Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) Pilot Project At VSU

Prepared by the PLA Working Group & Assessors Group

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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

http://www.cael.org/.

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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), 2006.For more information visit: The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) at http://www.cael.org/.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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. Note: All of the above are already available at VSU.

Prior Learning Documentation

Explanation of PLA

At VSU

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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

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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

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Assessment focuses on learning – not just experience

Learning is based on experience and academic theory

Explanation of PLA Documentation

Learning

Experience Theory

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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

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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

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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

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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

Traditional Performance-based

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Mathematics Science Education

Examples

Link to templates:http://www.valdosta.edu/pla/resources/

We will have time to talk about the templates at the end of the session.

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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Information on Current Students, Backgrounds, & Possible Courses

Student Background Possible Courses

1 Work experience with Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

ACED 3100 Comp. Systems ACED 3400 App. Comp. Tech

2 Works in group home for teenagers SOCI 3190 Clinical Sociology SOCI 4540 Internship in Soc.

3 Retired from the Army, has training in a variety of subjects, experience as a trainer

PERS 2690 Multicultural Amer. Other PERS Course

4 Courses, network administration work experience, Microsoft Certification

CS 4121 Data Com Networks CS 4345 Operating Systems

5 10 years experience in law enforcement, a lot of training, and is a field training officer

CRJU 4100 Seminar CRJU 4910 Internship

6 30 years experience as business manager, including owning his own business

ACED 1100 Intro to Business ACED 2050 Com for the Wrkpl

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Role of Faculty Assessors

Help determine appropriate courses based on backgrounds of students

Develop assessment methods Evaluate student documentation,

portfolios, etc.

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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

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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.

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Questions?

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MSED 7002 Example:Syllabus Assessment Template

Marylhurst University PLA Rubric

Template and Syllabi Examples