Archive for the ‘Compétences’ Category
Vendredi, novembre 20th, 2009
Just back from Canadian Association for Prior Learning Assessment (CAPLA) annual workshop in Toronto, Canada. In many ways, it is a meeting of educational change makers, and well I love change making.
Should it really be so far fetched to imagine that one day soon, a potential student pondering about applying to a post-secondary program is invited directly on the institution’s web site, not hidden, but right up front, « Thinking of coming to our college? Have related life experience and learning? Click here to complete your self-assessment. » A simple direct process allowing individuals to be exempted from parts of the program based on their diverse and rich life-work-education experience. It still astounds me that we are not there yet.
I would dare to take that dream one step further though (why not?). The actual record (or portfolio) of learning built for such a process of recognising prior learning should not be a snapshot in time but rather continue to grow and evolve, becoming a living document supporting lifelong learning – minimally till the completion of the education program. Basic common sense, no?
To advance such dreams, we need to bridge the e-portfolio community and the prior learning community – and that is slowly taking place. This event is testimony to just that. It is all part of the larger shift towards « asset-based » social policies focusing more on personal assets than personal deficits, helping people recognise their own capabilities, thereby contributing to increased confidence and all round well being.
Posted in Apprentissage non formel, Apprentissage tout au long de la vie, Compétences, Culture numérique, General, PLAR, Portfolio numérique | No Comments »
Lundi, septembre 28th, 2009
Don’t you find that with the sea of teaching and training jargon – and the preoccupation with classifying learning as formal, non-formal or informal, that we sometimes loose site of learning, what it really is about? Here are two articles, by Roger C. Shank, that brings us back to the essence, with an approach that doesn’t worry itself with trying to draw the line between life-based, work-based, school-based learning, just accepts that they intermingle and enrich each other.
Articles:
What can be taught: part I
What can be taught: part II
Competency based approaches do have an intention to work towards this view, even if the transformation can get a little lost in the implementation. That’s normal, since we are mostly all products of education systems that organised learning into specialised topics and subjects rather than universal skill sets.
I wish that when I was doing my anthropology and education degrees we could have opened up to such a broad view of learning. It would have helped me to get a better grasp that my experience during those university years has actually served me well in my professional and personal life thereafter, even if on the surface it might appear disconnected. Indeed, classifiying types of learning/teaching into 16 types of processes that can then be grouped into 1) conscious processes, 2) subconscious processes, 3) analytic processes, and 4) mixed processes, is eye-opening and useful.
Now, when I read the other entry by Shank, on « Things that can’t be taught », I instantly say to myself, but has he heard about e-portfolios. This is reflective tool that supports the learning/development of self-awareness and self-knowledge. Yes, it is much more difficult to « teach » more personality related competence such as integrity but e-portfolios are the path into this zone.
Posted in Apprentissage tout au long de la vie, Compétences, General, Portfolio numérique | No Comments »
Vendredi, novembre 14th, 2008
During the past month I had the opportunity to « hang » with students in two completely different types of learning institutions in France. One, an « alternative » private school (students age 21- 48) and the other a standard university (students at masters level). Beyond the french context, the lessons I learned apply everywhere (I believe).
The first school is an innovative business school in its « birthing » stage, Team Factory. I spent a day there with Marc Tirel of In Principo « helping » the students in their process of setting up their collaborative working environment and working tools.
This years cohort of 6 students are all dynamic souls determined to be part of a new and better tomorrow and in the process make the careers that feed their dreams and sense of self. They are brave because they are engaging in a « school » that is not yet clearly set up and is still without formal recognition – but they know that this school has something to offer them that they can’t find elsewhere.
Of course, we did not meet in a classroom, but in a company working space. We did not « teach » but simply coached students through their process that they own and are engaged in. A lot of listening and open explorations interspersed with some practical decision making and prioritising. It’s a workflow in tune with the real world.
These students are taking on responsibility, tapping into their collective competence, leading their own futures. Inspiring!
Elsewhere in France, in a more conventional university setting I « gave a lecture » (not very comfortable with this term, the expectations are strong) on the subject of « social innovation ». In my « North American style », I refused to provide a definition and theory, but worked the concept via a smorgasbord of examples.
Students had the task of identifying the common elements in the initiatives and figuring out their own definition of social innovation. And yes we were in a classroom, and yes they were told that it would be on the exam…
Here, the students are looking in on a concept – visiting it, playing with it from a critical intellectual approach. In their place of learning (university), they are following « someone else’s program ».
In Team Factory, the learners are turned on because the program connects to them and their personal and professional future. There is theory and critical thinking, but everything ends up relating to them as individuals who can act and who have their own project. This is the learning of tomorrow. When we talk about competence based approaches, Team Factory is walking the talk, students are confronted on a daily basis with novel challenges that they act and reflect upon, in a continuous process of learning and competence development.
Posted in Apprentissage tout au long de la vie, Compétences, Culture numérique, General | Commentaires fermés
Samedi, octobre 4th, 2008
Le Congrès annuel des CRHA/CRIA (Conseillers en ressources humaines agrées et Conseillers en relations industrielles agrées) m’a étonné. J’ai senti dans l’air un vent de renouveau dans le milieu des ressources humaines. Et ce renouveau semble naître de plusieurs constats : celui du défi de recruter et de retenir des employés dans un contexte de pénurie de la main d’oeuvre, celui de l’épuisement professionnel et des maladies mentales qui assiègent le mileu de travail. Pas étonnant que c’est la dimension humaine qui a dominé pendant ce congrès.
C’est dans cet esprit que j’ai écouté avec empathie le film Histoire d’une vie et la discussion avec la réalisatrice Maryse Chartrand. Pour ceux qui n’en ont pas entendu parlé, Mme Chartrand et son mari Simon avait le projet de faire un film sur leur expérience incroyable de leur année de « décrochage », pendant laquelle, avec leurs trois enfants, ils ont fait le tour du monde. Un an de retour aux sources. Malheureusement, au retour à Montréal, Simon, papa, s’enlève la vie. Le projet doit se transformer en un film sur la santé mentale.
Les hommes, plus que les femmes, s’identifient par leur travail et ils vivent dans une société où la communication de leurs émotions est vue comme une faiblesse. Or la « souffrance » professionnelle n’est pas reliée au nombre de jours et d’heures que l’on travaille. Par exemple, dans le film, lorsque la famille visite l’atelier d’un artisan dans un pays du Sud, où ce dernier travaille des longues journées 7 jours sur 7, Simon est frappé que malgré les longue heures de travail, cette personne ne semble pas atteint de stress professionnel. C’est qu’il y a encore de la dignité dans son métier.
Et le congrès a enchaîné dans cette direction. Un atelier a porté sur la démarche appréciative qui base des interventions de solutions sur l’attention sur les forces, les moments d’excellence, des facteurs de succès. Une démarche qui réussit et dynamise au même temps. La conférence de Serge Marquis intitulée Est-ce que la peur de la mort rendrait nos entreprises malades? qui parle de « transparence et de valeurs », « d’une vision sereine du travail et de la vie », « de mobiliser les personnes par le désir de vivre pleinement et profondément ». Et pour finir, Laurent Saussereau est venu parler de deux manières de gérer et d’agir, « soit par la peur, soit par l’amour ».
Dans le contexte de ce congrès, mon intervention a été mieux reçue que j’aurais jamais pu l’imaginer. Je parlais de notre approche « inside out » pour avoir du recul dans une entreprise, pour valoriser collectivement le chemin parcouru et pour mieux s’avancer dans la direction donnée par ses valeurs et ses croyances. En fait, c’est une démarche simple qui permet le développement en continu d’une mémoire organisationnelle et d’une identitié numérique sur le web qui est le reflet véritable des compétences de l’entreprise. C’est aussi un moyen pour développer sa capacité d’être une organisation apprenante. Pour en savoir plus, voici la présentation :
Posted in Compétences, General, Identité numérique, Portfolio numérique, Technologie | 2 Comments »
