Acronym jungle

Post added by Anna Kahlson

VNFIL, RPL, VAE, APL, RNFIL, VPL etc. (Validation of Non-formal and Informal Learning, Recognition of Prior Learning, Validation des Acquis de l'expérience, Accreditation (assessment) of Prior Learning, Recognition of Non-formal and Informal Learning, Validation of Prior Learning). When talking about the identification, documentation, assessment and recognition of learning that takes place outside of formal education there is a jungle of acronyms in use that causes a lot of confusion. Are we talking about the same thing or do we only think that we are talking about the same thing? Or are we actually talking about different things? This blog will attempt to clear some of the fog surrounding this issue (and it is up to you to assess the result).

Within the EU the formal “name” is Validation of Non-Formal and Informal Learning and from this our first acronym VNFIL comes. So formally this is the name that we (ETF) use. Personally this is not an acronym I am fond of, for two reasons:

1. It’s too long!
2. When identifying and assessing an individual it is impossible to know where or in what context learning has taken place. It is also impossible to exclude learning from formal settings from an assessment of non-formal and informal learning because usually even the individual can’t separate what has been learnt where and when, with other words - you asses a whole person.

In Denmark and Norway the concept of valuation/recognition of real competence (Realkompetansevurdering/Anerkendelse af realkompetence (ARK)) is used to generally cover all aspects, such as assessment, documentation, recognition etc., when talking about VNFIL. It doesn’t easily translate to English but instead of using the term non-formal and informal learning the focus lies on the concept of real competence which is defined as the actual skills, knowledge and abilities a person has developed through life independent of where or in what setting. Competence in this context is used as an umbrella term. I think that this is the best concept that I have come across so far during my years working with VNFIL. It focuses on the important thing – what the individual actually knows and can do instead of in which setting it has been developed.

In English I tend to mostly use the term Validation of Prior Learning, VPL, which is shorter than VNFIL and also avoids the NFIL term that I find pragmatically difficult, but VPL is not without its own problems. As you all most likely are aware of, the term validation is used in many different contexts with different meanings. The conclusion is that it is not easy finding a good solution to the acronym (or even concept) jungle.

What concepts, words and terminology are being used in your countries? And what terms do you prefer and why?