opencred study – recognition of open learning in europe: some issues for institutions to consider
TRANSCRIPT
OpenCred Study – Recognition of open learning in Europe: some
issues for institutions to consider
Gabi Witthaus
Institute of Learning Innovation, University of Leicester
EUA Webinar, 19 Nov 2014
OpenCred Study
This presentation reflects work in progress from the OpenCred study of the OpenEduproject by the Institute of Learning Innovation(University of Leicester), in collaboration with the IPTS. Funded by IPTS.
Study team: Gabi Witthaus, Mark Childs, Grainne Conole and Bernard Nkuyubwatsi (ILI, Leicester); Andreia Inamorato Dos Santos and Yves Punie (IPTS)
Legal Notice re Copyright: http://ec.europa.eu/geninfo/legal_notices_en.htm
Recognition of learning is…
a process of granting official status to learning outcomes and/or competences, which can lead to the acknowledgement of their value in society (UNESCO 2012)
Recognition has a range of levels of formality
Pic by fdecomite on Flickr (CC-BY)
Formality of recognition L0-3
Level Descriptors
0 No formal recognition
1 Unauthenticated completion certificate/statement of accomplishment
or badge showing proof of participation or completion
2 Authenticated certificate which either (a) contains no information on
the nature of the course, the nature of the learner’s achievement and
the nature of the assessment process used, or (b) indicates that the
learner’s identity was verified online but there was no supervision
during assessment (as in Coursera MOOCs with Signature Track).
3 Certificate providing exemption from a specific entrance exam
Authenticated certificate from an accredited/recognised institution with
some (but not all) information included on the nature of the course, the
nature of the learner’s achievement and the nature of the assessment
process used.
Certificate conferring fewer than 5 ECTS credits
Formality of recognition L4
Level Descriptors
4 Certificate conferring a minimum of 5 ECTS credits
Certificate providing exemption from a specific module/course or part
of qualification at the issuing institution
Certificate which ‘(a) formally and clearly states on whose authority it
was issued, provides information on the content, level and study load,
states that the holder has achieved the desired learning objectives,
provides information on the testing methods employed and lists the
credits obtained, according to a standard international system or in
some other acceptable format, (b) is demonstrably and clearly based
on authentication [i.e. student’s identity is verified] and (c) states that
the examinations have been administered under supervision and
specifies the nature of this supervision.’ (NVAO 2014, p.9)
Question: What has the greatest impact on formality of recognition
in open learning?
Answer: robustness of assessment
Pic by Karl Baron on Flickr (CC-BY)
Robustness of assessment L0-2
Level Descriptors
0 No assessment
1 Record of completion of activities
Self-assessment
2 Assessment with automated checking, e.g. multiple-choice questions (MCQs), submission of programming code, or acceptance of a submission of text on the basis of word count (No verification of identity)Peer assessment (No verification of identity)
Submission of coursework/assignment without verification of student’s identity and where the student is not personally known to the examiner
Robustness of assessment L3-4
Level Descriptors
3 Submission of coursework and/or performance of practical tasks where the student is personally known to the examiner. (The context may be either face-to-face or online. The assumption is that inconsistencies in performance style will be picked up and this minimises the likelihood of cheating. This is common practice in traditional online courses, e.g. online MBA programmes.)Online proctored examination, e.g. Signature Track (Verified identity)
4 Recognition of prior learning (RPL) conducted by recognised expert(s) (e.g. based on portfolio submission and/or interview – requires a relatively low candidate-to-assessor ratio and hence generally not scalable to open initiatives) On-site examination (including on-site challenge exams)
Assessment-recognition matrix
Witthaus, Childs, Nkuyubwatsi, Conole, Inamorato Dos Santos & Punie (2014 submitted)
Question: What other aspects of open learning have an impact on
recognition?
Affordability for learners
Pic by epSos.de on Flickr (CC-BY)
Eligibility for assessment/recognition
Pic by Hamburg Sankt-Georg.info on Flickr (CC-BY-NC)
Affordability for learners
Level Descriptors
0 More than €200
1 €80-€200
2 €25-€80
3 €1 to €25
4 No cost to learners
Eligibility for assessment/recognition
Level Descriptors
0 No assessment
1 Only members of a specified group/ profession are eligible for completion certificates or badges (This is common practice in in-house CPD programmes offered by employers, and programmes run by employer bodies for members of a professional association.)
2 Open learners may obtain completion certificates or badges, but credit-bearing examinations are only available to registered students.
3 Examinations are available to all, but only students enrolled on a specified programme are eligible for academic credit. (This means that potentially a different institution could recognise the learning achievement of an open learner.)
4 Everyone is eligible for assessment and recognition.
The OpenCred Recognition Framework
0
1
2
3
4
Formality ofrecognition
Affordabilityfor learner
Robustnessof
assessment
Eligibility forassessment/recognition
Typical MOOC with little or no recognition
0
1
2
3
4
Formality ofrecognition
Affordabilityfor learner
Robustnessof
assessment
Eligibility forassessment/recognition
E.g. the CARNet MOODLE MOOC; MOOCs on the French FUN platform
MOOC offering full recognition, but only enrolled students are eligible
0
1
2
3
4
Formality ofrecognition
Affordabilityfor learner
Robustnessof
assessment
Eligibility forassessment/recognition
E.g. the University of Nicosia’s Digital Currencies MOOC
MOOC offering full recognition; assessment is paid for by learners
0
1
2
3
4
Formality ofrecognition
Affordabilityfor learner
Robustnessof
assessment
Eligibility forassessment/recognition
E.g. University of Osnabrück MOOC on Data Structures and Algorithms
What shape is your MOOC?
Pic: Sir Mildred Pierce on Flickr (CC BY)
References
– NVAO (2014) MOOCs and Online HE: A Survey, The Hague: Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO), Available at http://www.nvao.net/page/downloads/NVAO_MOOCs_and_online_HE_A_survey_June_2014.pdf
– UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (2012). UNESCO GUIDELINES for the Recognition, Validation and Accreditation of the Outcomes of Non-formal and Informal Learning. Hamburg: UIL. www.unesco.org/uil
– Witthaus, G., Childs, M., Nkuyubwatsi, B., Conole, G., Inamorato dos Santos, A. & Punie, Y. (2014 submitted) An Assessment-Recognition Matrix for Analysing Institutional Practices in the Recognition of Open Learning (Submitted to elearning papers, Issue 41)
