The Power of VPL: Validation of Prior Learning as a Multi-targeted Approach For Access to Learning Opportunities For All

Preface from Ruud Duvekot: Learning is more than ever important and valuable, people are encouraged to invest in their potential throughout their lives, taking into account their prior learning. According to policy papers all across the globe, this should concern all citizens, including the underrepresented groups and non-traditional learners with regard to higher education because everywhere the knowledge-economy needs more higher-educated participation from all..

The many perspectives of valuing learning

Valuing Learning is the process of promoting participation in and outcomes of (formal or non-formal) learning and as such the organising principle for lifelong learning strategies. It aims at the recognition and validation of prior learning (VPL) and further development. Four main models of Valuing Learning can be distinguished: (1) the educational model for initiating particular qualifications, (2) the upgrade model for determining an organisation’s need for competences, (3) the Human Resource Development (HRD) model for matching employees’ competences to organisational aims, and (4) the lifelong learning model for supporting personal development. In this article Valuing Learning is explained in the broad context of Europe’s development as a learning society.Mokymosi vertinimas – tai dalyvavimo mokymosi procese bei mokymosi pasiekimų (įgytų formaliuoju ar neformaliuoju būdu) pripažinimo skatinimas, tokiu būdu tampantis pagrindiniu mokymosi visą gyvenimą strategijos principu. Jo tikslas – pripažinti ir pagrįsti ankstesnio mokymosi pasiekimus bei skatinti tolesnį tobulėjimą. Galima išskirti keturis pagrindinius mokymosi vertinimo modelius: 1) švietimo modelį, skirtą tam tikrų kvalifikacijų įgijimui, 2) tobulėjimo modelį, skirtą padėti organizacijai nustatyti jai reikalingų kompetencijų poreikį, 3) Žmogiškųjų išteklių plėtros (ŽIP) modelį, kuris padeda susieti darbuotojo kompetencijas su organizacijos tikslais, ir (4) mokymosi visą gyvenimą modelį, kurio tikslas yra skatinti individualų tobulėjimą. Šiame straipsnyje mokymosi vertinimas yra aiškinamas plačiame Europos, kaip besimokančios visuomenės, kontekste

Leren Waarderen : Een studie van de Erkenning van Verworven Competenties en gepersonaliseerd leren

In the present 'learning society' continuous or lifelong learning is important for everyone, for the individual as well as for society and its organizations and institutions. While the sustainability of the diploma and the job "for life" decreases, the usefulness and necessity of lifelong learning to enable people to maintain or improve their position in society increases. This study is about Valuing Learning, or themeaning, form and content of lifelong learning. The main subject is the linkage between the systematics of Validation of Prior Learning (VPL) and the process of personalised learning. Valuing Learning is a dualistic concept, which concerns both valuing Learning and learning Valuing. It is based on valuing by people themselves and by organisations within the learning system, and the social system of all the learning that people have done independently of learning programmes. However, the converse is also true, namely learning to value these types of learning experiences from the belief that something can always be learned, irrespective of the time and place. The notion that everybody actually learns throughout their entire lifetimes, and that much of this learning can be made visible, is the link between the function of learning as seen from the perspective of the individual, organisation and 'school'. This is what the Valuing Learningconcept expresses. VPL is a system which, independent of the form of learning (formal, non-formal, informal), focuses on recognising, valuing, validating and developing the competences that someone has previously learned in any kind of learning environment. Personalised learning is the dynamic learning concept focused on the individual learner, which can initiate (or help initiate) and establish tailored individual learning programmes in a learning culture based on self-driven, flexible, prospective lifelong learning. While VPL identifies the potential value of a person's learning, personalised learning presupposes that VPL can support somebody’s contribution to the dialogue with other actors on the meaning, form and content of learning. VPL and personalized learning are processes that allow the learning individual to take on an active role in achieving personal and social perspective. The relationship between the two processes is examined at the level of theory, policy and empiricism. The outcome of the research is that VPL for personalized learning can be valuable for all actors in the learning triangle – individual/organisation/’school’ - as long as they can and want to switch between their objectives, approach and identity. The deployment of VPL for personalized learning can demonstrably enhance the dialogues on meaning, content and form of learning within this triangle. It is this understanding that the acceptance and practical application of VPL for personalized learning supports. But it is above all the individual who learns, not the organisation, ‘school’ or the system, with the concept of Valuing Learning as a driving force

Cooperate to validate. OBSERVAL-NET experts\u27 reports on Validation of Non-formal and Informal Learning (VNIL) 2013

The present publication is one of the outcomes of the OBSERVAL-NET project (follow-up of the OBSERVAL project). The main aim of OBSERVAL-NET was to set up a stakeholder-centric network of organisations supporting the validation of non-formal and informal learning in Europe based on the formation of national working groups in the 8 participating countries of the project. Each national working group worked towards bringing together key stakeholders in VNIL and political decision-makers at national level in order to coordinate policy implementation in the field. These national networks were supplemented by a cross-national level of networking, which focused on the following three thematic areas outlined in this publication: The bottom-up process: completely fixed yet. This is even more noticeable in the field of recognition and validation of non-formal and informal learning. Over many years, different terms have been used such as “Recognition of prior learning” (RPL), “Accreditation of prior learning” (APL) and “Validation of prior learning” (VPL). Sometimes, one might also see “Recognition of prior learning outcomes” (RPLO). Recognition, Accreditation and Validation cover distinct stages in the field. For example, recognition does not mean certification, while validation usually does. “Prior learning” has now been replaced by “Informal / non-formal learning” and the term used within the OBSERVAL-NET project is “Validation”. Thus, the term used for this report is “Validation of Non-formal and Informal Learning”, hereafter VNIL. (Author

Leren Waarderen: Een studie van de Erkenning van Verworven Competenties en gepersonaliseerd leren

In the present 'learning society' continuous or lifelong learning is important for everyone, for the individual as well as for society and its organizations and institutions. While the sustainability of the diploma and the job "for life" decreases, the usefulness and necessity of lifelong learning to enable people to maintain or improve their position in society increases. This study is about Valuing Learning, or themeaning, form and content of lifelong learning. The main subject is the linkage between the systematics of Validation of Prior Learning (VPL) and the process of personalised learning. Valuing Learning is a dualistic concept, which concerns both valuing Learning and learning Valuing. It is based on valuing by people themselves and by organisations within the learning system, and the social system of all the learning that people have done independently of learning programmes. However, the converse is also true, namely learning to value these types of learning experiences from the belief that something can always be learned, irrespective of the time and place. The notion that everybody actually learns throughout their entire lifetimes, and that much of this learning can be made visible, is the link between the function of learning as seen from the perspective of the individual, organisation and 'school'. This is what the Valuing Learningconcept expresses. VPL is a system which, independent of the form of learning (formal, non-formal, informal), focuses on recognising, valuing, validating and developing the competences that someone has previously learned in any kind of learning environment. Personalised learning is the dynamic learning concept focused on the individual learner, which can initiate (or help initiate) and establish tailored individual learning programmes in a learning culture based on self-driven, flexible, prospective lifelong learning. While VPL identifies the potential value of a person's learning, personalised learning presupposes that VPL can support somebody’s contribution to the dialogue with other actors on the meaning, form and content of learning. VPL and personalized learning are processes that allow the learning individual to take on an active role in achieving personal and social perspective. The relationship between the two processes is examined at the level of theory, policy and empiricism. The outcome of the research is that VPL for personalized learning can be valuable for all actors in the learning triangle – individual/organisation/’school’ - as long as they can and want to switch between their objectives, approach and identity. The deployment of VPL for personalized learning can demonstrably enhance the dialogues on meaning, content and form of learning within this triangle. It is this understanding that the acceptance and practical application of VPL for personalized learning supports. But it is above all the individual who learns, not the organisation, ‘school’ or the system, with the concept of Valuing Learning as a driving force

Cooperate to Validate: OBSERVAL-NET experts’ report on Validation of Non-formal and Informal learning (VNIL): OBSERVAL-NET experts’ report on Validation of Non-formal and Informal learning (VNIL) 2013

The present publication is one of the outcomes of the OBSERVAL-NET project (follow-up of the OBSERVAL project). The main aim of OBSERVAL-NET was to set up a stakeholder-centric network of organisations supporting the validation of non-formal and informal learning in Europe based on the formation of national working groups in the 8 participating countries of the project. Each national working group worked towards bringing together key stakeholders in VNIL and political decision-makers at national level in order to coordinate policy implementation in the field. These national networks were supplemented by a cross-national level of networking, which focused on the following three thematic areas outlined in this publication: The bottom-up process: completely fixed yet. This is even more noticeable in the field of recognition and validation of non-formal and informal learning. Over many years, different terms have been used such as “Recognition of prior learning” (RPL), “Accreditation of prior learning” (APL) and “Validation of prior learning” (VPL). Sometimes, one might also see “Recognition of prior learning outcomes” (RPLO). Recognition, Accreditation and Validation cover distinct stages in the field. For example, recognition does not mean certification, while validation usually does. “Prior learning” has now been replaced by “Informal / non-formal learning” and the term used within the OBSERVAL-NET project is “Validation”. Thus, the term used for this report is “Validation of Non-formal and Informal Learning”, hereafter VNIL. (Author

Aprendizaje a lo largo de la vida: Realidades, Desafios y Oportunidades de la Educaci\uf3n Superior en Am\ue9rica Latina

Volume che rappresenta il prodotto finale del progetto TRALL, finanziato dalla Commissione Europea. Sono presenti doversi contributi sulla tematica dell'Apprendimento Permanente (Lifelong Learning) specialmente nella prospettiva delle istituzioni universitarie nei contesti latinoamericani. Il volume \ue9 suddiviso in tre sezioni: a) Realidades y desarrollo de aprendizaje a lo largo de la vida en las instituciones de edcuaci\uf3n superior; b) Aseguramiento de la calidad, cr\ue9ditos, competencias y validaci\uf3n de aprendizajes previos; c) Oportunidades y desaf\uedos en el aprendizaje a lo largo de la vida para las instituciones universitarias