In this study, we posit a new category of products provided by diploma mills, which we term Life Experience Degree Offerings (LEDOs). LEDOs uniquely capitalise on the misuse of the principle of Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) by granting higher education qualifications based on a resume or CV alone. Through a comparative analysis with…

This study examines experiential learning within a higher education master's program through the experience of 15 higher education master's students who participate in a structured internship program. Study findings speak to the importance of facilitating connections between students' prior knowledge, theories of higher education, and on-site…

This article contributes to the comparative literature on the growing role of "validation of prior learning," by analyzing the emergence and implementation of VPL in North Macedonia. Based on documents and qualitative interviews, the article provides an historical- institutionalist perspective on these processes. The article argues that…

Access to and experiences of education among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Migrants or Refugees (CALDM/R) is a site of increased scholarly interest. While research emphasises new CALDM/Rs' desire to work and meaningfully contribute to their new country, many remain under employed even though many hold multiple tertiary qualifications. This…

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…

In this paper, the researchers analyse how lifelong learning can be enriched and develop a different perspective based on the experiment involving the accreditation of prior experiential learning (APEL) conducted in France at the university level. The French system for the accreditation of prior experiential learning, called Validation des Acquis…

Many Latinos come to higher education as adults. One degree completion strategy that is particularly suited to adult students in higher education is prior learning assessment (PLA). PLA provides opportunities to evaluate a student's learning from work or life experience for the purpose of awarding college credit. For students whose…

Within the context of work-based learning, this article reviews the available evidence that supports the assumptions behind, and the claims made for the practice of accrediting prior experiential learning. Many of the claims made for accreditation of prior experiential learning (APEL) were found not to have been substantiated and some of the…

Employing organizations are the main beneficiaries of accreditation of work-based learning. Universities involved in providing it need to safeguard the interests of learners and society from exploitation. Work-based learning needs to be viewed beyond the narrow skills and competencies approach, recognizing and valuing practical judgment in job…

Use of adult undergraduate students' work experience in recruitment, admission, and curriculum design is examined, and it is suggested that institutions must shift the emphasis in admissions from the quantity of prior experience to the quality of learning resulting from it, and organize curricula around that learning. (MSE)

Experiential learning programs award college credits for learning achieved through job and life experience. The evaluation of such experience by academic standards provides many adult students a focus for planning the continuation of their education. (SK)

Prime features of sound college programs that assess for credit the prior experiential learning of adults are outlined. Faculty judgment underlies all evaluation methods, which include oral exams, written reports, actual performance, or appraisals of advanced professional knowledge. Work of the Council for the Advancement of Experiential Learning…

Contextual studies of learning experiences as recalled by working, adult learners entering post-graduate studies in higher education are not widely reported in higher education research. The purpose of this study was to explore the recalled learning experiences of adult students with work experience, but no prior completed academic qualifications,…

Methods and materials to assist colleges in evaluating the competencies that women acquire from their volunteer and homemaking experiences are described, including a counseling process based on the use of an "I can" list. Methods of dealing with faculty and administrative concerns about this type of experiential learning evaluation are…

An outline is given of the system developed by the American Council on Education through which more than 2,000 colleges have awarded hundreds of thousands of credits toward degrees for prior learning outside colleges, either in military service or employment. (Author/MSE)