APECL
What is APECL?
Accreditation of Prior Experiential and Certificated Learning (APECL) is a process that enables people of all ages, backgrounds and attitudes to receive formal recognition for skills and knowledge they already possess. A person' learning and experience can be formally recognised and taken into account to:
• gain entry to further or higher education courses
• give exemption from certain parts of a new course of study
• qualify for an award in an appropriate subject in further or higher education
APECL takes into account
• organised prior-learning where the learning has been assessed and where certificates are awarded on completion
• learning gained through unstructured experiences and short courses, arising through leisure pursuits, family experiences and work
Is APECL for me?
APECL can be useful to a variety of learners, in particular the following have been identified:
• Mature students returning to education who lack the formal qualifications required for entry to a course of study. APECL can be used to gain access to a course of further or higher education.
• Students of all ages who wish to study overseas, and whose domestic qualifications are not automatically accepted for entry to the overseas course of study. Here, APECL can be used to gain access to the course of study.
• Past students who have previous further and higher educational qualifications but who now seek to add to those qualifications in order to broaden their expertise or change careers. APECL can be used to avoid repeating specific modules of learning by providing evidence that prior learning has already taken place.
• Students who wish to return to courses of study that have been interrupted by work or family commitments. Again, APECL can provide evidence that prior learning has occurred.
• Those who are seeking the award of professional qualifications and need to provide evidence of specific training and practical work experience. APECL provides the framework for collecting and presenting the evidence that is required.
• Students on full or part-time courses who wish to gain recognition for informal learning that has taken place through work or leisure-related activities.
Types of APECL Claims
The two different types of Accreditation of Prior Learning are:
• Accreditation of Prior Certificated Learning (APCL) - this is the process, through which previously assessed and certificated learning is considered and, if appropriate, recognised for academic purposes.
i.e. an applicant with a Foundation Degree who wants to use its credit value towards a BSc at Kent in a similar subject area.
• Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) – this is the process through which learning achieved outside education or training systems is assessed and, if appropriate, recognised for academic purposes.
To gain credit for APEL, a portfolio of evidence is developed, (an APEL Portfolio) which includes evidence reflecting on how learning from experience is relevant to the university programme to be taken.
Next Steps
If you think that APECL will be of benefit to you
Guidance is available on APECL claims, and what you should do if you wish to make an APECL claim (please see Guidance section).
Should you decide you would like to apply for APECL, then you should contact the School/Centre which is responsible for the programme you wish to join, to see if you may be able to make a claim.
If you would like further support on whether to make a claim for APECL then please contact information, advice and guidance, who are available to help you through the process.
APECL Guidance for Applicants/Students/Employer
For Applicants/Students
For anyone considering making an APECL claim, please click the link below for guidance which has been developed to help explain what APECL is, what the different types of APECL that can be claimed are, and what you would need to do to claim APECL.
In addition a leaflet has been developed to give an overview of APECL for applicants to/students at, the University. Leaflet attached Applicant Guidance
For Employers
Employers sometimes require APECL for their staff as part of work with the University. A leaflet has been developed to give an overview for employers of APECL and the APECL process.
Employers can find further information on becoming involved with the University through the Centre for Professional Practice at http://www.kent.ac.uk/cpp/courses/work-based.html
APECL Guidance for Staff
For University Staff involved in APECL
For any staff involved in approving APECL or supporting an applicant/student through the APEL portfolio process the following staff guidance has been developed.
This includes information on the assessment and approval of APECL claims by staff at the University.
In addition a leaflet has been developed to give an overview of APECL for staff at the University.
Further information on the process of approving APECL, and all forms required, can be found under Annex R of the University's Code of Practice, available on the Quality Assurance and Validation Office website, http://www.kent.ac.uk/uelt/quality/code2001/index.html
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