2019 Annual Conference

Program Management and Administration

Concurrent Session (45 minutes)

Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) is used to evaluate adult learning experiences that align with college-level learning.  PLA benefits from practice guidelines but lacks a set of policies with which to build and evaluate PLA programs.  This session will introduce an alpha version of policy standards and engage participants in review.

Target audience:  Faculty and administrators who design, implement, and manage PLA options at colleges or universities.  Whilte most PLA programs are found in adult undergraduate degree programs, the content of this session would also be appropriate for those who are responsible for PLA at the graduate level.

1. Participants will be able to identify key precepts of PLA and categorize types of prior learning assessment.
2. Participants will evaluate a set of proposed PLA policy standards and provide critical reflection on the structure and usefulness of the alpha version.

Credit for prior learning has been an established tool for adult college students since the American Council on Education (ACE) began recommending college equivalencies for military training at the end of World War II. Prior Learning Assessment now includes a variety of methods and benefits from best practice guidelines developed by CAEL and others.  However, a set of policy standards has not been available to promote quality in program design, implementation, and review.  Community colleges that received TAACCCT grants earlier this decade were required to implement PLA as part of the funding agreement.  During Iowa's TAACCCT grant evaluation, The College and University Partnership office at ACE developed an alpha set of policy standards.  The draft standards hold the potential to improve PLA programs and the services that they provide to adult students.  The standards also focus on ways in which learning may be enhanced through prior learning assessment processes.  A session to review and provide feedback from AAACE membership would be very helpful in determing gaps and omissions in the Alpha version.

This session will begin with an overview of PLA, the standards, and their development to date.  Then, participants will be engaged in a structured discussion that will allow for verbal and written feedback.