How people learn in and through participation in work that is mediated by higher education (h.e.) has been a topic for research and discussion for some time. While this area has supported great strides in social mobility and inclusion, how this h.e. area of practice relates more specifically to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) has taken on…

For adult students who have committed anew to completing a four-year bachelor's degree, prior learning assessment (PLA) can be a surprising bonus that affirms their previous life experiences, shortens the degree completion pathway, and ultimately lowers tuition dollars. What students typically do not realize as they enter the process, however, is…

What is the role of knowledge in the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) in Higher Education? This paper presents the findings of empirical research at a Canadian university. A position of knowledge differentiation located in a social realist sociology of knowledge is adopted. This is not an obvious or usual position for scholars of RPL, because…

This study examines the effectiveness of classroom experiments conducted before the relevant theories were taught. The experiments were used to provide students with first-hand experience of decision-making under various rivalry settings and to demonstrate several key predictions of oligopoly models. Statistical methods were used to analyze the…

In 2010, the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) conducted the first major multi-institutional study of the relationship between prior learning assessment (PLA) credit-earning and student academic outcomes, which found that adult students with PLA credit were two and a half times more likely to have earned a postsecondary degree…

Background: Although culture is deeply embedded in language, cultural proficiency is not always gained during language learning. Experiential pedagogies that emphasize reflection may be appropriate for such learning. Purpose: This research explored pupils' self-awareness as they engaged in the co-construction of personal life stories in one…

Writing proficiencies in the K-12 setting and at the post-secondary level have become stagnant and have decreased in some instances. Several studies indicated using peer review was beneficial for students by increasing student engagement and providing appropriate feedback. The purpose of this study was to examine the use of a peer review workshop…

The aim of this research is to examine special features of guidance and counselling roles in a process of accreditation of prior and experiential learning (APEL). More specifically, we have two main goals: to identify any possible distinctive feature of guidance and counselling provided during a skills-oriented APEL procedure; and to highlight any…

This article presents a grounded theory of "integration of learning" among traditional aged college students, which is characterized by the demonstrated ability to link various skills and knowledge learned in a variety of contexts. The author analyzed 194 interviews with students at liberal arts colleges to investigate empirically the ways…

Experiential education is a well documented approach to engaging student learners. This manuscript presents findings from a qualitative inquiry, specifically focus group discussions, investigating the perceptions of 28 student participants in a learning opportunity provided to a kinesiology class involving structured group exercise (marathon…

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine how students with workplace learning experience the process of the assessment of prior experiential learning (APEL) in higher education. Design/methodology/approach: This is an inductive and exploratory study drawing on methodology from the field of academic literacies. It addresses two questions:…

Experiential education, which takes students into the community, helps students both to bridge classroom study and life in the world and to transform inert knowledge into knowledge-in-use. It rests on theories of experiential learning, a process whereby the learner interacts with the world and integrates new learning into old constructs.…

Over the past 30+ years, many colleges have made themselves more accessible for adult students. These innovations include flexible scheduling, online learning, professionally-oriented degrees, and credit for what students already know. However, there is more work to be done, particularly in the areas of financial aid for the very large number of…

This study hypothesized that students in a course on mental retardation (MR) who had had extended contact with retarded people would achieve more favorable attitudes toward mental retardation than students without similar contact. Students enrolled in a Psychology of Mental Retardation class were randomly assigned to a control group (n=29) or an…

The unique opportunities and problems that come with serving diversely prepared learners are discussed. The concept of "diverse preparation" is illustrated with brief sketches of three students, and the ways in which institutions respond to diversity or preparation are examined. (MLW)