Australian universities' RPL policies and practices: What knowledge counts?

© 2016, IGI Global. All rights reserved. This chapter explores the difficulties surrounding the credentialing of open learning through an analysis of policies and practices relating to recognition of prior learning (RPL) in the Australian higher education sector. Here, credentialing encompasses both...

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Main Authors: Pitman, Tim, Vidovich, L.
Other Authors: Reushle, Shirley
Format: Book Chapter
Published: 2016
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/81658
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author Pitman, Tim
Vidovich, L.
author2 Reushle, Shirley
author_facet Reushle, Shirley
Pitman, Tim
Vidovich, L.
author_sort Pitman, Tim
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description © 2016, IGI Global. All rights reserved. This chapter explores the difficulties surrounding the credentialing of open learning through an analysis of policies and practices relating to recognition of prior learning (RPL) in the Australian higher education sector. Here, credentialing encompasses both RPL for credit, where we ask to what extent there is a hierarchy of value placed on prior learning; and RPL for access where the notion of 'meritocracy' is foregrounded. The main argument is that, in the context of the Australian higher education sector, and possibly well beyond, RPL is more likely to be operationalised for strategic reasons relating to competitive university positioning within the sector, than for pedagogic motivations. As a result, equity considerations-especially for the most disadvantaged students-are further marginalised. It is one thing to develop processes through which open learning facilitates the production of knowledge, but another for this knowledge to be recognised by the Academy.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-816582021-05-20T03:32:44Z Australian universities' RPL policies and practices: What knowledge counts? Pitman, Tim Vidovich, L. Reushle, Shirley Antonio, Amy Keppell. Mike © 2016, IGI Global. All rights reserved. This chapter explores the difficulties surrounding the credentialing of open learning through an analysis of policies and practices relating to recognition of prior learning (RPL) in the Australian higher education sector. Here, credentialing encompasses both RPL for credit, where we ask to what extent there is a hierarchy of value placed on prior learning; and RPL for access where the notion of 'meritocracy' is foregrounded. The main argument is that, in the context of the Australian higher education sector, and possibly well beyond, RPL is more likely to be operationalised for strategic reasons relating to competitive university positioning within the sector, than for pedagogic motivations. As a result, equity considerations-especially for the most disadvantaged students-are further marginalised. It is one thing to develop processes through which open learning facilitates the production of knowledge, but another for this knowledge to be recognised by the Academy. 2016 Book Chapter http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/81658 10.4018/978-1-4666-8856-8.ch002 restricted
spellingShingle Pitman, Tim
Vidovich, L.
Australian universities' RPL policies and practices: What knowledge counts?
title Australian universities' RPL policies and practices: What knowledge counts?
title_full Australian universities' RPL policies and practices: What knowledge counts?
title_fullStr Australian universities' RPL policies and practices: What knowledge counts?
title_full_unstemmed Australian universities' RPL policies and practices: What knowledge counts?
title_short Australian universities' RPL policies and practices: What knowledge counts?
title_sort australian universities' rpl policies and practices: what knowledge counts?
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/81658