ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of key concepts covered in the subsequent chapters of this book. It focuses on the engagement of people in employment with university-accredited learning. It is about individual learning that occurs predominantly through work. References to organisational learning are included to provide a context for other forms of learning that occur in the workplace. The text thus provides an explanation of university work-based learning including definitional issues and theoretical perspectives. Validation, the process a university goes through to give credibility to its qualifications, is a fundamental function and deserves a distinct analysis in the context of work-based learning, and consequently there are two chapters; one providing an overview and the other explaining the mechanics of the business of validation and accreditation. However, the centrality of the book concerns itself with the learner experience. Authors sought case studies from those who had used university-accredited learning in mid-career to provide a means of addressing a number of questions.
