Implementation of identification and validation of non-formal and informal learning A critical issue in a strongly structured VET-system

1
Implementation of identification and validation
of non-formal and informal learning A critical
issue in a strongly structured VET-system

• EPANIL second meeting 23./24. June 2005 in Arras,
  France
• Gerald Heidegger, Irina Michel, Wiebke Petersen
• biat/University of Flensburg

2
Societal preconditions in a corporatistic
structure of VET and CVT

• VET and CVT are mostly governed by employers and
  trade unions not by the state
• VET and CVT- structure is connected with a
  strongly structured system of labour relations
• As a result VET and CVT- certificates have an
  impact on the legal labour rights of the
  employees

3
Societal preconditions in a corporatistic
structure of VET and CVT

• Any accreditation of non-formal and informal
  learning has to be treated according to the laws
  and agreements in labour relations
• Results
• Most of the European Principles are partly
  secured through the following regulations
• ?

4
Societal preconditions in a corporatistic
structure of VET and CVT

• Examples regarding those principles
• Individual entitlements (particularly right to
  appeal)
• Validation integral part of human resource
  development
• based on social dialog
• Confidence and trust guidance is not required
• Impartiality required but not always secured,
  also with respect to training of
  assessors
• Credibility and Legitimacy unions are included,
  however often not on operational level

5
Relevance of non-formal and informal learning in
a corporatistic structure Germany as an
example

• Rising awareness of the individuals
  responsibility and self-organization capabilities
  in continuing education
• Non-formal and informal learning as part of
  lifelong learning are gaining more attention in
  this context
• Strong legal framework for lifelong learning in
  formal contexts
• BUT initiatives for validation of non-formal and
  informal learning within continuing education are
  without formalized legal framework
• Legal framework becomes important when
  certificates are used in connection with an
  actual employment
•  

6
Relevance of non-formal learning in the (dual)
apprenticeship system

• The dual system consists of two learning
  environments
• Worked based learning in the company offering
• ? formal learning options, e.g. cooking
  according to the instructions of the Meister
• ? non-formal learning options, e.g. observing
  and participating in the daily work process
• School-based learning
• ? mainly formal learning options

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Relevance of non-formal learning in the (dual)
apprenticeship system

• Final exam only testing of some specific
  abilities, skills and
• knowledge, activity is equated with
  competence
• Expectation background and competence of the
  trainee is much
• broader than shown in the final examination
• ? Input oriented idea of VET!!!
• ? Therefore non-formal and informal learning
  is no alternative to an apprenticeship
  in the dual system!!!
• Consequence separate accreditation of
  non-formal and
• informal learning relevant only in CVT

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Relevance of non-formal and informal learning for
CVT and lifelong learning

• Most CVT courses are similar to the
  IVET-principles non-formal learning is included
  in the formal learning (Meister in the crafts
  and industry)
• Accreditation is only complementary to the
  formally accredited occupational certificates
• Most important case of identification of
  non-formal and informal learning profiling
  schemes

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Relevance of non-formal and informal learning for
CVT and lifelong learning Germany as an example

• Profiling schemes on behalf of the labour
  office
• Assessment of competences and skills for the
  re-integration into the labour market focusing
  on
• Former occupational experience
• Content related knowledge
• Curriculum vitae
• Mother Tongue
• Foreign language(s)
• IT-skills
• Personal and key-competences
• ? no formal system of accreditation
• ? the fact that the profiling-sheet is owned by
  the labour office is
• contradictory to European Principles

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Recognition of non-formal and informal learning
in a strongly structured VET and CVT-system?

• ? Weiterbildungspass/ ProfilPASS- initiative
• ? Model of a national pass certifying informal
  learning
• ? Model project of the Federal and States
  Commitee on Planning Education and Promoting
  Research (Bund-Länder Kommission für
  Bildungsplanung und Forschungsförderung)
• ? Financed and commissioned by the German
  Federal and States Ministries of Education
  (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung-
  BMBF)

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Strongly structured system model of a portfolio
for lifelong learning methods and instruments

• First recording system measuring informal
  learning
• Open recording system
• ? operates with a concrete context in which the
  performed activity is described referring
  to suggested competences including e.g.
  ability to work independently or in a team
• ? person can complete the list of suggested
  competencies on his/her own
• ? the duration is registered
• ? Outcomes are certified by a third person or
  organization

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Strongly structured system model of a portfolio
for lifelong learning methods and instruments

• Second recording system measuring informal
  learning
• Closed recording system
• ? gives a complete list of competencies
• ? person can not add additional recordings
• ? performed activity is described and
  registered within a concrete
  context and by a third person or
  organization

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Model of a portfolio for lifelong learning -
conclusions for a strongly structured system

• Assessment stage
• Describing learning efficiencies and competencies
• Mostly consisting of self-evaluation of the
  portfolio/ passowner along a given list of
  competencies
• Not involving external institutions that
  scientifically measure recorded competences
• ? Little checkable procedures missing assessment
  of how far the experience has been a learning
  experience

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Strongly structured system model of a portfolio
for lifelong learning contents

• First and main step
• ? documentation of formal, non-formal and
  informal learning
• Contents
• ? School leaving certificates (formal)
• ? Formally accredited occupational
  certificates
• ? Formally accredited certificates of further
• Education
• ? Formally accredited certificates of
  continuing education
• (particularly including non-formal
  learning)
• ? Work certificates issued by the employers
  (comprehending mostly non-formally
  acquired competencies)

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Strongly structured system model of a portfolio
for lifelong learning - examples

• Reports of ones own documentation about the
  processes of non-formal and informal learning
• Reports about voluntary work (related to
  citizenship) portfolio Nachweismappe Ehrenamt
• Portfolio about processes of non-formal and
  informal learning (Kompetenzbilanz)

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Model of a portfolio for lifelong learning -
Kompetenzhandbuch as an example part one

• Originally devised by the metal workers union (IG
  Metall) for the IT occupations ( for these a
  close interrelation between formal education and
  informal learning is widely spread nerds)
• Aim to collect, identify, discover and make
  visible personal and occupational competences
• Three steps
• ? portfolio
• ? standardized questionnaire
• ? action planning

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Model of a portfolio for lifelong learning -
Kompetenzhandbuch as an example part two

• First step
• ? portfolio for the analysis for the
  individual profile of competences (strengths
  and weaknesses) as mentioned
• Second step
• standardized questionnaire for the
  analysis of personal potentials
  including
• ? Contentedness with the present occupational
  situation
• ? Fields of interest
• ? Key competencies
• ? Self-confidence
• ? Possible fields of future work
• Third step ? action planning
• ? Aims of personal development
• ? Endeavours for realising these objectives

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Model project for identification and evaluation
of informal learning Kompetenzbilanz

• Not to be mixed up with bilan de compétence
  only related to informal learning
• The following show the characteristics describing
  the operational steps
• ?

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Model project for identification and evaluation
of informal learning Kompetenzbilanz

• Biographical learning environments
• Important learning experiences (mind-map)
• Learning experiences drawn from family related
  learning situations (mind map)
• Coping strategies, field of activity and
  necessary competences
• Daily schedule (table showing learning
  experiences)
• Relation of learning in the family to learning
  during work
• Table of personal profile of competencies
• Self- and external evaluation (friends,
  supervisor, counsellor)
• Checklist for using the competence profile

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Model project for identification and evaluation
of formal, non-formal and informal learning
ProfilPASS

• Documentation of competencies gained in the
  following learning environments
• Overview of ones life and looking back at what
  is important today
• Fields of activity
• ? hobbies
• ? household
• ? family
• ? school
• ? vocational education
• ? work
• ? voluntary work
• ? special life circumstances

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Model project for identification and evaluation
of formal, non-formal and informal learning
ProfilPASS

• Documentation of competencies gained in the
  following learning environments
• Balance get an overview of abilities and
  competences
• Goals and next steps wishes and personal goals,
  preferred leisure time and work activities,
  interests to be liked to pursued
• Collecting of reports follows recommendations
  for the Europass

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Societal conditions for implementing a Portfolio
of lifelong learning in a strongly structured
system

• Feasibility study regarding such a portfolio
• (Weiterbildungspass) concludes
• Goals of the pass initiatives move between
  individual, societal and corporate demands and
  are often motivated merely economically
• Passes operate incompletely and with little
  systematic procedures additional recordings can
  not be included or external institutions that
  measure the competencies are not involved
  (compared to CEP) ? first results of
  evaluation

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Societal conditions for implementing a Portfolio
of lifelong learning in a strongly structured
system

• Particularly demand of the unions not only
  outcomes should be documented but also processes
  of learning which show the ability and openness
  for learning
• Counselling is substantial some work agreements
  already contain this requirement laws guiding
  labour relations and have to be recognised when
  the portfolios are used by the employers
• Employees fear to be occupied employers want as
  much transparency as possible
• Employers want the documentation and the
  evaluation to be as comprehensive as possible but
  are not prepared to provide the necessary
  resources

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CONCLUSIONS

• General fundamental contradiction
• All groups wish the recognition of the portfolio
  but the legal
• conditions only allow this to a certain degree!
• Various initiatives show the relevance of the
  topic in the national arena and willingness on
  national scale to implement non-formal and
  informal learning into the legal framework of
  continuing education
• Too early to compare the efficiency and
  effectiveness of many initiatives
• Non-formal and informal learning moves between
  individual, corporate and societal demands
• Mostly input oriented identification of
  non-formal and informal learning in Germany