What I’m about to say might sound like a meditation prompt (e.g., “Imagine the sound of one hand clapping”) but I promise it is a literal request.
Please try to envision learner support services that exist without a school.
Here’s why I’m asking you to do this: Credential Engine has organized a task group to update metadata fields related to support services in the CTDL (Credential Transparency Description Language). I’m excited about this because of the broad scope of the task group’s charge. The group will, of course, draft support services use cases that relate to formal learning environments. The group may also draft use cases that extend to…
- Non-formal learning and recognition, e.g., workplace training, library classes, and learning/training organized in the community.
- Informal learning, e.g., on-the-job experience, learning that happens in community organizations, e.g., religious organizations, and even self-study, e.g., learning that happens via one’s hobbies. For an explanation of the terms “formal, non-formal, and informal,” check out OECD’s webpage Recognition of Non-formal and Informal Learning – Home.
I’m writing this post to help me think through the task and to invite you to contribute suggestions.
We’re used to seeing support services organized as offices/departments within formal schools, so the idea of informal and non-formal support services might seem weird at first. But when people learn outside of school, they face barriers and have learning needs just as they would in school. Communities and organizations have good reasons to value members’ informal & non-formal learning and experiences, and they may create supports, e.g., practices, resources, or policies, to address those needs and barriers. It might be the case (I think it probably is the case) that informal/non-formal support services already exist and are doing work that’s analogous to what formal support services do—we just haven’t thought to call them “support services.” Informal/non-formal support services obviously will have value on their own. They may also compliment and connect with formal learning support services, creating an intentional network of support capable of spanning the informal, non-formal, and formal learning spectrum.
The goal of this post
By the end of this post, I aim to have written at least a handful of support services use cases for non-formal and informal learning and recognition. If you have ideas for use cases about open recognition support services that I haven’t thought of, please add them to the comments. If you do, I promise I will ferry your idea(s) to the task group and credit you. Credential Engine asks for use cases built according to the following grammar:
“As a [actor type], I want to [ ] to do [ ] to meet a need/requirement [ ].”
Open recognition contexts
For starters, let’s think about relevant contexts—where does open recognition, i.e., non-formal and informal learning and recognition, happen?
- Communities
- Workplaces
- Self-directed learning and recognition
Another way we might think about contexts for open recognition is in terms of scales or levels of the recognition ecosystem. The following is taken from the Open Recognition Framework:
- Micro: (individual): recognition of and by individuals.
- Meso: (organizational): recognition of and by communities formal and informal—networks, groups, organizations, businesses, local and regional authorities, etc.;
- Macro: (societal): recognition of and by law—and the institutions enforcing the law at local, national and international levels—and by extension, market, culture and other societal/global systems.
Open recognition stakeholders/actors
Next, who are the relevant stakeholders in non-formal and informal contexts? I’m just brainstorming so the following lists will be incomplete (and apologies for all the bulleted lists)…
Stakeholders who might be seeking support (and that doesn’t exclude them from also being potential sources of support for others):
- Self-directed learner
- Working professional
- Stay at home parent
- Recent retiree
- job seeker
- Immigrant
- New teacher
- Non-native speaker of a language
- Aspiring entrepreneur or new business owner
- A learner-worker struggling with mental health challenges
Stakeholders, communities, and organizations who might be sources of support:
- Co-workers and supervisors
- Government agencies and services
- Public libraries!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- Tribal governments
- Religious organizations and communities, i.e., churches
- Online communities of practice / affinity spaces
Support services examples
It might be helpful to list examples of formal support services as a prompt to consider whether the same or analogous services exist, or could exist, in non-formal and informal environments.
- Childcare
- Transportation assistance
- Technical support
- Advising
- Accessibility services
- Tutoring services
- Technology lending, e.g., hardware
- Technology access, e.g., free software downloads or subscriptions to web platforms
- Coaching services for learners
- Networking referrals / help finding a mentor / help finding peers or collaborators
- Counseling / mental health
- Financial counseling
- Cost of living stipends
- Support for neurodivergent learners
- Cultural community (I’m probably not describing that well. An example of what I have in mind are dedicated tribal spaces on college campuses where indigenous students can find support/community)
Use Cases for informal & non-formal support services
Okay, enough preparation/stalling; it’s time to get to work writing use cases!
As an [expert in x / experienced y], I want to [share my experience / act as a mentor] to new _____. Specific example: As an experienced business owner, I want to share my experience/act as a mentor to new business owners/aspiring entrepreneurs.
As an employer, I want to [advise] potential applicants about non-formal and informal opportunities and pathways to learn and document their knowledge, skills, and experiences that we (the employer) care about because this will help us connect with talented individuals and fill empty positions.
As a self-directed learner, I want to [connect] with peers for peer tutoring and encouragement.
As a [church], we want to [provide transportation] for members without vehicles who wish to attend classes.
As a [public library], we want to [provide technology loans] to patrons who need computers/devices in order to participate in training.
As an employer/supervisor, I want to [allocate] paid time/a section of the paid work week for employees/members to plan, document, and reflect upon their informal and non-formal learning. Because I understand that this investment will pay off in terms of competence, performance, and retention.
As a self-directed learner, I want to be able to [post questions] to an online forum.
As an [employer], I want to [provide] training/assistance/coaching to employees/members on how to identify and document evidence of their own knowledge, skills, and experiences.
As a [community center], we want to provide childcare for community members while they attend evening classes.
As an [employer], I want to [partner] with post-secondary institutions in order to make their learner support services accessible to my employees.
As a [church], we want to provide counseling support to members who are in crisis.
As a [public-facing non-profit, e.g., a public library], I want to [provide] training/assistance/coaching to employees/members on how to identify and document evidence of their own knowledge, skills, and experiences.
As a non-native speaker of a language, I want to connect with a community who can help me practice the language.
As a [government agency, e.g., a Job Service, Forest Service], I want to provide advising on training opportunities to individual learner-workers who are interested in finding work.
Use cases beyond the scope?
The following might be outside the scope of what Credential Engine is looking for, but it helps me think through the value of collecting non-formal and informal support services data, so I’m including it.
As a [state or federal agency], we want to gather learner support data from across the informal, non-formal, and formal learning spectrum in order to better identify useful pathways to learning and employment.
As a [post-secondary institution], we want to discover what learner supports exist in our area, or that have helped support learners on their journeys to college, so that we (the post-secondary institution) can more intentionally engage with those support services.
As a [non-profit community organization], we want to gather and report quantitative data on member/patron outcomes aligned to our public mission.
Conclusion
This conclusion is here just to say that these use cases feel very unfinished. Nonetheless, I’m publishing the post because the Credential Engine task group’s work is time-bound. Thank you in advance to anyone who shares suggestions for use cases!
To be continued and thank you for reading!!
