ABSTRACT
Experiential learning is learning derived from experience. That is the fact of it, but of itself it is not very helpful. All learning comes from experience; being in the classroom, being instructed directly is an experience. So the focus needs narrowing, sharpening. The experiences from which experiential learning is derived are for the most part experiences which lie outside those provided by formal education institutions. Prior experiential learning can stand instead of or be a complement to, formal academic qualifications and serve to support applications for admission to formal courses. The way prior experiential learning is brought to the point where it can be considered for formal assessment and so to accreditation is easy to describe. The transition from describing experience to formulating statements of learning is again a tough intellectual task, but it is essential if the claim being made is going to be formally assessed.
