1. Linda Cooper and Judy Harris CHED

2.  Broader research project: comparing RPL across sites/contexts: what constitutes ‘optimally inclusive’ RPL?  Assumptions:  * knowledge differentiation  * RPL as ‘specialised pedagogy’

3.  ‘Where and how knowledge is acquired or constructed really does matter and cannot be assumed as insignificant in the assessment and certification thereof’ (Ralphs, 2009: 7)  Moving from experiential knowledge to codified knowledge does not happen automatically or easily - RPL as “specialised pedagogy"  Experiential knowledge can sometimes act to block the acquisition of formal, codified knowledge (Breier 2003, 2006; Harris 2004, 2006; Shalem and Steinberg 2006).

4.  Focus on feasibility of RPL into postgraduate, professionally oriented programmes  Research Q: “To what extent does the nature of the disciplinary/knowledge domain determine the feasibility of RPL?”  An interpretive study aimed at unpacking academics’ perceptions of feasibility of RPL into their intellectual field, from a position of embeddedness

5. Interviews probed:  Current criteria and processes regarding access to postgraduate study  Views on the feasibility (or otherwise) of RPL at postgraduate level in their discipline/programme  Perspectives on role of experiential knowledge in postgraduate programmes  Nature of faculty decision-making regarding admissions via RPL

6. KNOWLEDGE STRUCTURE AND CURRICULUM SCIENCEEBECOMMERCEHSF (Health & Rehab) HUMANITIES Hierarchical/horizontal Singulars/regions Traditional/’4 th Gen.’ Professions. Disciplinary taproot Strong/weak boundaries Oriented towards theory/practice Conceptual/contextual logic

7.  How hypotheses played out in data analysis  Congruence & divergence

8.  Expected low feasibility  10 successful postgraduate RPL applications a year, mainly in Zoology, Environmental and Geographical Science, Oceanography, Botany  Science first degree is necessary - thereafter 3-4 years of relevant work experience can count  things are more clear-cut in science so we know what we are looking for

9.  We can tell if someone has relevant work experience – if they have worked in a lab or have been doing experiments for SASOL or some chemical company – or if they have written reports to their industrial line manager or if they have written patents – if there is evidence of that, then it’s clear cut – they can write, they can think [....] that’s what a [honours degree] gives you as a training or introduction to research

10.  Transport Studies open to undergraduates from engineering, science or social science. City and Regional Planning draws from economic theory, social theory, and institutional theories and takes people from music, film, chemistry, absolutely anywhere  No pre-specified content knowledge for a student to engage  Emphasis on ‘proxies’ - cognitive ability, intellectual skills and academic literacies

11. I’m looking for an ability to think - to engage with policy debates at an intellectually high level - someone who, when presented with a problem, can frame that problem - evidence- based reasoning - critical reflection on accuracy of data. The prior qualification is not always a good indicator of how well a person responds (Transport Studies)

12.  Masters in Accountancy – a traditional profession foundations are so critical in this field - in some disciplines the foundations are not that critical as long as you can think – if you haven’t read certain literature you could read it up if you had the intellectual ability – but in these disciplines it would be like putting up the roof without the foundations  PG Diploma in Management Practice & Masters in Information Systems - tailor-made for RPL - more breadth, the intellectual skills there are more defined rather than content

13.  Professional bodies - affordances & barriers  PG Disability Studies  Transformatory –not transformation in one way but in many ways – part of that was ‘what do you want in the programme?’ and ‘who do you want in the programme?’ and who we wanted was a range of people who together would make new knowledge and get to new places, especially those who had not been through the academic route  Pedagogic agency – social and political purposes

14.  Expected low feasibility as knowledge singular  it is very difficult for people with no formal undergraduate training in History to come onto a postgraduate course - a historiographic attitude of mind  Found pedagogic agency

15.  Expected feasibility as 4 th generation with no obvious disciplinary taproot  Industry leads in knowledge production - industry experience is valued in the programme  Learner dispositions valued – passion and maturity and having something to say

16.  Weakly classified, close to practice, no disciplinary taproot, industry is at the cutting edge of knowledge production, dispositions valued  Despite affordances, not open to RPL  Clash of social projects - access via RPL & strengthening the knowledge base of Education Studies?

18. FOR RPL:  ‘Knowledge structure’ is important – but is only one factor amongst many  In terms of RPL: “No one size fits all” CONCEPTUALLY:  Challenge of operationalizing concepts  Need more fine-textured conceptual tools to deal with intra-disciplinary differences and the nature and structure of knowledge in inter-disciplinary, professionally-oriented programmes.