Recognition Of Prior Learning Policy Research Articles

What can Fraser and Bourdieu teach us about success and obstacles in the implementation of Recognition of Prior Learning?

Despite the adoption of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) policies, its implementation lags behind, remains un-coordinated and lacks institutional support. The key issues underlying these challenges include knowledge contestation and gatekeeping in the form of resistant cognitive structures in defence of the intellectual foundations of university knowledge. This article weaves the theories of Fraser and Bourdieu together to analyse the literature on RPL policy, pedagogic agency and practice in order to deepen understanding of RPL’s success and obstacles. Fraser’s notion of parity of participation is useful in that it theorises how adherence to social justice principles to promote RPL implementation can be created in the academy. Bourdieu’s work facilitates interrogation of the habitus, and social and cultural capital of RPL practitioners in relation to the habitus of academics, and how these impact the crossing of knowledge boundaries via RPL as a specialised pedagogy. The article concludes that successful RPL implementation requires, inter alia, that attention be directed to honing the class habitus of the academy as a whole, including adequate theorisation of the conditions necessary for the existence of pedagogic agency within the context of the prevailing knowledge difference discourse.

Recognition of prior learning in professional education from an organisational perspective

ABSTRACT Recognition of prior learning (RPL) is often said to facilitate lifelong learning and occurs when already-acquired learning outcomes are officially valued. The education system is a central arena of RPL, allowing facilitated access to or shortening of study programmes. This study explores RPL practices in Switzerland. We ask the following research question: How do professional education institutions regulate, practice, and justify RPL? We start from the premise that RPL practices in higher education institutions are shaped by national RPL policies, professional bodies, and the nature of the respective labour markets. However, within these framework conditions, higher education institutions also create their own organisational policies, thereby promoting or hindering RPL. In addition, the study programme’s knowledge domain and the responsible persons’ pedagogic agency, shaped by their pedagogic concepts and individual attitudes, are also guiding factors. To answer our research question, we conducted qualitative comparative case studies and compared the RPL practices of professional education institutions that offer study programmes for hospitality management and social education. Our results show that organisations offering the same professional study programmes regulate, practice, and justify RPL differently, indicating the importance of organisational gatekeepers’ pedagogic agency.

Recognizing prior learning in vocational education and training: global ambitions and actual implementation in four countries

ABSTRACT This article contributes to a better theoretical understanding of the social processes underlying the development and implementation of schemes to improve the recognition of prior learning (RPL) in vocational education and training (VET). It traces the global diffusion of RPL, and then analyses the formulation of RPL policies and design and implementation of RPL schemes in four case study countries (Bangladesh, North-Macedonia, Sweden and Switzerland). The article draws on historical institutionalism and Margaret Archer's work on educational change to argue that the design and implementation of RPL schemes are strongly dependent on the status of VET qualifications in education systems and labour markets.

Call for papers for the Special Edition, JOVACET 5(2), 2022

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), referred to, inter alia, as APL in other contexts, has been recognised by South African and international policies as a critical means of access to, and certification of further and higher learning, especially for mature learners. While there is general acknowledgement of the importance of RPL for lifelong learning and social inclusion, learning institutions have not embraced RPL equally across the board, and implementation practices vary greatly, often leading to learner frustration. While there have been some local studies and a growing international literature, RPL is by and large under-researched in South Africa.
 In light of the above and its long tradition of RPL provision, the University of the Western Cape’s Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) unit will be hosting a conference on 30 and 31 March 2022, with the theme ‘Implementation, Assessment and Articulation of Recognition of Prior Learning’. As one of the intentions of the conference is to ‘build the scholarship of RPL’ (also known as APL in other contexts), JOVACET will be partnering with the UWC RPL Unit to produce a Special Issue of the journal in 2022 for publication of relevant papers that fall within the scope of our journal.
 Topics broadly covered by the conference include (but are not limited to) the following:• RPL policy research• Sharing RPL practices• Capacity building for RPL• Innovative RPL models• RPL assessment for undergraduate and postgraduate access in higher education• Articulation models for RPL in post-schooling
 Submissions for paper presentations at the conference should be made directly to the conference organiser, Dr Rekha Rambharose, email rrambharose@uwc.ac.za, but additional, relevant topical papers seeking publication in this JOVACET Special Issue may be directed to Dr Catherine Robertson, email cathy@trobertson.co.za.
 Please note that all submissions considered for publication, whether presented at the conference or not, will undergo the JOVACET double blind review process towards publication in November 2022 or earlier if possible.
 Due date for full paper submissions (Special Issue): 30 April 2022

The limits of reforming access to vocational qualifications: the slow expansion of recognition of prior learning (RPL) in Sweden and Switzerland

ABSTRACT This article analyses the development and implementation of policies that aim at improving the ‘recognition of prior learning’ (RPL) in the vocational education and training (VET) systems of Sweden and Switzerland. It argues that the evolution of RPL policies and schemes needs to be analysed in relation to educational expansion, which creates pressure on educational policy makers to provide alternative forms of access to qualifications. It furthermore underlines that actors who have profited from the scarcity value of their educational qualifications are likely to oppose alternative forms of access that would devalue their qualifications through educational inflation. The article’s argument thus contrasts with those that attribute the slow expansion of RPL to either a lack of political will or epistemological constraints. Linking the growing political economic literature on skill formation with an Archerian perspective on educational change, the article also shows that, despite the statist and collective skill formation systems having some trends in common, the design and implementation of RPL has evolved differently in each.

Legislative framework for implementing recognition of prior learning

Purpose 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. Design/methodology/approach 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. Findings 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. Research limitations/implications In-depth interviews were not conducted to ascertain the reasons for low level of compliance regarding certain aspects of the RPL policy. Practical implications 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. Originality/value There is very little published concerning compliance to legislative framework RPL implementation in higher education and training. Furthermore, most published work relate to RPL implementation in higher education and training in general. The paper describes compliance to legislative framework to RPL implementation in higher education and training in South Africa with special reference to LIS field.

Recognition of prior learning: A critique of Council on Higher Education policy provisions

Using Margaret Archer’s constructs, namely structure, culture, and agency, this paper argues that although there are commendable structural changes in the CHE (Council on Higher Education) and RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning) policy which accommodate marginalized and unstructured experiential knowledge, thus equating it with ‘scientific’ knowledge produced by the university, there remains subtle preservations of material interests of the corporate agent (CHE policy maker) and the ideas, beliefs, and theories the latter holds about the place of unstructured learning and knowledge in universities. To advance this argument, a critique is mounted on three accommodative sub-units of the CHE RPL policy, namely: the notion of exemption, residency clause, and the ten percent ceiling on the number of applicants admitted through RPL. The rare allowance for exceptional deviations to the two latter notions (by CHE) is infused in the foregoing critique. In the final analysis, a reconsideration of these provisions is suggested.

The Use of Principles of Good Assessment in Recognition of Prior Learning Practice in Library and Information Science in South Africa

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) practice offers sound benefits to library and information science (LIS) schools. Despite these envisaged benefits, very little is known about RPL practice in LIS schools in South Africa. This study sought to establish whether principles of good assessment were being followed in the LIS schools to ensure the integrity of the RPL outcomes. A combination of a questionnaire and document analysis were used to collect data from the ten LIS schools in the South African higher education and training landscape. The questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data through a survey method. In addition, the researcher employed content analysis to collect qualitative data from institutional RPL policy documents. The findings indicate that RPL assessment processes across LIS schools in South Africa were largely subjected to principles of good practice. The study found that in accordance with the SAQA RPL policy the purpose of assessment was clarified to the candidate upfront, the quality of support to be provided to the candidate in preparing for the assessment was established, an appeals process was made known to the candidate, and the choice of assessment methods was fit for purpose to ensure credible assessment outcomes. It is therefore recommended that other disciplines or departments use LIS schools’ experiences as a benchmark to improve their own RPL endeavours.

Challenges and Opportunities for Implementing Recognition of Prior Learning at the University of Namibia

The University of Namibia (UNAM) has developed and approved a policy on the recognition of prior learning (RPL), but the implementation thereof is dormant. The purpose of this paper is to present potential challenges and opportunities that can influence the implementation of RPL at UNAM. The paper used a qualitative approach and the phenomenological design to solicit participants’ views, perceptions and experiences concerning RPL at UNAM. Semi-structured interview schedules were employed to collect data from 12 staff members of UNAM who were purposively chosen based on their positions that are key to providing information to answer the research questions. The findings reveal opportunities such as the availability of political will to implement RPL at the institution, the availability of expertise, capability in terms of technology and infrastructure, the availability of RPL policy, quality assurance and the assessment policy of the institution. Challenges identified are lack of ontological knowledge of what counts as RPL, how it is assessed and its validity and integrity. The data reveal high demands regarding training on issues of assessment and raising awareness of RPL at the institution. The paper recommends that the Ministry of Education, the Namibia Qualifications Authority and the National Council of Higher Learning spearhead a campaign to raise awareness and sensitize the nation as to the significance of RPL. It also recommends that RPL be perceived as an assessment strategy of which the outcomes bring about admission, but is not by itself an admission issue.

The Kind of Knowledge Assessed through Mature Age Entry Admission Tests in Namibia Institutions of Higher Learning: Case Study of the University of Namibia and the Polytechnic of Namibia

The 21 st century has witnessed the emergence of a framework for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) as a supplementary assessment strategy. The aim of this study is to report on the research that explored the knowledge assessed through Mature Age Entry (MAE) admission tests in Namibian institutions of higher learning. The transformative model was used to discuss the knowledge that was being assessed through these tests. The data were collected through interviews with the MAE examiners and through documentation of MAE papers. The findings suggest that despite work experience being the main requirement to qualify for MAE admission tests, the knowledge assessed during the tests is purely academic, conforming to Mode 1 knowledge. The study also found that the examiners of MAE admission tests did not understand the practice of the RPL. This scenario may have influenced assessment tools used during these tests. There is a need to distinguish between prior certificated learning and prior non-certificated learning in the MAE assessments. Therefore, the assessors at Namibian institutions of higher learning need adhere to RPL policy by accommodating certificated and prior non-certificated learning in MAE assessments.

Development and Implementation of RPL Policies and Principles in Selected Countries: Implications and Lessons for Bangladesh

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is a process commonly used to determine what credits may be granted to individuals to recognize their previous learning, experiences and/or skills acquired through various training and study programs. The RPL system allows teachers to get credits for the skills and knowledge they have developed as a result of formal and informal learning and/or training. It is a process of identifying, assessing and recognizing what a person knows and can do. It assesses the skills and knowledge that a person has developed as a result of formal and informal learning.This study is an exploratory review of RPL literature aimed to gain a deeper understanding of the nature of RPL provisioning in some selected countries. The study intended to inform recommend policies, processes and a plan for RPL development and implementation in Bangladesh. The countries selected for the study included the U.S.A., the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, France and South Africa. The review and comparison mainly focused on RPL aspects e.g. definition, policy context, legislative or regulatory context, delivery mechanisms, funding process, issues and outcomes.A careful selection of published research works and articles related to the RPL observed and adhered in the selected countries was carried out and the salient features of development and implementation of RPL for each of the countries were examined, analyzed and summarized for gaining an insight into the process.The study proposes policy guidelines for RPL development and implementation in Bangladesh teacher education sector and states a set of criteria against which a more detailed strategy may be formulated. The strategy will be required to be elaborated and implemented by all key stakeholders in the system, i.e. NTEC, DSHE, NTRCA, accredited providers (such as TTCs), education and training practitioners, assessors, moderators, administrators and managers.The study ends stressing on some related aspects assumed to be in place and specific questions/issues to be settled during implementation of RPL.

Recognition of Prior Learning: Are We Bridging the Gap between Policy and Practice in the Workplace?

The study examines the implementation of recognition of prior learning (RPL) in the workplace, its effectiveness and impact on improving the lives of the previously disadvantaged groups and its contribution towards enhancing a culture of lifelong learning in South Africa. The Northern Region of the Eskom Distribution was used as a case for the purposes of this study. The study adopted a mixed method research approach in which a questionnaire was administered to a randomly selected sample of 242 employees. In addition, interviews were conducted with three purposively selected (information rich) participants. The findings reveal that Eskom has policies and guidelines on RPL and a clearly stipulated purpose which is in line with the National Qualifications Framework (NQF), however, the current RPL policies and procedures have not been piloted within the Northern Region, the information has not yet reached everyone in the business, and employees’ level of awareness is still low. Findings also reveal that RPL does exist in Distribution and efforts to implement it are traceable. A number of milestones and achievements are noted in the business as a whole as well as in the region, although a lot still needs to be done to ensure full and effective implementation. The last finding shows that there are a number of gaps and challenges impeding the success of RPL. These range from capacity building to quality assurance. On the basis of the findings, a number of recommendations to strengthen the RPL practice in the workplace are proposed and suggested. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n1p249

The Portuguese case of RPL new practices and new adult educators: some tensions and ambivalences in the framework of new public policies

This article reports the main contributions of an original empirical research project whose primary objective was to understand some of the complexities of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) practices in general and those referring to the Portuguese RPL case in particular. The main purpose of this study was to reflect critically upon the contemporary RPL practices and policies. Of particular relevance was the discussion of some aspects of (i) the form and mission of RPL as well as some aspects of (ii) the role and profile of RPL adult educators. These concerns were taken within the framework of a new adult education and training (AET) strategy and the ‘new educational order’, originating in late modernity. The four models used to capture ways of seeing RPL practices, proposed by Judy Harris, were theoretically revisited (as heuristic devices). However, this was assumed only as one possible route to better problematise the empirical findings. The results allow us to establish, for instance, that the need for outcomes with regards to the number of adults certified became progressively more important in the Portuguese case; that these practices tended to view learning as a cognitive process instead of a reality embedded in social practice; that this RPL was more about individual advancement than about collective advancement; or even that this RPL structure can be seen as a strategic device whose social purpose was more about constructing a new invisible form of exclusion than an innovative way of inclusion.

Recognition of prior learning (RPL) policy in Australian higher education: the dynamics of position-taking

The Bourdieuian concept of ‘position-taking’ is applied in this analysis of recognition of prior learning (RPL) policy and practice in Australian higher education. Data from institutional documents and participant interviews indicate that, within RPL policy, the universities selectively employ prevailing discourses of ‘quality’ and ‘equity’ to reinforce or potentially improve their reputation and symbolic power in the field of higher education. There is no common consensus about either equity or quality across the sector, as each university interprets the two concepts for its own benefit. The evidence suggests that, despite rhetoric in government policy implying that both are equally important, quality is a far stronger discourse and policy imperative than equity in RPL policy and practice. Also, RPL policies and practices provide an insight into how the key policy priorities of equity and quality are addressed by universities, when applied to a specific educational process or practice.

Recognition of prior learning: the accelerated rate of change in Australian universities

The recognition of prior learning (RPL) is a cornerstone of the lifelong learning policies of most developed nations. Yet the scholarly view in Australia has been that, unlike other post‐compulsory education sectors, universities have erected barriers to limit the development of RPL. This paper re‐examines the current policy environment and finds evidence that universities are now more active in developing and promoting RPL, as evidenced by the rich detail of information contained in recent policies, as well as the accessibility of this information on the web. Recognition of prior learning policies are examined in detail to shed light further on the state of play of RPL in the Australian higher education sector.

Recognition of Prior Learning as an integral component of competence-based assessment in South Africa

The concept of recognising and accrediting - what people already know and can do - is having a significant impact on many of the education and training programmes currently being developed. This is irrespective of whether that learning has been acquired through unstructured learning, performance development, off-the-job assessment, or skills and knowledge that meet workplace needs but have been gained through various previous learning experiences. The concept Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is understood by most in the area of adult education as the method of assessing relevant competences gained by adults through work and life experiences, which can then be counted towards qualifications or for promotion in the workplace by using a systematic set of procedures. A practical elaboration of RPL policy and practice in the current South African education and training sector is urgently needed. Administered carefully, and supported by explicitly anti-discriminatory policies and practices, RPL can indeed contribute to movements for greater casual mobility, thus optimising South Africa's under-used skills and expertise. In doing so, this country can embark upon a realistic and attainable strategy towards becoming a winning nation.

Recognition of prior learning: a challenge to higher education

The higher education sector faces many daunting challenges. It is clear that the ability and capacity of institutions to deal successfully with current policy goals and initiatives and changing conditions is uneven, and is partly shaped by historical conditions. Higher education also faces the excitement of mapping the direction to social redress and transformation while at the same time attempting to meet the skills requirement of the country. The entry of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) into higher education at this particular juncture in our transition cannot underscore its significance to the adult learner, the workplace and the country. If South Africa is to play and occupy a leading role in Africa and the globe, the higher education sector has that challenge by adopting a vigorous RPL policy. The real challenge is to provide access for people whose academic or career paths have been needlessly blocked, as their prior learning was previously not recognised, assessed, accredited nor certified.

The recognition of prior learning: early lessons, challenges and promise

The article is a descriptive and illuminative account of two recognition of prior learning (RPL) projects conceived within specific institutional contexts in higher education in South Africa. The two projects are treated as separate case studies in which a "developmental" model of RPL was piloted. Each case study provides a profile of the students and programmes in the institution, the RPL practices which were developed, and the difficulties encountered in the process of articulating, assessing and accrediting students' prior learning. The article ends with some questions and tentative conclusions concerning the further development of RPL policy and practice in the field of educator development. South African Journal of Higher Education Vol.15(1) 2001: 54-60

Recognition Of Prior Learning: Recent Developments and Some Issues

Recognition of prior learning (RPL) policies have been in place overseas for up to two decades. The Education Amendment Act (1990) gave the NZQA the responsibility for developing a national qualifications framework in which “there is a flexible system for the gaining of qualifications, with recognition of competency already achieved.” 1993 saw significant developments in the introduction of RPL policies in New Zealand. This paper will review these developments, focusing primarily on New Zealand polytechnics. In particular, it will briefly outline overseas influences on RPL, NZQA policies and actions, and some developments in tertiary institutions in New Zealand. It will define RPL, look at some of the guiding principles in applying RPL policies and look at some ways that these policies may be implemented. The paper will conclude by identifying some of the current issues concerning the introduction of RPL to New Zealand. These will include financial, cultural and equity concerns, staff workloads and other considerations.