The goal of PLAIO is to challenge conventional understandings of learning, assessment and recognition by offering critical perspectives on and alternatives to conventional definitions and evaluation standards. The journal seeks to document the significant growth of the validation of prior learning movement and its influence on policy bodies at local, regional, national, and international levels. An abiding principle of PLAIO is that equitable access requires ongoing scrutiny of how learning acquired outside formal education, in communities and workplaces, is recognized and legitimized.