Organizational framework for integrating experiential knowledge in higher education

Outward engagement

Political and strategic factors – national level

White papers and political guidelines in different countries can support and promote experiential learning in different ways. We will give you some examples which our partners have described.

Political factors that support involvement of Expert by experiences

Political and strategical factors are important for the involvement of Expert by experience, but there are few countries that requires the involvement of service users in the education. An exception is the United Kingdom where the Health & Care Profession Council have Standards of Education and Training (SET). For instance, SET 3.7 says that service users and carers must be involved in the programme, as you can see from this link. https://www.socialworkengland.org.uk/media/3423/1227_socialworkengland_standards_drft_qual_ed_training_standards_2021.pdf

In the Education and training standards for social work in England, standard 1.3 says that education and training providers will:

• Ensure that employers, placement providers and people with lived experience of social work are involved in admissions processes.

The standards also state that:

Social work courses must be governed, resourced and managed using effective and transparent processes in collaboration with employers and people with lived experience of social work. There must be processes to monitor and manage the quality and delivery of courses.

The Framework for Social Work Education in Scotland, Edinburgh, The Stationary Office – sets out requirements for user and carer involvement in all qualifying social work programmes in Scotland. Clause G in the framework emphasizes partnership with stakeholders and reads as follows:

G Make sure that selection policies and procedures include effective and appropriate ways of involving key stakeholders in social services. (‘Stakeholders’ include people who use services, carers and employers.)

https://www.gov.scot/publications/framework-social-work-education-scotland/pages/3/

Political factors that support integrating Experiential knowledge and experiential learning in the education

In many of the countries (i.e. the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Italy, Great Britain) experiential knowledge is mentioned as a source of knowledge in national documents about education. For instance, in Norway, the National Curriculum Regulations for Norwegian Health and Welfare Education (RETHOS) states in § 5 a) that:

The candidate can apply research-based, experience-based and user-based knowledge in professional practice.

In § 10, it says that:

Emphasis must be placed on the student integrating theoretical knowledge, experiential and user knowledge, and that she is trained in critical reflection on her own profession and professional practice in interaction with others (our translation).

https://lovdata.no/dokument/SF/forskrift/2019-03-15-409

These are examples of how experiential knowledge may occur in national regulations and form a basis for the integration of experiential knowledge in the education.

In England, the students prior relevant experience is even considered as part of the admissions processes.  In the Education and training standards for social work in England, standard 1.2 says that education and training providers will:

1.2 Ensure that applicants’ prior relevant experience is considered as part of the admissions processes.

https://www.socialworkengland.org.uk/media/3423/1227_socialworkengland_standards_drft_qual_ed_training_standards_2021.pdf

Political and strategic factors – University level

Political and strategic factors also include the Universities own strategies.

In Windesheim University of Applied Science, they have developed a vision in which experiential knowledge is anchored. (Link to Windesheim Vision)

Windesheim Vision:

Characterized by strong professionalism:

“Dare to act and dare to doubt”

The vision further states the following goals:

Connecting actions in complexity

• Focus on strengthening communities and enhancing the quality of life for individuals within society.
• Being interdisciplinary and actively engage in social and societal issues (individual and collective) and connect people and/or communities with each other.
• Understand and get to know the other person, recognize their unique context (neighborhood, life experience, culture, identity), and actively listen to their story.
• Take a professional stance and balance equality in relationships, while respecting the ownership of others.
• Engage in actions or behaviors to understand and explain difficult situations from various perspectives and remain free from personal judgments.
• Take action and steps during difficult situations, dare to take a stand, and do so with a focus on connection and dialogue.
• Collaborate with different professionals and non-professionals who can deal with multiple perspectives and approaches to deal with dilemmas.
• Continue to look broadly (and closely), zoom in when necessary but always from the notion of doing the “right” thing together.
• Switch between setting boundaries and doing systematic work or step back when the situation requires it.

Working from heart and mind

• Being curious and place ourselves in the shoes of others.
• Stand up for people in vulnerable positions and act based on a strong moral compass.
• Reflect, be curious, and focus on personal growth.
• Dare to doubt, stand still, not knowing, and zoom in to look at things from a different perspective and listen.
• Be observant, give signals, research, make choices, and act.
• Think critically, weigh options, and dare to raise difficult topics for discussion.
• Be resilient and enduring.
• Recognize our own boundaries, dare to acknowledge them, and seek help when needed.

Conscious and tailor-made application of knowledge and skills

• Use scientific knowledge, practical knowledge, and experiential knowledge in actions to be accountable and legitimate.
• Apply knowledge and skills in a customized way based on what people want and can do; every situation is unique.
• Work methodically and strive for a sustainable approach.
• Can be critical of organizational policies, politics, and/or legislation but offer solutions and new perspectives in the conversation.
• Be aware of what the profession demands and know how to present ourselves and our development, while positioning ourselves and continuing to grow.

The translation of Windesheim vision is made by KI.

In Norway, the vision of University of Agder is Co-creation of tomorrows knowledge. Experiential knowledge and experiential learning are not mentioned in the strategy, but in social work education, we incorporate this in the phrase “co-creation” and find support for incorporating experiential learning by this strategy.

The organization “Shaping our lives” is a non-profit organization in UK that promotes system and social change through the voices of those people most often excluded. They work to promote the voices of different equality groups who use health and social care services, and other services provided by the public and voluntary sectors. Read more about “Shaping our lives” here: https://shapingourlives.org.uk/help-with-involvement/

Tips on how to work with political and strategic factors:

• Political engagement, for instance by taking part in official hearings about the content of your education on a national level. At a university level, political engagement can mean to take part in the University board, or the faculty or department board, and affect decisions that way
• Networking i.e. National Advisory Committee for Higher social Studies in The Netherlands. Link to document Experiential knowledge and experiential expertise as equal sources of knowledge
• Initiate and take part in research projects that emphasise experiential knowledge
• Make sure experiential knowledge is being highlighted in the curriculum
• Meetings with the management to anchor the ideas of this way of working
• Develop visions in which experiential knowledge is anchored, like the one from Windesheim presented above.
• Join a network of higher education institutions with programs that already cooperate with experts by experience or programs that wish to collaborate. The network should aim to exchange experiences and good practice, organizing intervention and study days, setting up research projects, and so on.

Contact

Mette Fløystad Kvammen mette.f.kvammen@uia.no
Wibekke Adele Grønlund wibekke.a.gronlund@uia.no
Jorunn Gjedrem jorunn.gjedrem@uia.no
Heidi Esma Dahl Bønnhoff heidi.bonnhoff@uia.no

Read more about the seven work packages

1. Key educational principles 
2. Guide with didactical and pedagogical methods 
3. Training programme for lecturers
4. A support kit for experts by experience
5. Framework for integrating experiential knowledge
6. Digital forum with state-of-the-art literature
7. Monitoring and evaluation 

Articles:
Framework for integrating experiential knowledge