Monday 6 May 2024
| 6:00pm | Welcome reception David Denieffe, Vice-President for Academic Affairs and Registrar, South East Technological University, Ireland Eileen Curtis, Chief Executive, Kilkenny Carlow Education and Training Board, Ireland Colleen Seymour, Secwepmc Elder, Canada Entertainment: Music Generation | Saint Canice’s Cathedral The Close Coach Road Kilkenny City |
Tuesday 7 May 2024
| 8:00am | Registration/tea and coffee | Reception Lyrath Estate Convention Centre |
| 9:30am | Welcome Conference Co-chairs and Co-organiser representatives | McCurdy |
| 9:50am | Keynote – Democracy and VPL Dr Ted Fleming, Professor Emeritus, Maynooth University, Ireland | McCurdy |
| 10:20am | Panel Discussion Dr Julie Reddy, University of Johannesburg Ms Pauline Boivin, Lifelong Learning Platform, European Civil Society for Education Mr Diego Piazza-Almudi, National Council for the Standardization and Certification of Labour Skills. Consejo Nacional de Normalización y Certificación de Competencias Laborales (CONOCER) Dr Dae Joong Kang, Seoul National University, South Korea Moderator: Dr Borhene Chakroun, UNESCO Q&A | McCurdy |
| 11:15am | Break | |
| 11:35am | Table discussions and report out | McCurdy |
| 12:45pm | Lunch | Yew and Grill Restaurants |
| 2:00pm | Concurrent session 1 (Inclusion) Gender mainstreaming within the context of RPL Catherine Wanjiru Maina | McCurdy 1 |
| 2:00pm | Concurrent session 2 (Skills) Mature-aged students in transitions into new careers through welfare professions? Charlotte Troelsen Mette Bech | McCurdy 2 |
| 2:00pm | Concurrent session 3 (Individual) Are traditional recognition systems hiding talent pools that could ease skills shortages? Wendy Cato | McCurdy 3 |
| 2:00pm | Concurrent session 4 (Skills) Policy development: Building VPL capacity in the formal education system in Norway Elisabeth Bøe Julie Løvseth | Maginnes 1 |
| 2:00pm | Concurrent session 5 (Mobility) Asset mapping for diverse social and cultural capital: case of tourism industry Timo Halttunen Anni Karttunen | Maginnes 2 |
| 2:00pm | Concurrent session 6 (Inclusion) VPL for immigrants & refugees in the US: The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System Experience Charlotte Nitardy Mary Beth Lakin | Maginnes 3 |
| 2:40pm | Concurrent session 7 (Inclusion) Understanding Recognition of Prior Learning as a Tool for Labour Market Integration Per Andersson | McCurdy 1 |
| 2:40pm | Concurrent session 8 (Skills) Validating work experience for further learning NCOI University’s learner-friendly VPL-process Ruud Duvekot Irma Kolkman Madeleine Farla | McCurdy 2 |
| 2:40pm | Concurrent session 9 (Individual) Elusive and fragile: working towards a national approach to RPL that scaffolds organic traditions systemically Andrina Wafer Jim Murray | McCurdy 3 |
| 2:40pm | Concurrent session 10 (Skills) Measuring Democracy in Design – Two case studies of skills recognition for skilled migrants and refugees Deb Carr | Maginnes 1 |
| 2:40pm | Concurrent session 11 (Mobility) Empowering Mobility: Unveiling the Transformative Impact of Mainstreamed VPL Provision in Donegal ETB’s FET Service Siobhan Murray | Maginnes 2 |
| 2:40pm | Concurrent session 12 (Inclusion) Competency-based PLAR for Assessing Student Learning Sylvia Bell Iain Pardoe Carolyn Ives Susan Forseille | Maginnes 3 |
| 3:20pm | Concurrent session 13 (Inclusion) VPL on Trial Serge Ravet Don Presant | McCurdy 1 |
| 3:20pm | Concurrent session 14 (Skills) French VPL reform : an example of democratisation and empowerment of the public Emilie Burel Anne Bretel | McCurdy 2 |
| 3:20pm | Concurrent session 15 (Individual) The role of monitoring VPL for democracy and accountability in Italy Roberto Trainito | McCurdy 3 |
| 3:20pm | Concurrent session 16 (Individual) Empowering Learning Journeys: The potential for Gen AI to support the Individual Validation with My Career Path at Atlantic Technological University (ATU), Ireland. Carina Ginty Gavin Clinch | Maginnes 1 |
| 3:20pm | Concurrent session 17 (Mobility) Does validation support mobility while respecting cultural and sub-cultural difference? The case of UIL’s work on RVA for migrants and refugees Raúl Valdés Cotera Katie Jones | Maginnes 2 |
| 3:20pm | Concurrent session 18 (Inclusion) Embedding and Promoting Validation of Prior Learning across Limerick and Clare ETB College of FET Alan Hogan Patsy Hogan Caroline Goode Donna Horgan Megan Buckley | Maginnes 3 |
| 3:50pm | Break | |
| 4:10pm | Concurrent session 19 (Inclusion) Decolonising PLAR at TRU: Perspectives from a student, advisor, and director Susan Forseille Nic Suapa Geraldine Bob | McCurdy 1 |
| 4:10pm | Concurrent session 20 (Skills) Validation Skills: Prior Learning Assessment and Refugees and Displaced Populations Jenny Mincin | McCurdy 2 |
| 4:10pm | Concurrent session 21 (Individual) Collaborating and sharing RPL knowledge and practice – the case of the RPL Digital Badge Clare Walsh Ciara Staunton | McCurdy 3 |
| 4:10pm | Concurrent session 22 (Individual) Career Development Practice: Transformation through Validation Teresa Francis Lindsay Guitard | Maginnes 1 |
| 4:10pm | Concurrent session 23 (Mobility) Unlocking Pathways to Academic and Workforce Success through CPL/VPL Kendrah Winters-Pearson Dallas F. Kratzer II | Maginnes 2 |
| 4:10pm | Concurrent session 24 (Inclusion) Details TBC | Maginnes 3 |
| 4:50pm – 6:00pm | Lightning talks 1 PLAR 2001: Introduction to Reflective Practice and PLAR Portfolio Building – Carolyn Ives, Sylvia Bell Valuing Informal Validation of Prior Learning as a Principle of Adult Education – Nuala Glanton Cultural competency training as an approach to valuing diverse cultural knowledge and ways of understanding – Clare Walsh Enhancing the implementation of RPL in Irish higher education – Deirdre Goggin Regione Piemonte towards universal VPL: building a right for all – Teresa Valentino European RPL Network: Peer support through networks – Agnes Witzani Breaking Barriers: Empowering Childcare Professionals through VPL for Career Mobility and Higher Education Access – Martina Ward McNulty | McCurdy 1 |
| Lightning talks 2 Passages: Valuing singular experience through a digital framework – Yves de Champlain Validation of Prior Learning within the National Hairdressing Apprenticeship: a National Approach – Patsy Hogan Teagasc- Supporting and enabling the VET learner in the RPL process in the land based sector in Ireland – Carmel Finlay Recognition of prior learning as an educative experience – Cathal de Paor Reflections on a PhD study: uncovering the values, beliefs, and assumptions in RPL – Phil O’Leary Putting Learners First: scaffolding RPL approaches for Adult Education Practitioners – Catriona Warren, Ann-Marie Cullen, Clare Power RPL- the Scottish Perspective – Fiona Garry Adapting Educational Principles Inspired by First Peoples Learning – Susan Forseille | McCurdy 2 | |
| 4:50pm | Concurrent session 25 (Skills) IPERIA and the development of VPL for the homecare sector: 30 years of innovation and impact on the French VPL reform Nadège Turco Marion Marty Camille Savre | McCurdy 3 |
| 4:50pm | Concurrent session 26 (Skills) Powering PLAR with Artificial Intelligence Adrienne Galway Nick Hanson | Maginnes 1 |
| 4:50pm | Concurrent session 27 (Mobility) Validation, Access, Progression, and Social Justice in South Africa Heidi Bolton Makhapa Makhafola | Maginnes 2 |
| 4:50pm | Concurrent session 28 (Inclusion) Why Opening the Recognition of ALL Learning Credentials Matter? Julie Reddy | Maginnes 3 |
| 5:30pm | Concurrent session 29 (Individual) Empowering Vocational Learners through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL): Fostering Active Engagement and Career Advancement Sandra Joyce Caoimhe Ní Riain Cormac Byrne Geraldine Brassil | McCurdy 3 |
| 5:30pm | Concurrent session 30 (Skills) Pilots, projects and path dependence: Building new systems for prior learning David P. Burns | Maginnes 1 |
| 5:30pm | Concurrent session 31 (Mobility) MARTe – “A technological approach to micro-credentials”: an overview Francesco Sanasi | Maginnes 2 |
| 5:30pm | Concurrent session 32 (Inclusion) Exploring how Validation of Prior Learning (VPL) strengthens inclusion in an Irish and Finnish context Martha Bolger Fergus Craddock Peter Pahlman Sarah Barron Amanda Butler | Maginnes 3 |
| 6:00pm | Break and socialising | |
| 7:00pm | BBQ | BBQ Pavilion |
Wednesday 8 May 2024
| 8:15am | Round table sessions Learned young, old(er) done. Learning to Reflect on one’s talents at an early age – Olten van Genderen, Ruud Duvekot Using a Continuum to Increase VPL Opportunities – Nan Travers Creating Open Pathways: Using OER to Support PLAR Portfolio Creation – Sylvia Bell Democracy in Nursing Education – Lorraine Clarke-Bishop Child and Youth Care Students as RPL Advisors – Tricia Bonner, Sarah Hopper A Practice Based Case Study: A cohort approach for academic programme recognition for enterprise learners – Christine McCabe, Myra Feely, Olive Kelly Learning path independent holistic validation assessments for students with working experiences – Jannie Lensen VNIL in a VUCA World: The View from eucen – Lyndsey El Amoud, Christina Paulus | McCurdy |
| 8:15am | Special interest groups | Maginnes 1, 2 and 3 |
| 9:00am | Welcome and announcements | McCurdy |
| 9:15am | Panel discussion – Connecting learning across continents Dr Ernesto Villalba Garcia, CEDEFOP Brikena Xhomaqi, Lifelong Learning Platform, European Civil Society for Education Maria Rosenstock, European Training Foundation Raúl Valdés Cotera, UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning Christine Hofman, International Labour Organisation Q&A | McCurdy |
| 10:15am | Break | |
| 10:30am | Case studies and round table discussions Katie Jones, UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning Susan Forseille, Thompson Rivers University, Canada Anna Kahlson, Swedish National Agency for Higher Vocational Education Q&A | McCurdy |
| 11:15am | Policy responses The rudder that sails the ship: policy Exploring policy and linking to the 4 themes and case studies Catherine Dolgova Dreyer, Council of Europe Aline Juerges, European Commission Dr Rhianna Rogers, US Department of the Treasury Orla Lynch, Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science | McCurdy |
| 12:00pm | Lunch | |
| 1:10pm | Concurrent session 33 (Individual) Validating Prior Learning in the context of Rural Community Development Gary McNeely Wayne Kelly | McCurdy 2 |
| 1:10pm | Concurrent session 34 (Individual) A Pause for Reflection: On the Meaning of What We are all Doing Alan Mandell Ruud Duvekot | McCurdy 3 |
| 1:10pm | Concurrent session 35 (Skills) Volunteering, Validation and Employability: VOL+ Program Evaluation Maida Pieper | Maginnes 1 |
| 1:10pm | Concurrent session 36 (Inclusion) Empowering students in lifelong learning: Forging a new practice of VPL in Icelandic universities Anna Magnea Hreinsdóttir | Maginnes 2 |
| 1:50pm | Concurrent session 37 (Inclusion) Micro-credentials as a building block to recognize prior learning for entry to higher education Laura Widger Meg Benke Sergio Botelho Junior | Maginnes 3 |
| 1:50pm | Concurrent session 38 (Individual) Mediating knowledge boundaries: translating and transferring learning across work and educational contexts Helen Pokorny | McCurdy 3 |
| 1:50pm | Concurrent session 39 (Skills) The Validator’s Role in Recognizing and Assessing Prior Learning: A Norwegian Perspective Anette Lund Follestad | Maginnes 1 |
| 1:50pm | Concurrent session 40 (Skills) Qualifications + Validation = putting all skills to use Anna Kahlson Marcus Karlsson | Maginnes 2 |
| 1:50pm | Concurrent session 41 (Inclusion) Quantifying the Contribution of RPL in Irish Higher Education: Progress toward developing a consistent sectoral Dataset across 14 Higher Education Institutions Grace Edge Christine McCabe Aishling O’Toole | Maginnes 3 |
| 2:30pm | Concurrent session 42 (Individual) PLAR for Everyone: A New Way to Recognize Skills and Learning Michelle Chisholm Hazel Richardson Patrick Reinartz | McCurdy 3 |
| 2:30pm | Concurrent session 43 (Mobility) Show me and tell about it Paula Willemse | Maginnes 1 |
| 2:30pm | Concurrent session 44 (Skills) Delivering RPL: structured yet flexible, with the learner at the centre Deirdre Goggin Phil O’Leary | Maginnes 2 |
| 2:30pm | Concurrent session 45 (Inclusion) What Do We Want To Cherish? Re-Examining Assessment In The Collective World Nan Travers | Maginnes 3 |
| 1:10pm – 3:00pm | Lightning talks 3 RPL Practitioners Network Ireland: Collaboration in Practice – Angela Higgins Basic generic competencies for employment are the foundation for inclusion and employability – Jörgen Bergvall PLAR Persistence: What impacts were experienced by individuals who had experiential learning validated, culturally, socially, and practically? – Iain Pardoe, Susan Forseille An RPL Toolkit for a new qualification – bridging the gap – Fiona Fay Building on Experience, not (only) Certificates: Digital Tools and the Potential to Bridge the Gap in Skill Validation and Career Guidance – Simon Schmid, Christof Bretgeld Professional Testimonial within a specialised course bridging for experiential learning: A collaboration of Enterprise Engagement – Sabrina Kavanagh Achieving RPL Using Scotland’s National Framework for Qualifications – Nicola Smith Vocational validation for Swedish property management – James Johnson National momentum, local innovation…a helpful nudge for the enhancement of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) – Deirdre Harkin | McCurdy 1 |
| 1:10pm – 3:00pm | Lightning talks 4 Framework use in RPL: A Conceptual Approach – Paul O’Leary Stackability of Micro-Credentials – Nick Hanson ‘RPL for professionals in the creative industries in Ireland and abroad: micro-credential case study’ – Rebecca Roper, Lousia Keogh Co-creation of a Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Toolkit for the Irish Higher Education sector – Clare Walsh UDL for VPL – Empowering Individuals for VPL Assessment – Amanda Butler Ready, Set and Go for Validation! – Thomas Nylund Transversal Skills Development – Mila Popovic | McCurdy 2 |
| 3:00pm | Break | |
| 3:30pm | Closing session Professor Alan Mandell, SUNY Empire State University, USA Professor Irene Sheridan, Munster Technological University, Ireland Gina Ebner, European Association for the Education of Adults | McCurdy |
| 4:45pm | Bus departs for Dublin Airport | Lyrath Estate Hotel |