A disciplinary-specific approach to the recognition of prior informal experience in adult pedagogy: "rpl" as opposed to "RPL"

Abstract

The recognition of prior informal learning or experience in the pedagogy of a prgramme post-entry as opposed to conventional RPL which refers to pre-entry assessment, is a neglected area in the literature on RPL and adult education. This paper tries to fill that gap with the analysis of transcripts fro lecturers in Labour law at two universities in South Africa. Interactions between lecturers and students are viewed in the light of three common perspectives on RPL and then in terms of a proposed new disciplinary-specific approach. This approach exhorts adult educators to consider the nature and structure of a discipline or filed of study and the relationship between formal and informal knowledge within that structure to ensure the authenticity of a programme and the success within it of students with extensive practical experience but limited formal qualifications.