Recognition of prior learning (RPL) has been an important element of Australia's Vocational Education and Training (VET) policy since it was officially adopted as a key national principle in 1991 (VEETAC 1991, cited in Wilson and Lilly 1996:2). The aim of RPL is to formally assess a person's skills gained through life and work experience, in order to award credit towards nationally recognised qualifications. It is an integral part of access and equity strategies, which are designed to 'improve access to and outcomes from vocational education and training for disadvantaged groups' (Smith & Keating 1997: 38). However, limited attention has been paid to the operations of power within the assessor-candidate relationship. This paper raises questions about the perspective of RPL as a self-evidently benign activity and describes concerns regarding its application. It uses postmodern theories of identity and a philosophy of recognition to propose an understanding of the potential impacts of RPL and invite new assessment practices to advance its emancipatory goals. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

Most research about prior learning assessment (PLA) has focused on the practice of PLA from institutional perspectives and not on the experience of PLA from the learner's perspective. Knowledge about the impact of PLA on learners is important in designing PLA courses and teaching methods. This study developed a substantive theory regarding what aspects of the PLA process foster changes in adult learners by examining their perspectives on their own change processes in the context of a portfolio course. The study sought to determine what changes are experienced by adult learners who participate in a portfolio course for prior learning assessment, and which aspects of the portfolio course are perceived to cause the change.

Data were gathered from 3 sources for each of 12 adult learners in 2 bachelor's degree programs for adult learners at a liberal arts college: interviews, portfolios, and learning journals. The substantive theory that emerged suggested 4 components of the portfolio course as most central to adult learners' experience of change: (a) a model for reflecting on and articulating learning from experience, including surfacing tacit knowledge, trying on multiple perspectives, and questioning assumptions; (b) a narrative (draft-redraft) writing process that fosters objectification of experience; (c) exposure to other perspectives, especially one's peers; and (d) a mentor who provides encouragement and challenge. The substantive theory links PLA practice with conceptual frameworks for PLA reflected in the literature: experiential learning and reflective practice, transformative learning, adult constructive development, and critical social theory. Prior learning assessment appears to foster changes in some adult learners' awareness of and ability to examine their own perspectives, awareness of their learning process, and awareness of others' perspectives.

Implications for PLA as a vehicle for social change include its potential for fostering learners' ability to question tacit assumptions and to take multiple perspectives, which would enable them to engage more effectively in an increasingly complex, ambiguous, and diverse global society. Recommendations included making transformative learning and developmental change an intentional goal rather than a side-benefit of PLA in programs for adult learners. (Author's abstract)

Over the past two decades, American institutions have been expected to include systematic program reviews to meet accrediting standards, either by independent or governmental review agencies. Program evaluation is critical for several reasons: it provides systematic ways to assess what needs improvement or what needs changing and it provides ways to validate practices, whether to internal or external audiences (Mishra, 2007). Most program evaluative models are focused on academic programs, which don't fit the uniqueness of prior learning assessment programs. This paper proposes an evaluative framework for prior learning assessment programs, which takes into account the type of work within prior learning assessment programs and uses program portfolios, similar to how students are asked to document their work. (Authors' abstract)

Prior learning assessment and recognition (PLAR) is the practice of reviewing, evaluating, and acknowledging the information, skills, and understanding that adult learners have gained through experiential or self-directed (informal) learning rather than through formal education (Thomas, 2000). As our current economy and workplaces experience rapid and continuing change, PLAR offers a vital contribution to supporting lifelong and life-wide learning (Evans, 2000). Beyond significant benefits to individual adult learners in terms of confidence-building and enhanced reflective capacity, PLAR's process translates personal and workplace learning into a portable format, a common coin suitable for public recognition in many different venues. PLAR has hence become an integral feature of lifelong learning policies around the globe and is closely linked with the implementation of national and transnational qualification frameworks (Morrissey et al., 2008). PLAR scholars have a vital role in ensuring that policy and practice in this important field is informed by innovative research. This brief report describes a workshop on scholarly PLAR research, held in Ottawa, Canada on November 6 and 7, 2010 with funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). (Authors' abstract)

Going to college as an adult with job and family responsibilities is a challenging
and difficult endeavor for many. Wouldn't it be great if you could actually receive
college credit for the work and life experience you have accumulated outside of
college? Such an option exists—it's called Prior Learning Assessment (PLA)
credits. This study, funded by the Lumina Foundation for Education, asked the
question. Do adults who are awarded Prior Learning Assessment credits persist longer,
have better graduate rates, and finish college sooner than adults who do not earn PLA
credits? PLA is "the process by which many colleges evaluate for academic credit the
college-level knowledge and skills an individual has gained outside of the classroom
(or from noncollege instructional programs), including employment, military
training/service, travel, hobbies, civic activities, and volunteer service" (p. 6). Adult
students can use these credits to meet general education or major requirements,
waive course prerequisites, or obtain advanced standing at their colleges. After
following the academic progress of over 62,000 adult students attending 48
different higher education institutions, the researcher found that "PLA students"
were significantly more likely to earn a degree within seven years than non-PLA
students (56% and 21%, respectively), regardless of type of college, academic ability,
age, gender, race/ethnicity, or financial aid. Among those who earned degrees, PLA
students finished more quickly than non-PLA students, and the more PLA credits
they had, the more time they saved in college. Adult PLA students who did not
complete their degrees during the study period also accumulated more total credits
than did non-PLA students within those seven years. The author concludes that
offering a PLA credit option to adult students is a significant support, helping them
to persist in and complete college.

Although the recognition of learners' experiential learning toward postsecondary credentials holds the promise of increased flexibility and opportunity for many, especially in the current climate of labour shortage, Canadian universities have been slow to adopt recognition of prior learning (RPL) systems. This case study of one Canadian institution showcases its RPL practice against the framework of the challenges that face RPL in traditional academic settings; and presents some of the lessons learned by Canada's foremost open and distance institution's RPL practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR].

It is important for academic credibility that the process of prior learning assessment and recognition (PLAR) keeps learning and knowledge as its foundational tenets. Doing so ensures PLAR's recognition as a fertile ground for learners' cognitive and personal growth. In many postsecondary venues, PLAR is often misunderstood and confused with gate-keeping credit transfer protocols, and that level of misuse is potentially exacerbated by the introduction of electronic portfolio usage. This article will identify and situate PLAR as a knowledge-building process within the postsecondary learning culture. To do so, it will briefly review the history and context of PLAR; describe and examine the generic portfolio approach; discuss the pedagogy of portfolio construction; and consider the potential of the e-portfolio as a learning tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR].

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is usually associated with assessment processes prior to entry into an educational programme. This paper considers the recognition of prior learning in post-entry pedagogy (referred to here "rpl" lower case). The focus is on informal learning or experience in courses in Labour Law at two universities in South Africa. Transcripts of interactions between lecturers and students are viewed in the light of three common perspectives on RPL and then in terms of a proposed new disciplinary-specific approach. This approach exhorts adult educators to consider the nature and structure of a discipline or field of study and the relationship between formal and informal knowledge within that structure to ensure the authenticity of a programme and the success within it of students with extensive practical experience but limited formal qualifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR].

Looks at the process used to assess noncollegiate instruction in the United States. Background on prior learning assessment; Reference to the programs used by American Council on Education and the New York Board of Regents for assessing noncollegiate instruction; Discussion of some of the distinct issues related to the assessment of noncollegiate sponsored programs of instruction.