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Prior Learning Assessment
Melanie Booth, Ed.D.Director, Learning Assessment Center
Prior Learning Assessment ProgramMarylhurst University
May 8, 2008
Context for PLA
PLA is a result of 3 significant social movements in the US:1. The adult education movement2. The non-traditional higher education movement3. The increasing sophistication of assessment
PLA has thus been … part of a sweeping and multifaceted movement to rewrite the relationship between the university and the larger society. The implementation of PLA was largely congruent with such trends as ‘relevance’ in education, greater access for underserved populations, joint ventures between colleges and the private sector, and a more inclusive curriculum (Michelson, 1997, p. 42).
Context - 5 Types of PLA
1. Standardized credit-by-examination programs.
2. External evaluation of coursework that is completed in non-collegiate environments.
3. Institutionally-assessed learning programs.
4. Learner assessment through institutionally-designed challenge examinations or procedures.
5. Learner assessment through portfolio-assisted PLA.
Types 1 & 2: External to Institution Standardized credit-by-examinations
College Level Examination Program (CLEP) Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Educational
Support (DANTES)
American Council on Education (ACE) evaluates coursework completed in non-collegiate environments (military training or professional and corporate training courses) and provides credit guidelines.
Type 3: Institutional
Apprenticeships, professional licensures, workplace training programs, or certifications are assessed by the educational institution itself.
Agency-sponsored learning assessment. The learning program is assessed; learners who
provide evidence of completion to the educational institution are awarded credit accordingly.
Students may need to complete an additional assignment to ensure college-level attainment.
Types 4 & 5: Individual
Individual learner assessment through institutionally-designed challenge examinations or procedures.
Individual learner assessment through portfolio-assisted PLA.
Experiential learning products (essays, performances, work samples)
Evidence of learning + Evidence of experience
PLA Philosophy / Theory
Experience can be a source of significant learning and knowledge When [adult] learners come to college, they are not blank
slates or empty pails.
PLA programs honor learners’ prior experiences by providing a means for
them to gain credit for the resulting college-level learning, help learners reflect and then be able to build upon these
experiences, and help facilitate learners’ awareness of the great advantages of
continual learning.
Philosophy / Theory – cont. CAEL’s perspective: the source of information obtained
in learning is the key difference in thinking about assessing learning that has occurred through experience versus learning that has occurred in a more traditional classroom setting (Whitaker, 1989, p. 3).
BUT … “experience alone does not teach” (Fenwick, 2001, p.11).
For individualized assessment, instruction is provided to teach learners how to identify, articulate, and document their prior learning at the appropriate college-level.
CAEL Standards - Academic
1. Credit should be awarded only for learning, and not for experience.
2. College credit should be awarded only for college-level learning.
3. Credit should be awarded only for learning that has a balance, appropriate to the subject, between theory and practical application.
4. The determination of competence levels and of credit awards must be made by appropriate subject-matter and academic experts.
5. Credit should be appropriate to the academic context in which it is accepted.
CAEL Standards – Admin.
6. Credit awards and their transcript entries should be monitored to avoid giving credit twice for the same learning.
7. Policies and procedures applied to assessment, including provision for appeal, should be fully disclosed and prominently available.
8. Fees charged for assessment should be based on the services performed in the process and not determined by the amount of credit awarded.
9. All personnel involved in the assessment of learning should receive adequate training for the functions they perform and there should be provisions for their continued professional development.
10. Assessment programs should be regularly monitored, reviewed, evaluated, and revised as needed to reflect changes in the needs being served and in the state of assessment arts.
CAEL’s Suggested Steps – Individualized Assmnt.
STEPS RESPONSIBILITY STANDARD
1. Identification Faculty, thru course I, II
2. Articulation Learner + Faculty V
3. Documentation Learner, thru course I, II, III
4. Measurement Faculty I, II, III
5. Evaluation Faculty IV
6. Transcription Administration, faculty VI
Theory / Experience Balance
Learners need to demonstrate a balance between theory and its application / their experience. Moving beyond description
From “what I’ve done” to “what it means” Can’t get college credit for “Joe’s experiences as
a chemist” Can get college credit for “Introduction to
Chemical Properties”
Evidence Needed (2 kinds)
Evidence of Learning (Outcomes-based) Essays Analytical annotation of work products Presentations / Performance-based assessment Case studies
Evidence of Experience Artifacts – work samples, certificates, job descriptions, etc. Attestations from others – letters of verification,
performance evaluations, observation reports, etc.
PLA PortfolioResearch Findings BENEFITS TO LEARNERS
Improves problem-solving skills Creates a bridge between academic world and non-academic
world Facilitates career / professional development Increases communication / articulation skills Improves academic skills – writing, learning-to-learn, etc. Can facilitate transformative learning
CHALLENGES TO LEARNERS Assesses limited ways of knowing Individual versus collective / communal focus Conceptually challenging – not always “easiest” way Emotionality involved
PLA at
Marylhurst University
Options for Earning Credit
New course work~ OR ~
Previous transferable coursework Military or other training approved by ACE Standardized proficiency exams such as CLEP and
DANTES Learning obtained through work and life experience
that can be used to earn credit through PLA portfolio process
Prior Learning Portfolio (Essays) Students can earn up to 45 credits through PLA Some sample course topics that students have
written for:Conflict Management Public PresentationsGolf Effective ParentingEffective Listening Clothing ConstructionTeam Building Event PlanningIrish Music History of Rock & RollGrant Writing Meeting Management
The Marylhurst PLA Process
LRN 150 (1 credit): Learning Assessment Workshop
LRN 305 (6 credits): PLA Seminar ~ From Experience to Learning
LRN 311 (2 credits): PLA Portfolio Development
LRN 312 (2 credits): PLA Portfolio Development
LRN 003 (0 credits): PLA Portfolio Development
Compile and submit final PLA Portfolio for transcription
LRN 150 (1 credit)
5 sessions (6 weeks) during first term Identify prior learning experiences Assess writing skills Evaluate transfer credits and training Develop academic, professional, and
personal goals Receive evaluation of potential for PLA
writing and testing for credit
LRN 305 (6 credits)
10 sessions (10 weeks) of second term Learn about translating experience into college-
level knowledge and learning. Develop academic writing skills required for
PLA writing. Learn how to provide evidence of your learning
and of your experiences. Write and have evaluated your first 3 PLA
essays.
LRN 311, 312, & 003
Individualized work with your PLA instructor over the course of a full term (10 weeks) if needed
Each term students develop a minimum of 9 credits and submit for evaluation
Evaluation of Credit
PLA submissions are evaluated by content experts with appropriate academic credentials
Many of our evaluators are Marylhurst faculty members
All of our evaluators understand and value the learning that adults bring with them to college
Benefits of the PLA Essay Process Students learn more about what they
already know Acknowledgement that learning from
past experience is worth something – college credit
Improved writing and research skillsAND
Decreased time and cost for the undergraduate degree
Thank You
For more information:
Melanie Booth, Ed.D.
Director, Learning Assessment Center and Prior Learning Assessment Program
Marylhurst University
503-636-3941
