The recognition of non-formal and informal learning,

citizenship, and universities: an alchemist’s dream?

Mireille PougetPASCAL International Observatory Associate

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Through a voyage…1 Validation• The muddle of terminology• The paradoxes & tensions• The individual versus the collective2 Citizenship• Capacity building• Validation and citizenship3 Universities• Validation and universities• Validation, citizenship and universities4 Discussion & conclusion

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A muddle or a puzzle?

• Accreditation• Assessment or evaluation• Recognition• Prior learning• Experiential prior learning• Validation• Non-formal learning• Informal learning• Valuing learning• Formative & summative assessment

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• AP(E)L Accreditation OR Assessment of Prior (Experiential) Learning

• RPL Recognition of Prior Learning (Scotland) more generic

• VAE Validation des Acquis de l’Expérience (France)

• Validation of non-formal and informal learning (VNF-IFL)

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Validation

• Giving value• Self recognition• Social recognition• Leading to certification?

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Cedefop - OECD definitions

Valuing learning

the process of promoting participation in and outcomes of (formal, informal or non-

formal) learning, in order to raise awareness of its intrinsic worth and to

reward learning

(2007)

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What is learning?What is learning?

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Validation of Non-Formal and Informal Learning

Anything Not taught formally or learned

unintentionally (IL)Or taught but not certificated (NFL)

Civic societyWorld of work or Work-Based Learning

(WBL)

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At the heart of the alchemy is the process of Validation against

StandardsNational Qualification Framework

QualificationsCertificates

Modules- units

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Tools of validation

• Approach: reflective learning & writing

• Portfolios• Extended CV• Work-based Learning (WBL) • critical incident analysis – problem

solving APEL–RPL modules• In France: essential role of the

adviser or accompagnateur / trice

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Validate what?

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People’s life?People’s life?

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People’s life experiencePeople’s life experience

not linearnot linear

ComplexComplex

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The tensionsomething happens…

• Transformation of experience• An object that can be understood • Give value or credit• Codification of experience • fit in with qualification frameworks,

outcomes

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The black boxThe black box

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« « The guided individual approach which The guided individual approach which consists to go from the past to the consists to go from the past to the present, from action to knowledge, from present, from action to knowledge, from competences to skills and knowledge, competences to skills and knowledge, representing therefore the alchemy of a representing therefore the alchemy of a personal history, which, perhaps personal history, which, perhaps fortunately, can never be the object of fortunately, can never be the object of satisfactory rigorous measurement » satisfactory rigorous measurement » ((Ollagnier 2003, p. 72)Ollagnier 2003, p. 72)

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The impossible dreamor the ordering of experience

• Portfolio is a work of representations• of reconstruction of the candidates’

own world• Made of heterogeneous social

networks, meeting across time and space

• To be constructed to fit in with a formal structure

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Experience is

reconfigured decontextualised

formalised 

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No quick recipea process of

transpositiontransformation

translation Representations

What is judged? What is assessed?

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The adviser

We are really translators, at a certain time, interpreters (of the academic world) ….

« [Candidates] have to fit into this normative structure [the portfolio]. On the other hand, I am always torn, telling myself that people must be left free to express themselves through this normative folio… »

VAE Accompagnatrice

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Experience is

• Problematic • mediated by social discourses• Narration• Through reflection upon experience • Objectified

→→It needs an acquired language

→ → →→ Language of the evaluator

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Differing perspectives different aims

Humanist• Personal

development planning

• Self fulfilment• Self directed • Self-reflective

learner (Kolb reflective

circle)

Credit exchange• Economic aims• Employability• Social inclusion• Labour market

demands• Mobility• flexibility

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Problem with PDP

• Assumes that individual are able to measure and articulate their learning

• Self reflexivity: conception of the individual as free to make choices

• Ignores context

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The context

Question of the relationship between the historical experience

of the community and the personal experience of

individuals, or of knowledge as a social product

that humans make collectively (E Michelson 1997)

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Citizenship

Collective knowledge

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Questions of citizenshipSense of belonging

Community?Various communities

Communities of interestVirtual communities

Geographic communities

Sense of place

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A collective experiencecollective knowledge

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• Projects - Northern CanadaSkownan First Nation Community Values Project

• Integrating Aboriginal Values into Land Use and Resource Management

• how Aboriginal people value the lands around them and how this information can be incorporated into Manitoba's land-use and resource management activities

http://www.iisd.org/ai/waterhen.htm

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Appreciative enquiry?

• an approach to organizational and social development that identifies peak moments within a community, then discovers and reinforces the conditions that made past achievements possible

• to move beyond deficit-based approaches• to project planning and implementation• to methods that identify and build upon

local strengths, values and visions http://www.iisd.org/

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The Black Community Development The Black Community Development Project Project

• minority ethnic people Greater minority ethnic people Greater Pilton, EdinburghPilton, Edinburgh

• Fighting for Social Justice & Equality

• advice • advocacy• support• information • recreational and educational

activities

http://www.bcdp.org.uk/

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Capacity Development Work

• Facilitate Capacity Building• strengthening the

individual's capacity in social, political and socio economic arena

• objectives defined by the individuals themselves

• Building the capacity of smaller minority ethnic voluntary groups/organisations

http://www.bcdp.org.uk/

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Citizenship education bridges the skills gap

→ skills of enquiry, analysis, understanding, opinion forming, decision-making, problem solving, communication

and team working

Skills empower people

Citizenship skills give the confidence and the knowledge to play an active role in politics, society, the workplace and the community

http://www.citizen.org

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Social capital

• social capital built through civic engagement

• more or less synonymous with active citizenship• Shared values• Social trust

(Robert Putman) (John Field)

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EU• Link between social capital and

lifelong learning• EU social agenda: building social

capital as a basic principle• balance between competitiveness

and maintenance of social cohesion

• social renewal: central element in increased global competitiveness

• promoting European citizenship

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European Guidelines for the ValidationEuropean Guidelines for the Validationof Non Formal and Informal Learningof Non Formal and Informal Learning

Make visibleMake visible

UntappedUntapped

resources of resources of knowledgeknowledge

• Economic & Economic & social social benefits to benefits to individualsindividuals

• The The communitycommunity

• To the To the countrycountry

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GLOCALISATION

• Link between the recognition of NF-IFL and capacity building

• social capital development• Skills for citizenship• Social and economic benefits• Skills to cope within globalisation

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Globalisation and localisation are making the local availability of knowledge and skills

more and more important

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The role of universities in their The role of universities in their region’s capacity building: a region’s capacity building: a

mountain to climb?mountain to climb?

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The OECD study

“Supporting the contribution of HEIs to regional

development programme” 2004 -2007 • Funding for teaching and governance not

geared towards building human capital in deprived regions

• Little incentives for staff to pursue activities which may serve the regions

• Often engagement with community / region is seen as a third task

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Partnership building

• Involvement of HEIs in regional strategies• Generation of new funding streams for small

businesses• Stronger branding of HEIs• Impact on national policy• BUT• “third mission” not well integrated with teaching

and research• Importance of local mission & local engagement• Universities as “corporate citizens”

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Trondheim

Europe search capital• Yahoo, Google +

smaller start up companies’ R&D departments

• local research skills & proximity of the Norwegian University of Technology

• Highly skilled graduates

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Transforming the Ceramic industry in Castellon Valencia

• University of Jaune • Production cluster of 500

businesses• 36000 employees• Mediated by institute for

ceramic technology• Growth of ceramic cluster

supported by:• technology transfer, spin-

outs, upgrading of technologies

• Partnership→ Valencia global leader

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So what about IF-NFL?Difficult linkage

• What about capacity building?• Citizenship?• Macro versus micro level• Growth in capacity building may result in

greater demand for recognition• Greater awareness of rights• Of right to equality, equity, access to

official recognition• Demand led and not supply led approach • Sense of place