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Running Head: PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT

Prior Learning Assessment: Policies, Practices, and Penn State

Hannah Brukardt

The Pennsylvania State University

PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT

Prior Learning Assessment: Polices and Practices

The linear journey from high school to college to employment is no longer the normative

trend in higher education. More often than not, students take nontraditional pathways that

ultimately lead back to the classroom after other personal, educational, and/or professional

experiences. During this winding journey from high school to higher education, these

nontraditional students gain valuable learning experiences. Increasingly, institutions of higher

education are accepting these out-of-classroom experiences as relevant and transferrable learning

that can be submitted for academic credit. This practice is widely known as Prior Learning

Assessment (PLA). While higher education institutions have practiced PLA for decades, a surge

of interest and implementation of these practices has been seen recently.

Increasing numbers of nontraditional learners and transfer students in higher education

and legislation to make higher education more accessible urges institutions to adopt more open

PLA policies. Nontraditional learners, or adult learners, have surpassed the traditional-aged

students as the majority demographic in higher education (U.S. Department of Education, 2014).

Between 2000 and 2010, enrollment of students over 25 rose by 42% and is projected to increase

another 20% by 2020 (U.S. Department of Education, 2012). While this population goes by

several names, the definition of adult or nontraditional learners is fairly consistent throughout

scholarly and institutional work. Adult learners, as adopted by many scholars and institutions, are

students who are over the age of 24 and/or take on at least one adult role like military service,

full-time employment, marriage, or parenthood. Most adult learners exhibit multiple

nontraditional characteristics which inevitably complicates their higher education goals. PLA

provides an avenue for adult students to receive academic credit for their prior learning.

Unfortunately, the most common type of PLA credit earned is earned by traditional-aged

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students. To fully support the adult learner community, institutions, like The Pennsylvania State

University, need to expand their policies and practices surrounding PLA.

Literature Review

The definition of PLA is generally the same among scholars and institutions, but the

Council of Adult and Experiential Learning’s (CAEL) Rebecca Klein-Collins (2010) has the

most thorough definition:

PLA is the process by which many colleges evaluate for academic credit thecollege-level knowledge and skills an individual has gained outside of the classroom (or from non-college instructional programs), including employment, military training/service, travel, hobbies, civic activities and volunteer service (p. 6).

PLA has been utilized in higher education since the 1940s when the American Council on

Education (ACE) began evaluating military experience for college credit (Ryu, 2013). The

expansion of the G.I. Bill and the surge of World War II veterans in higher education urged

institutions to recognize the experiential learning that soldiers acquired during their service

(Bamford-Rees, 2008; Ryu, 2013). Later, this access began to spread to adult learners in general.

In 1974, ACE began evaluating corporate and professional experiences for credit (Ryu, 2013). At

the same time, CAEL established their Ten Standards for Assessing Portfolios (Travers, 2012;

Bamford-Rees, 2008).

Types of PLA Evaluation

PLAs evaluate the learning outcomes students gain from various experiences. The focus is on

what students learn, not how they learn (Fiddler, Marienau, & Whitaker, 2006; Klein-Collins &

Wertheim, 2013). Prior learning can be evaluated in four ways: standardized national exams like

College Level Examination Program (CLEP) or Advanced Placement (AP); in-house,

departmental, or challenge exams; previous program evaluations like those provided by the

American Council on Education (ACE); or individual portfolio assessments (Klein-Collins,

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2010; Bamford-Rees, 2008). While some types of PLA like the CLEP and AP are widely

accepted among higher education institutions, portfolio assessment and training evaluations are

still regarded with skepticism by some academic institutions and departments.

The most common form of PLA is credit by national exam like the CLEP or AP (Klein-

Collin, 2010; Ryu, 2013; Bamford-Rees, 2008). Eighty-three percent of institutions accept

credits from national standardized exams (Ryu, 2013). This type of PLA credit acceptance is

most successful and useful because unlike their counterparts, CLEP and AP credits can be

applied to major education requirements, whereas the other less popular types of PLA are mostly

used for general elective credits (Ryu, 2013). The wide acceptance and usage of these credits can

be attributed to the campus-wide policies (Ryu, 2013), which may be housed in the campus

registrar or admissions office. Other types of PLA, specifically in-house or challenge exams and

portfolio policies, are created, implemented, and executed by the academic departments (Ryu,

2013). Even if an institution supports PLA credit transfers, ultimately, academic departments

have the final say of whether or not to accept any transfer or PLA credits (Klein-Collins, 2010;

Ryu, 2013; Junor & Usher, 2008).

In-house or challenge exams are very similar to national exams. They both used

examinations to test the knowledge and learning of the student. National exams are standardized

across the country and the world, whereas in-house exams are created and implemented in

individual academic departments. Traditional-aged students commonly use national exams to

earn college credits while still enrolled in high school. The in-house or challenge exams operate

a similar assessment, except each exam is created and administered by the individual academic

department instead of by a national testing agency. AP, CLEP, etc. paved the way for the

acceptance of other types of PLA credits (Travers, 2012).

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Although credit by portfolio is the second most popular form of PLA (Klein-Collins,

2010), it is far less likely to be truly useful in a student’s degree plan. It is unlikely institutions

will use portfolio credits for pre-requisite courses, let alone major course requirements. PLA

credits can be used to satisfy various requirements based on the student’s undergraduate degree

program and academic unit. Mostly, PLA credits are used to fulfill general elective requirements

(94%), general education requirements (88%), and major requirements (79%) (Klein-Collins,

2010).

Relevance of Prior Learning Assessment

Although PLA assessment has been in practice for decades, there has been a surge of

interest from the government, institutions, and students in recent years. President Obama has

spoken several times about the importance of increasing the access, affordability, and graduation

rates of higher education. In large part, this refers to the adult learner population. According to

Ryu (2013), “validating and credentialing college-level knowledge and skills acquired outside of

the classroom is increasingly seen as a vehicle for supporting increased education attainment,

especially among adult nontraditional students” (p. 1). PLA is more prominent than ever because

of the emergence of adult learners (Travers, 2012), MOOCs (Klein-Collins & Wertheim, 2013),

online education (Klein-Collins & Wertheim, 2013), and student mobility (Simone, 2014).

Pressure to provide greater access to higher education to adult learners can be felt from all

directions. There is a social justice push from institutions to add diversity to classrooms (Travers,

2012) as well as governmental push to increase graduation rates (Klein-Collins & Wertheim,

2013; U.S. Department of Education, 2015) and increase access and affordability of higher

education to all (U.S. Department of Education, 2015).

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Enrolling adult students has a reciprocal benefit. First, adult students bring a unique and

diverse perspective to undergraduate classrooms (Travers, 2012). Adult students benefit from

earning credits for this experiential learning, but other students also gain from learning about

these experiences. Second, adult student enrollment not only helps institutions fulfill their own

missions of supporting adult learners (Klein-Collins, 2010), but also the government’s mission to

raise the education level of the average American (Klein-Collins & Wertheim, 2013; Ryu, 2013;

U.S. Department of Education, 2015). More and more, institutions are seeking to serve this

growing demographic of higher education, if for not anything else besides the revenue stream. In

today’s educational society, PLA is more relevant and important than ever as it has a significant

impact on student success.

PLA and Student Success

The acceptance of PLA credits has numerous other benefits that ultimately lead adult

students to a point of success. Based on Klein-Collins’ (2010) survey of 48 varying types of

institutions in the United States (46) and Canada (2), these benefits include decreased time to

graduation, higher graduation rates, more accumulation of credits, and increased persistence.

On average, students with PLA credits who are pursuing a bachelor’s degree graduated

2.5-10.1 months earlier than their non-PLA peers (Klein-Collins, 2010). The vast financial

savings associated with decreased time to degree is twofold: the student saves money on tuition

and the government saves money on financial aid (Klein-Collins, 2010). The sooner students

graduate, the sooner they can capitalize on their higher education credential in the workforce

through promotions, increased salaries, and better opportunities. Not to mention the economic

benefit of having more educated workers.

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The graduation rates of students with PLA credits are more than double those of students

with no PLA credits. For both bachelor’s and associate’s degrees, PLA students graduated at a

rate of 56 percent while non-PLA students graduated at a rate of 21 percent. The number of PLA

credits has proven to be a strong predictor of graduation; as the number of students’ PLA credits

increased, their graduation rate aligned more closely to the national graduation rate (Klein-

Collins, 2010). The increase in graduation rates may be related to the decreased time to complete

a degree or to students’ self-esteem boost through their PLA experience.

Even if students had not graduated by the end of Klein-Collins’ 2010 survey, those with

PLA credits had accumulated more credit overall than their non-PLA peers. More than half of

PLA students had attained 80 percent of their credits toward a bachelor’s degree, while more

than half of non-PLA students acquired less than 40 percent (Klein-Collins, 2010). This

accumulation plays a great role in student persistence.

Student retention and persistence are two of the strongest predictors of student success.

After Klein-Collins’ (2010) six-year survey ended, higher percentages of PLA students

continued to earn credits two, three, four, five, and six years later over their non-PLA peers.

Students with PLA credits are also more likely to enroll in consecutive years as opposed to

stopping out and then re-enrolling (Klein-Collins, 2010).

While it is obvious that PLA credits generally benefit students, Klein-Collins (2010) also

points out that students who have earned PLA credit may be successful because they are more

likely to be high-achieving students. That is to say, students who are motivated to seek out PLA

credit opportunities are also more likely to apply themselves academically.

Regardless of student motivation or achievement, much of PLA student success hinges

on the applicability of PLA credits. PLA students are increasingly more successful when their

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PLA credits can be flexibly applied to their degree plan. Most PLA credits are used for general

elective or general education requirements (Klein-Collins, 2010; Ryu, 2013). It is less likely that

PLA credits, with the exception of national exams, can be used for prerequisite courses, major

courses, or upper division courses (Klein-Collins, 2010; Ryu, 2013). Although general

acceptability of PLA credits is determined by the university registrar (Ryu, 2013) or admissions

office, the designation of credits is decided by individual academic departments (Klein-Collins,

2010; Ryu, 2013). While the institution at large may recognize PLA credits, the department can

ultimately decide not to use credits. This mentality mainly applies to national exam credits or

program evaluations. Most credit by examination and credit by portfolio policies are under the

control of academic departments (Ryu, 2013).

The applicability of PLA credits also depends on the type of institution. In Ryu’s (2013)

study of 414 institutions of higher education and their PLA policies, he found two-year public

institutions were most likely to accept ACE evaluations and credit by portfolio. Public two-year

institutions were also least likely to accept no PLA credit (Ryu, 2013). Private, for-profit

institutions were also likely to accept ACE evaluations, especially for corporate training (Ryu,

2013). These two types of institutions historically have strong missions to support adult learners.

This is most likely why they accept so many PLA credits. Public two-year and private, for-profit

institutions are also more likely to use PLA credits for major requirements (Ryu, 2013). Public

and private four-year institutions also have their strengths in awarding PLA credits. Public, four-

year institutions are most likely to accept national exam credits (Ryu, 2013). This is not

surprising since these types of institutions serve a large population of traditional-aged students

who are likely to take AP courses in high school. Surprisingly, private, non-profit institutions are

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tied with public, two-year institutions for the highest amount of credit by portfolio credits (Ryu,

2013).

Overall, PLA policies and practices have grown across institutions. Klein-Collins (2010)

found that each type of PLA experienced an increase in the number of institutional offerings

from 2006 to 2009. The average increase was 12.8 percent, with the largest increases related to

credit by portfolio and credit by institutionally-evaluated programs (Klein-Collins, 2010). This

exhibits a great start for PLA, but many institutions and their students can benefit from expanded

PLA policies.

The Pennsylvania State University Prior Learning Assessment Policies and

Practices

The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) was chosen as the focus for this paper for

several reasons. First, the university currently employs the author so access to data was less

restricted. Second, the university has a strong mission to support adult learners, with one campus

to primarily serve this population. Third, the university recently hired Dr. Michele Rice for the

newly created Director of Prior Learning Assessment position to oversee the university’s policies

and practices. Altogether, it is an exciting time for PLA at Penn State.

Penn State is a large, land-grant institution serving 76,137 undergraduate students across

all twenty of its residential, undergraduate campuses. An additional 6,245 students are enrolled

in the university’s online campus, World Campus (Undergraduate Enrollment By Class

Standing, 2014). In recent years, Penn State has made the push to become an adult-friendly

campus. This includes the expansion of the World Campus, as well as designation of being a

military friendly school. Nearly 18,000 of the undergraduate students at Penn State are adult

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learners. Eighteen percent of undergraduates are active military or veterans (“Commission for

Adult Learners: Fact Sheet,” 2015).

Penn State Senate Policies

Mirroring the research, Penn State has several university-wide policies related to PLA.

Although these policies support the awarding of PLA credits, much of the control lies within the

academic departments. The University Faculty Senate outlines all the methods for credit

acquisition under Faculty Senate Policy 42-00 Acquisition of Credit. The following sections of

policy 42-00 directly apply to PLA:

42-50 Credit by Examination (CRX)

42-81 Credit by Validation

42-92 Advanced Placement Program by the College Board

42-94 College-Level Examination Program by the College Board

42-97 Credit by Portfolio

42-98 Credit by Experience in the Armed Forces

42-99 Credit by Training in Non-Collegiate Organizations

Each policy is linked to the procedures for obtaining said credit.

Policy 42-50 Credit by Examination (CRX). Students may request credit by

examination from their academic department to receive credit for a specific Penn State course.

Students cannot earn credit by exam for courses that already appear on their transcript, regardless

of previous grade. A student must get the permission of the academic dean and department head

in order to sit the exam. A nonrefundable $30 fee per credit will be assessed to take the exam.

There is no limit to the number of credits by examination a student may earn. To earn credit,

students must earn at least a C. Penn State offers credit by exam in the following areas:

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Chemistry, English, Computer-Aided Drafting, Work Force Education, Early Childhood

Education, Mechanical Engineering Technologies, and Calculus (M. Rice, personal

communication, April 22, 2015).

Policy 42-81 Credit by Validation. Credits earned at other institutions that were not

initially transferred to Penn State can be reviewed via credit by validation. Commonly, this type

of review focuses on work from unaccredited institutions. Students may request credit by

validation through the Undergraduate Admissions Office. The Undergraduate Admissions Office

will make a preliminary review of the course syllabus (provided by the student) to evaluate the

academic quality of the course. If appropriate, the Undergraduate Admissions Office then

forwards the transcript and other materials to the academic department for review. The academic

department then decides on the transferability of the course and reports back to the

Undergraduate Admissions Office. There is no fee to process credits by validation nor any

limitation on the number of credits earned by validation.

42-92 Advanced Placement Program by the College Board. Students can earn credit

for certain AP exams. The academic department determines the proper score and subsequent

usability of these credits. There is no fee to process AP credits nor is there a limitation on the

amount of AP credits that can be transferred, if acceptable.

42-94 College-Level Examination Program by the College Board. Students may earn

credit for CLEP exams if they have earned a score at the fiftieth or higher percentile. Higher

scores may be required for specific exams. The department determines the scores and subsequent

usability of CLEP credits. There is no fee to process CLEP credits. A maximum of 60 credits can

be earned via CLEP.

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42-97 Credit by Portfolio. Credit by portfolio is available to students at the discretion of

the academic department. Access to information regarding this policy should be made available

by the Undergraduate Admissions Office, Division of Undergraduate Studies, Center for Adult

Learner Services, Distance Education, and academic advisors. If a student’s request for credit by

portfolio is approved, the student then gathers evidence of prior learning to present to the

academic department in accordance with their guidelines. Credit by portfolio can either defend

unique prior learning or learning that has been previously evaluated by the department. The

faculty then assesses the portfolio and determines if credit should be awarded. No grades are

earned, just credit. A maximum of 6 credits can be earned per portfolio. Baccalaureate

candidates can earn a maximum of 30 credits by portfolios. Associate degree candidates can earn

a maximum of 15 credits by portfolio. A $390 fee is charged before the portfolio is reviewed for

independent learning. A $10 fee is charged for previously evaluated training.

42-98 Credit by Experience in the Armed Forces. Students may earn general credit

from military training based on ACE evaluations. Not all ACE evaluated credits transfer per the

discretion of the Undergraduate Admissions Office. The academic department determines the

usability of the general credits.

42-99 Credit by Training in Non-Collegiate Organizations. Students may earn general

credit from professional training based on ACE evaluations. Not all ACE evaluated credits

transfer per the discretion of the Undergraduate Admissions Office. The academic department

determines the usability of the general credits.

Penn State PLA Data

Despite the expansive policies surrounding PLA at Penn State, students can experience

barriers to earning PLA credit. Unfortunately, outside anecdotal evidence, there is a lack of data

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regarding PLA at Penn State. However, with the creation of the Director of Prior Learning

Assessment position, there is hope that more in-depth data collection and analyses will occur in

the near future. Notwithstanding this lack of data, Dr. Michele Rice, Director of Prior Learning

Assessment was able to provide basic descriptive data regarding PLA at Penn State (personal

communication, April 22, 2015).

Approximately 90 percent of all PLA credits are awarded through AP credits. In the

2013-14 academic school year, first-year students earned 65,000 AP credits. Credit by portfolio

is the second-most common method, accounting for about two percent of all PLA credits. In

total, a little over 1,100 students earned credit by portfolio in 2013. Military and professional

training credits account for less than one percent each (M. Rice, personal communication, April

22, 2015).

Penn State PLA Benchmarking

Penn State’s primarily benchmarks within the Big Ten Conference. These schools are

similar in size, structure, and mission. Rice (personal communication, April 22, 2015) found

some interesting themes across the Big Ten. Many of the universities that offer credit by

portfolio do not offer this assessment at their flagship campus; these policies are only applied at

the branch campuses. Although Penn State University Park (Penn State’s flagship campus) has

the smallest population of adult learners when compared with the World Campus and the

collection of the commonwealth campuses, credit by portfolio is still available.

In her research, Rice (2015) also found that several universities require students to take a

PLA portfolio course, for credit, before being able to submit a portfolio for review. These

courses teach students how to prove and present their prior learning, while assembling their first

portfolio for review.

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Some students at Penn State are able to plan their prior learning experience in advance.

Rice (personal communication, April 22, 2015) cited students in the College of Engineering who

take multiple internships can use portfolio assessments to earn credits for these experience

beyond the single internship that is allowed. For students like this, Rice (2015) found that the

University of Nebraska requires students to get pre-approval for the learning experience before a

portfolio can be assessed. This may be of use for students interested in service and professional

experiences.

Finally, Rice (personal communication, April 22, 2015) commended The Ohio State

University for their comprehensive catalog of available credit by examination opportunities. The

catalog, available through the university’s registrar, outlines not only the exam that are available,

but also the procedure, limitations, restrictions, and fees (Credit by Examination 2015 – 2016,

2015). Compared to Penn State, this catalog is much more accessible and visible.

Although much can be learned from these peer institutions, benchmarking with

community colleges and other types of institutions may also prove beneficial. Community

colleges serve large populations of adult learners and have successful practices in place to award

PLA credits that may inspire some new Penn State practices.

Penn State PLA Goals

The creation of a position purely concerned with PLA policies generates vast potential

for improvement and change in Penn State’s policies and practices. Rice (personal

communication, April 22, 2015) outlined goals she has for PLA at Penn State.

The collection of more specific data is needed. What students are using PLA credits? For

which courses are PLA credits being used? Which majors allow for the most PLA credits? This

data will ultimately inform better policies and practices.

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Establishing relationships with academic colleges and advisors is mandatory to make

PLA a success. Currently, some colleges are more receptive to PLA credits than others. For

example, the College of the Liberal Arts has a “robust” PLA website that is easy to access and

understand, whereas the College of Engineering’s PLA information is more difficult to find (M.

Rice, personal communication, April 22, 2015). The various levels of interest in PLA can cause

confusion for students. While academic units cannot be forced to accept PLA credits,

relationships can be established to ease the process for students. It is vital to know who is open to

PLA and who is not (M. Rice, personal communication, April 22, 2015)

Related to relationships with academic departments, Rice (personal communication,

April 22, 2015) also wants to establish relationships with advisors as part of an on-boarding

process. It is important that advisors are well versed in PLA procedures so as to properly advise

students. At present, it is unknown what advisors are telling students, if they are telling them

anything. Getting advisors behind the process can help bring visibility to PLA opportunities to

students.

More concrete goals include developing an online catalog of all PLA credit opportunities

at Penn State. Information on everything from CLEP to credit by exams to credit by portfolio

would be centrally accessible to students via this catalog. Rice (personal communication, April

22, 2015) also aims to implement a portfolio course for students interested in credit by portfolio.

There is currently a pilot course being offered through the College of the Liberal Arts. If the

course is deemed a success, plans to implement the course at some of the smaller Penn State

campuses will go into effect.

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Implications of PLA

With the increasing popularity of PLA, there are some implications of this type of credit

that must be explored by scholars and institutions alike. Theoretically and practically, the

emergence of PLA fundamentally changes the established status quo of higher education.

At its core, credit transfer, and by extension PLA, revolves around one main tenet: the

credit hour. The Department of Education defines the credit hour as:

an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally established equivalency that is not less than one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out of class work for each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester… or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time.

In their 2015 study of MOOCs, Siemens, Dragan, & Dawson explore the changing

meaning of credentials in higher education. In the last two decades, the credit hour has come

under fire as an appropriate measure of learning assessment because of shifting ideals in higher

education. One of the major shifts focused on the economic value of the credit hour and how it

relates to the meaning of a degree (Siemens, Dragan, & Dawson, 2015).

Bahram Bekhradnia (2004) defines the credit as a type of “knowledge currency.” This

currency is accumulated then used to “purchase” a degree (Junor, Usher, & Educational, 2008).

Using this definition, Junor and Usher (2008) explain the exchange rates of credits. Just as

monetary currency has variable exchange rates among different countries, “knowledge currency”

has variable exchange rates among different types of institutions and learning.

The true conflict over awarding credits for material not learned at the current institution

addresses an issue much more complex than the recognition of the credit hour. The major

argument is whether the universality of credit is more important then the uniqueness of

individual institutions and their programs. Most institutions, especially more prestigious ones,

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have strict scaffolding in place to structure curricula and degree attainment. Universally

accepting credit from other sources jeopardizes this scaffolding because the institution is no

longer in control of how or what exactly the student is learning (i.e. pre-requisite courses). The

credit transfer process needs to take into consideration not only the credential itself, but also how

it will fit into the institution’s academic scaffolding. Laitinen (2012)further argues that the credit

hour is a poor form of “knowledge currency” because of the variable exchange rates. This is

because there are varying levels of trust among institutions of higher education (Siemens et al.,

2015). In her study, Laitinen (2012) argues that if a credit hour truly measured student learning

then it would have equal value across institutions and experiences. As she argues, a dollar is a

dollar and an hour is an hour no matter where you are in the United States.

By extension, institutions need to consider the implication of Massive Open Online

Courses (MOOCs). While many institutions do not directly give credit for MOOCs, theoretically

a student could complete another form of PLA to earn those credits. ACE has started evaluating

MOOCs for credit as well (Masterson, 2013). On a meta-analytical level, MOOCs essentially

open the door to self-learning. There is nothing to stop students from enrolling in MOOCs or

researching a specific subject and then demonstrating that learning via an assessment.

Institutions need to decide if how something is learned is more important that what is actually

learned. If they choose to value the latter, then their PLA policies need to reflect that.

Recommendations

Upon review of the current context of higher education, general PLA policies, Penn State

practices, and theoretical implications, the following recommendations are made.

Visibility

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Available PLA policies should be highly visible for incoming students. PLA policies

should not be hidden on websites, or referred to by word of mouth. For PLA to be successful, it

needs to be visible. Ideally, a centralized forum or catalog for all an institution’s PLA

opportunities should be available to students. This resource should be available to prospective as

well as accepted students. The availability and data about the success of PLA can be the reason a

student chooses to attend or not.

Many institution websites, including Penn State’s website, include information about

credits available for AP and CLEP exams. However, it can be difficult to understand exactly how

these credits relate to a degree plan. Providing information about which courses are pre-

requisites versus electives is vital to avoid students taking useless exams.

Support

Support of PLA has two parts. Firstly, it is not enough to have university-wide policies

related to PLA. Support for the use of PLA needs to come from the departments as well as the

administration. It is deceiving to present PLA opportunities at a university level that are not

accepted at the department or college level. All stakeholders should have the same understanding

about the availability and usability of PLA credits. This is not to say every department needs to

accept all PLA credits, but they should at least be upfront about the possibility, or lack thereof, of

earning and using PLA credits.

Garnering academic department support may be a challenge. Administration should not

mandate that academic departments accept every PLA credit, but they should encourage

departments to be open and understanding to the value of PLA credit.

The second part of support is that of the administration to the department. PLA practices

take additional time and resources. A plan needs to be in place to support those departments and

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faculty that participate in the review of PLA. Providing additional resources may also serve as an

incentive for departments to be more open to PLA.

Transparency

When dealing with transfer and PLA credits, students are confused about institutional

decisions related to their credits (Ryu, 2013). For example, different institutions can award

different credits for the same student experience. Explaining the process by which PLA credits

are evaluated and awarded can help students not only understand their credits, but it may also

prepare them to succeed in future PLAs. Why and how credits are awarded should not be a

secret.

This transparency should be applied before, during, and after a PLA experience. Students

should be aware of policies related to PLA (as per the visibility recommendation) as well as

exactly how these policies are implemented. PLA evaluations should be available to each student

who participates in PLA. The evaluations should explain what was assessed, how it was

assessed, and why certain credits were or were not awarded.

Flexibility

This will be the most difficult change for institutions to make because it calls into

question their pride and their value of the credit hour. Institutions should seriously consider the

ways in which they allow PLA credits to be used. Ideally, these credits should be used for all

manner of requirements. If the learning can be clearly demonstrated, there is no reason to

disallow the direct usage of credits for prerequisites or major courses. As the research from

Klein-Collins’ (2010) shows, the more flexibility a student has with her PLA credits, the more

successful she will be.

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Conclusion

PLA has the capability to change the face of higher education. It provides increased

access to higher education by providing an avenue to earn credits for learning experiences

outside of a classroom. Many adult students have professional or personal experiences that are

not only a benefit to themselves, but also to their peer students. The addition of adult students to

the classroom offers diversity of thought and experience.

PLA a viable means for adult learners, and even traditional-aged students, to earn a

degree more efficiently and effectively. Earning PLA credits through national exams, in-house

exams, evaluations, or assessments increases credit accumulation and graduation rates. Students

who earn PLA credits graduate in less time, accrue less debt, and require less financial aid.

Research shows that numerous and flexible PLA policies bolster student success as well by

allowing students to use credits efficiently and reducing instances of students having to retake

courses. As Fiddler, Marienau, and Whitaker (2006) say, “And [PLA] is a justifiable basis for

reducing redundancy and the inefficiency of requiring students to participate in a one-size-fits-all

curricula when they are otherwise qualified by their knowledge or skills gained from experience”

(p. 12).

The increasing population of adult learners shows no signs of slowing down. Institutions

need to adapt to this growing demographic if they want to survive. Offering well-constructed

PLA opportunities is a way to accomplish this.

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References

Bekhradnia, B. (2004). Credit accumulation and transfer, and the Bologna process: an overview. Higher Education Policy Institute, (October), 1–54. Retrieved from http://www.bccat.ca/pubs/13CATFullReport.pdf

Commission for Adult Learners: Fact Sheet. (2015). The Pennsylvania State Univesity.

Credit by Examination 2015 – 2016. (2015). The Ohio State University.

Fiddler, M., Marienau, C., & Whitaker, U. (2006). Assessing Learning: Standards, Principles & Procedures (2nd ed.). Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company.

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