Contents
Learning Outcome
“Learning outcomes are statements of what a learner knows, understands and is able to do after completion of learning.”[1] Learning outcome includes skills, knowledge and attitudes.
In particular civic engagement and volunteering are contributing to broad range of competences like the study and survey Job Bridge is showing. The most relevant competences in the opinion of volunteers are illustrated by the graphic below. However, the lack often recognition among learners and also among the society - for instance by fellow citizens, organizations, employers. In this sense, we as educators should spend some efforts in order to help learners to get their competencies recognized and also to show the social impact and value of Education for Democratic Citizenship and of civil engagement through our learners' recognition.
Most Relevant Competences Addressed through Volunteering
Source: Job-Bridge, p. 20 [2]
Recognition and Validation
Recognition
- Awareness and appreciation of competences
- The basis is self-recognition, including "personal awareness and assessment of learning outcomes, and the ability to use these learning outcomes in other fields."[3]
- Social recognition and political recognition are describing how others acknowledge and describe the competence of a learner.
- Formal recognition is describing and comparing learning, often in form of certificates, licenses, or similar, issued by a formal or non-formal educational institution.
The EU education policy context uses also the term validation for measures of formal recognition.[4]:
Validation
- The confirmation by a competent body
- that learning outcomes have been identified and documented
- assedded against predefined criteria
- compliant with the requirements of a validation standard.
- Validation typically leads to certification.
A social goal of competence description is recognition. Educators help learners with certificates and a rich evaluation methodology to proof their abilities so that others recognize them and also to support them in recognizing their competences by themself.
Especially in non-formal education, educational providers and educators are not working for an authority which certifies in a comparable way like a formal learning provider. In consequence they are not bound to validation standards. Certificates of attendance, letters of recommendation or similar gain their credibility in the non-formal educational context especially through plausibility and through the credibility of the certifying organisation.
Since an individual learner needs in absence of formally recognized certificates to be able to explain their competences to others, it is necessary to dedicate attention in workshops and trainings to supporting self-reflection and self-recognition.
Attention needs also to be paid to a credible description on evidence base. The description of competence and learning outcome must go beyond formal grades in order to cover the broad aspects of competences. It should be helpful in the learners future and relevant for those third, whom learners need to proof their abilities and expertise.
Assessment and recognition in formal and non-formal learning in entrepreneurship education
An introduction into competency-based assessment and evaluation not only for entrepreneurship education by the project EntreComp 360, by Hazel Israel (Bantani Education) with Svanborg Rannveig Jónsdóttir and Ramón Martínez.
Inspiring Handbooks and Sources from the Community
Valued by You, Valued by Others
Improving the visibility of competences in Youthpass (and also in other contexts)
Download
Recognizing Learning in Youth Exchange
Youth Work Service, Léargas' handbook complementary to YouthPASS, with suitable methods as well for evaluation and competence assessments without using the YouthPASS
Download
Assessment and recognition in formal and non-formal learning in entrepreneurship education
An introduction not only for entrepreneurship education by the project EntreComp 360
Download
The Learning Curve
A guide to evaluation for youth organizations
Download
YouthPASS unfolded
Practical tips and hands-on methods to make the most of the Youthpass process edieted by SALTO and Jugend für Europa
Download
Empower yourself
Self-assessment tool created by the French Scout and Guides movement
Download
Facilitation Step-by-step
Competendo Portfolio Tool for Facilitators
Download
Captain's Log
Competency-related portfolio tool
Download
Reflective Peacebuilding
John Paul Lederach, Reina Neufeldt, Hal Culbertson,
Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies: Planning oriented on impact Download
Apps and Tools: Recognition, Assessment, Validation
Several online tools support learners and educators in (self-)assessment. However, one should check their terms and conditions for storing and using personal data before using them in trainings.
AppRaiser
Trainers appraisal platform of the International Youth Work Trainers Guild
AppRaiser
Go Formative
Track developments of learners online
Go formative
Open Badges
Share "learning badges" with your learners for every achievement in a learning process with help of a digital platform.
Open Badges
EaSY soft skills
A skill assessment online tool, model and method handbook
Online
Skilloon
A research-based self-learning platform following the EntreComp model from Not a bad idea (Finland) and the Finnish education ministry.
Online
References
- ↑ European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, 2009: The shift to learning outcomes Policies and practices in Europe; p. 30
- ↑ P. Boivin, J. Baez: Job Bridge – Stocktaking report on the state-of-play of validation in the voluntary sector across the EU; Lifelong Learning Platform; Brussels; October 2019;
- ↑ YouthPass: About Recognition
- ↑ European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, 2009: [www.cedefop.europa.eu/EN/Files/3054_en.pdf The shift to learning outcomes Policies and practices in Europe]; p. 15
