Accrediting the experience of work-based learners – a case study

Work-Based Learning Studies has been a subject area at Middlesex University since 1995, with the accreditation of prior experiential learning (APEL) playing a significant role in its development since the outset. In this paper, the reasons for the importance of APEL to the Work-Based Learning Studies program are discussed. It is argued that APEL assists in program progression and in the development of reflection, and that this helps individual learners to evaluate the tension-filled relationship between themselves, employers and the University - all of whom are stakeholders in work-based learning.