Faculty of Business Computing and Information

Management

MAKING AN AP(E)L APPLICATION

A STUDENT GUIDE

Approved by BCIM FASC: February 2006

Faculty of Business, Computing and Information Management
Making an AP(E)L Claim 2006

Contents

1.0 Glossary of Terms 2

2.0 General Introduction 3

3.0 What is AP(E)L? 4

4.0 The AP(E)L Application Process 4

4.1 General Requirements 4
4.2 AP(E)L Charges 5
4.3 Making a Claim for APL 5
4.4 Making a Claim for APEL 6
4.4.1 The Challenge Assignment 6
4.4.2 The Evidence Portfolio 6
4.4.3 Compiling the Evidence Portfolio 7
4.4.4 Presenting the Evidence Portfolio 8
4.4.5 Marking the Evidence Portfolio 9
4.5 Withdrawal or Failure 9

Appendix A: Outline of the AP(E)L Process for BCIM Applications 10

Appendix B: Writing a Reflective Commentary 11

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Faculty of Business, Computing and Information Management
Making an AP(E)L Claim 2006

1.0` Glossary of Terms

The following terminology will be used where appropriate during the remainder
of this document.

Academic Credit: Programmes of study are made up of units of learning. Each

unit of learning is worth a specified amount of academic credit at a specified
academic level.

Academic Level: The outcomes of each unit of learning are measured at a

specific academic level of learning, usually levels S, 1, 2, 3 or M.

Accreditation of Prior Learning - APL: This is the process through which the
university recognises the prior learning of students which is evidenced by
certification and/or other credit rated activity. This can be used either as entry to
a programme (where regulations permit) or entry with credit against unit(s) of
learning in a programme.

Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning – APEL: This is the process

through which the university recognises the prior learning of students through
experience or non-credit rated activity. This can be used either as entry to a
programme (where regulations permit) or entry with credit against unit(s) of
learning in a programme.

Accreditation of Prior (Experiential) Learning – AP(E)L: This is the term

used to refer to both APL and AP(E)L.

Challenge Assignment: The applicant is permitted to undertake the unit

assessment as a way of providing evidence of their learning from experience.

Claim: Applicants ‘claim’ that their learning outside the university matches the
learning outcomes of specific unit(s) on a programme of study.

Evidence: This is the range of evidence used to demonstrate that a student has
learned from experience and is divided into two categories of either direct
evidence (produced by the student such as a work project, reflective writing,
audio or video tapes etc.) or indirect evidence (information gathered from others
about the applicant such as testimonials, attendance on short courses, minutes of
meetings etc.).

Evidence Portfolio: This term is used generically to mean any evidence that is
used to claim credit. It also has a specific meaning in that if an applicant is
unable or unwilling to undertake a ‘challenge assignment’ then s/he may be able
to demonstrate knowledge through the production of a ‘portfolio of evidence’.
This portfolio is a collection of direct and indirect evidence that must explicitly
address the content and learning outcomes of the programme of study or the
unit(s) for which credit is claimed.

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General Credit: Applicants can claim for general credit against programme
outcomes and gain exemption from optional or open units.

Programme of Study: This is a collection of units which comprise an approved

curriculum leading to a named London South Bank University award.

Specific Credit: Applicants are awarded specific credit if they are successful in
claiming exemption a specified unit. Their transfer credit or AP(E)L claim must
match the specified content, learning outcomes and academic level.

Transfer Credit: Previous successfully assessed learning awarded by another

HE institution (and accepted by London South Bank University) can be used as
part of the credit requirement for a London South Bank University Award.

Transcript: Applicants wishing to claim transfer credit must provide a

transcript from the educational institution where they studied. Their transcript
of credit is a summary of the level and tariff of credit awarded by that
institution.

Units of Learning: Each programme of study is made up of units of learning.

Each unit has an identified number of academic credits at a specified academic
level with associated learning outcomes, content and assessment.

2.0 General Introduction

London South Bank University (LSBU) recognises that students who enter our
programmes and courses posses a very wide range of qualifications and work or
life experiences and that where previous learning can be shown to match
specific units or parts of programmes then credit should be given for that
learning so that there is no need to re-study those elements. The important point
to note here though is that you must provide evidence of learning that has taken
place outside the university – it is not enough to have just attended training or
gained work experience. This booklet describes the sort of evidence that you
must provide to LSBU in order to demonstrate that actual learning has taken
place, and that your learning matches the learning outcomes of the unit(s) or part
of a programme for which you wish to claim credit.

The minimum credit that can be claimed is for one complete unit of study (in
university terminology this corresponds to 15 academic credits). You cannot
claim against parts of a unit and if you are not awarded credit against a whole
unit then you must study the whole unit. Your Programme or Course Director
will be able to give you some initial advice and guidance as to what you may or
may not claim credit for as these details may vary slightly from programme to
programme, and there may be professional body requirements that have to be
taken into account. If you do wish to proceed with a claim through the faculty
procedure then you should read the rest of this booklet before making any
official claim for accreditation.

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3.0 What is AP(E)L?

The Accreditation of Prior (Experiential) Learning is the process by which the
university recognises the learning of students that has taken place outside the
university and usually (although not always) prior to the start of your studies at
LSBU. When you join any course at this university you must have met the entry
qualifications for that course which requires you to demonstrate prior learning at
the required (but normally lower) level. These requirements are formally listed
as ‘entry qualifications’ and are not usually the subject of consideration under
AP(E)L.

However, if you can demonstrate learning that might exempt you from specific
units on your university course or perhaps allow you entry to the course at an
advanced stage (for example the second year of a three year course) then you
would need to claim credit for those units or that part of the course that you wish
to be exempted from. This would be an AP(E)L claim and it is a blanket term
that is used to cover two distinctive types of learning:

Transfer credit: learning which has taken place as a result of teacher-led activity
(usually classroom based) where your learning has been measured through a
process of formal assessment and has been recognised by the award of a
certificate or other official document. This type of learning is sometimes called
certificated learning and any claim made by this route would be an APL claim.

Accreditation of prior experiential learning: this is the process by which

academic credit can be awarded by the university for the knowledge, values and
skills achieved by virtue of work and life experience and any informal learning
that has not been the subject of formal assessment. Such learning can occur as
part of many types of experience including work (paid or unpaid) or other
activities outside of the work domain. What must always be remembered
though is that it is the learning and the evidence that demonstrates learning that
is important and not just the experience itself. The credit is awarded on the
basis of what you know and are able to do. A claim made by this route would be
an APEL claim and to be awarded credit you must be able to demonstrate
learning that matches the learning outcomes of the unit(s) or part of the
programme for which the claim is made.

4.0 The AP(E)L Application Process

In making any claim for AP(E)L there is a formal process that you must go
through which ensures that your claim is given full consideration and that all
claimants are treated fairly. The general process is illustrated in Appendix A.

4.1 General Requirements

The following is a summary of the general requirements that apply to all
claims made for AP(E)L and failure to meet these requirements may result
in your application being refused. In general, claims can be made against
units at any level.

1. All claims for entry to a programme must be made prior to the start of
the programme of study for which entry is requested. The timing
should be such that the claim can be assessed by the university before

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entry to the programme. Claims in which exemption against specific

unit(s) is sought must be notified to the university in sufficient time so
that the nature and format of the evidence to be supplied can be agreed
with the applicant before the start of the unit(s).
2. Claims for exemption against individual unit(s) must be made against
complete units and not parts of units. Students may be advised to
undertake directed additional learning so that complete unit credit may
be awarded.
3. Claims cannot normally be made against units that comprise a major
project or dissertation. Programme specifications should detail any
other units for which AP(E)L will not apply.
4. The total credit claimed by an individual must not exceed the
maximum allowable for a particular programme as stipulated in the
university’s academic regulations.
5. Credit cannot be awarded where professional or statutory body
requirements have not been met.

4.2 AP(E)L Charges

There is currently no charge for making an APL claim but there is a charge
for APEL claims processed through the university and you will be advised
of the charge when you first discuss the possibility of making a claim with
your Programme or Course Director or if you contact the BCIM AP(E)L
Co-ordinator.

4.3 Making a Claim for APL

If you feel that you have undertaken relevant certificated learning at the
appropriate academic level (which you have not used for entry to the
programme) and wish to claim credit against specific units then you should
contact the Programme or Course Director and discuss your potential
claim with him/her. This initial discussion should give you a good idea as
to whether your claim is likely to be successful.

Your details will then be forwarded to the AP(E)L Co-ordinator who will
provide you with any additional information you might require and agree a
submission date for your claim. You will be expected to provide a
transcript from the institution where you studied and the transcript should
clearly show:

1. Evidence of registration;
2. The name of the programme/unit(s) studied;
3. The date of successful completion;
4. The number of academic credits;
5. The academic level of credits.

In addition to the transcript, you will need to provide (for the units you
have already studied) a copy of the unit documentation that shows the unit
aims, objectives (or learning outcomes), content, academic level and
assessment. This detail allows matching of your prior learning against the
LSBU unit(s) claimed. Once you have made a claim and it has been
assessed by the Programme or Course Director the decision will be

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Making an AP(E)L Claim 2006

conveyed to the AP(E)L Co-ordinator who will then inform you of the
result.

4.4 Making a Claim for APEL

If you feel that you have sufficient work or other non-certificated learning
experiences through which you have achieved the learning outcomes of
one or more units on your programme of study then you should contact
your programme or course director and discuss the possibility of making a
claim for APEL. If after consultation you decide to proceed with a claim
then your details will be forwarded to the AP(E)L Co-ordinator who will
then arrange to discuss your application with you. Discussion with the
AP(E)L Co-ordinator will focus on the type of evidence that you can
supply, the timescale for your application and whether you should produce
an Evidence Portfolio or attempt a Challenge Assignment. This discussion
may well also involve the tutor teaching the unit(s) who will have the
subject knowledge to be able to advise you and comment on the relevance
of your previous experiential learning.

4.4.1 The Challenge Assignment

A Challenge Assignment means that the AP(E)L Co-ordinator,
programme director and unit tutor agree that you seem to have the
knowledge and skills that form the content and outcomes of a
specific unit(s) and are willing to offer you the opportunity to
undertake the unit(s) assessment. If you wish to submit the unit
assessment you will be expected to the usual unit assessment cycle
and submit your work at the same time as other students taking the
unit. You will be entitled to the same tutorial time with the unit tutor
as other students taking the unit. Your work will be graded,
moderated and externally examined in the same way as any unit
assessment and in accordance with BCIM Faculty assessment
protocol.

4.4.2 The Evidence Portfolio

If a Challenge Assignment is not appropriate then you will be asked
to produce an evidence portfolio which must specifically address the
overall content and learning outcomes of the unit(s) you are claiming
credit against. You will not be expected to produce a large volume of
work for the portfolio, in fact the amount of work expected will not
be more than that produced by a student studying the unit in full.
The type of evidence you should produce will be varied and will
depend on the nature and subject area of the unit(s) claimed against.
For example, evidence might include reflective writing, case studies,
projects, software developed, systems design etc. You will receive
guidance on the type of evidence you should include.

The portfolio will be graded, moderated and externally examined in

the same way as any unit assessment and in accordance with BCIM
Faculty assessment protocol.

4.4.3 Compiling the Evidence Portfolio

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Your portfolio must provide evidence that demonstrates learning that

explicitly addresses the learning outcomes of the unit you are
claiming credit against and your portfolio will probably contain
several sources of evidence. Advice on compiling your portfolio will
be available through either the AP(E)L Co-ordinator or the unit
leader. Whatever evidence you provide in your portfolio, you will be
required to provide a reflective commentary to support this evidence.
A reflective commentary means that whatever evidence you choose
to present, you will be required to reflect on your learning from
experience and comment on what you have learned and how you
have learned it. A guide to writing a reflective commentary is
presented in Appendix B.

The purpose of providing evidence is simply to prove that you have

the knowledge and skills that you claim to have and that these are
directly relevant to the unit you are claiming credit against. When
collecting evidence you should be aware that not all evidence will
come from the same source and that a single piece of evidence may
be relevant to more than one learning outcome.

There are two types of evidence that might be included and some
examples are shown in the table below.

Direct Evidence Indirect Evidence

 Reflective writing.  Statements from employers
 Projects proposal, design and or clients.
completion.  Minutes of meetings.
 Work place activities.  Certificates of in-house
 Software development, training, external training
system implementation. courses, general non-
 Written reports and articles. certificated study.
 Work place activities and  Letters of verification.
assessments.  Reports concerning
 Technical designs. achievements.

Generally, direct evidence is stronger and some evidence is written

for a particular audience (not for evidence portfolio purposes) so
some comment and explanation may be necessary and helpful to the
assessor of the portfolio. When you have collected evidence together
you need to be selective. Ask yourself:
• how does this material prove my learning?
• is this the best evidence I have for this learning?
• is it sufficient or do I need more? Or
• do I really need it – have I enough already?

The last question is important since too much evidence can be

confusing. There are other general issues you need to be aware of.

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Confidentiality: Remember that your portfolio is not a confidential

document. It will be read by the assessors, the external examiners.
If material is confidential then try and present it without reference to
individuals or particular organisation or seek advice from the AP(E)L
Co-ordinator.

Authenticity: It needs to be clear that the evidence you supply

documents your learning. When evidence includes group or team
work then you must identify your particular contribution. A
reflective commentary on your contribution might be useful in this
instance.

Currency: An AP(E)L claim relates to learning that you are

currently using. So even though you may have undertaken some
training several years ago, you should have been developing and
using the knowledge and skills since then so that it is your current
ability and knowledge that is being assessed.

4.4.4 Presenting the Evidence Portfolio

The following format should be followed in preparing your work:
• The work should be presented securely presented in an A4
cardboard or plastic folder. You are advised to keep a personal
copy.
• If you portfolio contains more than one claim, each claim
should be distinctly separate within the portfolio. Each claim
should be self-contained, with its own reference list and
contents page.
• It should preferably be word-processed but this is not essential.
• It must contain a title page, contents page, statement of
evidence, your CV, presentation of evidence.

Title Page: must contain your name, student number (if appropriate),
programme of study, title of unit(s) to be claimed against, submission
date.
Contents page: a list of sections with corresponding page numbers.
Claims against more than one unit should be clearly differentiated.
Your CV: this must be an up-to-date CV.
Presentation of Evidence: this must have a logical sequence
including the unit title to be claimed against, the statement of
learning achieved, a letter of verification supporting the learning, the
reflective written commentary, the appropriate evidence (presented at
the same academic level as the unit claimed against), references and
bibliography, appendices.

If in any doubt about presentation matters then please speak to the

AP(E)L Co-ordinator. You must submit the portfolio by the agreed
submission date and if you cannot do this then you should contact the
AP(E)L Co-ordinator and seek an extension. This may or may not be
approved depending on the reasons for failure to submit.

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Faculty of Business, Computing and Information Management
Making an AP(E)L Claim 2006

4.4.5 Marking the Evidence Portfolio

The Evidence Portfolio will be marked by the unit leader of the
unit(s) claimed against. It will be judged against the learning
outcomes of the unit(s) concerned and this judgement is guided by
some general rules which apply to any assignment you submit for a
unit:

Validity: how well does the evidence presented match the unit aims,
outcomes and content?
Sufficiency: is the amount and type of evidence presented
sufficiently related to the learning outcomes of the unit to allow a
judgement to be made?
Authenticity: this refers to the ownership of the evidence and
verification or independent corroboration will often be required.
Level: is the evidence presented at, or above, the level required by
the unit specification?
Currency: Does the evidence provide proof that the student has
knowledge and skills that relate to current professional practice?

After marking, the Evidence Portfolio will be moderated and

externally examined according to normal faculty assessment
protocols. The result will be formally approved by an examination
board.

4.5 Withdrawal of Failure

You may withdraw you AP(E)L application at any time provided you
inform the AP(E)L Co-ordinator in writing.

If the application is unsuccessful, then a second attempt is allowed in

accordance with LSBU Academic Regulations.

LSBU Appeals Procedures apply to all AP(E)L applications, as do

regulations regarding academic misconduct and plagiarism.

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 Faculty of Business, Computing and Information Management
Making an AP(E)L Claim 2006

Appendix A: Outline of the AP(E)L Process for BCIM Applications

Applicant informs course

director/programme director of
intention to claim. Initial
discussion.

AP(E)L Co-ordinator informed of AP(E)L Administrator logs claim

student details. details.

APL APEL
APL or APEL claim?

Unit leader notified of

potential application.

Applicant given details of APL

procedure, booklet and deadline
for submission agreed. Co-ordinator arranges meeting
with applicant to agree nature of Liaison
submission, procedures,
procedure, deadline
deadline
for submission etc and provides
provide
support.support.
general

Received application passed to

programme director.
Co-ordinator
Additional Yes provides
support additional
requested? support

No Award credit? Yes

No

Completed application
assessed by unit leader.

Result passed Co-

ordinator who informs Result (subject to exam board
Result passed to
confirmation) Co-ordinator
passed to Co-
applicant. Options for
who informs
ordinator whoapplicant.
informs applicant.
re-assessment discussed
with applicant.

Applicant records updated, exam

board notified.

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Faculty of Business, Computing and Information Management
Making an AP(E)L Claim 2006

Appendix B: Writing a Reflective Commentary

When you have selected the evidence you want to present for your portfolio you will
need to put your learning into context by means of a reflective commentary. Although
during the learning process you will have developed many practical skills, learning
also involves being able to reflect on what you and others have done. This will
involve describing how your learning has developed over time drawing on and
referring to the supporting evidence you are providing. The commentary is important
in helping to determine the academic level of your work.

Reflection is a structured process where you think in some depth about significant
experiences or events and what you have learned from them. Reflection is a key
stage in learning from experience.

You may find that the following words and phrases are helpful in starting the process
of writing a reflective commentary.

Because … But … However … If … Unless …

For example … I realised this caused … The assumption being that …
Thinking back on this I can see that … This proved to have been …
This is supported by … As a result of this …

There is no set format for a commentary like this but it does need to have an academic
approach and include references to theoretical models and perspectives where
necessary. It is a guide to take the assessor through your account of learning
focussing on your learning outcomes and showing how the evidence supports the
learning outcomes you have included.

Generally, it is useful to remember that the content and the way it is written should:

• Demonstrate your ability to reflect on your own experiences and extract

appropriate learning from it;
• Be relevant to and refer where appropriate to the learning outcomes;
• Refer directly to your supporting evidence where possible;
• Show awareness of relevant academic theory, referring to particular texts
where appropriate;
• Provide a contextual framework for your claim showing clearly how you came
to achieve your learning.

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