Validierung non-formalen und informellen Lernens

Within the framework of a four-year project (2015-2018) supported by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research and des ESF, among others, the competencies and the orientations guiding the practice of validation personnel in adult education are inquired. While most of the existing research concentrates on competency validation arrangements and instruments, the present research uses a qualitative research design to look at the actors and their practice from the perspective of theories of professions. Subject to inquiry are processes of reflection innate in that practice. The Think-Aloud Method is applied to generate data subsequently used to reconstruct the practice of validation. By this, mental processes effective in the validation practice can be defined and explicated. The work of five staff member independently handling one validation portfolio was audio recorded, transcribed, interpreted and analyzed by way of qualitative content analysis. Going into a detailed analysis of strategies used by the validation personnel in dealing with contradictory demands makes it possible to reconstruct their approach. This specific approach can be described as pendular movement or a balancing of an evaluating and an andragogical orientation. Concerning the professionalization of validation personnel, this opens ways to look at validation from the viewpoint of andragogy. On the basis of findings produced in this research, the question is posed in how far validation of non-certified non-formal and informal competencies can be described as professional andragogical practice and in how far this requires professionals to have specific andragogical competencies.

The article focuses on reflexive competencies, their importance in the context of adult educational professionalization and professionalism, and their embedding in existing procedures for the validation of competencies. Reflexive competencies are a key component of adult educational professionalism. Their recognition and certification, however, is particularly challenging because it cannot be based on detailed descriptions of these competencies. Therefore, it will be examined how the recognition and formulation of reflexive competencies has been done so far and can be further developed on an empirical basis in the future. First, it will be shown that reflexive competencies are early situated in the discussion of adult educational professionalism and professionalization. Subsequently, two current procedures for the certification and recognition of competencies from German-speaking countries will be presented, highlighting in particular the embedding of reflexive competencies in the corresponding competency models. Finally, first results of an ongoing research project are presented. This project aims at the reconstruction and formulation of the (self-)reflection competence. On the basis of an exemplary case study, a deeper insight is given into the existing practice of an established procedure for the recognition and validation of reflexive competencies. Thus, the strengths and weaknesses of this procedure for the reconstruction of reflexive competencies can be explored and conclusions can be drawn on how to further develop it on an empirical basis.

Over the past 15 years, a variety of approaches have been developed in (adult) education contexts to validate formal, non-formal and informal competences and thus harness them for lifelong learning purposes. Despite the development, testing and evaluation of appropriate procedures as well as process-accompanying research and procedural clarification processes, a nationwide implementation can not be observed. It can be deduced from these findings that the low degree of implementation of corresponding procedures can be explained by matching problems between formal recognition and institutional recognition. Thus, the central problem would not be primarily the validation of competences using workable, valid and reliable procedures, but the translation of validated competences into the respective institutional contexts of the recognizing institutions. Using the example of the field of continuing education, this thesis will be examined as an example in order to generalize the findings and make them usable for other adult education institutions.

When crediting non-university previous achievements in higher education courses, the term “professional competence” is often used. However, the results of the 2014 “AnHoSt study” and the 2016 “Anrechnungsmonitor” show that the crediting procedures at German HEIs have so far mainly related to formal qualifications, but not to competences acquired in non-formal or informal learning contexts. Even individual crediting procedures are generally based on the formal curricula of apprenticeship and further training.

Internationally, the topic of “crediting” is often equated with the recognition of non-formally and informally acquired competences. Approaches such as “APEL” (Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning) and “PLAR” (Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition) focus on informally acquired competences and deal with their valid recording and validation. An examination of the legal situation and the national resolutions on crediting in Germany shows that both the KMK resolutions on crediting and the corresponding implementation in the state university laws permit non-formally and informally acquired competences to be taken into account in crediting also in this country. The PLAR service of the University of Oldenburg will be used as an example to show how non-formal and informal crediting of competences at universities can be implemented. The special features of the PLAR approach, which particularly supports the consideration of informally acquired competences, are being described.

Adult education centers (“Volkshochschulen”) realize their educational mission nationwide, in a wide range of educational topics and for all citizens. In order to foster equal participation opportunities for all population groups, they face the challenge of adapting their work to social developments. Organizational approaches such as diversity management and intercultural opening provide a framework that considers different levels of continuing education work and discusses their contribution to the recognition, appreciation and inclusion of social diversity within and outside the organization. Migration and flight are topics that have experienced a new wave of attention in recent years. The article focuses on the arrangement of programs and course offers for adults with a so-called migration background at adult education centers in North Rhine-Westphalia. From an empirical review of organizational measures in the context of migration carried out in 2016, the article presents selected results, supplemented by a website content analysis. In order to view the arrangement of course offers as an integrated part of continuing education work at adult education centers, some results are also presented at the analysis levels of the staff and the organization. Finally, concrete challenges are identified at all three levels.

In Switzerland, experienced teachers can validate their competencies which they have achieved in the field of adult education. By submitting a self-assessment which is oriented along a competency profile, to the Swiss Association for Continuing Education (SVEB), the teachers demonstrate in a comprehensible way that they possess the necessary competences to teach in adult education. Experts examine the submitted self-assessments and use the competency profile as a reference standard. The experts are experienced adult educators and trainers and have experience in validating educational achievements. In a research project of the Pedagogical College of the University of Applied Sciences Northwest Switzerland (PH FHNW) the expert reports have been analysed by using quantitative content analyse. The research project investigated whether the quantitative-empirical methods can be applied to this form of validation process. This article presents which aspects experts particularly focus on, when validating the applications and how they use these aspects to build a framework to justify a positive or negative final evaluation. The findings illustrate that, for qualitative validation processes, one might have to turn away from the standard quality criteria such as objectivity, validity and reliability and instead focus on alternative criteria such as manageable and professional reference standards, qualified experts, structured processes with clear role-splits as well as a clear focus on specific contents. These alternative criteria seem to be crucial in order to ensure the validations quality and its acceptance amongst all parties involved.

The article systematizes perspectives for the development of supply structures for people with a migrant background, especially for refugees. For this purpose, the article defines an integration concept that focuses various educationally relevant levels and dimensions, which are entangled with a perspective of the intercultural and transcultural adult and further education. Based on the results from various program analyzes studies and ongoing research projects, it furthermore reflects, how these supply structures for people with a migrant background, especially for refugees, are designed.

Volunteering in the field of migration/refuge opens up a potential learning space for the acquisition of numerous competencies. The paper is based on an empirical pre-study from Austria and focusses on an analysis of political learning processes amongst volunteers and their implications for the development of active citizenship and the connected challenges for adult education. Diverse factors influencing the engagement of volunteers, such as political and media discourse about refugees, are considered.