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RPL for accreditation in higher education - As a process of mutual understanding or merely lifeworld colonisation?

Sandberg, Fredrik LU and Andersson, Per LU (2011) In Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education 36(7). p.767-780
Abstract

This article focuses on a process of recognition of prior learning (RPL) in higher education. It is based on experiences from a project carried out in collaboration between the University of Lund, Linköping University and two trade unions in Sweden. The aim of the project was to find ways of recognising prior learning for accreditation of course credits at university level. In the project and its analysis, Habermas' theory of communicative action was used as theoretical underpinning. During the project we carried out a thematic analysis based on interviews. The analysis suggested that the participants had a mystified view of higher education that RPL must be considered a learning process and that the participants' prior learning can be... (More)

This article focuses on a process of recognition of prior learning (RPL) in higher education. It is based on experiences from a project carried out in collaboration between the University of Lund, Linköping University and two trade unions in Sweden. The aim of the project was to find ways of recognising prior learning for accreditation of course credits at university level. In the project and its analysis, Habermas' theory of communicative action was used as theoretical underpinning. During the project we carried out a thematic analysis based on interviews. The analysis suggested that the participants had a mystified view of higher education that RPL must be considered a learning process and that the participants' prior learning can be characterised as practical wisdom. These themes guided the development of the project. In a retrospective analysis, language proficiency seemed to play a significant role for the outcome of the process. The conclusion suggests that a more fair and valid assessment of the participant's prior learning could be accomplished by focusing on RPL as a process of mutual understanding. However, a critical appraisal of the process suggests that RPL for accreditation is problematic and could be seen as a colonisation of the lifeworld.

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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
keywords
accreditation, colonisation, Habermas, higher education, mutual understanding, recognition of prior learning
in
Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education
volume
36
issue
7
pages
14 pages
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • scopus:84860701243
ISSN
0260-2938
DOI
10.1080/02602938.2010.488793
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
b3811c71-0879-497f-bc5f-444e67c9db94
date added to LUP
2016-04-11 22:48:20
date last changed
2022-03-16 03:58:33
@article{b3811c71-0879-497f-bc5f-444e67c9db94,
  abstract     = {{<p>This article focuses on a process of recognition of prior learning (RPL) in higher education. It is based on experiences from a project carried out in collaboration between the University of Lund, Linköping University and two trade unions in Sweden. The aim of the project was to find ways of recognising prior learning for accreditation of course credits at university level. In the project and its analysis, Habermas' theory of communicative action was used as theoretical underpinning. During the project we carried out a thematic analysis based on interviews. The analysis suggested that the participants had a mystified view of higher education that RPL must be considered a learning process and that the participants' prior learning can be characterised as practical wisdom. These themes guided the development of the project. In a retrospective analysis, language proficiency seemed to play a significant role for the outcome of the process. The conclusion suggests that a more fair and valid assessment of the participant's prior learning could be accomplished by focusing on RPL as a process of mutual understanding. However, a critical appraisal of the process suggests that RPL for accreditation is problematic and could be seen as a colonisation of the lifeworld.</p>}},
  author       = {{Sandberg, Fredrik and Andersson, Per}},
  issn         = {{0260-2938}},
  keywords     = {{accreditation; colonisation; Habermas; higher education; mutual understanding; recognition of prior learning}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{7}},
  pages        = {{767--780}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education}},
  title        = {{RPL for accreditation in higher education - As a process of mutual understanding or merely lifeworld colonisation?}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2010.488793}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/02602938.2010.488793}},
  volume       = {{36}},
  year         = {{2011}},
}