View examples of how countries are implementing this aspect
The wide orientation of validation, which is a prerequisite for capturing the complexity of individual learning, directly leads to the four-phase (stage) model introduced by the 2009 validation guidelines and the 2012 validation Recommendation. These four phases of validation - identification, documentation, assessment and certification - adapt the concept of validation to different contexts and different purposes. Depending on the objective of the validation process, certain phases will be more emphasised than others (see Section 2.3).
2.2.1. Identification
Validation starts with the identification of learning acquired and is where the individual becomes increasingly aware of prior achievements. This stage is crucial as learning outcomes differ from person to person and will have been acquired in various contexts: at home, in education, during work or through volunteering activities. For many, the discovery and increased awareness of own capabilities is, in itself, a valuable outcome of the process. In some countries, identification comes together with a pre-involvement/recruitment phase that determines if the individual is eligible for entering validation. Such identification might start comparing individual learning outcomes with a predefined template or exploring individual experiences. In this initial phase the individual must be made aware of the costs and benefits of validation. This phase is also sometimes connected to profiling or screening in a career guidance process (Cedefop, 2020).
Methods and approaches to identification must be open to the unexpected and not be designed in ways which narrow down the range of learning outcomes to be considered (see Section 4.1.2 on reference points and standards). This stage will frequently require active involvement of advisers and counsellors able to enter into dialogue with the candidate and direct them to appropriate options and tools as well as manage expectations. While ICT-based approaches are increasingly used at this stage, reflecting their high scalability and reduced cost, their standardised character may reduce the ability to identify and value complex combinations of knowledge, skills and competences held by individuals. Using interviews and dialogue-based approaches can be more costly but provides potentially a greater value to the candidate (see also Chapter 5).
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2.2.2. Documentation
The documentation stage complements the identification stage by adding evidence and proof of acquired learning. This can be accomplished through the building of a portfolio that tends to include a CV and career-overview supported by various evidence types, ranging from written documents to work samples and demonstrations of practice (Chapter 5). This evidence must allow (future) external readers and users to judge and eventually trust the learning outcomes acquired by the individual: simply listing job-titles or positions is not enough.
Ensuring this trust, and thus the portability of evidence, is crucial and requires coordination at regional, national and European level. A situation where every validation provider - at local, regional, sectoral, national and European level - operates with different (and potentially competing) document and evidence formats will hinder the individual in transferring and accumulating learning throughout life and across education and work. Common formats for the presentation of learning experiences, as demonstrated by Europass, can aid this transfer and promote better understanding of these outcomes. Use of a common terminology, such as European skills, competences, qualifications and occupations (ESCO), can help create better and easier-to-use documentation. ICT is also become increasingly important for the documentation of learning outcomes, enabling the creation and storing of online portfolios.
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2.2.3. Assessment
Assessment is normally referred to as the stage in which an individual’s learning outcomes are compared against specific reference points and/or standards. It needs to be designed to capture and assess the learning specific to each individual, so various tools need to be considered. In some cases, written tests will be sufficient; in other cases demonstrations, practical tests and evaluation of other forms of evidence will be required.
The assessment phase depends on the standard or reference point used. The shift to learning-outcomes-based standards is generally considered critical for validation to be possible. Focusing on what a learner knows, understands and is able to do, a learning-outcomes-based assessment is not limited to particular input factors. This makes it easier to reflect and respect individual variation in learning careers, accepting differences in how, where and when learning took place. Input elements (i.e. ‘where’ and ‘for how long’) might be relevant for building evidence and proof of learning. Some evidence might have greater weight than other depending on these factors.
Many of the tools and methods used for assessing non-formal and informal learning will be based on, or similar to, those used in formal education and training. To capture the complex range of learning involved, a combination of tools and methodologies may be required.
The assessment stage is crucial to the overall credibility of validation of non-formal and informal learning. In some cases, certificates based on validation are perceived as inferior to those awarded by traditional courses and programmes; to counter such perceptions, tools and processes must be presented in as transparent a way as possible and must be linked to clear standards. Building mutual trust is closely linked to the existence of robust quality assurance arrangements, ensuring that all phases of validation, including assessment, are open to critical scrutiny. Involvement of relevant stakeholders will also help in building trust.
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2.2.4. Certification
The final phase of validation is about the certification - and the final valuing - of the learning which has been identified, documented, and assessed. This can take different forms but is commonly the award of a formal qualification (or a partial-qualification or a smaller stand-alone part of a qualification). In certain areas (economic sectors and industries), certification may also involve issuing a licence allowing the individual to carry out specific tasks. In recent years we have observed a proliferation of different credentials - for example in the form of digital labels, microcredentials, vendor certificates and international qualifications. This emergence of alternative credentials may have important implications for validation in the years to come (Section 4.1).
The value - or the currency - of qualifications, certificates and credentials varies considerably and largely reflects the legitimacy of the awarding body or authority that certifies the learning outcomes. It is important for individual candidates to be aware of these differences as they can influence the value of the entire validation process.
In many EU countries, validation is linked to - and to some extent integrated with- national qualifications systems and is designed as an alternative path to well-known and established qualifications (Cedefop, 2020). As requirements to candidates following different learning routes will be similar, a qualification awarded on the basis of validation will be, in principle, of the same value as a qualification awarded on the basis of formal education.
It can be argued that validation can increasingly play a role in improving the flexibility of national qualification systems and frameworks. While NQFs provide an overview of qualifications in a country, and how they are inked, validation can support learners in crossing institutional, sectoral and national borderlines.
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