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Recognition of prior learning (RPL) requires an assessment of the equivalence and transferability of learning acquired in one context to another. However, this study's examination of the institutional policies and practices of three Australian universities reveals that RPL can also be understood as a Bourdieuian process of 'capital conversion', where an individual's economic, social and cultural capital are assessed as being equivalent to 'academic experience'. This approach reveals that, far from being an epistemological assessment of prior learning, universities also consider their organisational identity and status when considering what informal or non-formal learning will be accepted. Ultimately, what counts as prior learning depends as much upon which university is doing the assessment, its motive for doing so and the extent to which it views RPL as a normative threat.

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This volume contains two reports: ‘Recognition by universities of education and training offered by industry and private providers’, by John Topley and Graham Clinch; and, ‘Learning from experience counts: recognition of prior learning in Australian universities’, by Ruth Cohen et al. Both reports were produced for the AVCC Working Party on Credit Transfer and Recognition of Prior Learning. The Working Party wished to establish the extent to which Australian universities recognise, for credit purposes, certain forms of credentialled learning (acquired through courses offered by providers such as professional bodies, private providers and enterprises) and also uncredentialled learning (acquired through practical experience, for example on-the-job, or through life experience). Show less

This paper reports on a study into the provision of online information about recognition of prior learning (RPL) to prospective Australian university students. This was the first stage in an applied research project on developing an online RPL Tool-Kit for students. While Australian universities typically have accessible web-based information about 'credit transfer' of prior formal studies, the quality of information about RPL varies widely and is often absent, poorly written or hard to find. Show less

Purpose - Recognition of prior learning (RPL) is a process by which both formal learning for recognised awards, informal learning from experience and non-formal learning for uncertificated but planned learning is given academic recognition. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach - This paper refers to international developments in RPL and then focuses upon the extensive and innovative use of RPL by Middlesex University and the developing RPL work at the Australian Institute of Business. Findings - The Middlesex experience of recognition of learning from experience as part of the development of customised work-based learning programmes demonstrates the potential of RPL for business and management programmes. Originality/value - The use of RPL for admission and/or credit in standard programmes enables individuals to have their work-based knowledge acknowledged as relevant, worthwhile and equivalent to learning obtained in the higher education classroom.

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Adult learners are being attracted to university programs based on the granting of either academic credit or the recognition of prior learning (RPL). Typically, this attraction is being aligned to fast-tracking degree attainment or student cost effectiveness. It appears from the literature that there are varied interpretations and application of RPL within Australian universities. This can be problematic for adult learners with diverse experiences and expectations. Given the uniqueness of university learning, the future political changes to occur in Australian universities, and the problems with RPL that adult learners experience in university learning, it is timely for Australian universities to establish RPL practices that are transparent and consistent.

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This paper reports on a study of the concept of recognition of prior learning (RPL). It attempts to answer the following questions: What is RPL? How has it evolved? How do Australian universities and TAFE institutions currently view and apply it? What form and direction will and should the future of RPL take? The following broad conclusions were reached: (1) the educational changes that occurred in the postsecondary sector were led by government and industry with TAFE sector cooperation and the absence of the university sector in these developments was a major barrier to the acceptance of RPL; (2) the TAFE sector does not possess a uniform definition of RPL with the university arena being worse ; (3) the implementation of competency-based training in TAFE was a major concern to universities which see it as bringing learning down to its most basic level; (4) while articulation has been advocated as a way of promoting equity and access by allowing students to choose their pathway and gain RPL, prior learning of a 'non-formal' nature was not generally admissable; and (5) RPL as a concept has not been universally embraced.

The collected proceedings are indexed at TD/TNC 74.501; the collected PowerPoint presentations are indexed at TD/TNC 74.530; available papers are indexed from TD/TNC 74.502 to TD/TNC 74.529. Show less

Recognition of prior learning (RPL) was introduced in Australia in the 1990s as part of the Federal Labour Government’s competency-based initiatives within its training reform agenda. In this thesis which focuses on the university and TAFE sectors, documentary and interview sources are analysed in an attempt to ascertain the future possibilities of RPL in the postsecondary sector to answer the following questions: What is RPL? How has it evolved? How do Australian universities and TAFE institutions currently view and apply it? What form and direction will and should the future of RPL take? It is structured as follows: the first chapter provides an overview of RPL covering its origins in America, the program in other countries like the UK, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand, and its rise in Australia; in chapter two, the concept of RPL is explored from an Australian perspective; chapter three covers RPL terminology in Australia; in chapters four and five, the Australian university and TAFE perspectives on RPL are provided; in chapter six the issue of articulation is discussed; and the final chapter provides a summary of the research, concluding that the future of RPL is limited and uncertain and dependent on the new Federal Minister’s plans for postsecondary education. Show less