This document outlines a proposal to develop a new approach to prior learning assessment (PLA) at Portland State University. It would assemble an interdisciplinary team to re-examine existing mechanisms for awarding credit for life experiences and explore new assessment tools like e-portfolios. The goal is to build a flexible program that recognizes diverse forms of learning for non-traditional students. This individualized PLA process could help more students complete degrees in less time and at lower cost, while strengthening the university's learning outcomes. If successful, it could significantly increase access to higher education.

1. Giving Credit
Where Credit is Due
reTHINK PSU: Reframing
Challenge
Winter Symposium
Friday, January 16th 2013

2. Collaborators
 Project Lead
 Shelly Chabon, PhD, CCC-SLP, CLAS, Associate Dean of Humanities &
Social Sciences
 Collaborators
 Peter Collier, PhD, Professor, Sociology
 Veronica Dujon, PhD, CLAS, Associate Dean of Curriculum
Development & Enrollment Management
 Kathi Ketcheson, PhD, Director, Institutional Research & Planning –
Academic Affairs
 Yves Labissiere, Assistant Director University Studies, Community
Health – Urban & Public Affairs
 Beth Lloyd-Pool, Program Administrator, Institute for Sustainable
Solutions
 Robert Mercer, Assistant Dean for Student Success, College of Liberal
Arts and Sciences
 Drake Mitchell, PhD, CLAS, Associate Dean of Natural Sciences
 Kimberly Pendell, Social Sciences Librarian

3. Inspiration
…inspiration can be found in the
most unexpected places

4. Universal Challenge/Opportunity
 Increase in non-traditional students
 National: 38% over 25 yrs
(projected to increase 23% by 2019)
(National Center for Education
Statistics, 2011)
 PSU: 60% over 25 yrs
 They face personal, financial, and
scheduling challenges that can
prevent completion of degree program
 They also bring a wealth of knowledge and
experience
 Their #1 consideration in selecting a college is the
availability of credit for life experience (Hoover, 2010)
 Build on their work experience
 Enhance their employment and career prospects

5. Inspired the Following
Questions and Purpose
1. What should count
for college credit?
2. How do we accurately
assess what students
know?
3. How can we recognize the diverse and
varied ways in which knowledge is
acquired and learning competence met?

6. Purpose
 To build on current efforts to design a
flexible, team-led, academically and fiscally sound
individualized approach for Concurrent Learning
Assessment (CLA) & Prior Learning Assessment
(PLA)

7. Definition of
Prior Learning Assessment
 Valid yet underused process of evaluating and
recognizing learning that helps adults earn credit for
knowledge acquired through work, military
training, volunteer and union activities, hobbies and
other life experiences.
(Council for Adult & Experiential Learning, 2012)

8. Unique Solution:
Approach & Strategy
 Assemble  Revisit/analyze PSU’s
interdisciplinary, inter- existing mechanisms for
institutional team of credit for prior learning
faculty, staff and  Investigate established
students, including models for portfolio
evaluations, narrative
 Content experts
analyses, and other tools
 Instructional designers used to provide evidence
 Librarians of learning
 Advisors  Explore training
 Specialists in online opportunities from CAEL
delivery  Consult/seek partnerships
 Specialists in assessment with successful PLA
 Marketing experts programs across Oregon &
elsewhere
 Consumers
 Future Employers

9. Approach & Strategy (cont.)
 Use existing course learning outcomes or help
develop outcomes in required courses to guide
assessment
 Select and pilot one or more of the following
assessment tools for purpose of course equivalency
evaluations
 Digital/personal narratives
 E-interviews
 E-portfolios
 Online assessment workshop
or seminar
 Performance in MOOCs

10. Approach & Strategy (cont.)
 Train and use student
advisors/coaches to guide
prospective students
through PLA & CLA
 Develop guidelines
regarding
 Eligibility
 Credit maximums
 Roles & responsibilities
 Costs
 Engage with and market to potential
employers, community college administrators, etc.

11. Unique Features
 Focus on prior and ongoing learning acquired
outside of the traditional classroom
 On ground and online options for demonstrating and
assessing learning
 Coordinated, interdisciplinary, inter-institutional
team that includes faculty, staff, students and
community members
 Individualized assessment to reach broad, diverse
audience with different learning experiences & needs
 Use multiple assessments including personal
narratives to provide evidence of learning outcomes

12. Impact/Significance
 Appropriate recognition of prior and
concurrent learning will:
 Acknowledge value of learning through experience
 Decrease number of terms students take to complete
degrees
 Lower debt and student loan payments
 Strengthen clarity of institutional learning through
outcomes
 Improve placement of students based on knowledge &
skill levels
 Attract more and more diverse students
 Increase access to college for adult students

13. Impact/Significance (cont.)
 “Prior learning’s impact on higher education
could be enormous. Its potential could even
rival that of online learning.”
(Fain, 2012)
 “Prior learning is the next disruption.”
(Klonoski, 2011)

14. Giving Credit Where Credit is Due