General credit: a recognition of lifewide learning

A pedagogical process that enables people to make a claim for ‘general credit’ has been in place for the last 20 years at the University of Middlesex. General credit means that people can reflect upon their learning drawn from any area of their life experience. This is distinct from where the common form of accrediting prior and experiential learning for specific credit is claimed for specific learning that is contained in particular university modules.
Academic advisers support people in making claims for experiential learning that can be at any university level from Foundation to Doctorate. Making the claim is a developmental process and usually results in the achievement of a certificate of credit that can be put towards a university award. General credit has been used to provide access to higher education for people who do not have certificated learning. There are generations of people who have not had the opportunity to attend university but have lifewide learning that may meet HE level criteria. Some claimants already have highly successful careers and seek to develop themselves further whilst some do not realise the abilities they already have. All of them can garner their experience, reflect and formalise their learning in a way that brings new confidence and what some describe as inspiration and enrichment. The process of making the claim has without doubt been an uplifting experience for many people. It acts as a bridge between formal academic curricula and recognition of lifewide learning and achievement.