Education Commons^™

Building Sustainability Through Organisational Arrangements, Deirdre Goggin

Conference Papers

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) has existed in Cork Institute of Technology(CIT) since 1999 as part of its central services to all learners for access, transfer and progression. The sustainability of RPL within CIT is as a result of strategic decisions made as to its importance and the multi-faceted approach which has been adopted and embedded by CIT to ensure that validation is implemented, used and valued. This presentation will outline the policy, systems and processes CIT has adopted to meet the needs of all stakeholders including learners, staff, institution and industry. It will focus on the strategy and policy …

Extensibility - Validation Of Workplace Learning In Higher Education - Examples And Considerations, Deirdre Goggin, Stephen Cassidy, Irene Sheridan, Phil O'Leary

Conference Papers

The importance of effective curriculum design and development in structuring and supporting learners in their knowledge attainment has been outlined in the writings of Tyler (1949) [1] which supports the approach adopted in European Higher Education stemming from the 1999 Bologna Declaration (European Commission, 2009). These structures are assisted in part by national and European qualification frameworks and the Dublin descriptors which are explicit of the variances in knowledge, skill and competence as one progresses in higher education and training. In addition, the inclusion of learning outcomes and programme objectives in the development of comprehensive curricula has been linked to …

An Exploration Of Rpl In Higher Education In Ireland With Particular Focus On Quality Assurance, Deirdre Goggin, Irene Sheridan, Phil O'Leary

Conference Papers

This paper focuses on examining the practice of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) a provision which allows a learner present previously acquired relevant learning for assessment for credit. In general all forms of learning are formally recognised within an RPL system which includes informal, non formal and formal learning. The key misconception within higher education can be that RPL requires a different quality assurance system than that of conventional assessment methods.

This paper explores current assessment policies and practices in Ireland with a particular focus on the structural realities required to deliver good practice with RPL provision for summative purposes. …

Case Studies In E-Rpl And E-Pr, Roslyn A. Cameron, Allison Miller

Roslyn Cameron

The use of ePortfolios for recognition of prior learning (e-RPL) and for professional recognition (e-PR) is slowly gaining in popularity in the VET sector however their use is sporadic across educational sectors, disciplines, educational institutions and professions. Added to this is an array of purposes and types of e-RPL and e-PR models and practice. The aim of this paper is to build on the conceptual framework developed by Cameron (2012) for e-RPL and e-PR and to provide case studies for each of the four types developed within this framework: e-PR for Professional Accreditation; e-RPL for Workplace Recognition; e-RPL for Access …

Recognition Of Prior Learning And The Irish National Framework Of Qualifications: A Practical Approach, Deirdre Goggin

Conference Papers

No abstract provided.

Collaborative Learning And Developing The Capacity As A Reflective Practitioner, Deirdre Goggin, Phil O'Leary

Conference Papers

The BA in Community Development has no final written exams and instead depends on a number of other approaches to assess the students learning. In year 1, semester 1 students take a module called ‘Portfolio Methods for RPL’ which explores the process of RPL, and what a learning portfolio is. More importantly, it requires the students to focus on their prior learning and not experience per se. In the following semester the method is used to report on work placement and to capture the authentic and individual learning of each student. This paper explores the collective approach to documenting work …

Recognition Of Prior Learning In Irish Culinary Arts, Dermot Seberry

Other resources

The emerging agenda for higher education (HE) in Europe promotes lifelong learning, social inclusion, wider participation, employability and partnership working with community organisations. Consequently, higher education authorities are increasingly recognising the significant knowledge, skills and understanding which can be developed as a result of learning opportunities found at work through individual activities and personal interests. The accreditation of learning and prior achievement is now one of the central functions of the Higher Education Authority (HEA, 2007). In exercising this function, higher education providers are increasingly considering how learning that has taken place in a range of contexts, may be assessed …

Recognition Of Prior Learning: Why Is It So Difficult To Accredit Learning That Has Occurred Outside The Academy Towards The Award Of A Qualification? A Report From Australia, Leesa Wheelahan, Peter J. Miller, Diane Newton

Peter Miller

One of the key drivers for RPL is its perceived capacity to act as a mechanism for social inclusion within the context of lifelong learning policy frameworks that seek to “encourage formal learning, to promote links between it and informal learning and to improve opportunities for people to use their informal learning to gain recognised qualifications” (Young, 2001: 4). However, it has not acted as a mechanism for social inclusion in Australia or internationally. This paper seeks to answer the question: why is it so difficult to accredit learning that has occurred outside formal education and training towards the award …