6 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
7.3 Implications of the findings for practice
As one of the main aims of this study was to describe the ESP exemption examination system currently in place at the UEF Language Centre for students of Business and Economics, the research process and results of this study also invite contemplation of the implications of the study for the practices in place and how to develop them further with the RPL policies and principles, the student experiences and suggestions and the enhancement of lifelong language learning in mind.
For instance, based on the results of this study, further development work should be conducted to develop the ESP exemption examination system at the UEF Language Centre in relation to the methods utilised at other Finnish university language centres as well as in connection with the self-assessment of ESP proficiency and the recognition of non-formal and informal learning of ESP in European HE. Somewhat surprisingly the results of this study indicated that both the participants in the ESP exemption examinations and those students who had not participated favoured the examination as the RPL method for non-formal and informal learning of ESP. However, at its best the RPL process should provide the applicant or participant information and tools to continue learning in the lifelong and life-wide context in addition to functioning as a time-efficient method to advance the completion of HE studies. While it can be argued that the attention paid to informing the RPL participants about the examination-specific learning outcomes, the examination tasks and requirements and providing them feedback on their performances in the ESP exemption examinations also serve as connection between the students’ prior learning, the demonstrated learning and their future endeavours in the further development of their ESP, EBP and EAP skills, particularly the role of self-assessment and self-reflection within the RPL process should ideally be developed and elevated. In the Finnish UAS context, for instance, students’ self-assessment their language skills and proficiency has been facilitated with language-specific PSPs (kieliHOPS in Finnish) (Airola 2008, 48), the adoption of which also to the university language centres could enhance the role of lifelong language learning and provide an increasingly systematic and methodical approach to the recognition of ESP proficiency.
After all, the preference of the examination for both the RPL participants and the non-participants may reflect some challenges in the self-assessment of skills in connection with the learning outcomes, as Haapoja and Heikkilä (2009, 72) have
claimed, whereby the traditional examination may be seen as the ‘safe’ or the familiar option for university students accustomed to participating in examinations that require preparation in advance but also the application of skills and knowledge in the moment, rather than a comprehensive reflection or self-assessment of skills and the compilation of evidence as the method or part of the process of recognition. In the Finnish language centre RPL context for instance Airola (2012b, 38) has emphasised the multidimensionality of RPL assessment to enhance and ensure the validity and reliability of the assessment and also to better recognise learner differences and to provide various methods to demonstrate prior learning. This is an element to explore and consider more concretely at the UEF Language Centre and in the wider university-level UEF context with a concrete comparison of the variety of methods applied in different faculties through the RPL network in place at UEF.
Further, since the ESP exemption examination system is currently the only RPL option available for students of Business and Economics to have their non-formal and informal ESP learning recognised at the UEF Language Centre, the student preference for the examination could be studied further with parallel studies at other Finnish university language centres where other assessment options such as portfolios and interviews are used. On the other hand, future development of the exemption examinations may lead to a more strictly task-based testing as proposed for European university language studies by Fischer, Chouissa, Dugovicˇovà and Virkkunen-Fullenwider (2011) or alternatively in a completely different direction if for instance increased integration between the ESP courses and the Business and Economics subject courses were sought, both of which would generate new interests in research.
Therefore the results of this study may in the future also pave the way for more integrated learning options for ESP courses for Business and Economics at UEF, as already exist in some study programmes at UEF with Finnish speech and/or written communication courses integrated into the subject studies’ seminar or thesis processes. Any potential implementation of content and language integrated learning (CLIL) with ESP and the UEF Business School subject courses may then reflect on the RPL processes for non-formal and informal learning of ESP and/or the methods used to recognise ESP proficiency acquired outside the classroom. This is a development point that should be addressed at the UEF Language Centre and by the ESP teaching staff in order to weigh the merits of the current ESP course implementation, the current RPL system and any potential development points generated by the results of this study.
However, if the focus of development at the UEF Language Centre continues mostly with the time- and cost-efficient and tried and tested exemption examination system, the ESP lecturers/RPL assessors who teach the courses and administer the exemption examinations for Business and Economics, including myself, also play a pivotal role in the development of the RPL system at the UEF Language Centre. The information and self-assessment items available online, created by the ESP lecturers, and the instructions sent to participants regarding each exemption examination appeared to be important tools for students in the preparation for the examination and additionally served in relieving potential stress about attending essentially a performance and
123 proficiency test. The role of the ESP lecturers in charge of the RPL process was thus highlighted; the planning and preparation of authentic examination materials and activities in accordance with the learning outcomes, in addition to evaluating and numerically assessing the performance of each individual student require work and effort but a carefully planned and continuously developed system with clear guidance and instructions contribute towards a functional RPL process and a successful demonstration of non-formally and informally acquired ESP proficiency. The main development points appear to lie within the self-assessment questions which many RPL participants and non-participants deemed to pose an overly challenging picture of the examinations so the re-evaluation and the re-writing of the self-assessment questions and overall RPL information content is in question to better reflect the learning outcomes of each ESP exemption examination for Business and Economics.
Additionally, in line with Finnish educational policies on higher education (Ministry of Education and Culture 2014b, 11) and the strategy of the UEF for 2015–
2020 (University of Eastern Finland 2015, 9), the ESP exemption examinations could also be developed in accordance with the increased focus on digital, distance and blended learning environments and possibilities. Thus in the future students could take part in the exemption examinations via online learning platforms or other opportunities provided by modern interactive information technology, particularly considering the extensive distance learning student population at UEF and the UEF Business School.
On a smaller scale, students could also be provided options and alternatives to complete the reading and writing related exemption examination tasks and components in their own schedule utilising the electronic examination system19 provided by the UEF Student and Learning Services, on any of the three UEF campuses or even at different Finnish HEIs with similar electronic examination systems. This would allow the creation of a database of relevant and examination-specific tasks and activities by the ESP lecturers/RPL assessors at the UEF Language Centre so that any student who registered for the RPL process for ESP could complete the randomly provided reading, vocabulary and writing tasks with a computer under examination conditions but with relative freedom to select the time and date. The oral and other communicative components of each ESP exemption examination for Business and Economics could then be attended and completed on campus, or alternatively again via information technology connections such as videoconferencing or pre-recorded performances or other contributions. These options naturally require a careful examination of the validity and reliability of such assessment tasks and environments and the available resources for such development work but for instance a smaller scale pilot project could provide more insight into the effectiveness, functionality and learning-related benefits of such RPL options.
To summarise, figure 7.1 below presents some of the main development points for the RPL method and process based on the results of this study and its focus on ESP courses for students of Business and Economics at UEF and their implementation at
19 https://stentti.uef.fi/login/index.php?lang=en
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the UEF Language Centre. The listing has no designated order of priority so that the points are mainly in the order in which they were discussed and envisioned in the preceding text.