European Centre for the
Development of Vocational Training
Introductory speech,
Rhetoric or reality? The shift to learning outcomes in European education and training policies and practises
Jens Bjornavold, Thessaloniki 15 October 2007
Dear Conference Participants, colleagues,
It is a great pleasure for me to welcome you, representing policy makers and experts from more than 25 countries, to Cedefop and Thessaloniki and this conference addressing the shift to learning outcomes in European education and training policies and practises.
My task is to outline the purpose of this conference
1. Lifelong and lifewide learning
These terms were introduced by the 2001 Council Communication on lifelong learning. It refers to the fact that learning takes place on a lifelong basis, from cradle to grave, but also on a lifewide basis, in formal and informal settings, at school as well as at the workplace and at home.
The problem is how to make (better) use of this enormous reservoir of learning outcomes. Existing qualifications systems tend to address and recognise only a small fraction of this learning. The LLL communication rightly points to the waste implied in this and asks for a number of steps to be taken to remedy this situation:
- we need to make a broader range of learning activities anfd outcomes visible
- we need to value a broader range of learning activities and outcomes
- We need to remove barriers to the combination and bridging of different forms of learning; notably by facilitating access to and progression within education, training and learning systems.
In the period after 2001, and I know Gordon Clark will address this later, the learning outcomes concept and approach has gradually been introduced as a key answer to this huge challenge. We can say that the learning outcomes approach has moved from being an implicit to becoming an increasingly explicit part of the European debate and dialogue on education, training and learning. While many countries have been using a learning outcomes approach as an element in their overall education and training strategies for decades, it is only in the last three-four years it has taken centre stage position.
This change is an important motivation for bringing up this theme here today; what potential do we see, which are the weaknesses; how can we best take this forward?
Learning outcomes at European level
Since 2000 a number of concrete initiatives have been taken at European level, through the Bologna process, the Copenhagen process or the integrated Education and training 2010 process.
· Bologna process for higher education; the development of learning outcomes based ‘Dublin descriptors’ for Bachelor, Master and Doctoral ‘cycles’;
· The Tuning project in higher education;
· The development of the EQF and the 8 learning outcomes based level structure
· The development of the European credit transfer system for vocational education and training (ECVET) based on learning outcomes and operating according to the transfer of learning units;
· The work on European principles (2004) and guidelines (2007) on validation of non-formal and informal learning.
But there are also other initiatives at European level not directly related to Bologna or Copenhagen processes. A very interesting case is
· the project ‘Sustainable professionalisation’ initiated by the French authorities in 2002 and since then used as a basis for cooperation between some European countries; this project builds on a very clear learning outcome approach
· The (forthcoming) PISA for vocational education and training to be based on a clear learning outcomes approach.
These cases, and I am not trying to give a complete picture, are interesting as they cover different levels of education and training as well as links in to the non-formal and informal contexts where learning takes place, we are thus potentially addressing lifelong and lifewide learning.
What is worth noting, and highly relevant for this conference, is that most of these initiatives still are at stage of planning or early implementation. A lot of testing, experimentation and discussion is taking place, but we are still not able to speak of many European, learning outcome based, instruments and frameworks fully implemented.
That’s where this conference comes into the picture; we should try clarify the learning outcomes concept and approach in such a away that the development and implementation of this initiatives will succeed.
A good example of this need for clarification is offered by the EQF. The descriptors agreed upon for the EQF is clearly a compromise between different research approaches, national traditions and the interests of different users. The EQF demonstrates that there is nothing like an objective or a priori given set of learning outcomes. The learning outcomes approach needs good and clear definitions, overall relevance depends most of all on extensive dialogue, on testing and use in practise.
This conference, through the exchange of experiences and dialogue, may contribute to this process.
Learning outcomes at national level
I think the challenge of shifting to a learning outcomes based approach at national level is well captured through the discussion on National Qualifications Frameworks.
The rapid development of overarching and integrating NQFs in Europe seems to be linked to two main factors;
· the wish to use the EQF as a reference for national qualifications (for comparability, translation, transparency);
· the need to reform and modernize qualifications systems; to adapt them to the challenge of lifelong learning (for access, transfer, progression, permeability).
The launching of the EQF have acted as a catalyst for NQF developments in Europe. The big majority of EU Member States (and neighbouring countries) are now actively working on NQFs. Common to most of them is a strong emphasis on the learning outcomes approach and an effort to develop national reference levels and descriptors on this basis. As was illustrated in Budapest peer learning activity on NQFs taking place last week, where some of you participated, the use of learning outcomes as a basis for this kind of reform is not straightforward.
The question of how to (re)interpret national qualifications in term of learning outcomes is thus a challenge facing many countries for the moment. We hope that the conference may illustrate some of these challenges, and perhaps even point towards some answers.
learning outcomes and the individual learner
The big question, following from all the initiatives and challenges I have listed above is whether anything of this will ever make any real difference for individual learners? I think this is the fundamental question you have to ask yourself in the coming two days; which are the implications of the learning outcomes approach for the man and the woman in the street; the lifelong learners?
· Will the shift to learning outcomes, as promoted at European and national level, result in more open and active learning. Or will it to the contrary result in a more standardised and narrow forms of learning. I think the presentation of the study later today will; show that both options are possible.
· Will the shift to learning outcomes mean that future pupils and student will meet a different form of teacher? And if not; what does this say about the realism in the lifelong learning approach?
· How will individual learners be assessed in the future; will the ambition of making visible and value a broader range of learning experiences be realised?
There will be a number of introductions and opportunities to discuss this during the conference. I would underline, however, that the question of the impact of the learning outcomes approach on the individual learners is the crucial one. It is the access and the progress of the learners we are addressing.
Learning outcome and Cedefop
I will finalise this intervention by referring to the interest of Cedefop in this theme.
· On a short term basis we are obviously interested in getting feed back to our comparative study on learning outcomes. We are convinced, not least based on the good progress made by the research team, that this work will result in an important reference publication which will support the work in this field for years to come. You can help us in achieving this.
· On a longer term basis this conference can help to inform us on themes and issues to be given particular attention. Where should we initiate studies, where is cooperation relevant, what kind of working methods should we promote?
For Cedefop this theme is important as it shows that our mission is not about studying the VET field in isolation; if we are to do our job we have to look into the relationship between the traditional VET field (skilled workers) and other education, training and learning settings. The learning outcomes approach provides us with an excellent opportunity for doing so, for looking into this relationships.
Concluding remarks
the discussion on learning outcomes is obviously about choosing a particular perspective; to strengthen the focus on the users of education, training and learning.
But it is also very much about creating a common language making it possible to build bridges between st5akeholders at national as well as at European level.
The conference therefore needs to ask whether we are moving forward in this direction? Are we creating a common language facilitating lifelong and lifewide learning? What do we need in order to get there?
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