Accreditation of informal and non-formal learning

Gráinne Conole, Project Evaluator10th November 2014National Think Tank

Sydney

National Teaching

Fellow 2012 Ascilite fellow 2012EDEN fellow 2013

• External evaluator• Focus on:– Vision– Process– Outputs – Impact– Dissemination

Outline

• Issues• Projects– The OPAL initiative– POERUP – VMPass– OpenEd

• Mapping informal and formal learning

• Emergence of OER and MOOCs challenging formal education

• New business models emerging• How to accredit informal and non-formal

learning

The OPAL metromap

http://www.oer-quality.org/

Evaluation shows lack of uptake by teachers and learnersShift from development to community building and articulation of OER practice

POERUP Achievements

• Inventory of more than 500 OER initiatives worldwide

• 33 country reports - most being updated

• 7 case studies including Wikiwijs, ALISON (Ireland), OER U (global) and FutureLearn (UK mostly)

• 3 EU-level policy documents for universities, VET and schools

• 8 policy documents for UK (x3), Ireland, France, Netherlands, Poland – and Canada

KA3 ICT

Themes for policy recommendations• Communication and awareness raising• Funding• Copyright / licensing • Reducing regulatory barriers• Quality • Teacher training and continuous professional development• Certification and accreditation• Infrastructure • Further research

7

Many learners wish to have formal, transferable recognition of their knowledge & skillsChallenges:•New players (private sector, non-profit) in unbundled learning provision•Open learning recognition is a recent topic, lack of guidelines for interested actors

Many learners wish to have formal, transferable recognition of their knowledge & skills!Potential•Recognition would –create a link between traditional and open and flexible learning–Create trust in OER, MOOCs, OCW, Virtual Mobility

•Assessment and recognition might become a business model for OER, MOOCs, OCW…

Information from OER provider (HEI) Information from

learner

Information from assessing/certifying

institution

Learning Passport for accreditation

•Applied Quality Procedures•Estimated Hours of Workload•Learning Outcomes described (Knowledge, Skills, Competences)•Learning activities required by the learner•Certification options

Information from OER provider (HEI) Information from

learner

Information from assessing/certifying

institution

•General personal information•Period in which study occurred•Information about the learning activities + evidence source (e.g. PORTFOLIO)

Information from OER provider (HEI) Information from

learner

Information from assessing/certifying

institution

•Assessment Components (form)•Which LO were verified?•Quality Control Procedures for Assessment

•Equivalence of certification within institution•Position of certification within qualification framework•Grading scheme (pass/fail, numerical)

Information from OER provider (HEI) Information from

learner

Information from assessing/certifying

institution

Accrediting open learning

Formal

Informal

Individual Social

Blended courses

DL+ social media

Trad. campus courses

DL courses

OER

xMOOCs

OER + Social media

cMOOCs

APELePortforliosOERuBadges

Formal/informal landscape

http://www.slideshare.net/GrainneConoleEmail: gconole@gmail.com

Blog: http://e4innovation.comTwitter: @gconole