Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the degree of variance in work value preferences espoused by university students based on whether the students are in possession of work experience and experience abroad. Vocational identity development (VID) was used as a theoretical lens to explore the extent to which being in possession of…

Living in learning societies encourages learning outside the classroom. Alongside this reality, higher education institutions have been incorporating policies and procedures that support recognition of prior learning (RPL). This development means establishing adequate RPL assessment practices. Our empirical study at the Aalto University Language…

A study was conducted to develop and examine an alternative to the traditional occupational experience method of the development of professional vocational teacher education competencies. A professional competence examination was developed to measure effectiveness of varying types and amounts of occupational experiences in developing vocational…

A project studied use of assessment of prior experiential learning (APEL) in admissions to part-time degrees and diplomas at the University of Kent at Canterbury (England, United Kingdom). The APEL course was highlighted in brochures advertising part-time degree, diploma, and Access courses. Interviews with 40 applicants explained APEL and…

The 1994-95 school year was the first year of the MECA (Manufacturing, Engineering, Construction, Automotive) partnership implementation in the Saginaw (Michigan) Public Schools. MECA's purpose was to nurture the potential of youth while placing them in workplace environments that had not been a traditional part of applied learning in secondary…

Industry representatives reviewed the curricula for computer programmer-analyst, network administrator, and technical support courses at 10 community colleges in California. Thirty-eight reviewers participated in the focus groups, and several other reviewers participated via e-mail. The focus groups discussed each of the three degree programs…

This final report concentrates on conclusions and recommendations from a three-year longitudinal study of 48 mentally retarded adults who were graduates or dropouts from senior high schools in six rural Iowa school districts during academic years 1976-1982. Using data from structured interviews, the study sought to assess social and vocational…