Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) Pilot Project At VSU Prepared by the PLA Working Group & Assessors Group

2 What is Prior Learning Assessment (PLA)?  “The recognition of learning gained from experiences that may be granted credit or otherwise certified… The assessment of learning attained through experiences irrespective of the time and place in which they occurred.” From Assessing Learning, 2nd edition, (2006) By Morry Fiddler, Catherine Marienau, and Urban Whitaker p.12. The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) at

3 Criteria for Quality Assurance in Assessing Learning for Credit  Credit or its equivalent will be awarded only for learning, and not for experience.  Assessment should be based on standards and criteria for the level of acceptable learning.  Assessment should be treated as an integral part of learning, not separate from it, and should be based on an understanding of learning processes.  The determination of credit awards and competence levels must be made by appropriate subject matter and academic or credentialing experts.  Credit or other credentialing will be appropriate to the academic context in which it is awarded and accepted.  The program of study and the student’s major, i.e., core, upper-division, or graduate, of the student determines the “academic context.” Adapted From: Morry Fiddler, Catherine Marieneau & Urban Whitaker. Assessing Learning: Standards, Principles, & Procedures. Chicago: CAEL (Council for Adult and Experiential Learning), For more information visit: The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) at

4 Why are we talking about Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) ?  The PLA Pilot Project was initiated by the University System of Georgia with the initial goal of helping to address the shortage of teachers. Career-changers are a rich source of teachers. More than 40% of students nationally are self- supporting adults age 24 or older. This population brings potentially creditable experience that can accelerate time to graduation. PLA provides a way to build on workers’ skills and increase transferability.  The project was later extended to cover students in majors or career fields other than Education.

5 A System View: Enablers of Change  PLA Project fits with goals and strategic plans of both USG and VSU  Move to Outcomes-Based Teaching  PLA Pilot Project was Initiated at VSU in 2005 with the formation of the PLA Working Group and Supporting Leadership Group  Consultants for the project Morry Fiddler and Catherine Marienau (DePaul University, Chicago, IL; coauthors of the book, Assessing Learning, published by the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning)  PLA Working Group took online Courses  PLA Pilot Project supported by Grant resources from US Department of Education.

6 PLA Fit with VSU Strategic Goals  From VSU’s Strategic Planning Goals: 5 Goals in 5 Years Enrollment & Retention  Assess and implement changes in faculty load, facilities, course offerings & class scheduling to enhance the use of university resources in support of planned growth.  Increase number of students seeking certification and licensure renewal.  Develop a proposal for programs and program delivery strategies that meet the needs of non-traditional degree seeking students. Financial Support  Improve profile in the Valdosta community, by continuing to develop external/community partnerships.

7 VSU now offers six ways to receive college credit from Prior Learning Assessment:  CLEP ( The College-Level Examination Program®)  AP ( Advanced Placement )  DANTES Testing ( Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Educational Support )  ACE Credits  Departmental Examinations Note: All of the above are already available at VSU.  Prior Learning Documentation Explanation of PLA At VSU

8  Documentation provides alternative formats for candidates to provide evidence they have the knowledge and skills for a specific course’s learning outcomes. Explanation of PLA Documentation

9 Many ways to provide evidence of learning:  Work products  Performance simulations  Interviews  Oral or written exams  Skills demonstrations  Original fine art  Computer software  Poems, books, stories Evidence of Prior Learning

10  Assessment focuses on learning – not just experience  Learning is based on experience and academic theory Explanation of PLA Documentation Learning Experience Theory

11 Learning outcomes:  Define expectations for the target course  Must be clear and explicit  Should include all valued components (including process skills) If learning outcomes are not explicit, students cannot be held accountable. Learning Outcomes Are Critical

12 Students must convince assessors that  They have relevant and appropriate experiences  They learned from those experiences  The learning is aligned with learning outcomes for the target course  The learning is grounded on relevant theory What Students Do

13 Students provide evidence to document relevant experiences. Relevant experiences could include:  Courses  Training programs (e.g. military)  Work experience  Community service  Personal study Evidence of Relevant Experience

14 Assessment approach depends on the course Exam e.g. Mathematics Essay e.g. English Portfolio e.g. Science Performance e.g. Education Evidence of Learning From Experience TraditionalPerformance-based

15  Mathematics  Science  Education Examples Link to templates: We will have time to talk about the templates at the end of the session.

16 Assessment of open-ended mathematical tasks  Mathematical Knowledge: Knowledge of mathematical principles and concepts  Strategic Knowledge: Identification and use of important elements of the problem that represent and integrate concepts (e.g., models, diagrams, symbols, algorithms).  Explanation: Written explanation of the rationales and steps of the solution process. A justification of each step is provided.

17  Students will solve non-routine problems and construct knowledge through problem solving.  Students will investigate, develop, and evaluate mathematical arguments.  Students will understand how mathematical ideas interconnect and build on one another and will apply mathematics in other content areas.  Students will create and use technology, pictures, manipulatives, models, and symbols to organize, record, and communicate mathematical ideas. Process Standards for the Mathematics courses

18 Possible Scoring Categories  Sources of Learning (Experiences)  Evidence of Competencies (aligned with learning outcomes)  Competencies aligned with Experiences  Competencies aligned with Theory  Breadth / Depth / Significance  Introduction / Conclusion  Citation of Source Material  Documentation  Sentence Structure, Mechanics, and Overall Presentation

19 Status of PLA Pilot Project  PLA 2000 Documentation Course is being offered online  Six students are enrolled in PLA 2000 this term  Other students hope to take the course in either Summer or Fall terms  We need to have a report on initial program success by June for grant

20 Information on Current Students, Backgrounds, & Possible Courses StudentBackgroundPossible Courses 1Work experience with Internet Service Providers (ISPs) ACED 3100 Comp. Systems ACED 3400 App. Comp. Tech 2Works in group home for teenagers SOCI 3190 Clinical Sociology SOCI 4540 Internship in Soc. 3Retired from the Army, has training in a variety of subjects, experience as a trainer PERS 2690 Multicultural Amer. Other PERS Course 4Courses, network administration work experience, Microsoft Certification CS 4121 Data Com Networks CS 4345 Operating Systems 510 years experience in law enforcement, a lot of training, and is a field training officer CRJU 4100 Seminar CRJU 4910 Internship 630 years experience as business manager, including owning his own business ACED 1100 Intro to Business ACED 2050 Com for the Wrkpl

21 Role of Faculty Assessors  Help determine appropriate courses based on backgrounds of students  Develop assessment methods  Evaluate student documentation, portfolios, etc.

22 What happens next?  Training continues on Friday morning with specific information on the portfolio evaluation  We are seeking commitment from faculty who are willing to take part in the PLA Project as assessors

23 Stipends Available for PLA Faculty Assessors  Stipends are available for faculty who develop assessment methods and evaluate evidence of learning: money is available for work done in Spring & Maymester top priority will be given to assessments for the classes that fit the needs the current group of students in PLA 2000 some stipends may also be available for classes that may be possible in the future.

24 Questions?

25 MSED 7002 Example: Syllabus Assessment Template Marylhurst University PLA Rubric Template and Syllabi Examples