Purpose – The purpose of this paper is twofold: first the paper aims to sketch the theoretical basis for the use of electronic portfolios for prior learning assessment; second it endeavours to introduce latent semantic analysis (LSA) as a powerful method for the computation of semantic similarity between texts and a basis for a new observation link for prior learning assessment..
Design/methodology/approach – A short literature review about e-assessment was conducted with the result that none of the reviews included new and innovative methods for the assessment of open responses and narrative of learners. On a theoretical basis the connection between e-portfolio research and research about prior learning assessment is explained based on existing literature. After that, LSA is introduced and several examples from similar educational applications are provided. A model for prior learning assessment on the basis of LSA is presented. A case study at the Open University of The Netherlands is presented and preliminary results are discussed..
Findings – A first inspection of the results shows that the similarity measurement that is produced by the system can differentiate between learners who sent in different material and between the learning activities and chapters.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a more complete theoretical model of retail e-learning assessment module use. The location (i.e. onsite versus offsite) of assessment and prior experience is treated as moderators between motivation/intention, uses, and value; and differences between subjective and objective value are investigated..
Design/methodology/approach – An exploratory, semester-long, single-course experiment was conducted using students (n=37) from Mexico and the USA enrolled in a retail-focused marketing course at a university located near the border between the two countries..
Findings – Extrinsic and intrinsic motivations predict participants' use of e-learning assessment modules. The objective and subjective value of assessment is strongly impacted by the individual's prior performance. Location of assessment moderator is significant..
Research limitations/implications – In addition to focusing on intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, retailers should also consider the possibility that prior experience and location of assessment can affect use and value. Prior experience levels of the participants were found to affect use. Retailers are cautioned not to assume mistakenly that increased use of e-learning assessment modules results in lower performance. Rather, people that performed better in the past are less likely to use the modules. It is also found that when individuals can take the assessments offsite (e.g. at home, on the road), there is a positive impact on both objective and subjective performance. Retailers should examine the potential of permitting employees to take assessments from home (over the internet) or other remote locations..

Formal diplomas and certificates have been accepted as proof that students may receive exemption for parts of their educational programme. Nowadays, though, it is socially desirable that informal and non-formal learning experiences are also recognised. Assessment of prior learning (APL) addresses this issue. In APL, the candidate's knowledge, skills or competences required in informal and non-formal learning are measured against a standard to determine whether they match the learning objectives. Although APL is frequently used in workplaces and vocational education, it is practised less in universities, and research is lacking in this context. This study aims to evaluate the first APL procedure in an academic computer science programme, and an adjusted APL procedure in an educational science masters programme. This is done from the perspective of the APL candidates, tutors and assessors, using the theoretical framework by Baartman et al. (2006). The computer science participants comprised 23 candidates from a police software company, four tutors and four assessors. From educational science, nine candidates, two tutors and two assessors participated. The results show that the APL procedure in educational science is viewed significantly more positively than that in computer science; further, the computer science assessors differ considerably from the other participants in their perceptions relating to the quality criterion "cognitive complexity". Explanations for the difference between the two programmes are discussed in this article and assessor and tutor training highly recommended.

In this article, we argue that prior learning assessment (PLA) essays manifest a series of issues central to composition research and practice: they foreground the "contact zone" between the unauthorized writer, institutional power, and the articulation of knowledge claims; they reinforce the central role of a multifaceted approach to writing expertise in negotiating that zone; and they call attention to new and alternative spaces in which learning is gained and call for new forms in which it may be articulated. Ultimately, we claim that PLA as an emergent discourse compels compositionists to re-imagine not only the students we all teach, but also ways we might better-more explicitly, more reflectively, and more tactically-teach such students about writing as a mechanism for claiming and legitimating learning. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

Formal diplomas and certificates have been accepted as proof that students may receive exemption for parts of their educational programme. Nowadays, though, it is socially desirable that informal and non-formal learning experiences are also recognised. Assessment of prior learning (APL) addresses this issue. In APL, the candidate's knowledge, skills or competences required in informal and non-formal learning are measured against a standard to determine whether they match the learning objectives. Although APL is frequently used in workplaces and vocational education, it is practised less in universities, and research is lacking in this context. This study aims to evaluate the first APL procedure in an academic computer science programme, and an adjusted APL procedure in an educational science masters programme. This is done from the perspective of the APL candidates, tutors and assessors, using the theoretical framework by Baartman et al. (2006). The computer science participants comprised 23 candidates from a police software company, four tutors and four assessors. From educational science, nine candidates, two tutors and two assessors participated. The results show that the APL procedure in educational science is viewed significantly more positively than that in computer science; further, the computer science assessors differ considerably from the other participants in their perceptions relating to the quality criterion 'cognitive complexity'. Explanations for the difference between the two programmes are discussed in this article and assessor and tutor training highly recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]