Further information
Information on validation of formal, non-formal and informal competences
Why validation procedures are important for you!
All people have a wide range of knowledge, competences and talents that they have already acquired, and validation gives them the chance to discover and develop them. We believe that lifelong learning needs a culture that puts learners at the centre, regardless of their origin and social background. Promoting the individualization of learning pathways and the recognition of competences and skills already acquired is one of our central themes.
Identification
In this phase, candidates become increasingly aware of their existing knowledge, skills and competences. Learning outcomes vary from person to person and are acquired in different contexts: at home, at work or volunteering.
The discovery and growing awareness of one's own skills is already a valuable outcome of the validation process.
Appropriate options and tools, as well as excellent guidance, are of great importance.
Documentation
Evidence of formal, non-formal and informal learning outcomes is provided. Validation is open to many different types of evidence, from written documents to work samples to practical demonstrations. This evidence must provide sufficient insight; a mere list of job titles, for example, is not sufficient.
The documentation includes a portfolio, which includes a CV, personal work experiences with documents and work samples, documentation of volunteering and examples of other types of informal learning.
Assessment
For procedures involving ECTS-credit transfer, the learning outcomes already acquired must be compared to the learning outcomes of the curriculum at this stage. Assessment is essential for the credibility of validation of non-formal and informal competences and goes hand in hand with quality assurance procedures.
Access requires clear documentation of what learning incomes must be present for credit/acceptance.
Certification
The final assessment of the documents is called certification. The identified and documented learning outcomes are confirmed or rejected on the basis of summative approaches in a document.
If the result is positive, the candidate receives a corresponding certificate.