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Prior Learning Assessment Literature Review
Alexandra Kenyon, SNL Assessment Center, April 2015
Thisliterature reviewwill highlightthe mostrecentknowledgeof priorlearningassessment
(PLA) practices.Includedare resultsfromthe 2010 Council forAdultand Experiential Learning report
Fuelingthe Race toPostsecondarySuccess,currentPLA trends,the availabilityandevaluationof PLA,
researchon whatstudentsthinkof PLA,statewide PLA policies,the relationshipbetweenmotivation
and PLA,and the future of PLA programs.
In 1971 the Carnegie Corporationandthe EducationFoundationof Americafundeda
CommissiononNon-Traditional Studytoexamine nontraditional education practices.Itrecommended
that “newdevicesandtechniquesshouldbe perfectedtomeasure the outcomesof manytypesof non-
traditional studentandtoassessthe educative effortsof workexperience andcommunityservice…
systemsof qualitycontrol shouldbe builtintothe instructionandevaluativeaspectsof non-traditional
studywheneverpossible”(Travers2012). Thisinfluencedthe creationof Cooperative Assessmentof
Experiential Learning(CAEL) Projectin1974. In 1977 CAEL separatedfromthe ETS and eventually
adopteditscurrentname the Council forAdultand Experiential Learning.
Between1968 and 1974, priorlearningassessmentpracticesexpandedwhen13colleges
primarilyfocusedonadultlearnerswerefounded.Theseprogramsandothersbasedonawardingcredit
for priorlearningembracedthe philosophythat“anadult couldacquire college-level learningoutside of
the formal classroomsetting;anindividual couldhave college-level learningthatwasnotevencurrently
taught inthe academy;an individualcouldknow somethingthatformal testingcouldnotassess”
(Travers2012).
The UnitedStatesranks 12th
inthe worldinfour-yeardegree attainmentamong25-34 yearolds
and has a college attainmentgapat about50% of U.S. highschool graduatesinthe poorestquarterof
families,withthe completionrate forthese studentsaround25%.In acknowledgementof these
challenges,the Presidentsetagoal for the countrythat by 2020, the U.S. wouldhave the highest
proportionof college graduatesinthe world(WhiteHouse 2015). The U.S. Departmentof Educationhas
pointedtoPLA as a “keystrategyforaugmentingthe effortstoassistadultlearnerstowarddegree
completion”(Travers2012). The UnitedKingdom, SouthAfrica,andCanadavalue the effectsof PLA on
workforce development.Australiahasmade priorlearningassessmentandrecognitionanationally
sponsoredprogramwiththe intenttoincrease workforce employability(Travers2012).
Council for Adult and Experiential Learning 2010 report
In 2010, the Council forAdultandExperiential Learningpublishedaresearchstudyonprior
learningassessmentandadultstudentoutcomes.The studyfollowedthe academicprogressof 62,475
studentsat48 postsecondaryinstitutionsoverthe course of sevenyears.ItfoundthatPLA studentshad
highergraduationratesthannon PLA studentsat56%. These rateswere higherregardlessof
institutional size,level orcontrol,individual academicability,grade pointaverage,age,gender,
race/ethnicity,orfinancial aid.The studyalsofoundthatPLA students persistedlongerthannon-PLA
students.“More than half of all PLA studentswhohadnotyet earnedadegree bythe endof 2008 (56%)

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had accumulated80 percentor more of the creditstowardsa degree between2001-2002 and the end
of 2008; only22 percentof non-PLA studentswithnodegreehadmade similarprogresstowardstheir
degrees”Finally,the studyfoundthat,onaverage,PLA studentssavedbetween2.5and 10.1 monthsof
time earningbachelor’sdegrees.Inaddition,PLA studentsearningassociate’sdegreessavedanaverage
of 1.5 and 4.5 months(Klein-Collins2010).
PLA trends
Haywardand Williams (2015) conductedastudyat fourU.S. universities examiningthe
graduationratesbetweenadultnon-PLA learnersandadultPLA learners,the difference ingraduation
rate byPLA method(portfolio,CLEP,ACE,PLA combination),andthe relationshipbetweengraduation
rate andrace/ethnicity.The datasetconsistedof 20,229 adultlearnerswith1,722 PLA learners.Results
foundthat “adultPLA learnersgraduatedat2.4 timesthe rate of non-PLA learners(28.4% to11.8%)
overall,”(HaywardandWilliams) showingconsistencywiththe 2010 CAEL study.
The resultsindicatedasignificantdifference ingraduationratesbyPLA method. Fifty-two
percentof CLEP usersgraduatedwithin4years,comparedto the 29.9% of Combinationusers,24.0%of
ACE users,and12.3% of Portfoliousers. Finally,the resultsshowedthat“PLA learnersidentifiedas
Hispanicgraduatedat almostfive times(4.9) the rate of adultnon-PLA learnersinthe same
race/ethnicitycategory(36.6%to7.4%” (HaywardandWilliams).Theseresultsare alsoconsistentwith
the 2010 CAEL study.
The 2011 PriorLearningAssessmentatthe School forNew Learning andat SelectedInstitutions
of PostsecondaryEducationReportdiscussedthe PLA programsof nine schoolsvisitedbySNLfaculty.In
additiontothese nine schools,the reportmentionedthree otherschools’PLA policies.These schools
are AntiochUniversity,AshfordUniversity,EckerdCollege,EvergreenState College,Marylhurst
University,MetropolitanState College,New College of Florida,PrescottCollege,RegisUniversity,St.
Joseph’sUniversityandUniversityof Denver,UniversityCollege.Researchfromthe schools’websites
indicatesthe programshave stayedthe same withthe exceptionof EckerdCollege,whoincreasedtheir
assessmentfees.Certificationassessmentfeesincreasedfrom$150 to $300 and portfoliosincreased
from$300 to $350. NewCollege of FloridaandUniversityof Denver,UniversityCollegestilldonothave
priorlearningassessmentprograms.
The current trendsfromthese programs,aswell asValdostaState University,are asfollows:the
mostcommon typesof PLA assessedare National Standardizedexamsandprofessional credit
recommendations;manyprogramsoffercoursestodevelopportfoliosoressayswhichthenmaybe
processedforcredit;eachPLA programhas a cap onthe number of creditsearnedthroughPLA;
evaluatorsvaryfrom program to program, but are usuallyeitheruniversityfacultyworkinginthe
departmentrelevanttothe PLA topicor fieldexpertsoutside of the university;the numberof assessors
for a submissiondependonthe programandthe type of PLA submitted.Fees varyamongstthe
programsrangingfrom $30 to $895. AntiochUniversityandMarylhurstUniversityofferscholarshipsand
financial aidspecificallyforPLA.

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A 2009 studylookingatcritical factorsimpactingPLA practicesfoundthat “institutionswith
mission,commitment,andinstitutional supportforPLA exhibitedgreaterdiversityof practicesanduse
of credits”(Travers2012) while those lackingmission,commitment,andinstitutional supportwere
more restrictive.The researchalsofoundthatfacultywere underinformedaboutPLA andoftenwere
not givendevelopmentactivitiesonhowtoassesscollege level learningforfacultyevaluators(Travers
2012).
Availability and evaluation of PLA
StrategyLabs compileddatafrom2012 onthe availabilityof priorlearningassessmentandthe
awardingof creditfor life experience inthe UnitedStates.20stateshave state or system-wide policies
on awardingcreditbasedonpriorlearningexperience. 59% of 4 year publicuniversitiesaccept
experiential credit,622universitiestotal.Insevenstateseverypublic4yearuniversityaccepts
experiential learning,howeverthese statesalsohave low numbersof publicuniversities.These states
are Alaska(2 universities),Delaware(3universities),Maine (7universities),Nevada(1universities),New
Hampshire (7universities),Rhode Island(1university),andVermont(1university).AlaskaandNevada
bothhave statewide policyonPLA.Meanwhile 37% of 2 yearpublicuniversitiesacceptexperiential
credit,261 universitiestotal (StrategyLabs2014)
StrategyLabs alsocompileddataonthe U.S. adultpopulationwithhighschool degreesorsome
college creditenrolledincollege.The percentagesrange from3 – 8% withthe nationwide average of
5%. That leaves“about95 percentof the adultpopulationwhose highestlevel of educationisahigh
school degree orsome college isnotenrolledincollegeandmaybe opento opportunitiestogaincredit
for priorlearningthatcouldlowertime-andcost-to-degree”(StrategyLabs2014).
CapellaUniversity’sPLA teamidentifiedthree criteriatoevaluate the PLA processand
experience.Itmustmotivate learners,enablesuccess,andbe anefficientuse of time andresources.
Leiste andJensencite Keller’sARCSModel of Motivational Designasan influence onmotivationduring
the PLA at CapellaUniversity.The fourattributes- attention,relevance,confidence,andsatisfaction- are
vital to the at timesdauntingPLA processwhichcandeterparticipants.The PLA programmust enable
successby ensuringthat“learnersare successful intheirpursuitof credits”whilemaintainingthe
integrityof the assessmentprocess.Thiscanbe done byeliminatingbarrierstoaccurate assessmentin
orderto allowlearnerstofocusontheirexperiences. Finally,the PLA processmustbe efficientingetting
as many studentsthroughthe PLA processaspossible while still motivatingandensuringsuccess (Leiste
and Jensen2011).
Students’ opinions of PLA
PeruniakandPowell conductedastudyon32 adultlearnersenrolledinaportfolio-basedPLA
course at Athabasca UniversityinAlberta,Canada.The studyinvolvedfocusgroupsessionsexploring
students’expectationsof PLA andwhat benefitstheyreceiveduponcompletionof the program.In
additiontofindingthatmoststudentswere completingadegree forcareermovementpurposes,
lookingforeitherupwardsmovementintheircurrentjobor a complete careerchange,the studyhad
twocore results.The firstisthat moststudentsparticipate inthe PLA processwiththe intentionof
reducingthe time andcost of a degree.StudentsinthisstudyearnedPLA creditsequal tosix half-year

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courses.Onlythree participantssaidbuildingself-confidence wasaprimarymotivatorforenrollingin
the course (PeruniakandPowell 2007).Traversechoesthese findings,reportingthatresearchindicates
studentsincrease their“self-awarenessandself-regulation;problem-solving,study,andreflectionskills;
use of tacitknowledge;andabetterunderstandingof the role of facultyandmentors”(Travers2012).
The secondresultwasthat most studyparticipantsbeganthe PLA processwiththe intentionof
earningcreditsbutreceivedunanticipatedbenefitsuponcompletion.The earningof creditswastheir
primarymotivation forpetitioningforPLA.Self-affirmationorreflectionsonlearningwere not
influencingfactors.Only24of the 32 studyparticipantshadcompletedthe portfoliocourse,but75%of
those whocompleted“explicitlystatedthattheyexperiencedreal benefitssuchasself-affirmation,
knowledge reflected-on,andclarificationof learningpathsandgoals.However,theseoutcomeswere
eitherincidental orunintended”(PeruniakandPowell 2007).
Statewide PLA policy
The establishmentof statewide priorlearningassessmentpolicysystemsisamethodtoincrease
degree attainmentrates.The followingexamplesof state policiesaddressspecificneedsof the state.In
2014, the MarylandHigherEducationCommissionremoved capsoncreditforprior learninginorderto
give competency-basedprogramsatstate institutionsmore flexibility.The MinnesotaState Collegesand
UniversitiesBoardPolicy3.35 requiresthateverysystemcollegeanduniversityprovide studentswith
the opportunityforevaluationof priorlearningandmustadvertise the availabilityof PLA.The policy
providesflexibilityinformsof PLA that maybe accepted,includingAdvancedPlacementexams,
International Baccalaureate,CLEP,andportfolios.Itisalsostate law thatMinnesotaState Collegesand
Universitiesawardcredittomilitaryveteransfortheirexperiences(StrategyLabs2015).
In 2013, the OhioBoardof Regentsintroducedthe agencyinitiative PLA withaPurpose.Faculty
and staff fromvariousinstitutionsof highereducationwere taskedwith“developingasetof strategic
recommendationsforadvancingandpromotingthe awardingof credittostudentsforpriorlearning
basedon clearstatewide standards”(OhioBoardof Regents2013). In April 2014, the initiative produced
the reportPLA witha Purpose:PriorLearningAssessment&Ohio’sCollege CompletionAgenda,which
presentsfive core recommendations:“definingthe processesandproceduresgoverningPLA atOhio
institutions;improvingstudents’accesstoPLA;ensuringthe qualityandrigorof PLA processes;
providingtrainingandprofessional development;andclarifyingthe state’srole andresponsibilitiesin
the awardingof creditfor priorlearning”(StrategyLabs2015).
The Tennessee Boardof Regentsadoptedpolicyrevisionsin2013 ensuringconsistencyin
awardingpriorlearningcredit.The policyinstructsinstitutionstoverifytheirPLA processesfollowthe
RecommendedStandardsinPriorLearningAssessment(PLA) PolicyandPractice of TennesseePublic
CollegesandUniversities(StrategyLabs2015).
Vermonthasa systemmade of three 4-yearinstitutionsandtwo2-yearinstitutionscalledthe
VermontState Colleges(VSC).One institutionisdesignatedtomanage all priorlearningassessmentfor
the system.The CommunityCollege of Vermontadministersexams,assessestraining,andoffersthe
Assessmentof PriorLearning(APL) class.The APLclassguidesstudentsthroughthe processof

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documentinglearningtoproduce afinal portfolio. There isnocapon creditsand“creditcan be
transferredtoany otherVSCinstitutionandsome independentinstitutions.More than7,000
Vermontershave participated,and80 percentof those whocomplete the APLclasscomplete it
successfullyandearnan average of 30 credits”(StrategyLabs2015).
Motivation and PLA
One questionregardingPLA isthe relationshipbetweenPLA andmotivation.EventhoughPLA
literature islackingresearchspecificallyfocusedonthisrelationship,some studiesofferbrief comments
on the relationship.PeruniakandPowell ask“whetherPLA directlymotivatesstudentstosucceedor
simplyselectsstudentswhoare more likelytosucceedinanyevent.Evenif PLA hasa motivatingeffect,
it isunclearwhetheritisbecause of the educational experience itself orbecause of the savingsintime
and moneytoearn a degree”(PeruniakandPowell).The participantsinthisstudywere already
motivatedbecause of careerimplicationsandwere “unusuallyconfidentandself-directedlearners,”
(PeruniakandPowell).Bohonosaddressedthe acceleratedtimetodegree presentedbythe optionof
PLA.Professionalslookingtomake lateral movesorchange careerscompletelycandoso ina shorter
periodof time bycompletingPLA.Additionally,if professionalsexperience labormarketdifficulties,the
shortertime to degree isashortertime to beingcompetitive inthe labormarket(Bohonos2014).
The future of PLA
A shiftinsocietal normstoa participatorysocietywill have greatimpactsonpriorlearning
assessmentinthe future.More leanersare becominginterestedindevelopingtheirowneducational
pathsand findPLA an attractive option(Travers2012). PLA is becomingamore widelyacceptedpractice
as more state and universitysystemsimplementPLA programs.Pennsylvania’s14communitycolleges
launchedCollegeCreditFastTrackinFebruary2015 allowingstudentstosubmitportfoliosonlinetobe
assessedforcreditatany of the communitycolleges(Coyne2015).The New JerseyPriorLearning
AssessmentNetwork,aconsortiumof New JerseycollegesanduniversitiesledbyThomasEdisonState
College,launchedinautumn2014 (Heyboer2014).
However,there are otherinventionsof experience assessmentthatchallenge PLA.One of these
isthe badge system,whichallowsforcredentialedpeerstoassessandrecognize experience for
learning.Whenapersonearnsa badge,theymaylinkand displayitonvariousinternetsitestobe
available topotentialemployersandschools.Itisvital tothe successof PLA programsto make
themselvesknowntoall students,notjustadultlearners.Aspriorlearningassessmentprograms
become more popular,institutionsshouldaddressinconsistenciesinPLA policiesandsupport, including
evaluationcriteria,assessmentprocess,applicationof credits,andevaluatorcriteriawhichvaryacross
all institutions(Travers2012).

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Bohonos,J."UnderstandingCareerContextAsa KeytoBest ServingAdultStudents." AdultLearning.
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"College CreditforLife &Work Experience." PriorLearning Assessment.AshfordUniversity,2014. Web.
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Coyne,Justine."PennsylvaniaCommunityCollegesLaunchStatewide PriorLearningProgram -
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"CreditforLife Learning." Antioch University Seattle.N.p.,2012-2013. Web.02 Mar. 2015.
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Step-By-StepLookAtUniversityPLA." InternationalReview Of Research In Open & Distance Learning
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"PriorLearningAssessment." TheEvergreen StateCollege.N.p.,2015. Web. 2 Mar. 2015.
"PriorLearningAssessment."MetropolitanState University,2015. Web.02 Mar. 2015.

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