Organized by GIZ and AQACHEI the first training workshop on Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) in Jordan was held from 19 to 23 January 2020 in Ayass hotel in Amman. The aim of the training workshop was to acquaint participants with the idea of RPL in Jordan, its processes, its specifics and implementation of RPL assessment methodology. The international RPL expert Dr. Mimoza Anastoska-Jankulovska was delivering this training workshop.
The 5-days training workshop on RPL for Jordan was planned for the target group of people that will be working with RPL in the future: representatives from AQACHEI, representatives from Ministry of Education, representatives from universities, representatives from TVET.
This training workshop has identified learning outcomes that were planned to be accomplished. At the end of the training workshop, it was envisaged that participants will:
- be acquainted with the notion of recognition of prior learning (RPL),
- differentiate key terminology related to RPL,
- be able to identify who is RPL for,
- be able to identify benefits and challenges for RPL,
- understand RPL process and its main actors,
- understand the necessity of involvement of different stakeholders in RPL,
- understand the characteristics of RPL assessment,
- understand the importance of RPL portfolio,
- be able to identify the connections between RPL and JNQF,
- understand the RPL provision across different JNQF levels.
The training workshop was delivered through the combination of different delivery approaches. The training days were starting with plenary presentation by the trainer. After received information and guidelines for work, participants were split in groups and were continuing their work in smaller groups and sharing own ideas and experiences. Each group was presenting the results of own group work. It was followed with general discussion and comments from the whole audience.
In this way by combination of presentations, smaller groups work, plenary discussions, the information were delivered to the participants. All participants have remained active throughout the duration of all 5 days. The exchange of ideas and experiences was fostered.
At the beginning of the training workshop self-assessment pre-test was distributed with questions to map the existing knowledge between participants on the topics to be discussed. At the end of the training workshop self-assessment post-test was distributed to scan the change in the knowledge between participants. On the scale from 1 – unsatisfactory to 5 – excellent, average grade from pre-assessment was 1.5; the average grade of the post assessment was 4.6. This big change in knowledge during the workshop week was evident in the discussions with participants too.
Throughout all of the five days, in formal and informal discussions with participants, their feedback for the training workshop was received. During informal discussions the participants have expressed their satisfaction with the training workshop. They especially liked the presentation of different topics of RPL, diversity of activities, trainer style and availability to answer different questions. At the end of the last day of this training workshop, evaluation sheets were distributed among participants in order to receive formal feedback from them about the training workshop. The evaluation analysis have shown 96% of satisfaction among the participants.
Based on the outcomes of the workshop, discussion with the participants, and their evaluation, there are several recommendations for following steps in RPL in Jordan:
- to continue with similar training workshop with different groups of participants (participants from employers, participants from other universities, etc.);
- to conduct training workshops on RPL assessment tools;
- to prepare guidelines for implementation of RPL for different RPL professionals and to deliver training about them for different stakeholder groups;
- to prepare all RPL documents for one economic sector and to pilot them;
- to revise all prepared documents and guidelines and to start implementing the RPL system.
