Quality in Validation of Prior Learning

Validation has become a central element in educational policies around the world. In the Nordic countries validation has been practiced especially in the vocational education and training sector (VET) for the past 15–20 years.This report explores the question of quality in validation, first by introducing the concept in general and secondly in detail by describing the Nordic Model for quality in validation. The researchers were testing the Model in VET institutions in a project coordinated by the Nordic Network on Adult Learning (NVL). Findings from the interactive research are presented from a sample of three colleges situated in Denmark, Finland and Sweden. The Nordic Model can be seen as a structured way to assess the current situation in validation at an institutional level and to identify areas of development. The research does not focus on the quality itself, but on the process of quality work and the process in the cases. In conclusion, the work with the cases speaks for the usefulness of the Nordic Quality Model for validation as a comprehensive structure for developing the validation system in vocational education and training.