Resources for recognition of non-formal learning (in South East Europe)

 

MAIN DOCUMENTS AND TOOLS DEVELOPED AT EUROPEAN LEVEL

1.     Recognition of non-formal and informal learning (in the field of youth)

Summary of the Resolution of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, on the recognition of the value of non-formal and informal learning within the European youth field, 2006.       

2.     What is Youthpass?

Youthpass is a tool for participants of projects funded by the Youth in Action Programme to describe what they have done and to show what they have learnt.

•       Official Youthpass site
•      SALTO Training and Cooperation Resourse Centre, responsible for co-ordinating the development and the implementation of Youthpass at European level

 

3.     The European Portfolio for youth leaders and youth workers

The European Portfolio for youth leaders and youth workers is a tool for self-assessment of competences developed through youth work, developed by the Council of Europe in cooperation with experts and partners such as the European Commission and the European Youth Forum.       

    

4.     Key competences for lifelong learning- European Reference Framework

The Key Competences for Lifelong Learning – A European Framework is an annex of a  Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council on key competences for lifelong learning within the Education and Training 2010 Work Programme. It is based on commonly agreed objectives, indicators and benchmarks, peerlearning and dissemination of best practice.

5. The new Pathways paper

Pathways paper 2.0 is a working paper of the partnership between the European Commission and the Council of Europe in the field of youth, elaborated jointly with the Salto Training and Cooperation Resource Centre, the European Youth Forum and the Directorates responsible for Youth in the European Commission and the Council of Europe. The aim of the paper is to provide a new vision and an outline on how to sustain and to foster the progress in the field of recognition of non-formal learning made until today and, even more, to go beyond the achievements made so far. The paper suggests 10 elements for a renewed strategy on recognition.

 

RECOGNITION EVENTS IN EUROPE

1.     Bridges for Recognition of Youth Work

Bridges for Recognition of Youth Work is a European Event organised by the SALTO Inclusion Resource Centre in Belgium in 2005, which brought together youth workers, trainers, non-formal and formal learning organisers, social partners from the labour market and policy makers, to take further steps towards the recognition of non-formal learning and youth work.

 

2.     Continuing the Pathway towards Recognition

Expert workshop that was organised in Prague in 2008 by  the Youth Partnership, the SALTO Training and Co-operation Resource Centre, the National Agency for the Youth in Action programme of the Czech Republic and the Czech Ministry for Education, Youth and Sports. It concentrated on the issue of recognition of non-formal learning in the youth field and taking stock of developments since the endorsement of the White Paper “A new impetus for European youth” adopted by the European Commission in November 2001.

 

TRAINING COURSE »COME TO SEE YOUTHPASS«

1.     Training course final report

The training course was organized by the SALTO South East Europe Resource Centre and several National Agencies (French, German, Hellenic, Portuguese and Slovenian) in Belgrade, Serbia, in April 2010. The main aim of the training course was to to improve the quality of Youth in Action projects involving organisations from South East Europe, by raising the participants' awareness on the principles of non-formal learning and its validation, and training them to implement Youthpass in their future projects.

 

      RECOGNITION PROJECTS AND PUBLICATIONS IN SEE

1.     Recognition of non-formal learning in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,brochure in English

This brochure is a part of the “Recognition and Affirmation of the Non-Formal Education in the Republic of Macedonia” project, organized by the Youth Cultural Centre of Bitola in 2009.The publication “The Non-Formal Education in the Republic of Macedonia: Conditions and Perspectives.” is the final product of the two project phases: research and recommendations. This booklet aims to show the process to determine the conditions and to commence a process on recognition and affirmation of the non-formal education in the Republic of Macedonia.

 

2.     A step towards the recognition of non-formal Education in Serbia and Montenegro in the common European educational space, Darko Marković in: Coyote, issue 11, June 2006. (English)

»This article describes the project on the recognition of non-formal education implemented by my organization Grupa “Hajde da..” in Serbia and Montenegro, from June 2005 to February 2006. It is also about invisibility and accumulated frustration over the years. At the same time it is about personal (and professional ?) experiences from the training room when working on recognition issues. The way I have decided to approach it is to tell you 5 short stories.«...

 

3.     Project organised by the Serbian organization »Hajde da...« in order to promote recognition of non-formal learning

•  Non-formal education project »Neformalno obrazovanje- projekat« (2005) (Serbian only)

A documented presentation of project activities on the topic of non-formal learning at the national level as a part of the project called »Non formal education in Europe«. Within this project, workshops were held in 7 locations throughout Serbia and Montenegro.

•    "NON-FORMAL EDUCATION IN EUROPE – a step towards integration of Serbia and Montenegro into the common European educational space" (2005)

A publication that is a product of foreign and Serbian authors, bringing a set of articles setting a framework for defining the notion of non-formal learning and understanding the current European trends, advantages of recognition and the means to do it. The other part of the articles is dedicated to the situation in Serbia and Montengro.

- document in English

-document in Serbian

•    "NON-FORMAL EDUCATION IN EUROPE – Set of Recommendations for affirmation of non-formal education in Serbia and Montenegro" (2005)

This is the final document from the »Non-formal education in Europe« project as a step towards recognition of non-formal learning in Serbia and Montenegro, including a set of recommendations.

- document in English

- document in Serbian

 

4. Research on the Prosocial dimension of volunteering in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The research was conducted between April 2010 and March 2011. It was implemented and coordinated by Youth Communication Center (OKC), and it was conducted within the „Volontiram!" (I volunteer!)network of 9 local voluntary services. The goal of the research was to investigate the impact of voluntary work on the development of social and emotional skills, as well as the impact of the volunteering on the development of volunteer's critical thinking.

(in English)

 

5. Research report named "We can ! We volunteer!"

A complete research report of a research conducted in 2006 for SEYM (The South East European Youth Network) by proMENTE social research and SEYN in South East Europe, on pro-social values/behaviour and employability amongst young people in SEE and the impact of volunteer work camps. The aim was to increase the knowledge base of the non-profit sector in the field of voluntary service in SEE, based on theoretical background and with concrete practical examples.

(in English)

 

6.     TV programme in Serbia

The informative-educational TV serial "I want to know" is a project developed by two NGOs from Serbia - Centar za razvoj Srbije and Centar modernih vestina, financially supported by the Ministry of Youth and Sport. The serial targets young people covering several relevant topics, including lifelong learning and non-formal education in Episode 2. The serial was broadcasted at National TV (RTS) in Serbia. It can be viewed at the project's website and followed up on Facebook.

(Serbian only)

 

USEFUL STUDIES

1.     Bryony Hoskins and Ulf Fredriksson (2008) Learning to Learn: What is it and can it be measured?

This report highlights the European political developments that have taken place which have placed learning to learn as a political priority within the Lisbon 2010 Education and Training process.

 

2.     Bryony Hoskins and Ruth Deakin Crick (2008) Learning to Learn and Civic Competences: different currencies or two sides of the same coin?

In this paper the authors explore two key competences: learning to learn and civic competence. They asses the implications of the similarities and differences between them for education and lifelong learning today.

 

3.      Harold Pashler, Mark McDaniel, Doug Rohrer, and Robert Bjork (2008) Learning Styles; concepts and evidence

In this article, the authors describe the intense interest and discussion that the concept of learning styles has elicited among professional educators at all levels of the educational system.

 

4.     “Quality in non-formal education and training in the field of European youth work" by Helmut Fennes and Hendrik Otten (2008)

This study addresses the issues of quality in non-formal education and training within the context of European youth work from a holistic perspective.

 

5.     “The eight key competencies for lifelong learning: An appropriate framework within which to develop the competence of trainers on the field of European youth work or just plain politics?" by Hendrik Otten and Yael Ohana (2009)

 This paper debates on the development of a competence profile for trainers in the field of European youth work. It considers the possible coherence between the eight key competencies for lifelong learning and such a competence profile, and analyses their possible impact on its elaboration.

 

FURTHER READING:

1.     UNIQUE Learning-to-learn project library

List of further resources about learning and learning-to-learn competences