Is Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning a familiar or unfamiliar process for Academics and Policymakers?

Abstract

The article analyses the awareness of accreditation of prior experimental learning at European level. The research was conducted in 4 countries, namely Denmark, Greece, Iceland, and Italy. The choice of the specific countries was not random but based on/originated from the different cultures in North and South Europe and also different approaches to adult education. The target group was academics with experience in teaching in higher education and policymakers in the field of Education and in adult education. Also, the target group members were qualified for such procedures (whether the results refer to) either for the labour market or the education sector. The feedback was recorded through interviews of 68 academics and policymakers in the four countries. The current research focuses on the accreditation of prior experiential learning for entering higher education using a different path than the traditional one established in each country. The aim of this research is to establish/suggest another step/way to record the current situation in a European context and to contribute to further development and motivation. From the results, we can conclude that the information and awareness of the issue among both academics and policymakers is not in the same level in the four countries where the survey was carried out.