Conference presentation with Airina Volungevičienė and Marius Šadauskas from the ReOPEN project (http://reopen.eu/) at #oer17

1. #OER17, London
Gabi Witthaus (Independent)
Airina Volungevičienė and Marius Šadauskas
(Vytautas Magnus University)
Recognition of open, online
learning: are we there yet?

2. • Recognition of open, online learning (Airina)
• Findings from the OpenCred Study (Gabi)
• OpenCred traffic light model (Gabi)
• Introducing the ReOPEN project (Airina)
• The ReOPEN platform (Marius)
• The future (Airina)
Overview

3. Recognition of open, online learning

4. OpenCred Study (2014-16)
Witthaus, G., Inamorato dos Santos. A., Childs, M., Tannhäuser,
A., Conole, G., Nkuyubwatsi, B., Punie, Y. (2016)

5. Credentialisation vs recognition
Witthaus, G., Inamorato dos Santos. A., Childs, M.,
Tannhäuser, A., Conole, G., Nkuyubwatsi, B., Punie, Y. (2016)

6. Snapshot from the literature
• Not clear whether HEIs will recognise open
learning achievements (Reushle et al, 2016)
• Policy – needed or not?
• MOOCs are most reported on (but not the
only non-formal open learning that can be
recognised)
• Assessment is key
• Little guidance available to MOOC learners

7. Member States should…
• have in place, no later than 2018, in
accordance with national circumstances and
specificities, and as they deem appropriate,
arrangements for the validation of non-
formal and informal learning…
Council of Europe recommendation
(Council of the European Union, 2012)

8. NVAO recommends that a MOOC certificate:
• (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 based on authentication;
• (c) states that the examinations have been administered
under supervision and specifies the nature of this
supervision.
Example: Netherlands
(NVAO (Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders), 2014)

9. Relationship between assessment
and credentialisation
Witthaus, G., Inamorato dos Santos. A., Childs, M., Tannhäuser, A.,
Conole, G., Nkuyubwatsi, B., Punie, Y. (2016)

10. OpenCred Traffic Light Model
Witthaus, G., Inamorato dos Santos. A., Childs, M., Tannhäuser, A.,
Conole, G., Nkuyubwatsi, B., Punie, Y. (2016)

11. The ReOPEN project

12. About the ReOPEN project

13. The problem:
• Ensuring learners’ identity verification in
assessment
• Ensuring that certificates are authentic
ReOPEN’s solution: create a platform that
enables learner identity verification and the
issuing of credentials
Current situation
Marius Šadauskas

14. • Provide training materials for course providers
• Deliver non-formal open courses
• Integrate with existing organizational IT
solutions
• Meet organizational/ national regulations
The ReOPEN platform will…

15. • Enable learner verification
–User registration
–User verification
–Learning agreement
• Support recognition of learning results
–Certificate
–Digital badges
The platform will also…

16. Wordpress website integrated with Moodle
LMS, enabling:
• Non-formal course synchronization
• User synchronization
• User enrollment to non-formal courses
• Certificate for acquired competences
• Digital Badges
Technology

17. The future

18. Gabi Witthaus:
g.witthaus@lancaster.ac.uk
Airina Volungevičienė:
airina.volungeviciene@vdu.lt
Marius Sadauskas:
marius.sadauskas@vdu.lt
Thank you!

19. Council of the European Union. Convention on the recognition of qualifications
concerning higher education in the European region. CETS. No. 165 (1997) Available at
http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/en/Treaties/Html/165.htm
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_Jun
e_2014.pdf
Reushle, S., Antonio, A. & Keppell, M. (Eds.) (2016). Open learning and formal
credentialing in higher education: curriculum models and institutional policies.
Hershey, PA: IGI Global.
Witthaus, G., Inamorato dos Santos. A., Childs, M., Tannhäuser, A., Conole,
G.,Nkuyubwatsi, B., & Punie, Y. (2016). Validation of Non-formal MOOC-based
Learning: An Analysis of Assessment and Recognition Practices in Europe. Seville: EU
JRC IPTS. Available at:
http://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/bitstream/JRC96968/lfna27660enn.pd
f
References

20. Recognition of open, online learning: are we there yet? by Gabi Witthaus,
Airina Volungevičienė and Marius Šadauskas is licensed under a Creative
Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available
at http://reopen.eu/.
Attribution