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This paper focuses on the issue of how qualifications acquired through work experience should be recognised. Various approaches were explored including a first experiment with 'skills portfolios' and a second which attempted to establish a right to a 'skills assessment'. The third approach consisted of authorising the Ministry of Education to confer diplomas following an accreditation of professional experience = validation des acquis professionels (VAP) process. This right to grant accreditation was extended to accredtation of experiential learning = validation des acquis de l'experience (VAE). The focus on the competence frame of reference in the VAE process was perceived as detrimental to traditional education and training programs and methods and raised concerns particularly in the higher education sector. As a result the teaching community has shown some resistance to the development of these processes which may serve to discourage potential candidates.

The collected proceedings of the seminar are indexed at TD/TNC 74.24; individual papers are indexed from TD/TNC 74.25 to TD/TNC 74.39.

There are four papers from the seminar not included in the collected proceedings which are indexed from TD/TNC 74.40 to TD/TNC 74.43. Show less

Recent developments in OER and MOOCs (open educational resources and massive open online courses) have raised questions as to how learners engaging with these courses and components might be assessed or credentialed. This descriptive and exploratory paper examines PLAR (prior learning assessment and recognition) as a possible answer to these questions. It highlights three possible connections between PLAR and open education which hold the greatest promise for credentialing open learning experiences: (1) PLAR may be used to assess and credential open educational activities through the use of exam banks such as CLEP (College Level Examination Program); (2) learning occurring in MOOCs (MOOCs based on already credentialed courses) and in other open contexts resembling 'courses' may be assessed in PLAR through course-based portfolios; and (3) PLAR may also be enabled through the specification of 'gap learning' facilitated through OER of many different kinds. After describing these options, the paper concludes that although the connections leading from open educational contexts to PLAR credentialing are currently disparate and ad hoc, they may become more widespread and also more readily recognised in the PLAR and OER communities.

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The purpose of this paper is to identify and highlight the key constructs of an enabling policy environment and their probable impact on development and implementation of recognition of prior learning (RPL) process in higher education and training in South Africa with reference to library and information science (LIS) field. The study adopted quantitative methods, and utilised questionnaires and document analysis to collect data. The study used a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods to collect data from all the ten LIS schools in the South African higher education and training landscape. The questionnaire was used as the main data collection tool to collect quantitative data through a survey research design. In addition, the researcher employed content analysis to analyse qualitative data collected from institutional RPL policy documents. The study found that the LIS schools have aligned most of their institutional RPL policies and procedures with South African Qualifications Authority's national RPL policy (2013). However, in terms of the institutional RPL policy environment, the study found that there was a low level of compliance regarding certain aspects of the policy environment among LIS schools despite their express explicit commitment to the principles of equity of access and redress.

In-depth interviews were not conducted to ascertain the reasons for low level of compliance regarding certain aspects of the RPL policy. This study is valuable for higher education institutions, policy and governance, government and other stakeholders to assess the level of compliance to legislative and regulatory framework in RPL implementation in higher education and training in South Africa. In addition, the study was important for LIS schools in particular as RPL can be used as a tool to open access and increase participation in learning programmes to counteract low level of student enrolments in this field.

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The NSW TAFE Commission has agreed that in developing courses for accreditation, it will meet the requirements of the National Framework for the Recognition of Training (NFROT). One of the requirements of NFROT is that Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is available. RPL is one element in the provision of recognition for students. Other elements of recognition include standard and non-standard exemptions.

In order to provide a coordinated recognition service to clients of TAFE NSW this evaluation was initiated to investigate the procedures being used in relation to non-standard exemptions and to discern what factors are essential for a successful and efficient service.

The evaluation focused on existing procedures for non-standard exemptions. At the conclusion of the evaluation ten recommendations for improvement were given. These included:

Simplifying the existing system

Consistency across the state

Devolvement of responsibility to teaching sections where appropriate

Subject-specific guidelines be written

After implementation of the report, a follow up review was undertaken to evaluate its success (see Non-standard exemptions: review of the implementation in TAFE NSW TD/NSW 43.14) Show less

The formal recognition of prior learning (RPL) has long been lauded and even, one might suggest, doggedly pursued as a tool of social justice and equity within education sectors across the world (Harris, 1999; Wheelahan, Miller and Newton, 2002; Castle and Attwood, 2001; Cleary et al., 2002). It can accredit skills and knowledges that have evolved from diverse, informal learning experiences and cultural locations and is thought to be 'a powerful tool for bringing people into the learning system' who have otherwise become disengaged (Hargreaves, 2006:2). Many strategies have been identified to increase access to RPL in Australia, including targeted promotion, reduction of bureaucratic procedures, and creative evidence-gathering and assessment techniques. But the fruits of these efforts are not sufficiently realised in increased social inclusion. The data indicate that, while RPL is on the increase in some quarters, there is still limited uptake by traditionally marginalised learners, such that more RPL overall does not necessarily lead to better outcomes for equity groups (Misko, Beddie and Smith, 2007). After more than a decade of focused attention, I believe this situation demands broader, less instrumental thinking, in favour of a more relational analysis of the meaning of recognition assessment and a different conception of RPL overall.

In this paper I draw on qualitative research in progress to explore the meaning of RPL to candidates and the significance of the candidate-assessor relationship as a site of negotiated meaning and identity construction (Hamer, 2010). Looking through the lens of a philosophy of recognition (Honneth, 1995) and postmodern understandings of the discursive production of the self (Chappell et al., 2003; Benhabib, 1992), I ask questions about the nature and effects of the assessment relationship. I invite considerations of this relationship as an intersubjective exchange within a wider, more fundamental 'struggle for recognition' as part of human self-actualisation (Honneth, 1995). I will use emerging data to illustrate the meaning and effects of RPL within this theoretical framework and propose a reconceptualisation of recognition assessment that aims to enhance our efforts towards access and equity goals.

Published abstract reprinted by permission of the copyright owner. Show less

Skills development systems cater to all people striving to learn relevant skills to earn a living and find their place in society - in principle. In reality, many individuals and groups find themselves excluded from learning opportunities, for a wide range of reasons. People in precarious, informal employment face numerous access barriers, and availability and accessibility of training centres might pose a problem for people living in remote areas or people with disabilities. After graduation, transition to employment can also be more challenging if labour market actors perpetuate discrimination. Ensuring that disadvantaged groups enjoy inclusive skills development environments will help them be more successful in transitioning to decent work. The guide includes a self-assessment tool, which aims to improve understanding of potential barriers to access and participation, and provides a basis for reflection on how to redress inequalities to promote a diverse and inclusive skills development system. Policy-makers and practitioners can use the assessment tool in digital interactive format and obtain an analysis of how inclusive their skills system or program is.

Specific themes and issues are addressed in a series of brief case studies: TVET reform project in Bangladesh; Gender mainstreaming in training institutions in Central America [Costa Rica]; Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) for Syrian refugees in Jordan; Training for Rural Economic Empowerment (TREE) [Philippines]; Creating space for addressing homophobia in TVET colleges in South Africa; Upgrading the informal apprenticeship system in Benin; TVET e-tools and e-learning: Indigenous people in Australia; Social inclusion, employability training and HIV/AIDS in East and Southern Africa; Learning by doing: training self-employed workers outside of formal TVET in Mexico.

Edited excerpts from publication and publisher's website. Show less

This article focuses on reliability in assessment of prior learning (APL) related to higher education. APL refers to a process where adults' prior learning, formal as well as informal, is assessed and acknowledged. In higher education, APL is used for the purpose of gaining admission, advanced standing or credits. In this article, studies investigating reliability in APL are presented. The studies provide data of inter- and intrarater reliability among assessors in a specific APL scheme used in higher education. Percentage of agreement and Cohen's kappa were used to estimate reliability, and the results show that the agreement between assessors, i.e. interrater reliability, is poorer compared to the agreement on repeated assessment by the same assessor, i.e. intrarater reliability. Further, the results reveal that there are differences in agreement between different aspects of prior learning. A conclusion is that reliability in this type of assessment ought to be further investigated.

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This monograph examines the extent to which vocational qualifications and apprenticeship programmes are accepted by higher education institutions (HEIs) in England when considering candidates for entry to degree courses. It argues that the prospects for progression for those with vocational, as opposed to academic, qualifications need urgent attention. Four illustrative examples drawing on statistical and documentary evidence are presented. The analysis raises serious questions about the currency of Advanced Apprenticeship and Level Three vocational qualifications for entrance to higher education (HE) and the extent to which participation from this potential pipeline is likely to increase. The paper also argues that the further segmentation of the HE sector in England currently taking place and the challenge to the concept of whole stand-alone qualifications through the introduction of the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) will further undermine access to HE for apprentices. This paper exposes systemic barriers to progression built into the structure of education and training in England and calls for an urgent and independent review of the regulation, role, content and use of vocational qualifications.

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The purpose of the [Quality Assurance Agency] QAA-funded project is to support the Scottish [Higher Education Institution] HEI [recognition of prior learning] RPL Network in the development of guidelines for the streamlining of RPL support and assessment for the HE sector. The Quality Assurance Agency, Scotland, commissioned the Centre for Research in Lifelong Learning to undertake the project between April and July 2011. The outcomes of the project will be discussed and considered by the Scottish HEI RPL Network at a workshop in October 2011 at which the scope and nature of the guidelines to be developed will be agreed. The project was undertaken in three phases. Phase one consisted of an online scoping study, which identified key features of RPL processes within the Scottish and UK sectors and beyond. This includes 56 examples of practice. Phase two involved a web-based survey of the Scottish RPL HEI Network and other UK and international networks in terms of scope and nature of RPL processes and ways in which practice could be streamlined/enhanced. The survey had a response rate of 33 per cent, with 55 responses from Scottish, UK, and international HEIs and other organisations. The final phase comprised follow up telephone interviews to explore particular examples of practice in more detail. Each phase explored the RPL process within a common framework: initial guidance; support processes/systems; assessment processes/systems and monitoring, evaluation and quality assurance. Analysis of the outcomes of each phase enabled the identification of recommendations for the key elements of the guidelines and a proposed typology. This report considers the findings and outcomes of each of these three phases. The issues to consider in developing effective, streamlined systems of RPL are discussed and current or proposed approaches to address these are outlined.

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The fifth International Conference on Researching Work and Learning (RWL5) was held in Cape Town, Republic of South Africa in 2007. The overarching theme was 'Rethinking the 'centre' and the 'margins' in researching work and learning' and it covered the following sub-themes: Learning in formal and informal work contexts; Learning and social development; Re-theorising knowledge; Working and learning in higher or further/vocational education institutions; and Work, learning and policy.

This volume contains the following papers: Preparation for professional work?: a meta-analysis of two international research projects on the transition from higher education to work life / Madeleine Abrandt Dahlgren, Peter Petocz, Anna Reid and Lars Owe Dahlgren; Disturbance analysis as a springboard for understanding service concepts / Arja Ala-Laurinaho and Annarita Koli; A curriculum that 'faces both ways': the professional development of clinician educators / Melanie Alperstein, Linda Cooper and Nadia Hartman; Job Satisfaction among counselors working at Stress Center (SDO) in Kuwait / Humoud Alqashan; Prospects of quality in online and electronic learning systems / Anis Hussein; Rethinking work related learning in higher education from a Habermasian perspective: towards a discursive pedagogy / John Bamber; Rural education: learning to be rural teachers / Barbara Barter; Valuing informal learning: dressing the emperor / Darryl Bibby and Judy Rumbelow; Workplace transitions: learning to manage change / Jenny Bimrose, Sally-Anne Barnes and Alan Brown; Challenging donor agendas in adult and workplace education in Timor-Leste / Bob Boughton; Cross-continental communication about personal and professional identities between 'critical friends' in a social work ethics module / Vivienne Bozalek and Lear Matthews; Integrated learning and knowledge management at the university / Stefan Brall, Frank Hees and Klaus Henning; Recognising phronesis or practical wisdom in the recognition (assessment) of prior learning / Mignonne Breier; Wither work-related learning in Europe? / Alan Brown; Organising learning: informal workplace learning in a trade union campaign to organise private-sector child care workers / Tony Brown; Learning to work, learning to live: an analysis of effective policies and programs for 'hard to employ' welfare clients / Shauna Butterwick, Garnett Bucknor and Whitney Borowko; Hard/soft, formal/informal, work/learning: tenuous/persistent binaries in the knowledge-based society / Shauna Butterwick and Kaela Jubas; From workplace to university, from university to workplace: a relational view of learning / Martyn Clark, Neil Lent and Miriam Zukas; Creating reflective space: exploring the complexities of the conducting research in the dual role of teacher-as-researcher / Lynn Coleman; Using 'workplace learning groups': a peer-learning approach: in the Indonesian Tax Office to encourage workplace learning and support cultural change within the organisation / Kate Collier, Ali Rokhman, Sherria Ayuandini and Panca Kurniawan; Commitment and work-related identity: links between individual and social learning at work? / Kaija Collin; Learning for work and working to learn: challenges within a changing UK higher education system / Helen Corkill; Exploring African indigenous knowledge (AIK) as motivation and inspiration for self-reflection on multicultural teaching and learning / Elmarie Costandius; Ethical considerations for practitioner-researchers / Carol Costley; Work, education and validated knowledge: Australian policy and experience / Stephen Crump; Itinerant practice leaders: interpreting academics' constructive uses of educational technology / Andrew Deacon and Catherine WynSculley; Status of women in engineering in South Africa / Renette Du Toit and Joan Roodt; The new profile of social work education in South Africa: factors impacting on the translation of equity access to equity success / Nicci Earle; Work, identity, learning styles and the implications for teaching and learning in UK higher education: a case study of foundation year students / Robert Ellis; Enabling and constraining conditions of learning: a study of care work / Eva Ellstrom and Bodil Ekholm. Show less