TAFE NSW Higher Education guidelines for recognition of prior learning (RPL)

TAFE NSW Higher Education guidelines for recognition of prior learning (RPL)

Contents Introduction... 3 Policy Framework... 3 Guiding Principles... 4 Types of Evidence Required to Support an Application... 5 Assessing Evidence... 6 Supporting Students with their Application... 7 Information and Templates for Students... 8 TAFE NSW Higher Education Guidelines for recognition of prior learning Page 2 of 10

INTRODUCTION These guidelines are designed to assist TAFE NSW Higher Education academic staff to manage the granting of recognition of prior learning (RPL) in a consistent and equitable manner. These guidelines cover recognition of formal learning, informal learning and non-formal learning. TAFE NSW Higher Education has also developed a guide to RPL for students which provides an overview of recognition of prior learning as well as a template to assist students with the preparation of documentation to support their application for recognition of prior learning. POLICY FRAMEWORK Advanced standing for prior learning ensures that students enrolled in TAFE NSW Higher Education courses commence study at a level which appropriately recognises the student s prior learning experiences, and ensures that students are not required to repeat equivalent learning that has been undertaken in other contexts. Under the Australian Qualifications Framework 1 (AQF) issuing institutions must: recognise learning regardless of how, when and where it was acquired, provided that the learning is relevant and current and has a relationship to the learning outcomes of the qualification. The recognition of informal and non-formal learning is acknowledged in tertiary education as equally as important as the recognition of formal (institution based) learning. It allows for the recognition of a student s professional experience and other skills and knowledge that have direct relevance to the course the student is enrolled in. The AQF provides the following definitions of formal learning 2, informal learning 3 and non-formal learning 4. Formal learning is the learning that takes place through a structured program of learning that leads to the full or partial achievement of an officially accredited qualification. Informal learning is learning gained through work, social, family, hobby or leisure activities and experiences. Unlike formal or non-formal learning, informal learning is not organised or externally structured in terms of objectives, time or learning support. Non-formal learning refers to learning that takes place through a structured program of learning but does not lead to an officially accredited qualification. The TAFE NSW Higher Education Advanced Standing and Credit Transfer procedures reflect the AQF and make provision for the granting of advanced standing for formal, informal and non-formal learning. It is important that TAFE NSW Higher Education academic staff are familiar with the provisions of these procedures which can be accessed at: https://staff.tafensw.edu.au/policies-procedures/higher-education/ 1 AQF Second Edition, January 2013, p78 https://www.aqf.edu.au/sites/aqf/files/aqf-2nd-edition-january- 2013.pdf accessed 19 October 2017 2 Ibid, p95 3 ibid, p96 4 Ibid, p98 TAFE NSW Higher Education Guidelines for recognition of prior learning Page 3 of 10

GUIDING PRINCIPLES The following principles govern the granting of recognition of prior learning in TAFE NSW Higher Education: Information about the availability of recognition will be clearly conveyed to students as early as possible. Requirements for documentation submitted by students to support their application for recognition will not be excessive. Applications for recognition will be determined in a timely manner. Students must attend class until the successful outcome of the application for recognition is advised. The granting of recognition indicates that the student has met the outcomes of the subject. This outcome is equal in standing to a subject outcome obtained through a learning and assessment pathway. Evidence to support applications for recognition of prior learning must be relevant and current. Evidence to support applications for recognition of prior learning must demonstrate comparability and equivalence with the subject learning outcomes and content. Staff assessing applications for recognition of prior learning will be qualified in the discipline they are assessing. The granting of recognition of prior learning will be academically defensible. Assessment of applications for recognition of prior learning will be formally documented with the decision, and reasons for the decision, clearly communicated to the student. It is also important to note the following key provisions of the TAFE NSW Higher Education Advanced Standing and Credit Transfer procedures: Recognition for VET units of competency will not be granted if the applicant has not completed the full VET qualification. Partial recognition of a subject will not be granted. To be granted recognition, students must be able to demonstrate that they satisfy the outcomes of the full subject. The maximum amount of credit that can be granted is 66% of the total credit points for the course. There are exceptions to this maximum which are subject to approval by the Dean. The maximum amount of credit that can be granted for informal and/or non-formal learning is 25% of the total credit points for the course. No fee will be charged to process applications for recognition of prior learning. No tuition fee will be charged for a TAFE NSW Higher Education subject for which recognition of prior learning has been granted. A result of By Advanced Standing will appear on the student s transcript of academic record against subjects for which recognition of prior learning was granted. Where more than 50% of the course is achieved via recognition of prior learning, the student will not be eligible for a graded course award. International students must be advised to consult with the International Students Unit at their campus to ensure they fully understand visa implications that may arise from a reduced study load resulting from the granting of recognition of prior learning. TAFE NSW Higher Education Guidelines for recognition of prior learning Page 4 of 10

TYPES OF EVIDENCE REQUIRED TO SUPPORT AN APPLICATION It is important that academic staff provide guidance and support to students applying for recognition of prior learning, however the onus on gathering and collating appropriate evidence rests with the student, not TAFE NSW Higher Education staff. Formal learning Students applying for recognition of prior learning for formal learning they have completed must submit formal academic documentation to support their claim. This will include: The testamur for the qualification they have completed. Copies must be certified copies. Transcript of academic record showing successful completion of the subject on which the application for recognition is based. Copies must be certified copies. The subject grade awarded by the other institution is not relevant to the determination of whether recognition will be granted. However a fail result will not be accepted to support a claim for recognition. The subject outline for the subjects completed at the other institution to enable the TAFE NSW academic staff member to establish whether the formal learning completed at the other institution is equivalent to the TAFE NSW Higher Education subject for which the application for recognition is being made. The testamur and transcript must show the date issued as this will be used to determine the currency of the learning. Academic documentation in a language other than English must be translated into English by a certified translator. Any costs related to translation will be borne by the student, not TAFE NSW. Non-formal learning Applications for recognition of non-formal learning, eg: courses at Community Colleges, must be supported by course materials which will allow the assessment of the relevance of the non-formal learning to the claim for recognition. Students will also need to provide evidence of when the learning took place to support the claim of currency of the learning. This could be in the form of an enrolment form or a receipt from the institution confirming enrolment. Informal learning The list below is provided as a guide to the types of evidence that can be submitted to support an application for recognition of informal learning. Other types of evidence not listed below should be accepted where they are clearly relevant to the claim for recognition. Organisational position description. Curriculum Vitae. Awards, acknowledgements, commendations, letters of appreciation. Portfolio of samples of work. Video or photographic evidence of workplace activities. Workplace documents that relate to the applicant s work, eg: TAFE NSW Higher Education Guidelines for recognition of prior learning Page 5 of 10

o financial spreadsheets o flowcharts of workplace processes / workplace procedures o project plans o diary notes o correspondence written by the applicant Minutes of meetings showing the applicant s participation. Supervisor s report. Employer references. Third party reports these should be written to address subject learning outcomes. Witness testimonies witnesses may be contacted to verify the report. A personal statement. Other. In addition applicants for recognition can be invited to attend an interview to discuss their workplace experience or can be invited to undertake a test or examination to assess their knowledge of subject outcomes. These activities will be included as evidence to support the application for recognition. ASSESSING EVIDENCE When assessing evidence to support applications for recognition, TAFE NSW Higher Education academic staff must be satisfied that the evidence is: Authentic. It is the candidate s own work. Valid. It is relevant to the learning outcomes of the subject for which recognition is being claimed. Reliable. It reflects the applicant s ability to demonstrate knowledge and performance at the appropriate level. Sufficient. There is enough evidence to cover all aspects of subject outcomes and content. Current. Evidence of formal learning (ie: academic records) must show the learning is no more than 10 years old although disciplines experiencing rapid change will have a shorter period of currency. Evidence of informal learning must demonstrate 3 years relevant professional experience in the last 5 years Consideration must also be given to the relative worth of each piece of evidence. Evidence can be categorised into four groups listed below. 1. Direct evidence. This is evidence of what the applicant has done which reflects their own work, eg: work samples and workplace documents they have written. 2. Indirect evidence. This is evidence gathered from others about the applicant, eg: a supervisor s report. 3. Supporting evidence. Students may wish to prepare a written personal statement providing further detail about the work they have done. This is not considered to be direct evidence but is useful to provide an overview of what the applicant has done in the workplace. 4. Supplementary evidence. TAFE NSW may wish to gain additional evidence through an interview or examination. TAFE NSW Higher Education Guidelines for recognition of prior learning Page 6 of 10

SUPPORTING STUDENTS WITH THEIR APPLICATION While the onus on collecting and collating evidence to support an application for recognition of prior learning rests with the student, TAFE NSW Higher Education academic staff should provide the following information and support to applicants. Before Advise the applicant of timeframes for submitting their application. Applications must be received and approved or declined before census date. Students must attend class and undertake assessments until their application for recognition of prior learning is approved. Meet with the applicant to discuss their academic history and/or workplace experience to determine whether an application for recognition is warranted. Collecting and collating information to support an application for recognition of informal and non-formal learning requires a considerable effort, so this discussion allows the applicant to make an informed decision as to whether to proceed with the application. Outline the types of evidence that the applicant should collect. This will vary between disciplines and whether the TAFE NSW Higher Education subject has a theoretical or practical focus. It will also vary between applicants and the academic history or workplace experience they are documenting. Describe the best way to collate the evidence. Evidence must be submitted in an appropriate format. In the case of informal and non-formal learning the student must map their evidence to the subject learning outcomes of the TAFE NSW Higher Education subject. A template is available which should be used by students to index evidence. Explain how evidence will be assessed. Reference should be made to the different types of evidence (direct, indirect, supporting and supplementary) and that evidence will be assessed for authenticity, validity, reliability, sufficiency and currency. Once the student has decided to proceed with the application for recognition of prior learning provide the student with: o the Subject Guide to ensure they understand the breadth and depth of learning outcomes and content that they need to provide evidence in relation to; o the TAFE NSW Higher Education Guide for Students Applying for Recognition of Prior Learning and the TAFE NSW Higher Education RPL evidence index template. Both of these documents can be accessed by students on the internet at: https://www.tafensw.edu.au/courses/tafe-nsw-degrees/for-degree-students During Ensure the student has reasonable access to an academic staff member during the preparation of their application for recognition of prior learning. This should be for the purposes of answering queries in relation to putting together evidence to support the application, but not to assess each individual piece of evidence prior to final submission of the application. TAFE NSW Higher Education Guidelines for recognition of prior learning Page 7 of 10

After Advise the applicant whether their application for recognition of prior learning was successful or unsuccessful. Advise the unsuccessful applicant: o of the reasons their application was declined; o that they need to continue attending classes; and o options to appeal the decision (in accordance with the TAFE NSW Higher Education Grievance procedures). Advise the successful applicant that: o they no longer need to attend classes; o their academic record will be updated to show that recognition has been granted; and o their transcript of academic record will show the TAFE NSW Higher Education subject result as By Advanced Standing. Update the successful applicant s record in the Student Management System and upload any supporting documentation to the student s record. INFORMATION AND TEMPLATES FOR STUDENTS A Guide for Students Applying for Recognition of Prior Learning and a template for indexing evidence is provided separately on the TAFE NSW Higher Education internet site at: https://www.tafensw.edu.au/courses/tafe-nsw-degrees/for-degree-students It is important that you are familiar with these student resources. As well as being used by the student to index their evidence, the template is also used by the TAFE NSW Higher Education staff member to record the outcome of the application for recognition of prior learning. TAFE NSW Higher Education Guidelines for recognition of prior learning Page 8 of 10

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