This article analyses results of reforms and revisions of the system for recognition of prior learning outcomes in France ("Validation des acquis de l'expérience," VAE), especially from a quantitative perspective. The development of the recognition of prior learning system in France is reviewed and described. The analysis presented…

Validation of non-formal and informal learning has been gaining political momentum in Europe within the implementation of lifelong learning policies since the early 2000s. Policy documents claim a variety of education, socio-political and economic benefits from the implementation of validation, making validation a "hero" for lifelong…

Permitting students to transfer credits earned in one program towards another program lies at the heart of the BC post-secondary transfer system, maximizing student mobility through credit portability. This study focused on situations where students seek to apply credits to multiple credentials that are "lateral" (for example, where a…

This report explores, from a variety of perspectives, the volume and nature of recognition of prior learning (RPL) currently granted in the Australian vocational education and training (VET) system. Of particular interest are the areas where most RPL is taking place, including the qualifications being completed with high rates of RPL. The report…

Basic education is essential if societies and economies are to thrive and become sustainable in challenging times. However, many people have never had an opportunity to benefit from education and many others leave the initial phase of education without attaining the level of proficiency in literacy and numeracy needed to participate fully in…

This study attempted to determine the levels of academic performance of two groups of students admitted with different entry certificates to the Nigeria certificate in Education (NCE) Technical Programme and to find out whether either group differed significantly in terms of performance. Seventy (70) first year Technical students at the Federal…

The current narrative on lifelong learning goes beyond formal education and training, including learning at work, in the family and in the community. Recognition of prior learning is a process of evaluation of those skills and knowledge acquired through life experience, allowing them to be formally recognized by the qualification systems. It is a…

This paper looks at the importance of mechanisms that give formal recognition to vocational skills acquired through work-based learning and how such mechanisms might be developed. It describes how skill recognition can benefit individuals, employers and society as a whole, and identifies in which contexts skill recognition has the highest…

This article provides a brief history of massive open online courses (MOOCs), a snapshot of the rapidly evolving issue of credit recognition, and the integration of MOOCs into traditional degree programs, like the Gates Foundation-funded MOOCs-For-Credit Research Project. The article notes that MOOCs have accelerated innovation, especially in…

The discipline of education is a multi-faceted system that must constantly integrate new strategies and procedures to ensure successful learning experiences. Enhancements in education provide learners with greater opportunities for growth and advancement. "Open Learning and Formal Credentialing in Higher Education: Curriculum Models and…

The present publication is one of the outcomes of the OBSERVAL-NET project (follow-up of the OBSERVAL project). The main aim of OBSERVAL-NET was to set up a stakeholder-centric network of organisations supporting the validation of non-formal and informal learning in Europe based on the formation of national working groups in the 8 participating…

This article seeks to identify and examine the reasons for the complexity and tensions underlying the skills recognition, accreditation and certification scheme (SRAC) that has been in place in Portugal since 2001. Empirical data were collected through semi-directive interviews with staff in three Centros Novas Oportunidades [CNOs] [New…

The theme of qualifications frameworks and their relation to quality assurance is gaining urgency in the European scene as more and more countries are completing their national qualifications frameworks and quality assurance agencies need to take important decisions on how to implement them. Some of the key features of the qualifications…

It would seem that most policies to promote the use of APEL as a certification method parallel to that offered by formal education and training systems are based on the belief that it is a less costly and shorter method, which is more attractive. Few countries, however, have convincing surveys or observations of the real advantages of APEL for…

The New Opportunities Initiative (NOI) is a Portuguese flagship programme to recognise and accredit prior learning (RPL, APL) and to endow low-skilled adults with upper secondary qualifications, which is defined as the minimum entry threshold to the exercise of a full citizenship in a knowledge-rich society. NOI's major achievement has been its…