UNITED KINGDOM (1) - 2012 BUILDING A CULTURE OF ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH THE ASDAN CERTIFICATE OF PERSONAL EFFECTIVENEss A. BASIC INFORMATION Country: UK – England Title of initiative: Building a culture of achievement through the ASDAN Certificate of Personal Effectiveness Coordinator/ Award Scheme Development and Accreditation Network (ASDAN) Organization: Key competences ∙ Communication addressed: ∙ Problem Solving ∙ Improving Own performance ∙ Working With Others ∙ Planning and preparing research ∙ Discussion ∙ Presenting ∙ Research ∙ Entrepreneurial learning skills Type of initiative and Curriculum and assessment leading to qualification channels used for implementation (e.g. curriculum reform introduced through legislation etc.) Partners: 5,000 schools, colleges and training providers are registered as examination centres with ASDAN across the UK Scope: National (student/teacher/school lev- el; local/regional/national) Learning context: ASDAN programmes and qualifications support both formal and (formal or non-formal) informal learning contexts School education level/s: Secondary schools and post-16 colleges of further education (primary, lower secondary, upper secondary) Target groups: All attainment levels Time frame: ASDAN has been operating since the early 1980s; the ASDAN (start and end date) Certificate of Personal Effectiveness was launched in 2002/03 Relevant links: www.asdan.org.uk Gesundheit Health Santé & & Verbraucher & Consumers Consommateurs B. SUMMARY The UK system of awarding bodies, particularly in England, has made it possible for Awarding Organisations such as ASDAN to develop a qualification such as the Certificate of Personal Effectiveness (CoPE) within a national framework for qualifications. The CoPE is designed to widen access to further and higher education by developing generic, cross- curricular “effectiveness skills”. These comprise skills that are nationally recognised as “Wider Key Skills” (problem solving, improving own learning and performance, working with other) and additional skills identified by ASDAN as important through consultation with employers and higher education institutions (research skills, discussion skills and oral performance and presentation skills). The development of these skills is based on a methodology involving experiential learning by way of personal challenges which permit the incremental development and recognition of skills through formative assessment and on “learning to learn” through a process summarised as “PLAN>DO>REVIEW”. Portfolio assessment facilitates this methodology, enabling learners to document their progress with the help of their teachers. An example of a portfolio using the “plan, do and review” process is available here: http://www.asdan.org.uk/media/downloads/CoPE.DemoPortfolio.L1.SamplePages.pdf To implement CoPE programmes, ASDAN has developed materials, held workshops and created a network to help teachers develop the methodology. Some initial teacher training providers have incorporated the methodology into their programmes but this is restricted by existing teacher training requirements. Nonetheless, an independent evaluation found that students on CoPE programmes achieved improved outcomes in the more established subject-based national qualification. This was particularly the case for students from lower socioeconomic groups. Further research investigating the causation of this improvement is planned. The dissemination of research findings and the recognition of employers and higher education institutions have been crucial in encouraging students to choose to work towards the CoPE. http://keyconet.eun.org 2 C. IN DEPTH INFORMATION Rationale/contextual background/motivation for introducing the initiative/reform: In the UK, the policies of successive governments have supported non-governmental Award- ing Organisations, such as ASDAN, in developing and delivering a wide range of national- ly-recognised programmes and qualifications. These Awarding Organisations are regulated by government agencies in England and Northern Ireland; Wales; and Scotland. ASDAN is a charitable social enterprise with awarding body status, providing courses to thousands of UK and international schools, colleges, youth centres and training providers. ASDAN’s programmes and qualifications offer flexible ways to accredit skills for learning, skills for employment and skills for life. ASDAN’s objectives are to support: ∙ The production of ‘learning to learn’ courses to assist learners in raising their attainment in core curriculum subjects. ∙ To develop an understanding of the generic skills within the teaching and training profes- sion by providing appropriate teaching opportunities and resources. ∙ To enable both formative and summative assessment using structured and guided reflec- tion documentation. ∙ To encourage the process of personalisation of learning and the empowerment of learners. The context of the assessment or of the teaching activities can be varied to suit the learner and the resources available. ASDAN’s Certificate of Personal Effectiveness (CoPE) is a nationally-recognised set of qual- ifications designed to widen access to further and higher education. The qualifications offer imaginative ways of accrediting young people’s activities. They promote, and allow schools, colleges and training providers to record a wide range of personal qualities, abilities and achievements of young people, as well as introducing them to new activities and challeng- es. CoPE incorporates the nationally-recognised Wider Key Skills in: Working with Others, Improving Own Learning and Performance, and Problem Solving. CoPE also incorporates other “effectiveness skills” that ASDAN identifies as essential for learning, employment and life. The Award of Personal Effectiveness (AoPE) is a shorter version from which learners can progress into the CoPE. http://keyconet.eun.org 3 Objectives: The objectives of the CoPE are to: ∙ To develop skills for learning, skills for employability and skills for life. ∙ To support learners in schools across the country to raise their attainment in core curricu- lum subjects, including English and Mathematics. ∙ To formalise the teaching, development and assessment of “effectiveness skills” for learn- ing and interaction in formal contexts such as schools and colleges. These skills are: ∙ Problem Solving ∙ Improving Own learning and Performance ∙ Working with Others ∙ Research Skills ∙ Discussion Skills ∙ Oral Performance and Presentation Skills. This skill development can then be transferred by learners to less formal and more inde- pendent contexts, such as employment or community bases, helping them to become more effective lifelong learners. Dimensions targeted by the initiative/reform (e.g. student curriculum, assessment, initial/ in-service teacher education, school autonomy etc.): Curriculum and assessment for students is based on recognising small steps in their achievement. The approach to learning and the core methodology promoted by ASDAN can be applied to any curriculum. Given the opportunity, most learners prefer to learn and apply the effectiveness skills in the context of preparation for employment, self-employment or higher education. There are two main dimensions targeted by the initiative: ∙ The skillset (the effectiveness skills detailed above) ∙ The adoption of a structured and consistent approach to the teaching and assessment of the skillset. Materials for learners and for staff are available in an initial teacher workshop and in follow up training for teachers. Additional materials (‘Practical Examples’ and ‘Behaviour Work- shops’) are aimed at supporting staff working in schools and colleges. The initiative focuses on in-service teacher education but some local developments concern initial teacher education. The implementation section gives more details. http://keyconet.eun.org 4 Overall approach (e.g. holistic – existence of an overarching strategy, or targeted approach focus- ing on a specific dimension etc.): ASDAN’s programmes and qualifications articulate with and are recognised by UK national frameworks. The CoPE is a GCSE-equivalent (ISCED Level 2) qualification. The Confeder- ation of British Industry (CBI) recognises CoPE as a means of developing skills valued by employers. More than one half of UK Higher Education Institutions formally endorse ASDAN provision, including CoPE, as a significant added value in the process of admissions and entry to higher education. CoPE is specifically referred to in the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service Guidance for Applicants for higher education. ASDAN’s approach focus- es on skills for learning, work and life but this is based on a wider methodology of personal challenges through experiential learning. The ultimate goal is to build a culture of achieve- ment through small steps in the development of skills, using formative assessment, and focusing on learning to learn. Detailed explanation of the key competence/s concerned: For the CoPE at Level 1, 2 or 3 of the UK qualifications frameworks (and ISCED), students build a “portfolio of evidence” demonstrating their effectiveness skills as they complete various challenges in different modules. Students can choose from a range of modules such as Independent Living, Work Related Learning and Enterprise, Active Citizenship or Global Awareness. The use of portfolios as an assessment approach recognises the complexity of assessing expe- riential and active learning without reducing the process into an assessment focused