Giving Credit Where Credit is Due
reTHINK PSU: Reframing Challenge
Winter SymposiumFriday, January 16th 2013
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
Inspiration
…inspiration can be found in the most unexpected places
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
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?
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)
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)
Unique Solution: Approach & Strategy Assemble
interdisciplinary, inter-institutional team of faculty, staff and students, including
Content experts Instructional designers Librarians Advisors Specialists in online
delivery Specialists in assessment Marketing experts Consumers Future Employers
Revisit/analyze PSU’s existing mechanisms for credit for prior learning
Investigate established models for portfolio evaluations, narrative analyses, and other tools used to provide evidence of learning
Explore training opportunities from CAEL
Consult/seek partnerships with successful PLA programs across Oregon & elsewhere
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
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.
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
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
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)
Giving Credit Where Credit is Due