Introduction to Accreditation of Prior Learning

1
Introduction to Accreditation of Prior Learning
2
A degree is like a voyage of discovery!
3
What do they say aboutChristopher Columbus?

• When he started out -
• - he didn't know where he was going
• When he got there -
• - he didn't know where he was
• When he got back -
• - he didn't know where he'd been!

4
A LOAD OF OLD COBBLERS

• "I've been mending shoes for 40 years,
• so give me credit for all that experience".

5
OR

• I've been mending shoes for 40 years, and I have
  learned
• how to identify damage in shoes and the best way
  to repair it
• to select appropriate materials to mend shoes of
  different types
• to deal with difficult customers,
• etc.
• And I can prove it !
• Please give me credit for all that learning".

6
APL, APEL, APCL etc

• APL Accreditation of Prior Learning
• APEL - Accreditation of Prior Experiential
  Learning
• APCL - Accreditation of Prior Certificated
  Learning
• General and Specific credit
• Advanced Standing top-up onto existing award.
• Credit exemption release from specific
  module/element.
• Accreditation e.g. of professional training,
  in-house company

7
How do learn to do APEL?

• Need to understand principles and jargon of
  awarding credit.
• Focus on critical incidents.
• Reflect on learning
• Evidence that learning has taken place
• Taught courses
• Make your experience count (HE1)
• Building on Experience (HE3)
• Etc

8
Claiming APEL
9
These 3 for claiming specific / general credit

• Level HE 1
• Make Your Experience Count - OTOP 1011
• Level HE2
• Recognition of Learning OTOP 1012
• Level HE3
• Building on Experience OTOP

10
General vs Specific credit

• Most degrees have a recognised critical mass of
  content to make them whole.
• If one element is missing then student may be
  disadvantaged.
• APCL prior qualification or module.
• E.g. an HND or FD may give credit exemption from
  Levels HE1 (4) and HE2 (5) of a BA/BSc(Hons)
  degree.
• Advanced standing
• APEL really needs to match learning outcomes and
  award specific credit for credit exemption.

11
e.g. APEL for specific credit Hospital
haematologist

• Imagine a taught course called Haematology
• Learning outcomes would be about blood groups,
  blood cell structure, plasma, transfusion etc.
• A hospital haematologist would know all this, and
  more!
• Presumably could demonstrate learning outcomes
  without doing taught course.
• APEL could award specific credit.

12
Accommodating General credit

• General Credit can be awarded for graduateness.
• Difficult to accommodate general credit, except
  for entry qualifications or a work based or
  negotiated programme.
• Those skills and qualities (rather than subject
  knowledge) we would expect a graduate to posses
  compared to a non-graduate.
• Best accommodated in a work based or
  negotiated degree where learner is the subject
  of study.

13
Graduate-ness

• manage their own learning, and to make use of
  scholarly reviews and primary sources (e.g.
  refereed research articles and/or original
  materials appropriate to the discipline,
  profession or occupation).
• effectively communicate complex information,
  ideas, problems, and solutions to both specialist
  and non-specialist audiences to discuss
  uncertainties and ambiguities clearly
• interact effectively within their workplace or
  professional group using initiative and personal
  responsibility
• apply the methods and techniques that they have
  learned to review, consolidate, extend and apply
  their knowledge and understanding and to
  initiate and carry out projects
• critically evaluate arguments, assumptions,
  abstract concepts and data (that may be
  incomplete) to formulate judgements, and to
  frame appropriate questions to achieve a solution
  or identify a range of solutions to a
  problem,
• and should have qualities and key skills
  necessary for employment requiring
• the exercise of initiative and personal
  responsibility
• the capacity and enthusiasm for seeking new
  knowledge and applying this to work-related
  tasks
• decision making in complex and unpredictable
  contexts, and
• the learning ability needed to undertake
  appropriate further training of a professional or
  equivalent nature.

14
What about APCL of sub degree / competence
based awards?

• Qualifications like NVQs often at sub-degree
  level.
• NVQ 3 at QCA 3
• HE1 is QCA 4
• There are NVQ 4s
• But Competence based achievement
• Lots of lovely WBL
• Not meant to be the same as Academic achievement.

15
Competence based assessment

• Competence-based vocational assessment allows
• for a simple 'can do' approach in which the
  student
• can be assessed continuously either by an
• assessor or through self-assessment.
• (CILT 2005)
• NVQ 4 can do something very, very well!

16
HE emphasises higher order or meta- cognitive
skills

• At the end of this module/course you should be
  able to.
• analyse appraise apply calculate choose compare
  contrast create criticise
• demonstrate derive describe design develop
  differentiate discuss explain
• evaluate extrapolate formulate identify list
  measure name plan plot
• postulate predict present propose recall
  recognise use utilise
• HE Academy http//www.physsci.heacademy.ac.uk/publ
  ications/primer/learnout.pdf

17
Cognition vs meta-cognition
18
Building on Competence (15 credits at HE1)

• Learning Outcomes.
• At the end of this course Students will have
• Identified and reflected upon the learning
  outcomes and/or occupational standards of
  selected vocational competencies already achieved
  and which contribute to professional practice
• Described and analysed significant past
  experiences and critical incidents in which these
  vocational learning outcomes have been practiced
  and which have subsequently influenced their
  professional behaviour, actions and thought
  processes
• Identified and reflected upon the knowledge and
  understanding embedded in these past experiences
  and critically appraised the learning gained from
  this reflection
• Present the evidence of this process of
  reflection, evaluation and audit in a written
  account which clearly articulates their learning
  in the body of knowledge of their chosen
  discipline and presented this in an academically
  referenced portfolio.
• THESE ARE HE1 LEARNING OUTCOMES

19
Aspiring Teachers Programme 2007for Teaching
Assistants
Are you a Lambeth Teaching Assistant?
Do you want to be a teacher and or gain a degree?

• An opportunity to gain HLTA Status which can lead
  to a degree and qualified teacher status (QTS)
• Designed to be flexible and manageable around
  your working hours
• An opportunity to enhance your career.
• The course is fully funded for HLTA candidates
• Please come along to our information session from
  3.30- 5.00pm, to talk to TAs currently on the
  programme and to listen to a presentation at
  4.00pm by Dr Mike Nicholls- Course Leader
  Greenwich University

Friday June 29th 2007, Lecture Theatre,
International House

• To confirm your place please email
• Rebecca Goodwin TA Admin Officer
  rgoodwin_at_lambeth.gov.uk or send your details via
  Fax on 020 79269715

20
Eg. Fd in Applied Professional Studies for
Lambeth TAs Level 1

• HLTA (zero credit but lots of WBL)
• PLUS
• Building on Competence
• (15 credits at HE1)
• EQUALS
• 45 CREDITS AT HE1

• Plus
• Learning Contract (15 credits at HE 1)
• GIVES HALF FIRST YEAR OF Foundation Degree

21
Which course?

• Level HE 1
• Make Your Experience Count - OTOP 1011
• Building on Competence OTOP 1021
• Reflective Learning 1 OTOP 1009
• Level HE2
• Recognition of Learning OTOP 1012
• Reflective Learning 2 OTOP 1010
• Level HE3
• Building on Experience OTOP

22
Level - ness
23
"Levels" Task (1)

• Sort yourself into groups of 3 or 4 work with
  someone you dont know!
• Each group has two packs of cards. In the larger
  pack, each card has a Title and then a statement
  which begins "The learner ".
• Sort the cards into groups of 3, such that all
  the cards in a group have the same Title.
• Now decide which order the statements on the
  cards should go in. Start with the most basic
  statement and move on to the more advanced.
• The smaller pack of cards contains headings
  names of skills and attributes. Group the
  statement cards under these headings.
• Decide as a group which statement best describes
  a "graduate". Be prepared to defend your choice
  to the rest of the class.

24
Application

• Level 1 - can apply given tools / methods
  accurately and carefully to a well defined
  problem and begin to appreciate the complexity of
  the issues.
• Level 2 - can identify key elements of problems
  and choose appropriate methods for their
  resolution in a considered manner.
• Level 3 - Is confident and flexible in
  identifying and defining complex problems and can
  apply appropriate knowledge and skills to their
  solution.

25
What Level is this exercise pitched at ?

• Level HE 1 - can analyse with guidance using
  given classifications / principles.
• Level HE2 - can analyse a range of information
  with minimum guidance using given classification
  / principles and can compare alternative methods
  and techniques for obtaining data.
• Level 3 - can analyse new and / or abstract data
  and situations , using a range of techniques
  appropriate to the subject.

26
"Levels" Task (2)Work Based Task

• Working on your own, refer to the "SEEC Generic
  levels Descriptors".
• For each group of three decide which statement
  best describes you. Make a note of these.
• For all the statements which describe you, decide
  which THREE suits you best.
• Be prepared to justify your choice where is
  the proof ?

27
Thank You

• Dr Mike Nicholls
• Division of Learning, Enhancement, Access
  Partnership
• University of Greenwich,
• Pembroke 315,
• Chatham Maritime,
• Kent ME4 4TB
• Tel. [phone]
• M.Nicholls_at_gre.ac.uk