A Model PLA Program at a State Public University A Case Study of The University of Toledo’s PLA Program Melissa M. Gleckler Senior Specialist Beth A. Gerasimiak Senior Director

Prior learning is a term used by educators to describe learning that a person acquires outside a traditional academic environment, such as: work experience employer training programs independent study non-credit courses or seminars volunteer or community service badges MOOCS What is Prior Learning Assessment? CAEL, 2012 Competency-Based Degree Programs in the U.S. Assessment is the process by which credit is evaluated and transcribed.

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The University of Toledo is a metropolitan research institution located in Northwest Ohio. 1 of 14 state universities in Ohio 300 academic programs including M.D. traditional and online programs NCAA Division I athletics GO ROCKETS! 21,500 students associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs PLA is offered at the undergraduate level only

Academic Advisors are: frontline service providers excellent candidates to lead a PLA program champions for student success and PLA on their campuses Why Advisors? NACADA Concept of Academic Advising Excerpted with permission from NACADA, The Global Community for Academic Advising

Students can’t gain college-level learning outside the classroom PLA measures the quality and level of a student’s learning based on their experiences. “Some assessment methods are standardized testing, while others such as a portfolio make its case by identifying learning clearly and succinctly, and it must provide sufficient supporting information and documentation so that faculty can assess it, alone or in combination with other evidence, as the basis for their evaluation” (Colvin, 2006, p. 7). Applying Kolb’s Model of Experiential Learning and/or Bloom’s Taxonomy establishes the link between practical and theoretical experience. Learning is part of the PLA process. (Whitaker, 2006). Further evaluation of expert faculty will also determine the level of learning.

Think about a simple, routine task or activity from your daily life. How did you first learn to do it? Activity #1: Learning Cycles Using Kolb’s model of experiential learning, identify the learning cycle you followed Example: Learning to ride a bicycle Reflective observation - Thinking about riding and watching another person ride a bike. Abstract conceptualization - Understanding the theory and having a clear grasp of the biking concept. Concrete experience - Receiving practical tips and techniques from a biking expert. Active experimentation - Leaping on the bike and having a go at it.

Jobs you have worked at least five years Jobs in which you have advanced Training seminars or workshops Adult education courses (not for credit) Hobbies, civic activities or memberships, service clubs, volunteer work Activity #2: Timeline What skills did you develop or improve? What duties did you perform? What would a sub need to know to do your job if you went on vacation? What equipment or software did you use? Using Bloom’s Taxonomy, analyze:

Giving away credit PLA measures the quality and level of a student’s learning based on their experiences. “Some assessment methods are standardized testing, while others such as a portfolio make its case by identifying learning clearly and succinctly, and it must provide sufficient supporting information and documentation so that faculty can assess it, alone or in combination with other evidence, as the basis for their evaluation” (Colvin, 2006, p. 7). PLA saves time and money; however, it is work! Whether studying for a test or creating a portfolio, students devote a substantial amount of effort to the process. Quality of learning must be appropriately represented in any portfolio, assessed by faculty experts (Colvin, 2006, p. 7). Academic rigor is not removed from the process.

PLA Methods at UT ACE recommended credit Standardized tests (CLEP, DSST, AP) Credential review Credit by exam (internal) Portfolio Not institutional, from outside source Articulated as transfer on UT transcript Does not affect GPA Institutional credit Represented with letter grade on UT transcript Contributes to UT and higher ed GPA’s

Statewide Collaboration PLA with a Purpose Network The Ohio Department of Education has established a Network and three Working Groups to contribute to the creation of a statewide guide that promotes promising practices and common standards for the assessment and purposeful connection of prior learning competencies to training and degree programs. The Network is informed by smaller Working Groups who closely examine the following PLA topics: (1) portfolio-based assessment, (2) evaluation of military training and service, and (3) credit by exam.

States with Policies Idaho Minnesota Montana Oregon Ohio Texas A&M Tennessee Washington State CAELCAEL is working with legislatures in several of these states, including Ohio. See this article in The Chronicle of Higher Educationthis article

PLA Practices at UT PLA is undergrad only and does not count toward degree residency Course-match model with flat per course assessment fee Faculty Advisory Committee UT Faculty assessors receive a stipend per course Formal policy Staff position to administer and advise program Program is housed in an academic college CAEL workshops and training Transcription and faculty contract forms Website and help documents Noncredit Blackboard tutorial course in development

Other PLA Practices Graduate credit Block credit (technical electives) External faculty assessors (such as CAEL) Fee structures Secondary duty for a faculty or staff member Departmental credit No policy For credit portfolio development course Institutionally developed Commercial product (Learning Counts)

Life Experience College Coursework PLA College Level Learning Every experience is not necessarily appropriate for credit assessment. How will you determine which ones are? Who are your experts/assessors?

PLA Student Scenario A student is approaching retirement from a 34-year career with the U.S.D.A. and is seeking to complete his degree and start a second career. He is approximately 60 hours away from completing his bachelor’s degree. He has work experience ranging from staff supervision and training, presentation development and delivery along with marketing, HR, operating budgets, audits and insurance and loans. How would you advise this student? Does he have PLA options?

PLA Student Paul Manol Paul completed 22 credit hours (7 courses) through the prior learning assessment process using portfolio assessment and credit by exam. He finished his bachelor of arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies in two semesters earlier than planned. He gained credit for courses in the areas of communications, finance and business management. A prior learning faculty assessor even submitted work from one of his portfolios to be presented at a national student conference.

About 65% of U.S. jobs will require some postsecondary education by In 2011, just 38.7% of U.S. adults between the ages of 25 and 64 had a two-year or four-year degree. (Lumina Foundation, Strategic Plan 2013 to 2016)

75% of today’s college students are classified as nontraditional students Financially independent Attend part-time Delayed enrollment Work (or worked) full-time Have dependents/are parents Did you know?? Education Dynamics, 2011

Turn Lifetime GOALS into Lifelong ACHIEVEMENTS Benefits of PLA Student Incentive for new students Validation for work & life experience Increases confidence to complete degree Shortens the time to degree completion Improved academic outcomes PLA improves critical-thinking and reflection skills Saves money with reduced tuition costs Institution Recruiting tool for adult students Demonstrates institutional commitment to understanding and meeting societal needs Increases enrollment, retention and graduation rates Increases diversity and creates a richer academic environment Facilitates, increases and accelerates degree completion Fosters academic writing skills Council on Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL), 2012

References/Resources ACE The American Council on Education. (n.d.) Credit for prior learning. Retrieved from CAEL The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (n.d.). Retrieved from CAEL. (2010). Fueling the race to postsecondary success: A 48-institution study of prior learning assessment and adult student outcomes. Retrieved from Colvin, J. (2010). Earn college credit for what you know (4 th ed.). Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co. Ellis, L. (2013, October 16). 3-State project will explore prior-learning assessment on statewide basis. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from Fain, P. (2012, May 7). College Credit Without College. Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved from Fiddler, Marienau and Whitaker. (2006). Assessing learning: standards, principles, & procedures (2 nd ed.).Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co. NACADA The Global Community for Academic Advising (2006, October). Concept of academic advising. Retrieved from