Dianne Conrad

Open and distance educational institutions share a commitment to principles of access and flexibility which, in turn, reflect a set of foundational beliefs that shape learning activity. Housed within this broad mandate is an explicit recognition of the presence and value of mature learners’ prior learning.

While the recognition of prior learning at post-secondary institutions in Canada is not widely practiced, it constitutes a solid plank in Athabasca University's mission as an open and distance institution. Although both challenge-for-credit and portfolio assessment strategies are used at AU, learners are best able to control their destinies and celebrate their diversities by engaging in the reflexive portfolio processes.

Practitioners at Athabasca University have observed gaps between learners' romanticized views of past events and thepedagogical or cognitive contribution of those events to learning. The need to acknowledge and close these