In a rapidly changing educational landscape, recognizing prior learning and empowering learners to co-design their learning trajectories has become crucial. This presentation shares insights from a comprehensive cohort analysis conducted within Salta Group’s Professional Education division (Salta PE), exploring how validation processes and dialogical engagement foster flexible, learner-centered pathways in higher education. The study involved 142 adult learners enrolled in part-time and dual bachelor and associate degree programs across 12 disciplines at NCOI University of Applied Sciences, Pro Education, and Schoevers.

The cohort analysis was structured in two complementary parts. The first part examined the intake phase, focusing on students’ motivations, the documentation of prior learning, and the initial valuation of their experiences. Through six analytical lenses—motivation, documentation, valuation, intake & assessment, customized learning, and impact—it became clear that meaningful dialogue during the intake process enhances learner motivation, strengthens ownership, and lays the groundwork for flexible, personalized educational trajectories. Inspired by Freirean pedagogy, the intake process was designed as an open, equal dialogue that places the learner’s prior experiences and future ambitions at the center.

The second part of the analysis focused on the validation assessment process itself, applying Salta PE’s “Cascade Model,” which integrates enriched intakes, portfolio development, portfolio assessment, criterion-based interviews (CBI), and reporting. Using VRAAQ and SAKOTE frameworks, eight case studies were analyzed to assess how effectively learners’ experiences were recognized against formal learning outcomes. The findings show that validation assessment, when structured as a dialogical and formative process, significantly boosts learner autonomy, accelerates educational progress, and increases the relevance of higher education to students’ real-world contexts. However, challenges around consistency in assessment reporting also emerged, highlighting the need for ongoing assessor training and process refinement.

Together, the two parts of the cohort analysis demonstrate how validation and dialogue can transform flexible learning from a procedural requirement into a powerful tool for learner empowerment and institutional innovation. Recommendations include embedding dialogical validation throughout higher education programs, strengthening portfolio-supported reflection practices, and reimagining assessment strategies to better recognize the richness of non-formal and informal learning.

This case study offers a replicable framework for integrating validation, dialogue, and empowerment into flexible higher education pathways, contributing to global conversations on personalized learning, competency-based education, and inclusive pedagogical innovation.

Keywords: Dialogical Validation, Empowerment, Lifelong Learning, Higher Education Innovation, Recognition of Prior Learning, Flexible Learning Pathways, Personalized Education, Portfolio Assessment, Learner Agency, Inclusive Pedagogy.