Higher education and schools are in an easier position than providers of non-formal or informal learning . The first certificate learning efforts simply with grades, not explaining the criteria behind them or the personal qualities a person has. But people trust these organizations and through standardization in the formal education, people feel, that the grades might be comparable.
However, non-formal education providers often cannot simply assess persons through such kind of grades and diploma. Here whether comparability is possible as every context and learning provider is different such as every group. Instead they have to show their credibility and quality through qualitative, precise, and realistic certificates.
Explain Your Context
Explain, in what kind of framework the learning took place. Try to quantify this as well
|
Description |
Example |
|
Education Format |
Seminar, training, academy, workshop, project week, project, international encounter... |
The academy for sustainable engagement |
Basic Facts |
Where, how long, what kind of experts/trainers, what kind of group, selection criteria |
The academy took place in London and brought together twenty European students from 10 countries who had volunteered, as well as experts from NGOs and the field of civic education, for five days. The best 20 participants were selected from 200 online applications. |
Pedagogical Approach |
how learning took place, what kind of learning idea was behind the venue? non-formal education, peer education, networking, capacity building for activists, experts in the field of .. |
It connected activists and their experience. It shaped an interactive space for exchange by using methods that stimulate involvement and co-shaping of the process. Participants developed cooperation activities supported by guidance through peer coaches. Experts' inputs to the topics of ecology, civil activism and fundraising deepened the knowledge of the participants. The academy was organized by the partners ... already the tenth time. |
Differentiate
In traditional school reports, teachers use grades to differentiate the extent to which requirements are met. However, this is not about grades, but about the description of specific skills. This is because key competencies are a very broad field of learning - nobody has the highest skills in all areas. The learning process is more about recognizing where you have strengths and where there is potential for development. Competence frameworks like EntreComp use progression levels for this purpose. In the end, this differentiation helps you to emphasize your own strengths in particular. An example of the use of such progression levels is described in EntreComp, from 1 to 8
Progression Levels for Item: "Identify, create and seize opportunities"
|
Foundation 1-2 1 I can find opportunities to help others. 2 I can recognise opportunities to create value in my community and surroundings. |
Intermediate 3-4 3 I can explain what makes an opportunity to create value. 4 I can proactively look for opportunities to create value, including out of necessity. |
|
Advanced 5-6 5 I can describe different analytical approaches to identify entrepreneurial opportunities. 6 I can use my knowledge and understanding of the context to make opportunities to create value. |
Expert 7-8 7 I can judge opportunities for creating value and decide whether to follow these up at different levels of the system I am working in (for example, micro, meso or macro). 8 I can spot and quickly take advantage of an opportunity.´ |
Source: EntreComp
Provide Examples
A competence based approach might have better results when describing more clear, in example:
|
Description |
Example |
|
practical competence |
XYZ is able to perform the task.... |
XYZ is able to develop a project concept |
foundational competence |
XYZ understood what to do and why to do the task or set of tasks... |
XYZ understood the concept of active citizenship and how personal initiatives contributes to a civil society |
applied competence |
XYZ demonstrated the ability to perform a set of tasks... |
XYZ developed a project concept in a team, they developed an action plan, a time plan, and a budget. |
Use active words
Active Words |
Lazy Words |
|
analyze justify explain |
getting familiar perceive getting to know with |
Lazy words are describing lazy people. Without mobilizing any energy I can perceive something or become familiar with a topic. The following table of active words might replace some common lazy words:[1]
|
Act Apply Analyze Argue for.. Assess Assume Categorize Check Choose Collaborate Collect Combine Compare |
Conceptualize Construct Connect Conclude Criticize Dare Discover Discuss Distinct Decide Design Develop Diagnose |
Estimate Evaluate Explain Express Experiment Find out Formulate Illustrate Improve Include Interact Implement Judge |
Label List Localize Observe Organize Outline Plan Present Prove Reflect Repeat Reproduce Remember |
Reinforce Shape State Sketch Solve Support Test Transfer Transform Understand Use Validate Verify |
Describing Learning Outcome
For describing the outcome the beforehand formulated goals and the factual competency development of participants are relevant. As we keep all three dimensions in mind, it can be useful to distinct between the three competence learning domains knowledge - skills - attitude.
- Topic 1:
- Knowledge aspect: Participants knows...
- Skill aspect: participants can do...
- Attitude aspect: participant perceives, evaluates ...
- Topic 2:
- Knowledge aspect
- Skill aspect
- Attitude aspect
...
Describing Specific Qualities and Behavior
Following the idea of resource orientation we might appreciate specific qualities of a participant. Here we recommend a look on the different competence fields[2] and to choose one or two specific qualities. Check: File:Template-key-competencies.pdf
|
Task specific factual competence |
Expertise in a specific topic, identifying adequate solutions for tasks, knowledge how a topic is related to other fields and within a field |
|
Methodological competence |
Ability to choose methodology and to evaluate outcomes. Acting consciously, adequately and in a goal-oriented way. A |
|
Social competence |
Ability to shape relationships and to interact. Reflecting different interests, needs and tensions. |
|
Personal competence |
Attitude to responsibility, democratic values, self-learning; Ability to act autonomously and in groups, in a self-organized and reflective way: Observing and evaluating challenges, requirements or options. |
Description, not Enthusiasm
One might enrich this appreciation with one or two exemplary descriptions taken from the learning event. Here a descriptive approach is better than those in a laudatio style. Descriptive observation helps the third party to build their mental picture of a person better.
|
One should prevent using exaggeration |
phenomenal, outstanding, fantastic, extraordinary... |
|
One should try not to evaluate |
consequently, adequate, competent, superior... |
|
Focus on descriptive terms within a description of a situation |
what happened, what a person did and what impact this action had on a situation. |
References
- ↑ Olivia Vrabl: Schritt-für-Schritt-Anleitung zur Formulierung von Lernergebnissen (intended learning outcomes) in: Johann Haag, Josef Weißenböck, Wolfgang Gruber, Christian F. Freisleben-Teutscher (Ed.): Kompetenzorientiert Lehren und Prüfen; Basics – Modelle – Best Practices; Tagungsband zum 5. Tag der Lehre an der FH St. Pölten am 20.10. 2016; p. 15ff.
- ↑ German "Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training" (BIBB): K. Hensge, B. Lorig, D. Schreiber: Kompetenzstandards in der Berufsausbildung; Abschlussbericht Forschungsprojekt 4.3.201 (JFP 2006)
Nils-Eyk Zimmermann
Editor of Competendo. He writes and works on the topics: active citizenship, civil society, digital transformation, non-formal and lifelong learning, capacity building. Coordinator of European projects, in example DIGIT-AL Digital Transformation in Adult Learning for Active Citizenship, DARE network.
Blogs here: Blog: Civil Resilience.
Email: nils.zimmermann@dare-network.eu
