18th Annual International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation
Sevilla, Spain, November 10-12, 2025
ICERI2025, the 18th annual International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation, was held 10th-12th November 2025 in Seville, Spain. This is the IATED conference for professionals, researchers and technologists keen to keep up to date with the latest developments and innovations in education. It was a 3-day conference with oral and poster sessions, interactive workshops, networking events and keynote speeches on practices and innovative approaches in teaching and learning.
The International Academy of Technology, Education and Development (IATED) is an organisation dedicated to the promotion of international education and university cooperation in the field of Technology and Science.
My presentation at ICERI2025 was on “Dialogue, Empowerment, and Validation: Strengthening Flexible Learning Pathways in Dutch Higher Education“. I explored how dialogical validation strengthens flexible learning pathways for adult learners in Dutch higher education. Based on my cohort analysis of 142 students across 12 programs at NCOI University of Applied Sciences, Pro Education, and Schoevers, I examined how meaningful dialogues and recognition of prior learning enhanced motivation, ownership, and educational progress of these students.
The validation and learning process, inspired by Paulo Freire, centred on an intake and assessment processes, designed as equal, learner-centered dialogues, followed by tailored personalised learning pathways. Findings showed that when validation and further learning are managed by matching personal learning experiences and learning outcomes embedded in curricula, this increases learner autonomy, accelerates study pathways, and strengthens the relevance of higher education to professional practice—while highlighting the need for continued assessor development. This case offers a practical framework for embedding dialogical validation in flexible higher education systems.
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