a credit for prior learning primer: implementing policy and … · 2016. 4. 18. · what the...

A Credit for Prior Learning Primer: Implementing Policy and Practice for

Excellence and Sustainability

Higher Learning Commission April 18, 2016

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Agenda•  Introductions•  Icebreaker: Burning Questions•  Credit for Prior Learning: What’s

Happening•  Institutional Models•  Small Groups Issues and Solutions•  Takeaways

YOUR QUESTIONS

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What Do You Want To Know?

I have this “burning question” that needs to be addressed in order for

my institution to successfully implement credit for prior learning.

CPL OVERVIEW

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WHAT’S IN A NAME?Clarifying Competency Based Education Terms: A Lexicon (ACE and Blackboard, 2014) http://bbbb.blackboard.com/Competency-based-education-definitions

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Lost in Translation

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A set of well-established, researched and validated methods for assessing non-collegiate learning for college credit.

A process that allows learners to demonstrate knowledge and skill in particular field or fields and have that learning evaluated for college credit.

What Is CPL?

http://www.pearsonhighered.com/credit-for-prior-learning/ 8

Trends: New Sources for Learning

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Public Expectations

Recent Lumina Gallup Poll:87% of Americans: Students should be able to receive college credit for knowledge and skills acquired outside the classroom.

75%: They would be more likely to enroll in higher education if they could receive credit for what they already know.

http://www.luminafoundation.org/publications/Americas_Call_for_Higher_Education_Redesign.pdf

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What the Research Says •  Inspires the reluctant

•  Increases persistence

•  Fosters higher completion

•  Saves time and money

•  Improves outcomes

http://www.cael.org/what-we-do/prior-learning-assessment

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Trends in CPL Funding

•  Private Foundations: Lumina and Gates as examplesAlternative Credit Project

•  U.S. Departments of Education and Labor: EQUIP, Experimental Sites, First in the World, The American Apprenticeship Initiative as examples

•  State College Completion Initiatives

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Trends in CPL CollaborationMulti-State Collaborative on Military Credithttp://www.mhec.org/multi-state-collaborative-on-military-credit

College Credit Fast Track https://www.ccfasttrack.org/

NJ PLANhttp://www.tesu.edu/njplan/

Adult College Completion Network http://www.adultcollegecompletion.org/

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HLC and Credit for Prior Learning

•  Provides clear institutional policies on maximum allowable credit

•  Identifies reasonable proportion of credits for degree program completion

•  Is documented, evaluated and appropriate for level of degree

http://download.hlcommission.org/policy/updates/ProposedPolicyAssumedPractices_2016-02_POL.pdf

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CHALLENGES TO CPL IMPLEMENTATION

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ACE 2012 Survey Found

•  Learner confusion about options, processes, & points of contact

•  Need for more easily accessible policies & practices•  Lack of awareness resulted in low demand and

perception of low need•  Information sharing gaps across

employers, colleges, and students

CREDIT FOR PRIOR LEARNING from the student, campus, and industry perspectives (ACE, 2013)

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Credit for Prior Learning: Charting Institutional Practice for Sustainability (ACE, 2015)

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DELIVERING PLA WITH INTEGRITY

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ACE Credit Recommenda0ons

Internal Assessments (Por6olio &

Departmental Assessments)

External Assessments (Standardized

Exams)

Prior Learning Assessment Formats

The evalua&on of college-‐level

learning outcomes that an individual aCained outside of the university

classroom.

The transla&on of prior learning competencies to a university standard measurement of learning.

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UW PRIOR LEARNING

Mul&-‐campus

Applies to an Array of Degrees

Point-‐in-‐&me Assessment

Mastery Determines CPL Award

Unit of Measure is a Course and Credit

University of Wisconsin Quality & Rigor

UW FLEXIBLE OPTION

Mul&-‐Campus

Degree and Cer&ficate Based

Con&nuous Assessment

Mastery Determines Progress

Unit of Measure is a Competency

University of Wisconsin Quality & Rigor

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Principles to Support PLA Program Quality & Integrity

Quality Assessment Prac0ces: Ins0tu0ons are responsible for evalua0on of credit transcribed and those accepted in transfer

Policy and principles support consistency in assessment across delivery methods

Con0nuous Improvement through Program Level Assessment

Informa0on regarding programs and polices is accessible to students and the public

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Clearly define the college-‐level

learning outcomes

• What are the associated course or curricula? • What are the relevant sequences?

Determine how mastery will be demonstrated

• How will learning be documented? • What is the required level of proficiency?

Sort inputs from outputs

• Grant credit for learning obtained through experience, not the experience.

• Disentangle learning ac&vi&es from learning outcomes.

PLA Quality Assessment Practices

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Finding the PLA Format that Fits

U&lize the assessment methods that fit the nature of the

learning and is the appropriate measure of proficiency

Transfer of learning credit or equivalencies

Examina0ons

Demonstra0on / Presenta0ons

Por6olio

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Determina0on of credit award is made by appropriate academic subject maCer or creden0aling experts.

Evaluators hold an advance degree in a relevant field or discipline.

Programs are regularly monitored, reviewed, evaluated and revised.

Methods in place to monitor authen0city of materials submiCed.

Monitor reliability and validity of assessment.

Consistency in Practice Quality PLA Practice Align to Conventional Classroom Assessment

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Similari&es

Faculty evaluate the same learning outcomes and competencies. Ins0tu0ons advise students as to what competencies they must demonstrate to pass a course.

Evaluators choose appropriate assessment tools.

Quality of evaluator feedback promotes learning.

Differences

Students previously acquired the content through external formal or informal learning opportuni0es.

Faculty instruc0onal staff may not deliver content.

Students may provide documenta0on of mastery in addi0on to demonstra0on of master through assessments

Comparability to Conventional Classroom Assessment

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Policy and opera&onal principles

established

Faculty and staff aware of ins&tu&onal

policies

Students informed of applicable PLA op&ons to their

degree

Rou&nes in place to award credit for

previously documented equivalencies

Careful aWen&on to student course of

study with evalua&on of all PLA op&ons

The right faculty/staff experts are trained to

conduct specific evalua&ons

Students adequately prepared to partake

in evalua&on

Evalua&on records and rou&nes maintained by appropriate departments

Transcrip&on of credit award

Equivalencies recorded in SIS when

applicable

Policies & Practices Consistently Applied

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The sending ins0tu0on has a responsibility to furnish sufficient

informa&on for the receiving ins0tu0ons

and poten0al employers to judge the quality and the quan0ty of the student’s work.

Transfer decisions should be student-‐centered, striving for

appropriate balance among

fairness, consistency, flexibility, good

educa0onal prac0ce, and academic

program integrity.

Transcription and Documentation Based on AACRAO, ACE, CHEA Joint Statement

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Recognize and name external learning

Integrate into

programming

Transparency of informa&on

supports enrollment choice

Follow -‐through to comple&on

Accessibility of Information and the SEM Continuum

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A SYSTEMS APPROACH: SERVING ONE POPULATION

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Minnesota State Colleges and Universities

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Veterans Education Transfer System (VETS) www.veterans.mnscu.edu

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Veterans Education Transfer System (VETS)

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§  eAdvising – Online Help

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351

462

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886 951

1008

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200

400

600

800

1000

1200

§  Number of Ar0culated Military Occupa0ons

How can we speed this up?

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USMC 2510

US Navy HR NEC

US Army 42A

SIMILAR MILITARY OCCUPATIONS

3 Credits Human Resource

Management

Worksheet Faculty Review Credit/No Credit Decision

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55 occupations above with the computer applications recommendation

407 occupations below with the computer applications recommendation

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462

556

886 951

1008

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200

400

600

800

1000

1200

§  Number of Ar0culated Military Occupa0ons

How can we speed this up?

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Veterans Education Transfer System Number of Evaluated Military Occupations as of November 2015

462 556 886 951 1008 1236

6079

7771 8965 9079

16046

18338

23350 24944

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

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Number of Credits Awarded for Military Courses and Occupations

11975.19

14876 15620.05 15287

19267.5 20490

25311

13747.88

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

FY2009 FY2010 FY2011 FY2012 FY2013 FY2014 FY2015 FY2016

Credits Awarded per Fiscal Year

Total: 136,574 credits awarded since FY2009

$25 million saved

6.5 million hours saved

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Lessons Learned Since 2008

§  If I knew then what I know now… §  Find Champions

§  Become an ACE evaluator

§  It takes TIME

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USING CPL TO BROADEN CONVERSATIONS

Ivy Tech, in brief

o  180,000 students

o  14 regions, 75 delivery sites around the state

o  Transfer, technical, professional, lifelong learning educational mission o  CPL strategies: crosswalks (military, AP/IB, certification), testing, portfolios

o  PLA/CPL challenges: “diagnostics”, consistency, engaging faculty, addressing evolving state priorities

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PLA/CPL is a stealth weapon for infiltrating (and beginning to resolve) all sorts of student learning issues and challenges

Asking faculty to undertake PLA work is the “secret” way to unlocking all

sorts of other, less appealing bodies of work that faculty dislike doing

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Tackle CPL/PLA and you are already half way to tackling: o  Competency-based education – the language of outcomes and competencies

are required for effective PLA and are the building blocks of CBE o  Authentic assessment of student learning

o  Program review

o  Aligning courses and programs for transfer, employment, and graduate school

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Ivy Tech (and all of higher ed) to-do’s

o  Build a culture of assessment that makes PLA/CPL, transfer, CBE easier to navigate

o  Build faculty will to support PLA/CPL; find your champions and connect them to the “easy work”

o  Assess student skills and knowledge early in their enrollment in order to intervene for greatest effect

o  Coordinate across programs and sites to make process consistent,

compliance effective, and data useful

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SMALL GROUPS: ISSUES AND SOLUTIONS

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Questions for Group Issues

•  What obstacles remain in place at your institution?

•  What strategies have you used?

•  What progress have you made?

•  What else do you need to do?52

TAKEAWAYS & NEXT STEPS

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Contact Info Mary Beth Lakin

[email protected]

Diane Treis Rusk [email protected]

Gina Sobania [email protected]

Marcus [email protected]

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a credit for prior learning primer: implementing policy and … · 2016. 4. 18. · what the...

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