1. Mel Joyner Associate Dean (Teaching and Learning) Faculty of Health and Human Sciences Plymouth University

2. On the Accreditation of Prior Learning (aka APL)… The QAA Definition: “The identification, assessment and formal acknowledgement of learning and achievement that occurred at some time in the past (perhaps as the result of a previous course, self-directed study, or active experience), which is taken into account when admitting a student to a course of study.” APCL: Certificated LearningAPEL: Experiential Learning Learning and achievement that has taken place within a formal education and training context which is officially documented Learning and achievement that has taken place outside the context of formal education and training

3. More on APL… A quality and standards process, typically set out within an education institution’s academic regulations A matter of academic judgement A pedagogical approach An aspect of workforce development

4. Assessing “Prior Experiential Learning”: The Pedagogical Challenges Recognition of the workplace as a legitimate learning domain; the “learner-worker” (Solomon, 2005); facilitating the translation of experience into something that can be evidenced and assessed against specified learning outcomes (Trowler, 1996) Reconciling “competence” with “level descriptors”; “vocational” vs. “academic” learning; “credit exchange” vs. “developmental “ models (Butterworth, 1992); “Angels in marble” (Trowler, 1996) The “Knowledge Question” (Cooper and Harris, 2013); signature pedagogies (Shulman, 2005); academic tribes and territories (Becher and Trowler, 2001)

5. Practical Challenges Individual nature of the claims: ensuring transparency and consistency Process-driven; the management of uncertainty Academic and professional support staff skillsets and workloads Assessment, credit weightings, degree classification Advising and supporting potential applicants; managing failure The role of the “employer” Professional, regulatory and statutory body standards Costing and pricing Reputational risks

6. Thinking Through the Challenges A Canadian International Rugby Player who has signed to play for the local Aviva Premiership Rugby Union team asks for direct entry into Level 6 to complete his honours degree in History by doing the dissertation A former member of the local council, defeated in the recent election, requests APEL against the M.A. in Public Policy Management A hairstylist with an NVQ Level 3 in Beauty Therapy who has been running her own mobile salon business requests direct entry into a Level 5 Foundation Degree in Salon Management A laboratory technician and demonstrator employed by the University requests APEL against the institution’s HEA-accredited Teaching and Learning PG Certificate.

7. The “Plymouth Model”: Post-Registration Health and Social CarePlymouth Model “Professional Development”: Named senior administrator for APL and named academic lead for post-registration; named external examiners looking at APEL portfolios “Working in partnership”: recognition of workplace training through tariffs “Levelling up”: uplifting of credit-rated achievement “APEL modules”: a learning process for experienced healthcare professionals “Voucher Scheme”: assessing the impact of professional development activities on practice settings for academic credit

8. References Becher, T. and Trowler, P. (2001). Academic Tribes and Territories: Intellectual Enquiry and the Culture of Disciplines 2 nd ed. Buckingham: SRHE and Open University Press. Butterworth, c. (1992). “More Than One Bite at APEL”, Journal of Further and Higher Education 16:3, 39-51. Cooper, L. and Harris, J. (2013). “Recognition of Prior Learning: Exploring the ‘Knowledge Question’”, International Journal of Lifelong Learning 32:4, 447-463. Shulman, L.S. (2005). “Signature Pedagogies in the Professions”, Daedalus (Summer), 52-59. Quality Assurance Agency (no date). “Glossary: Accreditation of Prior Learning”, at http://www.qaa.ac.uk/AboutUs/glossary/Pages/glossary-a.aspx#a6 (accesssed 28/5/2014) http://www.qaa.ac.uk/AboutUs/glossary/Pages/glossary-a.aspx#a6.

9. Solomon, N. (2005). “Identity Work and Pedagogy: Textually Producing the Learner-Worker”, Journal of Vocational Education and Training 57:1, 95-108. Trowler, P. (1996). “Angels in Marble? Accrediting Prior Experiential Learning in Higher Education”, Studies in Higher Education 21:1, 17- 30