UK universities introduce experiential learning at the doctoral level

[J]

See this from the University of Staffordshire:

http://www.staffs.ac.uk/current/regulations/codeofprac/apel_policy.pdf

and in particular their APEL guidelines:

"Doctoral Level (for Professional Doctorate applicants only)
Doctorates are awarded for the creation and interpretation of knowledge, which extends the forefront of a discipline, usually through original research. Holders of doctorates will be able to conceptualise, design and implement projects for the generation of significant new knowledge and/or understanding. Holders of doctorates will have the qualities needed for employment requiring the ability to make informed judgements on complex issues in specialist fields, and innovation in tackling and solving problems."

Up to two thirds of the credit that may be applied towards a doctoral award may come from APEL.

[Rich Douglas]

See this from the University of Staffordshire:

http://www.staffs.ac.uk/current/regulations/codeofprac/apel_policy.pdf

and in particular their APEL guidelines:

"Doctoral Level (for Professional Doctorate applicants only)
Doctorates are awarded for the creation and interpretation of knowledge, which extends the forefront of a discipline, usually through original research. Holders of doctorates will be able to conceptualise, design and implement projects for the generation of significant new knowledge and/or understanding. Holders of doctorates will have the qualities needed for employment requiring the ability to make informed judgements on complex issues in specialist fields, and innovation in tackling and solving problems."

Up to two thirds of the credit that may be applied towards a doctoral award may come from APEL.

Possibly. This what it actually says:

Normally a maximum of two thirds of total credits for any award may be set against accredited prior learning/experience.
* NB Subject to specific requirements of the validated awards. (Emphases added)

To me, the policy reads as a general guideline to awarding APEL. While it has descriptions of the different awards (degrees), it doesn't tie minimum/maximum amounts to each degree. It would depend on the doctoral requirements, which might--we don't know--limit APEL credit.

Or, perhaps, the two-thirds limit (or opportunity) applies to all degree levels. This would, of course, be a fascinating development.

Rich Douglas, Ph.D.

[J]

Up to 50% of the Doctorate in Educational Psychology at Dundee University can come from APEL assessment.

http://www.dundee.ac.uk/fedsoc/DEdPsy.htm

Quote:
APEL is available for up to 50% of modules. Experienced practitioners with a track record of successful applied research and development work and/or publications will find this considerably reduces the demands of the programme.

[J]

Possibly. This what it actually says:

Normally a maximum of two thirds of total credits for any award may be set against accredited prior learning/experience.
* NB Subject to specific requirements of the validated awards. (Emphases added)

To me, the policy reads as a general guideline to awarding APEL. While it has descriptions of the different awards (degrees), it doesn't tie minimum/maximum amounts to each degree. It would depend on the doctoral requirements, which might--we don't know--limit APEL credit.

Or, perhaps, the two-thirds limit (or opportunity) applies to all degree levels. This would, of course, be a fascinating development.

Rich Douglas, Ph.D.

I don't yet see evidence from the descriptions on the rest of the site that there is a restriction on APEL credit for doctoral awards apart from that given in the document referenced above. I've just been searching the site to find more on this.

Nor is the asterisked statement applied specifically to doctorates rather than to all degrees generally.

In the absence of such, I would conclude that up to two thirds APEL credit may be applied to at least some professional doctoral awards.

I will try to find out more by contacting the university direct in the coming days.

[Rich Douglas]

Up to 50% of the Doctorate in Educational Psychology at Dundee University can come from APEL assessment.

http://www.dundee.ac.uk/fedsoc/DEdPsy.htm

Quote:
APEL is available for up to 50% of modules. Experienced practitioners with a track record of successful applied research and development work and/or publications will find this considerably reduces the demands of the programme.

And what is "APEL"? According to the same website:

This means you can submit work you have completed some time ago for assessment as the product for some of the modules. Peer reviewed journal papers, project reports for a local authority, and other written products might be acceptable. However, they would have to meet the standards required of doctoral level work, in terms of critical analysis and evidential basis. You might need to add an up-dated critical analysis of the original work. Your personal doctoral supervisor would advise you in detail about this. The complete product would need to satisfy programme staff, the external examiner, and the university assessment board. APEL is thus not the easy option it might first seem.

Not credit for experience (or even for knowledge), but instead credit for having completed substantial academic work elsewhere that meets the programme's standards. This is a substantially different concept than the awarding of credit for life/work experience we see commonly at the undergraduate level.

(Not that anyone in this thread has said that--not at all. But diploma mills jump on these things and twist them to look like the award of credits and degrees for experience, and then go about selling degrees for "life experience.")

The Dundee example would lead me to believe that Robert's interpretation of the first example is more likely to be correct than mine. The interpretation of what is and is not APEL is the key here.

[J]

And what is "APEL"? According to the same website:

This means you can submit work you have completed some time ago for assessment as the product for some of the modules. Peer reviewed journal papers, project reports for a local authority, and other written products might be acceptable. However, they would have to meet the standards required of doctoral level work, in terms of critical analysis and evidential basis. You might need to add an up-dated critical analysis of the original work. Your personal doctoral supervisor would advise you in detail about this. The complete product would need to satisfy programme staff, the external examiner, and the university assessment board. APEL is thus not the easy option it might first seem.

The Dundee example would lead me to believe that Robert's interpretation of the first example is more likely to be correct than mine. The interpretation of what is and is not APEL is the key here.

I think it's my interpretation rather than that of my esteemed colleague to which you refer, actually.

My understanding of APEL is not greatly at variance from that quoted by you above. No-one is defending the resume-and-credit-card merchants or using this to justify their operation. I do, however, think that the more schools that go down the road of APEL at doctoral level and do it properly the better.