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

2 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.

3 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  Prior Learning Documentation Explanation of PLA At VSU

4  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

5 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

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

7 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

8 Students 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

9 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

10  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

11  Mathematics  Science  Education Examples

12 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.

13  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

14 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

15 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