Recognition of prior and experiential learning in European universities

Abstract This paper focuses on the state of the art for recognition of prior experiential learning in European universities. Although recognition of prior learning and prior experiential learning have been officially stated as being important aims by national ministers of education in their Bologna Process communiqués, implementation in the majority of countries is moving rather slowly. The paper discusses assessment and accreditation of prior and experiential learning (APEL) as a political aim in European higher education and describes examples from France, the UK, Norway and Estonia. The final section includes an overview of the main obstacles for wider application of APEL, ending with conclusions and recommendations for action. Notes 1. Alongside ‘recognition’ are other widely used terms for the same or similar activity: ‘assessment’, ‘accreditation’, ‘validation’, to name only the most current. Recognition as well as validation can be both formal and social. The term embraces assessment, social recognition and formal accreditation of assessment results. Formal recognition refers to the process of granting official status to skills and competences. Social recognition implies acknowledgement of the value of skills and/or competences on the part of economic and social stakeholders (Tissot Citation2004). 2. By prior and experiential learning is meant all former competences, irrespective of the context of their acquisition. Whenever appropriate, prior academic (formal) and experiential learning are differentiated. Experiential learning is sometimes further differentiated as either informal learning (learning obtained at the workplace, during hobbies or other everyday activities) or non‐formal learning (learning through non‐certified courses). ‘Prior’ and ‘experiential’ learning – mainly British terms referring to the former knowledge acquired within or outside academia – are replaced in pan‐European documents by ‘informal’, ‘non‐formal’ and ‘formal’ learning. Although each of these terms can be separately defined (for an overview of the respective terminology see the CEDEFOP glossary – Tissot Citation2004 and Corradi Citation2006), it often happens that the same activity can carry different names, or the same term can be valid for different practices. Different linguistic and cultural contexts add further complexity to the issue of terminology.