Western Governors University was conceptualized in 1995 at a meeting of the Western Governors Association, and founded soon after in an effort to increase degree production in higher education at a lower cost. It has expanded significantly over the past few years, driven both by increased demand for online education and by drastic state budget…

In his last commentary on "Biochemistry Denatured," this author dealt with his perception that college students today have spent too little of their childhood years playing outside in nature and as a consequence have not learned basic things about the world from personal experience. This "nature-deficit disorder" removes many opportunities for…

This article argues that greater understanding of the Aristotelian concept of "phronesis" or practical wisdom would make an important contribution to the conceptualization and implementation of Recognition (Assessment) of Prior Learning (RPL/APL) in formal education contexts. However, there is a need to identify "phronesis"…

What makes games effective for learning? The authors argue that games provide vicarious experiences for players, which then amplify the effects of future, formal learning. However, not every game succeeds in doing so! Understanding why some games succeed and others fail at this task means investigating both a given game's design and the…

RARPA, recognising and recording progress and achievement in non-accredited learning, is a wonder tool that enthuses learners, providers, inspectors and policy makers alike. The staged process or anything one wants to call it, has made a positive contribution to the work with learners who have complex learning difficulties and disabilities. There…

Approaches to assessment of prior experiential learning (APEL) sit within Enlightenment theories of knowledge. Alternative epistemologies offered by postmodernist, feminist, and antiracist theories suggest a different basis for assessment: situated knowledge. APEL can give visibility to outsider knowledge and alter the relationship between…

Experiential learning is a time-honored approach that can help to "...seal the bond between the learner and the learned." Such learning encourages the making of meaning from individual and shared experiences and helps abstract concepts to become relevant to the learner. The 20th century educational theorist, John Dewey, articulated a…

Discusses the prevailing conventions of portfolio assessment specifically where experiential learning is tied to course equivalents. Suggests that further discussion is needed about prior learning assessment, traditional education, and how to use experience in to advance understanding of learning. (JOW)

Examines three theoretical traditions of experiential learning in adult education: professionalism, humanism, and radicalism. Presents a four-level framework: (1) assessment and accreditation of prior experiential learning, (2) experiential learning and change in higher and continuing education, (3) experiential learning and social change, and (4)…

Offers suggestions for spreading ownership of a prior learning program: sharing the program's philosophy; conducting workshops; arranging informal gatherings; assigning tutors; establishing a faculty committee; soliciting ideas; recruiting faculty; acting as liaison; publishing guidelines; convincing others of the program's value; and revealing…

Calls for a richer perspective in assessing prior experiential learning. Asserts that using Levi Strauss' totemism instead of metaphor (looking for similarity between experience and courses) may restore power, ownership, and centrality of the experience to the candidate for assessment, while allowing evaluators to engage in a novel but authentic…

When assessment of prior learning is used to teach self-reflection, it encourages developmental growth. Techniques that support development include goals statements, autobiographies, and experiential learning essays. (SK)

Current applications of experiential learning in higher education include field-based experiences, credit for prior learning, and classroom-based programs. In the workplace, action learning, future search, and outdoor education are among the forms of experiential learning being used. (SK)

A process for translating experience into college-level learning involves identifying relevant experiences and types: (1) a single experience leading to a single learning topic; (2) a single experience leading to several topics; or (3) several experiences leading to a single topic. Visual representations of these types help students validate the…

To meet the future's challenges, recommends that community colleges: improve the entry-exit-reentry process, individualize instruction, make open admissions meaningful by combining literacy and occupational education, grant credit for experiential learning, serve as educational brokers, collaborate with community agencies, strengthen student…