Validation In Sweden the term ‘validering’ puts focus on the process rather then the object.
‘Validation can be defined as a precise assessment, valuing, documentation and recognition of knowledge and competences that an individual has gained, irrespective of how and where they have been acquired.’
1:st study
Research in 2002.
National evaluation of 8 pilot projects on validation of foreign vocational competence.
2:nd study
Research follow up some years later in 2005. 3 projects in the major cities; Botkyrka(Stockholm), Göteborg, Malmö. What had happen since then, organisational and for the participants?
Organisation of validation2002 Vocation Individual
Integrated with education system
MalmöGöteborg
Parallel to education system
Botkyrka (Stockholm)
2005
Integrated with education system
MalmöGöteborg
Parallel to education system
Botkyrka (Stockholm)
Formative and Summative RPL or validation
Formative: To inform and
change the continuing learning process
Summative: To sum up what has
been learnt
2002
2005
Malm Formative Formative & Summative
Gteborg Formative Formative & Summative
Botkyrka Formative Summative
Organisation of validation2002 Vocation Individual
Integrated with education system
MalmöGöteborg
Parallel to education system
Botkyrka (Stockholm)
2005
Integrated with education system
MalmöGöteborg
Parallel to education system
Botkyrka (Stockholm)
Formal qualifications or ‘useful documentation’?
Formal qualifications ‘Useful documentation’
Finland Sweden
Denmark, Norway, Iceland
Convergent or divergent assessments
Convergent If you know Control
Divergent What you know Explore
Ends of a continuum
A strictly convergent or divergent assessment is impossible, or at least difficult
Who is ”validatable”?
•Right profession
•Much competence
• Good language knowledge
New methods- ”not validation”
DivergentAlternative to validation or selection to validation
‘Validation Light’Portfolio
What had happen to the 16 participants?
The validation covered ten different vocations. 13 of the 16 participants had entered the labour market in the vocation validated. Two of them had later changed from employee to self-employed. Some still held temporary positions and one had changed to another trade. 3 were still unemployed.
Networks
Connection to vocational networks
is crucial!
Teachers Workplaces
Security
Have already entered the labour market but lack official competence.
Permanent positionPaid more
Learning
Vocational competence
Vocational vocabulary
Informal competence
Supplementary training
Self esteemValidation can also have more personal meanings in terms of acknowledgement, self esteem etc.
Self esteem- even when a participant don´t get a job. Competence on paper, people belive him.
However,
for 3 of the 13 who had entered the
labour market the validation meant a
‘degradation’, as the validation was
on a lower level than their prior
foreign vocational competence.
Validation misses its aim
Still it happens that the validation misses
its aim – the competence that is validated
is not always asked for by the employers.
”Validatable”
Is everything and everyone seen as ”validatable”?
Organisation of validationCompare the Swedish validation
model with your country!
Reflections?
Vocation or individual? Integrated or parallel to education
system?
Organisation of validation2002 Vocation Individual
Integrated with education system
MalmöGöteborg
Parallel to education system
Botkyrka (Stockholm)
2005
Integrated with education system
MalmöGöteborg
Parallel to education system
Botkyrka (Stockholm)
Formative or Summative?Is validation more formative then necessary?
Is foreign prior knowledge fully valued or is additional education seen as necessary ‘more then necessary’?
On the other hand, how much is a validation worth without supplementary training? Is a summative
validation enough or is formative validation needed?
Should validation and learning be seperated or (even organisational) integrated?