Recognition of Prior Learning - perspectives
VIEWPOINTS | Suzanne Taylor for TAFE NSW ICVET
To encourage the use of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), TAFE now grants full ASH (actual student hours) for RPL in the hope that teaching staff will look favourably on the considerable time and effort often required to develop and check RPL applications for individual students - although this is not as daunting a task as it once was.
Recognised Prior Learning (RPL) is a hot topic! So much so that current TAFE enrolment television advertisements push it to encourage students to enter the TAFE system.
Lee Forrest, TAFE NSW - Western Institute, Bathurst Campus and RPL Institute appointed expert in the human resource management courses since 1997, says things are better now.
Past experiences with RPL
'In the past, more people tried for RPL and did not get through, so maybe requirements were not explained well enough. I used to do lots of follow-up telephone calls about outstanding requirements.
It was not uncommon to spend a couple of days without an outcome and you didn’t get ASH. It was seen as a wasted activity, particularly if a student had left an employer and did not have access to records and materials, and perhaps the supervisor had left as well,' he commented.
In Lee’s experience, communication between students and TAFE on RPL or partial RPL progress was also a problem at times. In the past Lee has received student enquiries regarding the progress of RPL requests made more than two years earlier.
Improvements to the RPL process
Things are better now. Lee feels our Quality Assurance processes have definitely helped in this important area.
'It is now more integrated and TAFE has come to terms with assessment including evidence from the workplace.
'The changed curriculum also makes it better for RPL because competencies and elements of units are spelt out in a way that makes it very workplace related. It is clear for students in terms of what they are expected to demonstrate and what evidence needs to be collected.'
TAFE teachers are more familiar with the RPL concept and the notion of training and assessment in the workplace. They are now better equipped to handle RPL issues.
'Increased involvement with trainees in the workplace has helped here,' Lee said.
Changes in the nature of some courses have also helped. Front Line Management is a good example of where these RPL changes have occurred as it was built around the RPL concept of recognition of workplace skills and evidence gathering.
Transcripts with graded results
Lee’s experience is that he is certainly obtaining more and better outcomes for students but there is still one area of RPL where he would like to see a change.
'With RPL students are unable to receive graded results on their transcripts. This can be a disincentive for some ‘high achiever’ students to seek recognition. People doing a graded course [eg face to face in the classroom] have the opportunity to gain higher gradings so should not RPL also give students the same opportunity if their proof of evidence warrants it?'
Lee feels it is not only a matter of equity but also can be a distinct barrier for potential RPL candidates, and is keen to see some discussion of this topic.
Customer focus
On the question of student equity, Graham Brophy, Quality Assurance Officer with DET feels that RPL embraces the principles of equity.
'If a person has the skills it is silly to ask them to go through lock step learning and assessment exercises when they could demonstrate that they have those competencies,' he said.
In Graham’s mind, the basis of RPL is straightforward – 'it seeks to remove barriers to qualifications' in terms of time for both students and TAFE.
'Teaching is a labour intensive exercise with class room efficiency gained by class numbers. Student outcomes are obtained using a [variety] of traditional tests in class where RPL is a one-on-one exercise in most cases,' he said. 'It takes into account unique circumstances for each student weighing up evidence and seeing how it does stack up. You are customising assessment to that individual situation.'
In terms of cost, students requesting RPL still pay the TAFE fees so the one-on-one evidence gathering and assessment process really must be undertaken by teachers with the correct and current industry background. 'The costs are still relative. If it takes 120 hours to deliver a unit to 30 students and only 30 hours to grant RPL for a particular unit for a single student the costs are still on the plus side,' Graham asserted. 'And RPL is more customer focused.'
ProveIt
To further enhance the student customer focus, the 'ProveIt' internet site has been developed by the Centre for Learning Innovation 'to assist students with their applications for recognition'. It was envisaged as a student self-assessment tool where students can access information regarding RPL, gather together a portfolio and then present that portfolio to a teacher for assessment. It was never proposed to replace teacher input regarding RPL.
'When developing the site, we saw it as a way of taking the pressure off teachers to provide all this information each time a student asks about RPL,' Annabel Palfreeman, Chief Learning Design Officer, Centre for Learning Innovation said.
Currently the ‘ProveIt’ site is available online in a very limited capacity with only Certificate IV in Training and Assessment available. A further 17 courses are available to TAFE students and staff via the intranet or the DET portal ranging from Beauty and Child Care to Automotive. Further courses are in development including the Training and Assessment Diploma with further courses for Hospitality and Tourism proposed.
'We are currently working on updating the ‘ProveIt’ facility and hope to complete this work in approximately six months’ time,' Annabelle said.
It is hoped that by giving students the opportunity for more and better self-evaluation of course content and of particular units of competency, better decisions regarding enrolment will be made. This will have the flow-on effect of lowering the non-completion figures.
'Although people do drop out for a variety of reasons we hope that with more upfront information the attrition rate will be lower. This could help the process,' Graham said.
By 2009 Graham hopes that further utilities will be available online for students including elements and units of competency.
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