IT based Methodology for Promoting, Assessing and validating Competence oriented learning and Training Erasmus Project

Project Title

IT based Methodology for Promoting, Assessing and validating Competence oriented learning and Training

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships addressing more than one field

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2014

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Recognition, transparency, certification; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

IMPACT was created on the theme of the Validation of Learning Outcomes in Informal and Non-formal Learning (VINFL) which will be implemented in 2018.
Since 2002 EU frameworks and instruments like EQF, ECVET, EUROPASS and others have been implemented to facilitate transparency of qualifications and competences and foster mobility. However, VINFL has not yet sufficiently reached the “practical level” of the educational professionals.

IMPACT addressed a number of structural, technical and content related obstacles and challenges that hamper the implementation of VINFL, especially for instance in the Adult Education and Youth sector, but also in rather
informal learning fields in School and Higher Education (e.g. the whole field of Erasmus mobility).
A specific case of interest were stakeholders organising or participating in KA1 mobilities with the purpose to train educational personnel in the different educational sectors, course providers, sending educational institutions and their staff members as learners.
Though in KA1 courses the validation of competences is even explicitly mentioned in the application forms only a few of the course providers and educational institutes have sufficient knowledge, skills and competences regarding VINFL.
IMPACT aimed to identify and find solutions to the following structural and operational obstacles and weakness in the current implementation of VINFL on the practical level:
1. Lack of technical interoperability in the field
a. due to missing technical specifications
b. Missing connection to IT supported learning and assessment systems and open educational resources (OER) such as open source LMS or e-Portfolios.
2. Missing outreach and lack of cross-sectoral usability
a. Lack of integration of other educational sectors like AE, Youth and School in the VINFL approach and missed opportunities to attract new users and to exploit the full potential of EUROPASS,
ECVET and VINFL;
b. Lack of interfaces to key competences and social, personal and organisational competences;
c. Lack of further training and continuing professional development for stakeholders in these sectors and missing networking opportunities among national and European stakeholders on the matter.

IMPACT developed a comprehensive implementation strategy for VINFL with a special focus on IT-based interoperability and on integrating educational stakeholders from the practice to this important European field.
A large scale stocktaking phase (O1) with a thorough analysis of all available ECVET projects, an online survey (with more than 190 respondents and practice interviews) was carried out.
IMPACT transferred the recommendations on structures of ECVET qualifications (2009) of the European Parliament and the Council into a technical specification (O2). This specification was put open source on a specific website as basis for software development of validation tools that facilitate the transfer of qualifications, units and learning outcomes.
Based on specifications a software prototype (O3) was developed in the LEVEL5 validation system and tested with the most suitable 10 ECVET projects selected in the stocktaking phase.
In parallel a comprehensive implementation strategy was developed for educational professionals in the practical field. It is based on a fully fledged qualification for educational staff on VINFL which was designed, developed and piloted with a group of 20 professionals in blended learning methodology (O6) including a
rich open learning environment, the IMPACT platform (O4).
The platform is centrally managed and maintained on an open source e-Portfolio system are consisting of a combined learning and validation environment (O3+O4) that was developed on the basis of a sound technical ECVET specification (O2). For the first time the seamless connection between open source learning technologies (e-Portfolio- LMS –validation software) could be established and was piloted within the learning projects of the trained teachers.
A specific showroom platform for KA1 stakeholders (course providers and sending organisations) was conceptualised, designed and piloted O5.
The project had been developed based on a series of successful projects in the field of VINFL in the LLP since 2007. It was carried out by a consortium of partners with a long experience in European project collaboration and will be further valorised within the framework of the European REVEAL network.
The technical interoperability between learning technologies and the invention of the specification and the software prototype for ECVET projects is an important milestone for the bottom-up network from 22 member states. It will enrich the services and infrastructures offered by its partners for the implementation of VINFL and innovative educational practice in the EU.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 277905 Eur

Project Coordinator

BUPNET BILDUNG UND PROJEKT NETZWERK GMBH & Country: DE

Project Partners

• BLENDED LEARNING INSTITUTIONS COOPERATIVE
• VYTAUTO DIDZIOJO UNIVERSITETAS
• CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE
• Centrum Ksztalcenia Ustawicznego w Sopocie
• ARISTOTELIO PANEPISTIMIO THESSALONIKIS
• Centrum vzdelávania neziskových organizácií
• INSTITUTO POLITECNICO DE LEIRIA