WikiSkills Handbook/Collaboration Key Competencies

Context
To determine how education and training can adequately prepare learners for life and jobs there is a need to determine which competences are relevant. Studies such as The future of learning: new ways to learn new skills for future jobs or the report The Future of learning: Preparing for Change by Redecker et.al (2011) conclude that personalisation, collaboration and informalisation (informal learning) will be at the core of learning in the future. The same direction, Lehttinen et.al. (1999) point out a future scenario where personalisation, collaboration and long life learning will be the most important factors in the future. Due to fast and constant changes in the labour market and economic framework transversal skills are becoming more important.

Foster long life learning involves provide a complete education, covering the basic knowledge and competences that are necessary in today’s society.

EU recommendation defines key competences as a combination of abilities, knowledge, attitudes, aptitudes and the willingness to learn. Key competences represent a multifunctional, transferable package that includes knowledge, skills and attitudes that all individuals need for personal fulfillment, inclusion and employment (European Commission, 2010). Key competences, as a combination of these three areas mentioned are fundamental for everybody in a society based on knowledge. This competences add value in the labor market and in the field of social cohesion and active citizenship, by providing flexibility, adaptability, satisfaction and motivation

In VET (Vocational Education and Training) environments competences traditionally have been a main preeminent role. However current trends advocate for increase and modify competences and the way that are evaluated. In many cases competences have been evaluated through teachers observation. This tradition has its rows on the disconnection between competences and concrete learning objectives.

The recommendation of the Council on Key Competences for LLL (2006) the European Reference Framework (2006) defined competences as a combination of knowledge; skills and attitudes appropriate to each context are fundamental for each individual in a knowledge-based society. They provided added value for the labour market, social cohesion and active citizenship by offering flexibility and adaptability, satisfaction and motivation. Key competences are those that all individuals need for personal fulfilment and development, active citizenship, social inclusion and employment. Within this framework eight key competences are defined:
 * 1) Communication in the mother tongue: the ability to express and interpret concepts, thoughts, feelings, facts and opinions in both oral and written form.
 * 2) Communication in foreign languages: the ability of the main skill dimensions of communication in the mother tongue, mediation and intercultural understanding.
 * 3) Mathematical competence and basic competences in science and technology: the ability to develop and apply mathematical thinking in order to solve a range of problems in everyday situations. Use and application of knowledge and methodologies that explain the natural world.
 * 4) Digital competence: Critical use of information society technology and thus basic skills in information and communication technology (ICT).
 * 5) Learning to learn: the ability to pursue and organize one’s own learning in accordance with one’s needs.
 * 6) Social and civic competences: the ability to participate in an effective and constructive way in social and working life.
 * 7) Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship: the ability to turn ideas into action. It involves creativity, innovation and risk-taking, among others.
 * 8) Cultural awareness and expression: the ability to appreciate the importance of the creative expression of ideas, experiences and emotions in a range of media.

These competences include traditional ones, such as communication in the mother tongue, but the last 5 competences are considered transversal: digital competence, learning to learn, social and civic competence, initiative takings and entrepreneurship and cultural awareness and expression. This framework is designed to be a reference tool for EU countries. Most of these countries are in a process to update their vocational education and training systems in order to achieve the educational objectives defined. European Credit System for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET) facilitates the accumulation and transfer of credits for learning outcomes from one qualifications system to another. One of the main goals is the transnational mobility, in order to achieve better comparability and compatibility among them. For example, within ECVET is possible to recognize, accumulate and transfer work-related skills and knowledge acquired during a stay in another country so that these experiences contribute to building up recognized vocational qualifications. In the VET frame there are some technical components that facilitates the organization of the training methodology. VET content is organized on the basis of:
 * Qualification design: this includes units of learning outcomes as a qualification component, consisting of a coherent set of knowledge, skills and attitudes that and be assessed and validated. There are several initiatives to assess learning outcomes, among which credit points are used as a tool to distribute numerically the importance of each unit in relation to the qualification.
 * Accumulation process of learning outcomes: this process is based on the assessment, validation and recognition of learning outcomes. There are different tools that can facilitate this evaluation. Among others, in this project we highlight accreditation tools based on badges, which can help engage students in learning, and broaden the avenues for learners of all ages to acquire and demonstrate their skills as well as the recognition of soft competences that are not recognized by formal education. Moreover, assessment based on badges facilitate the transfer and recognition of competences between scenarios. A digital badge is a representation of an accomplishment, interest or affiliation that is visual, available online, and contains metadata including links that help explain the context, meaning, process and result of an activity (Gibson, 2013) . Open Badges are closely related to ECVET framework, considering that a badge can serve to communicate learning across the peer, interest and learning contexts of one’s life. In the Wikinomics project, collaborative skills are closely related to Open Badges because OB can help to evidence, recognize and validate different skills and professional credentials, which are not normally recognized in a VET context or even in a professional framework.

Our approach emphasizes the importance of understanding that, within the key competences previously defined, collaboration strategies are essential. The development of these competences is completely coherent with ECVET framework. Both of them are based on a socio-constructivist approach in which learners are the core of the teaching and learning processes that take place beyond time and space limitations.

As a result of the WikiSkills analysis, a set of 10 competences have been identified which can be fostered by the adoption of the wiki culture. The link of this framework with the Key Competences for Lifelong Learning is noticeable, considering, for example, that the acquisition of key competences are closely related to the principles of equality and access for all. This is relevant in the 21st century where the context, especially economic, is restructuring constantly and the need of qualified staff in certain sectors is growing. Wikiskills training approach identifies a set of key competences that are promoted through the use of wiki environments in educational settings. .

These proposed wikiskills competences have been adapted within an ECVET framework with the aim of contribute to the development of team working methodologies, basically focused on:
 * Digital competence
 * Learning to learn
 * Interpersonal, intercultural and social competences
 * Civic competences
 * Entrepreneurship

Qualification profiles
As held since 2005 with the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) in higher education, currently the majority of european countries are moving towards a convergence of credit for VET.

Qualifications in an ECVET system are described in terms of: The table below identifies the key wiki competences and describes them in levels, with the aim of define 3 different qualification profiles for each competence. These levels of proficiency are “beginner”, “intermediate” and “expert”, and describe what a student should know, understand and is able to do to develop each competence. These qualification profiles can be applied to all VET professional families:
 * Qualification design: learning outcomes, grouped into units, that	might provide credits (and points) to create individual learning	paths. In this sense, Wikinomics project is focused on the promotion of contents related to wiki and collaborative methodologies ;
 * Accumulation of learning outcomes: assessment, validation and	recognition of learning outcomes. Wikinomics project proposal for	assessment and validation is associated with open badge initiative.	Moreover, open badges can help to evidence, recognize and validate	different skills and professional credentials. This approach allows	to display recognition of the acquired competences as well as to identify criteria to evaluate the acquisition of key-competences	developed through the use of free-culture and wiki methodologies ;
 * Transfer process.

Units of learning outcomes
One of the main components of the qualification in the ECVET framework is a unit of learning outcomes. It is defined as a consisting of a coherent set of knowledge
 * specific knowledge or understanding requirements,
 * skills and processes in the curriculum framework designed
 * and attitudes, which can be assessed and validated with a number of associated ECVET points.

Moreover, learning outcomes are statements of what a learner knows, understands, and is able to do on completion of a learning process defined in terms of knowledge, skills, and competences. (CEDEFOP Europe). This distinction, called KSA model is directly related with Bloom’s Taxonomy of cognitive, affective and psychomotor and with Gagne categories, among others.


 * 1) Knowledge: references to specific knowledge or understanding requirements.
 * 2) Skills: abilities, skills and processes that curriculum frameworks are designed to develop in students and which are a focus for learning
 * 3) Attitudes, values, ethics: behaviours and attitudes that students exhibit in relation to each skill (Wikiskills)

A set of learning outcomes make up a study unit, and a collation of study units make a full qualification. To implement ECVET, it is necessary that qualifications are described using units of learning outcomes so as to be able to relate the outcomes of assessed or validated learning experiences in a common methodology.

Units of learning outcomes are designed in such a way that they can be completed independently. They are assessable considering the framework determined for the evaluation process.

In order to determine which of the 10 competences are the most significant for this project, researchers established collaboration as one of the main competences, which represent better the core aims of this study. In the next weeks, other competences such as learn how to learn.

This section aims to develop these two competences in a unit of learning outcomes, following the structure proposed by ECVET framework. In this sense, collaboration competence is developed in a matrix, divided into five sub-competences which constitute learning outcomes.

Positive interdependence, positive interactions, personal responsibility and social abilities. (Jonson and Jonson, 1999)

This proposal is conceived as a dynamic scheme, understanding that this is a general discussion that have to be adapted to different sectors. Ja que the incorporation and promotion of collaborative competence has a decisive influence in curricula, professors, trainers and stakeholders in general can see this as a dynamic framework guiding teaching and learning processes.

Collaboration definition : collaboration is carried out when there is reciprocity between a set of individuals aware of the difference and contrast between their views, and they are able to generate a process of knowledge construction to solve a common problem. It is a process in which each individual learns more than learns by itself.

Assessment
The objective of ECVET is to facilitate the transfer, recognition and accumulation of assessed learning outcomes of individuals who are aiming to achieve a qualification. This is possible because each unit is documented and the learning outcomes it contains can be assessed, and validated. Hence learners can: Once a Unit is assessed, proving that a learner has achieved the learning outcomes established for that Unit, the learner acquires credit for this achievement. The credit achieved for each Unit can then be transferred. Hence once a Unit is assessed, validated, given credit for and recognized, these contribute to the accumulation of credits and can form a full qualification. Thus Units enable progressive achievement of qualifications through the recognition, transfer and accumulation of learning outcomes. The recognition of units also enables learners to obtain recognition of the learning outcomes achieved in different contacts without the need of re-assessment.)
 * Progressively accumulate learning outcomes in view of achieving a	qualification
 * Obtain recognition for their learning outcomes achieved in other	contexts without new assessment (i.e. units can be transferred).

To analyze deeply the real application of these statements, and as a result of a meeting with ECVET Belgium national contact from AEF(agence éducation formation) -which is the agency in charge of all European programme follow-up in education- the assessment approach of this project is going to be defined with realistic perspective, considering the complexity to assess soft competences in the ECVET scope.

The main assessment indicators have been developed in order to, considering the meeting with AEF (agence éducation formation), develop, in the future, a complete process of evaluation:

Creativity and innovation:
 * Show originality
 * Be able to develop original products ( giving details )
 * Show flexibility and fluidity in brainstorming (viable ideas, varied	)

Critical thinking, problem solving, decision making:
 * Identify problems, interpret the elements that are part of the	problems
 * Analyze the arguments of the problem
 * Suggest solutions to problems or conflicts

Learning to learn:
 * Awareness of one's own abilities and knowledge.
 * Manage capabilities (asks questions, provides possible answers ,	learn individually or in groups, known transform information into	personal knowledge, apply new knowledge to other similar situations, poses achievable goals , desire to learn , accept the errors ,	shows perseverance in learning )
 * Manage resources efficiently and intellectual work techniques (	solves problems, plan and organize activities and times, know and	use a variety of sources of information)

Communication:
 * Expression argument and oral comprehension and written in the mother	tongue
 * Knowledge and application of spelling rules
 * Text production with consistency and appropriateness to audience and	context

Collaboration:
 * Positive interdependence (set group goals, divided responsibilities	, mutual respect)
 * Positive interactions (interacting with others through proactive	support, entertainment and reinforcement of group members)
 * Individual responsibility toward the task itself (putting skills at	the service of a common goal)
 * Social skills (communication, conflict resolution, negotiation,	sharing leadership duties, respect for social and cultural	differences, learn from each other)
 * Self-reflection and individual group (to make decisions, adjust and	improve)

Information literacy:
 * Understand the need for information (be aware that information is	needed, what it will take and the type of information required)
 * Know the available resources (Being able to identify what resources	are available, where and how to access them)
 * Finding information (resources and support)
 * Understand the need to evaluate the results (authenticity, accuracy, timeliness , value and information bias)
 * Working with the results and exploit (analyze and work with the	information to provide research results correct and well presented ,	or to develop new knowledge and understanding)
 * Having ethics and accountability in the use of information (using it	responsibly, be culturally sensitive, respecting confidentiality	and always acknowledge the work of others)
 * Communicate and share results
 * Manage what is found (namely store and manage information acquired)

ICT literacy:
 * Using Your Computer
 * Use of user programs
 * Use and management of devices and digital work environments
 * Using and Understanding own devices and ICT systems.
 * Use of information seekers
 * Representation and knowledge creation in various specific languages	(textual, numerical, iconic, visual, graphic and audible).
 * Communication through current resources (e- mail, social networks	... )
 * Collaborations : wikis, blogs, networks

Citizenship, Local and Global:
 * Social Reality (knowledge of its operation and its history)
 * Citizenship . Rights and duties. ( fundamentals and participation of	democratic society)
 * Coexistence. (Recognition of personal strategies for conflict	resolution)

Personal and social responsibility:
 * Show interest in and respect for others ,
 * Be willing to Overcome stereotypes and prejudices ,
 * Be open to compromise ,
 * Be sensitive to Cultural Differences,
 * Resistance to stereotyping and positive attitude towards	intercultural communication.