Non-participants’ perceptions of RPL information and guidance

and guidance specific ESP exemption examination process and participation, they were asked in the electronic survey (appendix 7) whether in their opinion they had received enough information about the ESP exemption examination possibility (item 11), to provide a contrasting view on RPL information and guidance. The answers for numbers, campus division and percentages are presented in table 6.8.

Table 6.8. Non-participants’ perceived level of RPL information (N=105)

Level of information Joensuu campus Kuopio campus Number Percentage

No, not enough 19 40 59 56 %

Yes, enough information 16 26 42 40 %

Both yes and no 2 2 4 4 %

Total 37 68 105 100 %

According to the results, over half of the non-participant respondents (56 %, n=59) perceived they had not received enough information regarding RPL in connection

103 with the demonstration of non-formal and informal learning of ESP. This appears to indicate that many non-participants were either not aware of the possibility or, if aware, perceived themselves as not knowing enough about the RPL process, the procedure or the content of the ESP exemption examinations for Business and Economics. Four respondents (n=4) felt divided on the issue and selected both the yes and no options in the survey for the level of RPL information, possibly indicating a dichotomy between awareness of the possibility but not having enough information on the practical application of the ESP exemption examination.

When examining the background variables of the non-participants, the year of starting studies at UEF appeared not to be a significant factor in the perceived level of RPL information. As mentioned in section 3.5, the ESP exemption examination system for students of Business and Economics with the explicit focus of being the RPL method for non-formal and informal learning of ESP was launched at the UEF Language Centre in the autumn semester 2011 so a presupposition could be that students who had started their studies in autumn 2011 or later would be more aware of the RPL process, even if they had not taken part. However, non-participant students of Business and Economics who had begun their studies in 2012 had most frequently selected not having had enough information (24 %, n=25), followed by students who had started their studies at UEF in 2013 (22 %, n=23). Conversely, non-participant students of Business and Economics who had received enough RPL information had begun their studies in 2011 or 2012 (both 20 %, n=21), followed by starting in 2013 at 17 % (n=18). Therefore it is somewhat challenging to draw conclusions on the figures as no significant differences exist in the perceived levels of RPL information in those years of starting studies at UEF.

In the electronic survey all non-participants were also able to indicate where they had obtained information about the ESP exemption examinations (item 10), with the same selection of sources as in the questionnaire for RPL participants (appendix 4), however with the addition of the option “Nowhere”. The results are presented in table 6.9.

Table 6.9. Non-participants’ sources of information about the ESP exemption examination (N=191)

Source Frequency

Study guide or WebOodi 45

UEF Business School academic advisor, PSP advisor or other staff 36

ESP lecturer(s) 33

UEF Language Centre academic advisor or RPL advisor 28

Nowhere 25

Fellow student or friend 18

Peer tutor 5

Other 1

Total 191

Similarly to the RPL participants (cf. table 6.6), also the non-participants had acquired information most frequently from the UEF study guide or the electronic study register WebOodi (n=45). Information had also been received from the UEF Business School (n=36), the ESP lecturer(s) (n=33) and the UEF Language Centre (n=28). The role of fellow students, friends or acquaintances was in a similar ratio to the RPL participants, however, the selection of “Nowhere”, with 25 single-option selections, represented 24 % of all the non-participants (N=105) and thus warrants closer inspection.

In each “Nowhere” case, then, it can be assumed that the student in his/her own estimation had not received information from any of the sources listed in the survey item. The gender division of the 25 respondents was equal with 12 females and 13 males, and the mean age of the respondents was 28.3 (SD 9.0), with ages ranging from 20 to 63. The relatively high average age may be a factor for the lack of knowledge about the RPL option for ESP courses. If older students more prominently study part-time at UEF because of work or family commitments and may not attend all information and guidance sessions such as the first-year information session by the UEF Language Centre, they may have missed vital details about issues such as RPL even though RPL processes could arguably facilitate older students’ study progress. In fact, four of the 25 “Nowhere” respondents of Business and Economics were working full-time during their studies, and another 10 part-time so it could be argued that a work-oriented approach to university studies could have deterred the transference of RPL information if the students were not on campus daily or weekly or otherwise in less frequent contact with fellow students or university staff.

Some of the reasons for the lack of information were also revealed in the electronic survey’s open-ended answer data, as students who selected “Nowhere” for the RPL information source had entered comments such as:

- I can’t comment, I haven’t been following the university’s notices about any mat-ters.

- I have to admit I haven’t focused on the subject or tried to find information about it.

Some of the respondents without any RPL information also wished the information to be shared during the ESP courses:

- The exemption examination should be explained at the beginning of the course.

- There should be info sessions and information during courses.

- RPL should be marketed during the courses and for example the peer tutor could mention it more.

Some of the respondents without RPL information also wanted a more personal approach to the information to ensure it reaches them:

- RPL should be notified by e-mail.

- Information through the UEF e-mail.

- Facebook.

105 These suggestions and others provided by both the non-participants and the RPL participants will be analysed in more detail in the next subsection.

6.4.3 Students’ suggestions for improving RPL information and