of VPL and their impact on individuals

Potrjevanje neformalnega izobraževanja in priložnostnega učenja z evropske perspektive – povezovanje postopkov potrjevanja z nacionalnim ogrodjem kvalifikacij

The paper analyses European policy on the validation of non-formal and informal learning, which is presented as a “salvation narrative” that can improve the functioning of the labour market, provide a way out from unemployment and strengthen the competitiveness of the economy. Taking as our starting point recent findings in adult education theory on the validation of non-formal and informal learning, we aim to prove the thesis that what European validation policy promotes is above all economic purpose and that it establishes a “Credential/Credit-exchange” model of validation of non-formal and informal learning. We proceed to ecxamine the effect of European VNIL policy in selected European countries where validation arrangements are linked to the qualifications framework. We find that the “Credential/ Credit-exchange” validation model was first established in a few individual European countries and then transferred, as a “successful” model, to the level of common European VNIL policy.V prispevku analiziramo evropsko politiko potrjevanja neformalnega izobraževanja in priložnostnega učenja, ki je predstavljena kot »pripoved odrešitve« za izboljšanje delovanja trga dela, izhod iz brezposelnosti in krepitev konkurenčnosti gospodarstva. Izhajajoč iz sodobnejših spoznanj v teoriji izobraževanja odraslih o vrednotenju neformalnega izobraževanja in priložnostnega učenja, dokazujemo tezo, da evropska politika vrednotenja spodbuja predvsem ekonomski namen, kakor tudi vzpostavlja »kvalifikacijsko/ kreditni« model potrjevanja neformalnega izobraževanja in priložnostnega učenja. V nadaljevanju preučujemo vpliv evropske politike potrjevanja neformalnega izobraževanja in priložnostnega učenja v izbranih evropskih državah na primeru povezovanja postopkov potrjevanja z ogrodjem kvalifikacij ter ugotavljamo, da se je »kvalifikacijsko/kreditni« model potrjevanja uveljavil najprej v določenih evropskih državah in se kot »uspešen« model prenesel na raven skupne evropske politike potrjevanja neformalnega izobraževanja in priložnostnega učenja

Global Perspectives on Recognising Non-formal and Informal Learning:Why Recognition Matters

This book deals with the relevance of recognition, validation and accreditation (RVA) of non-formal and informal learning in education and training, the workplace and society. It examines RVA’s strategic policy objectives and best practice features as well as the challenges faced and ways forward as reported by Member States. Special attention is paid to the analysis of institutional and political requirements that give genuine value to the recognition of non-formal and informal learning; the role played by RVA in education, working life, voluntary work and social inclusion; and the interests and motivations of all stakeholders, as well as the importance of their cooperation and acceptance. The overall aim of this book is to share experience, expertise and lessons learned concerning RVA of non-formal and informal learning across UNESCO Member States. Global Perspectives on Recognising Non-formal and Informal Learning: Why Recognition Matters addresses issues that will be of interest to a wide audience of education policymakers, researchers and practitioners as they seek out ways of reengineering education for change in order to improve the relevance, effectiveness and quality of learning

Making Adult Skills Visible: Implications for Practice and Policy

A number of European Union priorities focus on sustained and shared approaches to making skills visible as well as supporting mobility of workforces within Europe including the integration of migrants and refugees. Supportive, transnational processes for the recognition and validation of learning provide an opportunity to maximise human capital and to benefit labour markets and societies generally leading to improved economic performance. The Visible Skills of Adults (VISKA) is an Erasmus+ Key Action 3 Project, filed under the call priority theme of “Employment and Skills: validation of informal and non-formal learning in Education and Training.” The project partners, from Norway, Iceland, Belgium-Flanders and Ireland will address European and national policy priorities by cooperating to make knowledge, skills and competences of adults more visible through consideration of the practice of validation of informal and non-formal learning and the implementation of some field trials. An initial mapping process of the national contexts has provided a baseline set of data on the existing processes, procedural information and resources related to the validation of learning of migrants /immigrants, refugees and those with low qualifications within partner jurisdictions and subsequently reflected into an EU context prior to implementation of various interventions planned by the project team. This vital relative information provides a context for the action-based interventions and a framework for the evaluation of the outcomes.This paper details the five planned interventions drawn up by the project partners and the positions them in relation to the data collection processes and the potential for the project to contribute to policy at a local, national and European level. It addresses how well these interventions map to the European Guidelines for the Validation of Non-Formal and Informal Learning and inform the national responses to these guidelines, and previews the project outputs and outcomes The focus of this paper is to detail how the interventions relate to the evaluation of competence of low-skilled, migrants and refugees for the purposes of identifying further opportunities as informed by their existing knowledge, skill and competence

Open educational resources and teaching in the 21st century: questions concerning authority

As a source of materials for education the Web is, to a large extent, shifting ground. Open Educational Resources (OER) provided by Higher Education Institutions constitute, at least in principle, a reliable category of Web-based resources given their association with traditional forms of expert authority. Nevertheless, OER embody different aspects of academic thinking and practice, competing, in an unlevelled field, with other sources that may provide a much more immediate appeal in that they afford quick and easy consumption of information delivered in a piecemeal, often uncritical, fashion. This paper draws upon a piece of research in the area of ‘online informal learning’ to illustrate issues arising from the availability of open content and, in particular, OER. This research suggests a number of aspects related to the impact of open content on assumed boundaries between teacher/learner, formal/informal learning, training/education, content/presentation and, crucially, in how the blurring of these boundaries may have an impact on the location of ‘value’ within views of education in which marketing and business discourses predominate. The paper argues that, despite the need for critical debate on issues regarding validation, current arguments focusing on ‘expertise’ risk diluting its significance in subtle yet fundamental ways

Validating informal and non-formal learning through lifepass

The need to recognise and validate informal and non-formal learning has been recognised as part of Europe's Lisbon Strategy. and again in the EU2020 Strategy. This is both for economic reasons and social reasons. On an economic level Europe needs to havee a skilled workforce. Documenting all skills and competences thus becomes relevant. On a social level, many limes it is those marginalised citizens or those at risk of poverty who often do not possess formal qualifications but learn through their life and work experiences. This paper describes and discusses the development of an innovative ICT tool, Lifepass, to be used for the validation of informal and nonformal learning. This tool provides new approaches to present evidence of individuals' knowledge, skills and competences which is much more powerful than the Europass CV and different to the traditional porifolio. The results of the piloting exercise of Lifepass across ten different sectors and in nine different countries will be presented. Although not finalised and some problems were identified with respect to Lifepass, the researchers felt that Lifepass is a powerful tool which, although still needing further developed for the validation of informal and non-formal learning, can be that tool which suprecedes the Europass CV at European level.peer-reviewe