European Centre for the
Development of Vocational Training
Director
Introductory speech,
Rhetoric or reality? The shift to learning outcomes in European
education and training policies and practises
Aviana Bulgarelli,
15 October 2007,
Dear Conference Participants, colleagues,
It is a great pleasure for me to welcome you to Cedefop and Thessaloniki and
this conference addressing the shift to learning outcomes in European
education and training policies and practises.
1. An urgent need to reflect on the learning outcomes concept and
approach
Looking at the list of participants I see that you represent a wide range of
countries, institutions and roles. I think this reflects that the topic of learning
outcomes is a theme attracting the attention of policy makers, researchers and
practitioners alike.
I therefore hope that this conference will provide an opportunity to share
experiences and opinions across traditional national, sector and institutional
borderlines.
This is exchange of experience is important for a number of reasons:
- The implementation of the EQF will start in 2008. This introduces a
common reference framework in Europe based on learning outcomes.
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- A rapidly increasing number of European countries are currently
developing National Qualifications Frameworks based on learning
outcomes.
- Curricula reform in European countries is increasingly being based on
a learning outcomes approach.
- The validation of non-formal and informal learning, now being
introduced in most European countries, depends on a learning
outcomes approach.
The way we understand and use the concept of learning outcomes will
inevitably influence whether we will succeed or fail in these importnat areas.
2. Rhetoric or reality
I should explain why we have chosen colourful balloons as a symbol for this
conference. I suggest that you see the balloons as a metaphor for learning
outcomes. The learning outcomes approach – and the balloons - can be
understood in the following way:
- They fly – learning outcomes has been broadly accepted and is increasingly
influencing European and national policies and practises;
- They fly at different levels – the concept of learning outcomes is used in
VET, in general education, in higher education and for lifelong learning. We
can to a certain extent say that the learning outcomes approach introduces a
common language making it possible to compare and link different levels and
sectors of education, training and learning.
- They are colourful – the learning outcomes approach is capable of capturing
the diversity and richness of learning;
- They are vulnerable – whether the potential of the learning outcomes
approach is released depends on its practical application. The critical
question is how ministries, institutions and teachers understand and put into
practise the learning outcomes approach.
Our metaphor thus captures the objectives of this conference. Is the shift
towards learning outcomes merely rhetoric or does it signal real change?
The attention to learning outcomes could be just another fashion; something
being discussed in reports and conferences but not actually influencing the
education, training or learning itself and not making any difference to the
individual learners.
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The attention to learning outcomes could, on the other hand, signal a
paradigmatic change in the way we approach education and training and the
way we define and design qualifications.
3. Shifting the focus from provider and producer to user
In the new version of the Cedefop glossary to be published later this year, the
term learning outcomes is defined as
‘...statements of what a learner knows and/or is able to do at the end
of learning process...’
This definition, which you will have the opportunity to discuss in detail
during the conference, signals an important shift in emphasis.
The moment we start to use learning outcomes as a guiding principle for
defining and designing education, training and qualifications, we
automatically emphasise the interests of the users. These could be
- Individual learners; Using learning outcomes to define qualifications
will make it easier for them to see what they are expected to know and
be able to do at the end of a course or a study.
- Employers; using learning outcomes should make it easier for them to
see what a holder of a qualification knows and/or is able to do.
The shift to learning outcomes is thus very much about increasing the
transparency of qualifications and making it possible to see though them. The
traditional way of describing qualifications, focussing on duration and
teaching input confronts us with ‘a black box’;
- Learners are expected to enter education and training without any clear
specifications of the outcomes
- Employers are expected to use the resulting qualifications without any
clear specification of what is the content and profile of the
qualification.
4.
The role of Cedefop
I don’t think I exaggerate when I state that Cedefop has been actively
involved in the discussions on learning outcomes - and also in the practical
promotion of this perspective. A few examples illustrate this:
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- Our work on transparency, starting already in the 1990s, notably
through the setting up of the European Forum on Transparency,
opened up the discussion on learning outcomes. I think this is well
illustrated by the Europass certificate supplement which uses the
learning outcomes approach for transparency purposes.
- The Cedefop study on reference levels for vocational education and
training in 2002-2004 actually provided the basis for the EQF and the
use of learning outcomes as a basis for this framework.
- The work of Cedefop on validation of non-formal and informal
learning the last 10-15 years has contributed to the spread and
implementation of methods and institutions in this field across Europe;
all of them relying on and promoting the concept of learning outcomes.
Today’s conference is therefore part of an ongoing work. The developments
the last few years, in particular related to EQF and NQF developments,
means that we have to intensify our efforts in this field. I hope you will help
us in doing so.
5.
Conclusion
I want to conclude by returning to the two words in the title of the
conference;
Rhetoric or Reality?
It is my wish that you seriously consider the following issues:
- What are the strengths of the learning outcomes approach and how
may it help to improve the way our education, training and
qualifications systems work?
- Which are the potential weaknesses of this approach? Which are the
dangers we risk?
Thank you for your attention and I hope that you will find today and
tomorrow relevant and useful.
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