This report explores policies and practices on validation of non-formal and informal learning in the ETF's partner countries and presents the results of studies carried out in 16 countries in the period 2021-23. Countries increasingly invest in validation schemes (also known as recognition of prior learning) in an effort to give visibility to all…

The Higher Education Standards Framework 2021 and the Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) set out requirements for recognition of prior learning (RPL) and granting credit in the higher education sector. Credit is a recognition of equivalence in content and learning outcomes between different types of learning and/or qualifications. Credit can…

Undergraduate credit for prior learning (CPL) is an important aspect of today's higher-education landscape. This report presents an in-depth look at the current state of undergraduate CPL in the United States and Canada. The primary objective of the report is to foment dialogue and action toward a more inclusive, effective higher-education system…

This study intends to identify existing permeability pathways between post-secondary education and training in Cambodia and to highlight hindrances that hamper the smooth permeability between the two systems. Adopting a hybrid process, the study combines both inductive and deductive thematic analysis approaches in coding transcribed interviews at…

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…

Academic language proficiency, particularly academic writing, appears to be significantly related to academic achievement. The aim of the present study is to explore the relationship between written language proficiency and academic achievement, and to investigate the effects of a remedial academic writing programme. Academic writing was assessed…

As Finnish university admissions are reformed, more information is needed on the relationship between performance in prior education and later academic achievement. Transition to university is a critical period, and low performance in prior education is associated with challenges in later study. In the present study, law students' (n = 426)…

Some analysts foresee that the rise of automation--triggered by advances in artificial intelligence, robotics, and other novel technologies--will soon unsettle sizable sections of our labour market, prompting the need for mass upskilling and re-skilling. Continuous learning is perceived as the new norm within the future of work. Many believe that…

Social demand for higher education has more than doubled in the past 20 years. However, only one-third of all countries' higher education systems are enrolling more than 50% of the traditional age cohort. Despite major advancements in achieving higher levels of access and participation, inequalities and inequities in higher education persist and…

Learning outcomes have become an integral part of the global trend in higher education reform and are employed in three interconnected areas: (1) quality assurance, (2) teaching and learning, and (3) transfer credit. The article touches briefly on the first two areas, but focuses discussion on employing learning outcomes in transfer credit. Using…

The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) initiated a series of surveys designed to capture member institutional practice snapshots in 60 seconds or less. The December 2014 "AACRAO 60 Second Survey" asked respondents to indicate their institutions' credit for prior learning practices (CPL). To…

This report forms part of an international project, led by UNESCO's International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP), on higher education's role in supporting "flexible learning pathways." Flexible learning pathways (FLPs) in higher education provide routes to the acquisition of knowledge and skills at different life stages, to…

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…

This article focuses on a process of recognition of prior learning (RPL) in higher education. It is based on experiences from a project carried out in collaboration between the University of Lund, Linkoping University and two trade unions in Sweden. The aim of the project was to find ways of recognising prior learning for accreditation of course…

In Italy, accreditation of prior learning is a sensitive issue. Despite the lack of laws or qualification frameworks regulating the recognition of non-formal and informal learning, most Italian universities proceed with caution, allowing only a restricted number of credits in the university curriculum related to practical activities or to external…