• Research sponsored by SAQA

• Published by HSRC

• Edited by Alan Ralphs and Linda Cooper

• Contributions by: Linda Cooper, Karen Deller, Judy Harris, Barbara Jones, Kessie Moodley, Alan Ralphs, Anita Shah and Mphutlane Wa Bofelo

RPL for access to

undergraduate study and the

merits of standardised tests and/or a

portfolio development

course

Models of RPL for access to postgraduate study in three

fields i.e. Disability

Studies, Adult Education and

Business Management

RPL for credit for an

occupational qualification –

contrasting disaggregated

QCTO & aggregated

‘legacy’ style curricula as

RPL integrated into the

curriculum of four diploma

programmes with access to

B.Soc.Sci at UKZN

Overarching research question

What needs to change for RPL to become a more optimally inclusive and effective practice in mediating the complexities of knowledge recognition and certification in and across different learning pathways and communities of practice in a differentiated but interdependent NQF?

The ‘what needs to change’ was encapsulated into four lines of enquiry at each research site…

Research lines of enquiry

Knowledge

What knowledge is valued or excluded?

1

Pedagogy

The content, methods & processes

used: do they mediate participation

or exclusion?

2

Institutional context How do institutional

cultures, policies, rules etc. impact on

inclusive or exclusive nature of RPL?

3

Learner agency Attributes and

strategies of learners as they engage RPL

provision

4

So what will you get out of the book?

• Overview of RPL – nationally and internationally and the theoretical debates

• A conceptual framework to explain the nature, form, purpose of the pedagogic activity in RPL

• Summary of the theories of education as they relate to RPL

So what will you get out of the book?

• Rich description of four different RPL contexts – commonalities and differences, enablers and dissuaders

• Understanding of what needs to change to make RPL more inclusive

• Insights into the impact of learner agency on RPL success

• Justification for the shift from RPL as an assessment process to RPL as a mediated pedagogy

• Creates a common conceptual framework and language between contexts

• Highlights enablers and dissuaders for policy makers

• Builds the business case for RPL as a specialised pedagogy

• Highlights the need for different forms of assessment

• Reinforces the challenges faced by RPL candidates

What the book means for RPL practice

• Highlights the important role of the RPL adviser – boundary worker

• Explains the disconnect between the place of learning and the place of the assessment and the type of knowledge that each favours

• Builds understanding about RPL practice in different contexts

• Justifies that there can not be a one-size-fits-all approach for RPL

What the book means for RPL practice