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
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Lifelong and lifewide learning
Learning outcomes; a prerequisite for
lifelong and lifewide learning
We need to make a broader range of learning
activities and outcomes visible
We need to value a broader range of learning
activities and outcomes
We need to remove barriers to learning by
facilitating access, transfer and progression
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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.
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Learning outcomes at
European level
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Bologna process – ‘Dublin descriptors’
Tuning project
European Qualifications Framework
European Credit transfer System for VET
European principles and guidelines on
validation of non- and informal learning
‘Sustainable professionalisation’
PISA for VET
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 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.
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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.
Overarching National Qualifications Frameworks in
Europe (1)
Existing NQFs: Ireland, UK (England, Scotland
and Wales), France, Malta
Commitment and preparation: Austria, Belgium,
Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany,
Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Portugal, Slovak Republic,
Slovenia, Spain and Turkey
Consideration: Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland,
Romania and Sweden
No preparation; Cyprus, Finland, Greece, Iceland
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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).
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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.
How to achieve real comparability?
The shift to learning outcomes
EQF requires a (re) interpretation of
national qualifications levels in terms of
learning outcomes
‘Window dressing’
dressing’ or a genuine effort to
review national qualifications levels?
The shift to learning outcomes requires
objectivity and transparency
to allow for mutual trust
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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?
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Learning outcomes and
the individual learner
Will the shift towards learning outcomes influence
the learning processes themselves? And in which
direction?
What does the learning outcomes approach mean
for the role of the teachers?
What will the learning outcomes approach mean for
assessment?
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 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.
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Cedefop and learning
outcomes
The conference should give feed back to the
ongoing comparative study onm learning
outcomes
The conference can inform us on themes and
issues to be give attention in the future
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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.
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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?
Learning outcomes; the two main
challenges
Shifting perspective from provider to user, from
teaching to learning
Developing a common language to bridge between
the different stakeholders
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