Converting RPL into academic capital: Lessons from Australian universities

Recognition of prior learning (RPL) requires an assessment of the equivalence and transferability of learning acquired in one context to another. However, this study's examination of the institutional policies and practices of three Australian universities reveals that RPL can also be understoo...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of lifelong education 2013-08, Vol.32 (4), p.501-517
Main Authors: Pitman, Tim, Vidovich, Lesley
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic capital
Australien
Bewertung
Bourdieu (P)
Case studies
Comparative analysis
Discourse analysis
Education policy
Educational evaluation
Educational policy
Forschungsbericht
Higher education
Hochschule
Kultur
Leistungsbeurteilung
Lernen
Lifelong learning
Organisational climate
Prior learning
Recognition (Achievement)
Social capital
University administration
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Recognition of prior learning (RPL) requires an assessment of the equivalence and transferability of learning acquired in one context to another. However, this study's examination of the institutional policies and practices of three Australian universities reveals that RPL can also be understood as a Bourdieuian process of 'capital conversion', where an individual's economic, social and cultural capital are assessed as being equivalent to 'academic experience'. This approach reveals that, far from being an epistemological assessment of prior learning, universities also consider their organisational identity and status when considering what informal or non-formal learning will be accepted. Ultimately, what counts as prior learning depends as much upon which university is doing the assessment, its motive for doing so and the extent to which it views RPL as a normative threat.
ISSN:0260-1370
1464-519X
DOI:10.1080/02601370.2013.778075