Socializing Processes In Relation To The Assessment Of Unskilled Adults' Prior Learning

Author(s):

Vibe Aarkrog(presenting / submitting)

Conference:

ECER 2013

Network:

02. Vocational Education and Training (VETNET)

Format:

Paper

Session Information

02 SES 09 B, Measurement and Assessment

Paper Session

Time:

2013-09-12

11:00-12:30

Room:

A-103

Chair:

Andreas Sebe-Opfermann

Contribution

The paper deals about courses for assessment of prior learning for adults who want to enroll into basic (vocational) adult education (grundlæggende voksenuddannelse, GVU) GVU was estatblished in 2007 as part of the alternative educational system for adults. This system is specifically tailored to adults with labour market experience and the lowest level GVU for adults with work experince but few educational qualifications who want to obtain formal vocational qualifications. Admission requirements are a minimum age of 25 and at least two years of relevant work experience. Participants are offered an assessment of prior learning,.On this background, individual education and training plans are drawn up to supplement these competences to provide a complete, formal vocational qualification. Unlike the training in the ordinary dualIVET programmes, GVU does not include workplace-based training (Østerlund 2012).

The pupose of the alternative educational system including GVU is to encourage the adults for training by providing transfer credit for the adults' work experience and informal learning in the workplace. GVU can contribute to the efforts of reducing the number of unskilled workers which reflects a central European target and which is also related to challenges of an increasing ageing workforce (Cedefop, 2012).

In Denmark there is a political focus on opportunities related to credit transfer and a number of studies of assessment of prior learning have been accomplished e.g. (Nistrup & Lund, 2010) One of the main challenges in make a fair assessment and in particular transfer of the assessment into credits? How much credit can the adult students obtain for work experience and informal learning when their VET qualification should equalize the ordinary VET qualifications? More generally the issue deals about how adults prior learning can not only be recognized but also included into the adults' competence development (Andersson 2006)

This issue is currently being researched in a project , "From unskilled to skilled worker in record time" (i.e. GVU level) within a number of industries and trades e.g. social- and health care worker, chef and sales assistant.

This paper focuses on the assessment course preparatory to drawing up the individual education and training plan. The assessment course takes 1-2 weeks and takes place in the VET colleges. As part of the overall issue mentioned above the research question is:

How does the way of assessing the adult students' competences influence on the students' perceptions of their competences?

The theoretical framwork combines the theory of "Legitimate peripheral participation" (Lave & Wenger 1989) with the theory of "Developing from novice to expert " (Dreyfus & Dreyfus 1986).

The theory of legitimate peripheral participation is used to analyze the socializing process of the adult student during the assessment course as the students are introduced into the college community of practice.

The theory of Developing from novice to expert is used to analyse the challenges for the adult students who are experts within their unskilled jobs to formulate their intuitive and context dependent performance of their job tasks.

Method

The project is conducted 2012-2014 and combines the VET colleges' development of metods for assessing prior learning, transforming the assessment into credits and setting up courses that incorporate the students' work experiences as part of the teaching and learning processes. The paper focus on the results of an ongoing empirical study of the assessment courses. The empirical data includes observations of episodes in the assessment courses, interviews with the teachers who assess the students and interview with the students. The study includes three asessement courses within three vocational fields, the two of them having been decided: social and health care worker and sales assistant. The empirical study will be accomplished in the first half of 2013.

Expected Outcomes

The expected outcomes or assumptions are: In order to be accepted as legitimate peripheral participants of the college community of practice, gradually throughout the assessment period the adult students loose confidence in their abilities to accomplish tasks within the particular vocational field. They gradully learn that their practical skills are not as valuable as the knowledge and skills they can develop through school-based formal education. The consequence is that the students end up wanting quantitatively as much education as possible as they fear that their competences are not competible in the labour market. This is expected to be explained in two ways: 1. The students have not the possibility of showing their skills in their daily work surroundings and they are as experts not able to communicate their skills and competences precisely. Furthermore they do not have the academic training to formulate themselves. 2. In the college community of practice the teachers are the old timers and the students the new comers who want to be accepted in the community of practice. The decision to return to school has difficult but now they want to become like the old timers.

References

Andersson P. & Harris J. (2006) Re-theorising the Recognition of Prior Learning. National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE). Cedefop (2012) Working and Ageing. The benefits of investing in and ageing workforce. Dreyfus H.L. & Dreyfus S.E. (1986) Mind over Machine. The Power of Human Intuition and Expertise in the Era of the Computer. Basis Blackwell. Lave, J. & Wenger E. (1989) Situated Learning. Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge University Press Nistrup, U. & Lund A.(2010) Anerkendelse af realkompetencer - udbredelse, barrierer og gældende praksis. Østerlund R. (2012) Education and Training in Denmark.Oesterlund Education Consult

Author Information

Vibe Aarkrog (presenting / submitting)

Department og Education University og Aarhus, Denmark

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