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Jennifer Tan, HELP University, MalaysiaAbstract
There are many pathways for working adults to return to school to continue to pursue formal academic degrees; one such program is the Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning for Qualifications (APEL Q) which assesses adult learners based on their experiential knowledge rather than traditional coursework. Some distinct characteristics of this program, unlike other conventional ones, include no classes to take, no lecturers to refer to and no peers to share the learning journey with. This program thus opens a different pathway to academia and provides opportunities to those who can work independently. For APEL Q, assessments comprise 4 assessment instruments – a portfolio, workplace visits, a challenge test comprising five essays, and a capstone research paper to meet program learning outcomes. Grounded in Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory and Mezirow’s Transformative Learning Theory, this qualitative case study investigates 3 adult learners’ strategies, challenges, and adaptations in navigating the program as they work towards completing the 4 main assessment instruments. Data collection includes in-depth interviews and document analysis of communication. Thematic analysis is employed to identify key patterns in learning experiences. Findings show that adult learners leverage on their prior knowledge and lived experiences when they engage with competency-based assessments. Additionally, they face personal and work-related challenges while demonstrating their learning.
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Conference: ACEID2026Stream: Adult
This paper is part of the ACEID2026 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Tan J. (2026) Navigating Experiential Learning: A Case Study of Adult Learners in the APEL Q Assessment Process ISSN: 2189-101X – The Asian Conference on Education & International Development 2026 Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 57-61) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2189-101X.2026.5
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2189-101X.2026.5
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