VALIDATION FOR EMPOWERMENT AND PARTICIPATION IN THE LEARNING SOCIETY: POTENTIAL OF THE UNESCO GUIDELINESMadhu Singh,

Unesco Institute for Lifelong Learning

1st VPL Biennale

“VPL as the motor

Of social and economic change”

9-11 April 2014

Rotterdam, the Netherlands1

Purpose

Examine the progress made in Member States in terms of the 6 action points in the UNESCO Guidelines for the Recognition, Validation and Accreditation (RVA) of the Outcomes of Non-formal and Informal Learning (UIL 2012).

Provide key recommendations for education systems using the core values stated in the UNESCO Guidelines;

Highlight some features of empowerment, participation and the learning society .

Discourses on empowerment

1. Empowerment as a process of individualisation and reflexive modernisation;

break with traditional straightforward careers to patchwork biographies and educational careers;

self-awareness; identity building; critical thinking.

2. Empowerment as an important aspect of advice, counselling and guidance work

the Glass is always half-filled; shift from deficit thinking to how people’s capabilities

can be valued in society (social recognition); recognising strengths rather than the weaknesses of

people; dialogue rather than expert-client relationship (learning

partnerships between learner, the working context and the learning system);

forward-looking view on people’s life project;

3. Empowerment as a part of work for reducing discrimination against marginalised groups excluded from society on the basis of their class, ethnic identity, gender and disability.

Giving people a voice; Making people confront their own negative identity; Importance given to self-management and self-

organisation; Recognising and valuing “otherness”; Empowerment as a collective process.

Empowerment as a normative frame Self-awareness, who we are, what our talents are? Mobilising social capital and networks in non-formal

and informal settings in order to address arising challenges;

Through self-awareness we become agents of society (employability and deployability);

Learning results from participation in ‘communities of practice’ i.e. active learning rather than passive learning.

Rights-based approach (respect for diversity, difference and otherness; right to equality of opportunity; democratic citizenship and participation in decision-making processes).

Learning Society If society involves all of one‘s life ... And all of society, then we

must go even further than the necessary overhaul of‚ educational systems ‘until we reach the stage of a learning society (UNESCO Learning to be, 1972)

Learning throughout life is a continuous process for each human being of adding to and adapting his or her knowledge and skills, and his or her judgement and capacities for action (UNESCO Delors Report, 1996).

The 4 pillars of learning: learning to be, to know, to do and to live together (UNESCO Delors Report, 1996).

Learning in a learning society Raising awareness of the value of learning;

Embedding lifelong learning in all domains;

Increasing employability and deployability;

Increasing our general capability as persons in order to enhance our contribution and participation in society.

Validation for empowerment and participation entails both regulatory frameworks on the one hand and actions at the level of institutions and learners.

Empowerment is both an individual and a collective process.

Six areas of action in the UNESCO Guidelines (2012)

Establishing RVA as a key component of a national lifelong learning strategy;

Developing RVA systems that are accessible to all; Making RVA integral to education and training systems; Creating a coordinated national structure involving all stakeholders; Building capacity of RVA personnel; Designing sustainable funding mechanisms;

Core principles

Ensuring equity and inclusiveness in access to learning opportunities;

promoting the equal value of learning outcomes from formal, non-formal and informal learning;

Ensuring the centrality of individuals in the RVA process; Improving flexibility and openness of formal education and training; Promoting quality assurance in the entire RVA process; Strengthening partnerships among all stakeholders (UIL, 2012,

p.4).

Action area one: Establishing RVA as a key component of a national lifelong learning strategy

‘develop a national lifelong learning strategy, facilitate the development of national references or

standards that integrate the outcomes of non-formal and informal learning, and, based on the national context,

establish a national qualifications framework (NQF); and develop equivalencies between the outcomes of formal,

non-formal and informal learning in the national references, standards or NQFs through a shared understanding of learning outcomes.’ (UIL, 2012, pp. 4-6).

How are countries percieving and defining their lifelong learning strategies and legislation?

Typical empowering features of legislation are:

the right given to every individual to apply for VPL; Targeting of specific groups; Involvement of stakeholders from the world of work

(including volunteering work) and the world of education in the development of legal arrangements;

Communicating to the wider world the value of VPL; Specific laws to enlighten users about the vision of

processes such as guidance and counselling etc.

How are countries using NQFs to widen participation in RVA?

Gaining qualifications is not bound by a place of learning; Opening up to a broader group of users; promoting progression within the NQFs on the basis of competences and

learning outcomes; Ensuring parity of esteem through transparent quality assurance

processes NQFs a tool to mainsteam RVA within countries’ education and training

systems. The focus of NQFs is not only on access to skills, but most importantly

on improving the quality of assessment and certification procedures for recognising outcomes from all forms of learning and skills. If neglected, certificates become non-credible .

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How are countries defining the purposes of VPL? Integrative or fragmented?

Education: promoting participation in education and access to qualifications;

Social: social inclusion and democratic citizenship; (target special groups)

Economic: workforce development and participation in the labour market;

Personal empowerment (both external and internal dimensions).

The multiplicity of forms of recognition across sectors, and addressing a broad range of purposes, is a prerequisite for the realisation of lifelong learning within an integrative perspective.

Beyond the bounds of external dimensions of personal development, RVA contributes to internal dimensions of self-esteem, confidence and self-directed learning management.

Unfortunately, countries frequently focus on particular aspects of RVA as discrete fields or prioritise a single particular aspect.

Action Area Two: Developing RVA systems that are accessible to all

‘develop procedures that identify, document, assess, validate and accredit learning outcomes, giving due consideration to those from experiential learning, self-directed learning and other forms of learning outside of formal education and training institutions;

make use of both formative assessment (which draws more attention to identification, and documentation of learning progress and gives feedback to learners) and summative assessment (which aims explicitly to validate and recognise learning outcomes, leading to qualification);

offer information, guidance and counselling services to clarify RVA procedures so that individuals become more aware of their own competences and more motivated to learn further and to have their learning outcomes recognized.’ (UIL, 2012, p. 5).

How are countries developing RVA systems that are accessible to all?

Learners need to understand the rationale for their RVA; It is considered to be fair to the individual and the

organisation to tie assessments to specific learning or performance-based outcomes;

Countries are turning to simpler devices in the use of portfolios;

Language can be an impediment to the successful completion of portfolios;

Describing steps and stages than can recognised by all stakeholders;

Countries need to be clear about how recognition is to be employed for specific educational and broader policy goals;

Countries must be clear about the linkages between formative and summative assessment;

Making explicit key outcomes of formative assessment is important.

Action Area Three: Making RVA integral to education and training systems

“develop a mechanism for the formal education and training system that pays more attention to the quality of learning outcomes;

create awareness and acceptance in formal education and training systems of the learning outcomes gained in non-traditional settings;

use RVA to build bridges between the different education and training sectors and to promote the integration of the outcomes of formal, non-formal and informal learning;

and develop approaches to increase interaction between educational institutions, enterprises and voluntary organisations to translate learning outcomes from working and life experiences into credits and/or qualifications”. ‘(UIL, 2012, p. 5).

How are countries making RVA an accepted feature of educational reforms?

Structural integration of business sector with education and training sector is a key factor influencing RVA implementation

RVA is being used in some countries as a pedagogical device to create bridges between work-related and academic knowledge.

By taking account of experiential learning RVA is limiting the negative social and economic impacts of dropping out of school, or otherwise ‘failing’ within the formal education sector

Linking workplaces and educational institutions is helping participation of workers currently not connected to the training institution;

How are countries making RVA an accepted feature of educational reforms?

Considering socio-cultural goals going beyond economic considerations and skills needs of the adult population;

Merging of general and vocational adult learning; Countering perception that theoretical knowledge will be

compromised through RVA; Introducing educational modules that can be relevant to job

seekers; Strengthening curricula and training structures that subscribe to

more participative and learner-centred learning.

How are countries making RVA an accepted feature of educational reforms?

Developing teaching methods that link formal, non-formal and informal;

Raising the status of vocationally and occupationally based qualifications;

Acknowledging the potential of informal learning to strengthen the status of vocationally relevant qualifications.

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Action Area Four: Creating a coordinated national structure involving all stakeholders

‘ensure all stakeholders have clearly-defined roles and responsibilities in developing a coherent and coordinated national structure to:

oversee the design, implementation and quality assurance of the RVA system;

establish mechanisms to adopt credible and quality RVA procedures, standards and instruments, as well as awarding qualifications;

facilitate RVA implementation by putting in place effective administrative processes for receiving applications, organising assessment and providing feedback on outcomes, recording results, awarding qualifications and designing appeal processes;

and make efforts to build the RVA infrastructure at local level so that it is available where people live, work and learn, and make RVA a part of existing institutions in communities.’ (UIL, 2012, p. 5-6).

How are countries communicating opportunities presented by RVA to stakeholders?

The contribution of RVA to educational, economic, social and individual development are intertwined and the real challenge in practice is for RVA to align with the needs of different sectors and stakeholders ;

Providing registered training providers with the support to undertake RPL;

Sometimes training providers are unable to classify knowledge acquired through formal,non-formal and informal learning adequately;

Development of material to promote RVA to stakeholders, including sector-specific business cases.

Action Area Five. Building the capacities of RVA personnel

‘ensure appropriate qualifications, skills and competences of RVA personnel,

allowing them to manage and conduct the assessment and validation processes in their specific socio-economic contexts; and

establish a system for the training of RVA personnel, and facilitate networks for mutual learning at local and national

levels, and across countries, to enhance their competences and to develop best practice.’ (UIL, 2012, p. 6)

How are countries ensuring competent RVA personnel so that RVA is equitable, culturally inclusive, fair, flexible, valid and reliable, and provide for resonable adjustment?

Action research on developing assessors’ capacities aiming at helping assessors to see their own strengths;

Having in place facilities for the registration of assessors and counsellors;

The identification of facilitators and assessors presents a challenge in itself as these positions are frequently filled on a part-time basis.

Action Area Six: Designing sustainable funding mechanisms ‘provide sufficient financial resources to build the basic infrastructure

of the RVA system. develop sustainable cost-sharing mechanisms involving multi-

stakeholder partnerships i.e. public, private, community, as well as individual learners.

Public funds and private contributions to education institutions, as well as training levies from enterprises, should also be used to fund the implementation of RVA;

make special provision for access to RVA arrangements at a reduced rate or free of charge for vulnerable groups and individuals; and conduct cost-benefit analyses to develop evidence on the benefits of RVA for individuals, enterprises, education institutions and for society as a whole.’ (UIL, 2012, p. 6).

How are countries responding to challenges of financing RVA?

RVA is not a cheap procedure and a considerable number of staff is necessary, making up-scaling a challenging undertaking.

Countries recommend that RVA costs should be kept to a minimum as recognition benefits not only the individual but also society in general. Recognition needs to be seen as an investment and a right that requires accessible recognition arrangements.

Recommendations based on core principles

equity and inclusiveness in access to learning opportunities;

equal value of learning outcomes from formal, non-formal and informal learning;

centrality of individuals in the RVA process; flexibility and openness of formal education and training; quality assurance in the entire RVA process; Strengthening partnerships among all stakeholders (UIL,

2012, p.4).

Recommendations based on core principles RVA is first and foremost about making diverse forms of learning

opportunities accessible to all. Given a certain definition of a set of skills, knowledge and competences, the

type of setting where they are acquired does not matter; Non-formal eduation should find ways to improve its quality; RVA should be used to show how best an individual’s existing competences

can be deployed and strengthened and which learning environment and form of learning is best suited to a particular individual.

Personalised learning denotes new pedagogies that incorporate RVA Shift to learning outcomes has implications for teaching and learning quality RVA occurs through close collaboration between individual, community,

workplace and providers.

Thank You

Madhu Singhm.singh@unesco.org