Call for papers for the Special Edition, JOVACET 5(2), 2022

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), referred to, inter alia, as APL in other contexts, has been recognised by South African and international policies as a critical means of access to, and certification of further and higher learning, especially for mature learners. While there is general acknowledgement of the importance of RPL for lifelong learning and social inclusion, learning institutions have not embraced RPL equally across the board, and implementation practices vary greatly, often leading to learner frustration. While there have been some local studies and a growing international literature, RPL is by and large under-researched in South Africa. In light of the above and its long tradition of RPL provision, the University of the Western Cape’s Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) unit will be hosting a conference on 30 and 31 March 2022, with the theme ‘Implementation, Assessment and Articulation of Recognition of Prior Learning’. As one of the intentions of the conference is to ‘build the scholarship of RPL’ (also known as APL in other contexts), JOVACET will be partnering with the UWC RPL Unit to produce a Special Issue of the journal in 2022 for publication of relevant papers that fall within the scope of our journal. Topics broadly covered by the conference include (but are not limited to) the following:• RPL policy research• Sharing RPL practices• Capacity building for RPL• Innovative RPL models• RPL assessment for undergraduate and postgraduate access in higher education• Articulation models for RPL in post-schooling Submissions for paper presentations at the conference should be made directly to the conference organiser, Dr Rekha Rambharose, email [email protected], but additional, relevant topical papers seeking publication in this JOVACET Special Issue may be directed to Dr Catherine Robertson, email [email protected]. Please note that all submissions considered for publication, whether presented at the conference or not, will undergo the JOVACET double blind review process towards publication in November 2022 or earlier if possible. Due date for full paper submissions (Special Issue): 30 April 2022

Decolonising recognition of prior learning – The drawbacks of policy mimicking

Recognition of prior learning features at the top of the policy agenda in many countries because recognition of prior learning (RPL) has proven effective in some parts of the world; and there is much policy learning taking place. Therefore, many countries want to gain the advantages associated with RPL. It brings benefits to individual end-users and countries as a whole. Whether RPL should be identically implemented everywhere is more questionable. This paper proposes a reflexion based on experience: It looks at what RPL is about, at what it took to implement the validation des acquis de l’expérience (VAE) system in France and its potential transferability. While it is important to learn from one another, transporting a system from one national context to another is unlikely to work because the necessary social and cultural context is never transferred along with the technical apparatus. This is not new, but this paper emphasises the need for appropriate adaption whenever systems are borrowed.

The ‘recognition of prior learning’ in vocational education and training systems of lower and middle income countries: An analysis of the role of development cooperation in the diffusion of the concept

‘Recognition of prior learning’ (RPL) has developed into an important instrument to support the permeability of education and training systems. Based on an extensive review of documents, this article analyses the global diffusion of RPL in vocational education and training systems (VET), with a specific focus on its diffusion through development cooperation between multi- and bilateral donors and lower and middle income countries (LMIC). This article argues that RPL became a core component of development cooperation when VET came to be seen as a means to foster equitable access to employment and income for the poorest. At the same time, it shows that the model of RPL transferred to LMICs is derived from the specific relations between labour markets and education and training systems in donor countries, where VET qualifications are often critical to accessing positions in the labour market, which is often not the case in LMICs.

The signs of frenetic standstill: The concept of change in the discourse of lifelong learning and the tempo of the Czech National Qualifications Framework

The aim of this study is to interpret recent developments in the field of adult education in the Czech Republic through the theory of social acceleration. The study is designed as focused ethnography, drawing upon observation, interviewing, and document analysis. The material is read through the concepts of acceleration and frenetic standstill and contextualized in the discourses on industry 4.0 and recognition of prior learning. The study shows how the notion of constant technological change drives the Czech discourse of adult education, introducing a sense of urgency and pressing for faster developments in the further education of adults. However, the field of adult education exhibits a lack of consistency in its development, translating into absenting sense of progress. Within this context, the Czech National Qualifications Framework (NQF) has produced a steady output of qualification standards even though its internal processes have been prolonged. The tempo of the NQF and the absenting sense of progress can be read as signs of a frenetic standstill, accompanied by a high fluctuation of individuals on all levels of an organizational hierarchy. The study argues that acceleration is not driven by technological change in the observed context as the examined discourses expect. Instead, social acceleration seems to be perpetuating itself as a relatively independent force, eroding institutions that are seen as key in adapting to the incoming transition.

Bridging Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Circular Flow of Interaction among the University, Industry, and People

Universities foster a collaboration with industry with their commitment towards society. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices of organizations facilitate implementation of the recognition of prior learning (RPL) in higher education, while creating long-term opportunities for sustainable development. The researchers of this study come from two different disciplines, and aim to embed sustainable development strategies for transforming education by utilizing the capacity of educators and industry professionals, while also contributing to the community and economy. The researcher with a specialization in economics identified the well-being of the community and economy, and another researcher with a design and ergonomics background brought the concept of service design. Results of the conducted surveys imply that a skill gap exists in the labor market and participants from the community are interested in receiving hands on training from the industry. The researchers introduce a model focusing on the significance and implementation of RPL, allowing youth and adults to accumulate credit through non-formal and informal learning experiences. The model reflects how the university assesses the current skills and needs of the target communities, how they are communicated to industry by identifying potential areas of development, how industry responds to the needs by providing training, and how the university acknowledges prior learning and promotes potential candidates to contribute towards industry.