Contribution
Description: Assessment of non-formal and informal learning achievements: individual perspective
Theoretical framework. European political documents on education pay intense attention to the discussion of such issues as the development of educational systems in the European countries, integration of person's non-formal and informal learning achievements' assessment and recognition area. The documents emphasise that reliable methodologies for person's non-formal and informal learning achievements' assessment and recognition could facilitate the use of the existing human resources on the personal, organizational and state levels. It is highlighted that assessment and recognition of experience-based competencies would create assumptions for successful lifelong learning.
Research object is the assessment of adult non-formal and informal learning achievements.
The purpose of the article is to describe singularities of non-formal and informal learning assessment from the point of individual level.
Content of the article. Article presents process of adult non-formal and informal learning achievements' assessment. In order to identify competencies of research participants the prepared portfolios were analyzed and an interview carried out. The article developed respondents' opinion about reliability and validity of the portfolio and interview as methods of assessment non-formal and informal learning. Difficulties in assessment and benefit of assessment of non-formal and informal learning are also presented in this item.
Methodology: To achieve the aim, a qualitative descriptive one-case study was performed. Research data were obtained using content analysis for analysing respondents' reflections and portfolios. 33 respondents participated in this research, i.e., 10 counsellors, 9 evaluators and 14 retailers who were being assessed.
Conclusions: 1. It should be noted that aiming at successful development of non-formal and informal learning achievements' assessment methodology, it is necessary to consider not only assessment method selection but their coherence aspects as well. According to the respondents, the combination of portfolio and interview methods allowed to reveal person's competencies in a more comprehensive way than applying one method of assessment.
2. Subjective aspects are peculiar to non-formal and informal learning achievements' assessment using interview and portfolio methods. Emotions, expectations and attitude of the participants towards assessment process can exert impact upon the process of the interview and the selections of the material for portfolio.
3. Non-formal and informal learning achievement process revealed the importance of time and internal resource distribution in analyzing portfolio, planning the common activity in the assessment group and discussing the results of the interview with the candidate. Thus, organizing non-formal and informal learning achievements' assessment it is necessary to consider psychological assessor and counsellor preparation issues.
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