Context/background ------------------------- Recognising non-formal and informal learning is increasingly seen as a way of improving lifelong and lifewide learning, employability and citizenship. More European countries are emphasising the importance of making visible and valuing learning that takes place outside formal education and training institutions, for example at work, in leisure and social time activities and at home. Open Badges, the open standard for the recognition of learning achievements has proved the power of a simple, affordable, resilient and trustworthy technology to create an ecosystem supporting the recognition of informal learning working across countries, educational sectors, work, social environments and technologies. Yet, the current achievements have been limited to the ‘formal recognition of informal learning’; the opportunities offered by Open Badges to support the ‘informal recognition of informal learning’ have yet to be explored. Such is the objective of MIRVA: Making Informal Recognition Visible and Accessible. With the release of the new Open Badges 2.0 specification providing a support for ‘Open Endorsement’, the Open Badge initiative is entering into a new phase: we now have with ‘Open Endorsement’ a unique opportunity for exploring the potential of ‘informal recognition of informal learning’. As Open Badges can now be ‘endorsed’ by any person or institution to accredit informally their value and currency, we now have the potential to move back the centre of gravity of recognition towards the informal space’ providing individuals with greater agency in a recognition process currently dominated by institutions of formal education. Open Badges and Open Endorsements offers the possibility to create a continuum between formal and informal recognition. Objectives ------------- The aim of MIRVA, is to study the conditions of an Informal Recognition environment through the exploration of: - The potential benefits of Open Endorsement as proposed by the Open Badge 2.0 specification; - The conditions (technical, educational, political, etc.) for the successful implementation of Open Endorsement; - The services that could emerge from the information generated through Open Endorsement; - The mitigation of the risks of poor endorsements practices (e.g. LinkedIn!); - The conditions for creation of an effective continuum between informal and formal recognition; Outcomes ------------- Through the consultation of a network of organisations and practitioners, MIRVA will produce: * O1 - Open Recognition Framework * O2 - Guidelines for Communities & Individuals * O3 - Guidelines for Organisations & Practitioners * O4 - Guidelines for Technology Providers & Clients * O5 - Guidelines for linking informal recognition with Frameworks * O6 - Open Recognition Framework Validation Expected impact ---------------------- By exploring the conditions for an effective Informal Recognition environment, MIRVA will: - Inform practitioners, employers, public authorities and technology providers on the opportunities offered by Informal Recognition; - Contribute to the empowerment of individuals taking a greater role in the recognition of their own achievements and those of others; - Contribute to bridging the gap between informal and formal recognition of learning achievements; - Contribute to Increasing the transparency and trustworthiness of qualifications and credentialing systems. Long term benefits ----------------------- Long term benefits are a more inclusive society, a more open and transparent employment market and an increased trust in the data relative to individual achievements (CVs, diploma transcripts, etc.) Participants -------------- 1. EMF, France 2. EAEA, Belgium / Europe 3. FiBS, Germany 4. Gear Up, The Netherlands 5. EPL EFPA EURE , France 6. Open Knowledge Belgium 7. CINECA, Italy 8. Mind 2 Innovate, Greece
Background ---------------- More than 90% of what we learn throughout life takes place outside formal education institutions, in everyday life, at work, in social or domestic activities. Yet this learning which is characterised as "non-formal" or "informal", unlike "formal" learning, remains essentially invisible: if formal education is made visible through its diplomas and certificates, what about informal learning? There are, of course, recognition mechanisms such as the Validation of Acquired Experience (VAE) in France, but this involves going through the filter of formal education institutions and obtaining a diploma. The only visible recognition of informal learning was formal recognition. This was the situation until 2011, the year of the invention of Open Badges: with Open Badges it became possible to make informal learning visible without having to go through the institutional box. Moreover, while Open Badges had been designed to "make informal learning visible", they were also intended to "make informal recognition visible". The main objective of MIRVA (Making Informal Recognition Visible and Actionable) was therefore to study how Open Badges could contribute not only to making these recognitions visible, but above all "actionable", notably by relying on the new Open Badges 2.0 specification. As Open Badges could now be "endorsed" by any person or institution to informally accredit their value and timeliness, we had the possibility of shifting the centre of gravity of recognition to the informal space, giving people more room for manoeuvre in a recognition process currently dominated by formal educational institutions. Thanks to working closely with associated partners in the various collectives initiated following the creation of the Reconnaître- Open Recognition Alliance, MIRVA has produced : * Open Recognition Framework * Guidelines for communities and individuals * Guidelines for organisations and practitioners * Guidelines for technology suppliers and customers * Guidelines for linking informal recognition to benchmarks Results beyond initial expectations --------------------------------------------------------- The initial objectives of the project were largely exceeded, particularly in France where the results of the reflections carried out during the design of the Open Recognition Framework were taken up by the rapporteurs on the revision of the VAE appointed by five ministers to "identify the blocking points" of the system of validation of acquired experience (VAE) and "formulate proposals for concrete evolutions". Following Badgeons la Normandie, Reconnaître has enabled MIRVA to develop through "learning territories" projects in which dozens of local organisations promote the ideas and practices of open recognition: - Badgeons le Centre Val de Loire - Badgeons les Pays de la Loire - Badges Ouverts A Tous (BOAT) en Nouvelle Aquitaine - Collectif BRAVO en Bourgogne Franche-Comté - Badgeons la Mayenne - Badgeons le Pas de Calais - Badganou le collectif de la Réunion - Badgeons le Grand-Est - Manche Open badge Other results : - Creation of Reconnaître-Open Recognition Alliance (not-for-profit association) - Creation of Open Recognition Belgium (not-for-profit association) - Creation of Open Recognition Netherlands (not-for-profit association) - Creation of Bit of Trust (start-up on the future of Open Badges technology) - Setting up new European projects on Open Recognition - Financing of several Open Recognition projects within the framework of Plan d'investissement dans les Compétences (PIC) - Creation of REVA (REconnaissance VAlidation) a state-sponsored startup to support a "renewed" approach to recognition of prior learning and experience using Open Badges. Participants -------------- 1. EMF (Centre for Scientific, Technical and Industrial Culture) - France 2. EAEA (European NGO - Adult Education) - Belgium 3. FiBS (Research Institute for Economics of Education and Social Affairs) - Germany 4. Gear Up (Consultancy) The Netherlands 5. EPL EFPA EURE (Higher Education) - France 6. Open Knowledge (NGO) - Belgium 7. CINECA (Research Centre) - Italy 8. Mind 2 Innovate (Expert Group on Education, Research, Social Innovation and Industry) - Greece