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Faculty of Life and Health Sciences

APL policy

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 What is APL?

The Accreditation of Prior Learning takes two forms and can be applied under two circumstances:

1.1.1. Certificated learning

• For entry. This is the normal form of the recognition of prior learning.  At its simplest it involves the normal entrance qualifications such as A levels (for undergraduate entry) and first degrees (for postgraduate entry).  Occasionally applicants offer certificated qualifications that fall outside our normal range of specified entry qualifications. Under these circumstances entry will be permitted under the APL policy when equivalence can be demonstrated between the learning outcomes specified for qualifications offered and those assumed for entry.
• For exemption. Students admitted to a course may claim that they have no need to complete a module because they have already achieved the learning outcomes specified in the module description.  This is permitted under the APL policy provided that those learning outcomes have been specified in the qualifications completed and that the request conforms to regulations related to the proportion of the qualification that can be exempted.

1.1.2. Experiential learning.

• For entry. An applicant may have no formal certificated learning but may nevertheless be able to demonstrate that they have the potential to complete a programme of study by virtue of the experience they have already gained. Under these circumstances that experience will have to be evidenced and assessed and shown to be equivalent to that of any other entrant.
• For exemption. Students may be exempted from a module if they can show that they have already achieved its learning outcomes. Again that evidence will have to be presented for assessment before exemption may be granted and the extent of the exemption must be within the regulations.

1.1.3 The extent of APL
For programmes of 180 or more credit points, students must register for modules amounting to at least the final third of the credit value of the award at the highest level.  For programmes of up to and including 120 credit points, students must register for modules amounting to at least the final half of the credit value of the award at the highest level.  Exemptions shall not be permitted for these modules.  This restriction shall not apply to the Certificate of Personal and Professional Development.

2. APL PROCESSES

The Faculty requires a rigorous and transparent policy for the application of APL to ensure equitable treatment for all its students.  Assessment judgements in other circumstances are made by individual staff and moderated by others before being formally approved within a committee structure.  APL will be no different. Thus, where possible, the same structures that deal with the normal assessment process will be applied to APL.  The processes described below are minimal expectations. Some schools or programmes may have extensive APL activity and may appoint sub groups of committees to deal with such business.  All reporting however, should be through the routes described.
2.1 Application for APL.
It is the student’s or applicant’s responsibility to apply for APL and this application should be made to the course director.  Each course will produce APL information for students and incorporate them into the course handbook. The guidance should include the roles of the Course Director, the Module Co-ordinator and APL Co-ordinator. These will be reviewed by the School Teaching and Learning Co-ordinator to ensure that they are in accord with Faculty policy.

2.1.1. Certificated Learning

• For entry: For each programme of study there will be a set of learning outcomes that all applicants will have had to achieve to enter the programme. For undergraduate programmes these should accord with the A level Assessment Objectives for Science (Appendix 1).  It is appropriate to judge the qualification and how recently it was awarded rather than the applicant. A written case for the approval of “new“ qualifications or combinations of qualifications as suitable for entry will be made by the course director to the course committee. A record will be kept for future reference so that the list of suitable entry qualifications may be extended.
• For exemption.  The learning outcomes for a qualification will be compared to the learning outcomes of the module(s) for which exemption is sought. Again it is appropriate to consider the qualification and how recently it was awarded rather than the applicant. The course director will present a written case to the course committee for consideration. Again a record will be kept so that a register of suitable qualifications may be developed for each module.  Exemption by APCL may be graded at the time at which it is awarded at the discretion of the course committee provided that the original qualification was also graded.

2.1.2 Experiential learning

• For entry. When a student applies for entry to a programme of study on the basis of experiential learning the Course Director, in consultation with the Head of School will appoint an APEL advisor to that student.  The APEL advisor will agree with the applicant the evidence required to demonstrate that the learning outcomes required for entry have been achieved and will then assess that evidence using the programme entry learning outcomes as a guide. The University policy on internal moderation will be applied and a written case for admission will be presented to the course committee.
• For exemption. A student may apply to be exempted from attending a module because, in their view, they have already achieved the learning outcomes of the module by virtue of their prior experience. Such students should be enrolled on the module but address an alternative assessment route. This alternative route should specify how each learning outcome might be evidenced and the acceptable currency of that evidence. Thus each APELable module will require the specification of an APEL assessment scheme. This will be rolled out commencing 2008/9 during revalidation (Appendix 2). The policy cannot be applied to a student who has been required to repeat a module “with attendance”.

The module organiser will act as an APEL advisor and discuss with the student the evidence that needs to be presented in order to demonstrate that the learning outcomes have indeed been achieved. The module organiser will design and assess that evidence using the module learning outcomes as a guide. The University policy on internal moderation will be applied. If exemption is sought for a module that contributes to the final award then the external examiner should be involved as if the module had been completed in the normal way. A written report will be prepared for the course committee at which a formal decision will be made and recorded.  Exemption by APEL may be graded at the discretion of the course committee.
2.2 Outcomes
In all cases of an application for APL three outcomes are possible:

• Approved,
• Insufficient evidence,
• Not Approved.

Where the decision is of “insufficient evidence”, a student should be given one opportunity to submit additional evidence to satisfy the requirements.

3. QUALITY PROCESSES

With students availing of different entry routes and exemptions there is a potential for inequitable treatment across the faculty.  Each School Teaching and Learning Committee will receive a formal report from each Course Committee that will contain an account of the process for each of the four APL routes and their outcomes. The issue to be addressed by each School Teaching and Learning Committee relates to whether students have been treated equitably across the programmes of study in which APL processes have been applied.
Each School Teaching and Learning Committee will report to the final meeting each academic year of the Faculty Teaching and Learning Committee. The report will consist of two parts. First, information relating to the numbers of applications for APL in the school, their success and the evidence presented. Second any discussion on the comparison of practice between courses. The purpose of the report is to permit discussion of the equity of the application of the policy between schools. A proforma is supplied as Appendix 1.  APL decisions and discussion will be minuted at the Faculty Teaching and Learning Committee and formally reported to the Faculty Board.
Records will be held at the level at which they are generated. Thus the application and decision will be held in an individual student file, the frequency and mechanism of APL activity across a programme will be recorded in the appropriate course committee minutes; the School activity and any discussion will be recorded in the School Teaching and Learning Committee minutes etc.

4 FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS

4.1 Undergraduate admissions
In keeping with the University’s commitment to Widening Access there is no fee for APC/EL claims for undergraduate or pre-registration nursing admissions.
4.2 APEL
4.2.1 For entry: A fee will be charged for admission to postgraduate programmes by APEL in recognition of the resources required to assess the claim.
4.2.2 For exemption: Students will register for the APEL version of the module(s) and the standard/or modified module fee applied.
4.2.3 For advanced standing (i.e. admission AND exemption) by APEL there should be a flat fee for programmes where standard rates of fees apply, consistent across the University.
4.3 APCL
For advanced standing and exemptions by APCL there should be a flat fee for programmes where standard rates of fees apply, consistent across the University (with exceptions for linked awards).
5 SUBSIDIARITY
These procedures are an enactment of the University policy on APL and any queries regarding their implementation should be judged against the principles contained therein (http://www.ulster.ac.uk/academicoffice/download/Policies/APELPolicy.doc)

Appendix 3
Additions to Module descriptions
For a module whose outcomes may be achieved by APEL the following should be adapted and incorporated in the module description.

ALTERNATIVELY
The module learning outcomes may also be demonstrated through an APEL route by negotiation with the Module Co-ordinator and with the approval of the external examiner*. Normal internal moderation rules will apply.

*for modules that contribute to the final award.