Assessment of Prior Learning Empowering and Engaging Non-traditional Students Joshua Shaffer, Academic Partnership Manager
Overview What is Prior Learning Assessment (PLA)? Why PLA? Industry leaders Credit by exam Portfolio assessments ACE/NCCRS Evaluation of military and workplace training Benefits of PLA First steps
Excelsior College Founded in 1971 Regionally accredited Private Not-for-profit Online Geared towards the adult learner
What you know is more important than where or how you learned it.®
What is PLA?
What is PLA? Process of substantiating and evaluating learning obtained outside of the classroom for the purpose of awarding college credit: Military training Workplace training Licenses and certifications Proficiency exams Life experience Non-collegiate instructional programs
Why PLA?
Lumina Foundation: Goal 2025 “60% of Americans hold degrees, certificates, or high-quality post secondary credentials by 2025” 2 out of 3 jobs will require postsecondary education this decade Only 40% of adults in the U.S. have achieved this
The need for change
Endless Opportunity Lumina Foundation, NCES
Industry Leaders
Credit by Exam
Portfolio Assessment
ACE/NCCRS National leaders in the evaluation of military, corporate and non-traditional education Accepted at between 1,500 and 2,000 colleges
Institutional Evaluation of Workplace Training Center for Educational measurement (CEM) Center for the Assessment of Post Traditional Instruction, Training, and Learning (CAPITAL) Center for Military Education CME
Benefits of PLA
Attracting Students 87% of Americans believe that students should be awarded credit for prior learning 75% said they would be much more likely to go back to college if they could earn credit for prior learning Lumina Foundation, Gallup Poll, 2013
Degree Completion Adult students who earned PLA were two-and-a-half times more likely to complete a degree Regardless of Race/ethnicity Age Financial aid status Gender Academic ability Institution size, level or status (profit/non-profit) Fueling the Race to Postsecondary Success (2010) CAEL, 2010
Persistence Fueling the Race to Postsecondary Success (2010) CAEL, 2010
Time/Cost to Degree Awarding 13-24 cr. hrs. of PLA saves about 6 months of work and $5,000-$18,000 Average PLA student reduces time to degree between 2.5-10.1 months Fueling the Race to Postsecondary Success (2010) CAEL, 2010
Student Impact Katherine Von Dohlen, Boerne, Texas Age 39, BSL ’11 Insurance Claims Adjuster/Special Education Teacher/Graduate Student Katherine left Louisiana State University in 1993, lured by a high-paying sales job, but soon she found herself a single mother without a college degree. A traditional college classroom proved a difficult option with young children and a full-time job. She combine Excelsior College online course work with CLEP and DANTES exams, along with course credits from earlier college work. She added another 30 credits using Excelsior College Examinations to earn her BS in Liberal Arts in 2011. “You don’t often realize how much you know, and how much you absorb from reading and working,”
First Steps
What to Look For Recognition by ACE CREDIT or NCCRS Technical manual outlining procedures for the assessment or criteria for portfolio evaluation Rigorous security procedures Conforms to APA Standards for Educational and Psychological Measurement Common, standardized development/evaluation procedures Adherence to psychometric guidelines Accreditation standards
Challenges to Overcome No PLA policy at institution Lack of awareness of existing PLA policy Advising Admissions Faculty Policy that limits acceptance Skepticism Seat time definition of learning or credit Generalized limits of transfer credit www.excelsior.edu
Set a Policy Keep in mind that your goal is to make it easier for your students to complete without sacrificing the integrity of your institution. Partner with institutions who have mastered PLA Illustrate the benefits to internal staff and faculty who may not be open to change Gain access to best practices
The Big Picture
Questions?