Darlene G. Miller, Ed.D.
Executive Director
NCWE
Ellen Hewett, MS
Director
NCTN at World Education, Inc.

Workshop - Goal and Objectives
Overall Goal: To build institutional and regional capacity to boost adult learners’ completion through Prior
Learning Assessment (PLA) policies and practice.
Main Objectives:
O To better understand why PLA is important to adult learners and the completion agenda.
O
O
To increase understanding about how to use assessment and learning outcomes in the development of challenge exams.
To strengthen the connection between PLA and industry certification.

Agenda




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
Review Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) Approaches and Concepts
Confirm the Critical Role of Faculty
Engage Faculty and Address PLA Concerns
Consider ways to Develop Assessments using Course
Learning Objectives
Connect Industry-based Certifications and PLA
Understand Transcription and Grading Best Practices
Articulate Next Steps

Overview
PLA is an acceleration and completion strategy to recognize and award credit for college-level learning.
Retraining the Gulf Coast Workforce through IT
Pathways Consortium of Louisiana and Mississippi is implementing and promoting PLA.
The National College Transition Network’s (NCTN) is a national partner guiding this effort.

Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) Review

What is PLA?
O Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) is a process that enables learners to demonstrate what they have learned and translate that learning into college credit.
O PLA validates knowledge acquired through life experience, work experience, military experience, civic engagement, individual study and reading, and participation in classes or training sponsored by business and industry, professional organizations or government agencies.
O Credit is awarded for college-level knowledge gained from experience and not for the experience itself.

Where have Adults Earned Credit for
College-Level Experiential Learning?

Ways to Award PLA
O CLEP, DSST, IB, AP
O Portfolio
O Credit by Examination
O Certification Crosswalk

What Does the Research Say About PLA?
O PLA is both an Acceleration and Completion strategy.
O 2010 Council on Adult and Experiential Learning
(CAEL) study of 62,000 students across 48 states found that students who received PLA credit had higher completion rates and lower time to degree than students who did not get PLA credit.
O Adults who were awarded PLA were 2.5 times more likely to persist to completion than those who did not.

Small Group Discussion A
Prioritize the areas that you think are of the most concern for you, your college, and your colleagues such as:
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
Understanding of PLA
Belief in PLA
Giving away credits
Compensation
Industry partners’ lack of support or knowledge
Enrollment
Worry about college processes
Others?

Articulate and Discuss PLA Concerns
O
O
O
O
O
If they are not in my class, how can I be sure they really learned what I think is necessary.
Does awarding PLA lead to low-enrollment in courses?
O Give the research on adults, awarding PLA for entry-level courses actually increases enrollment in higher-level courses due to improved retention rates for adults
How should faculty be compensated for overseeing PLA exams and for developing exams?
Who is going to guide the student to the right place and make sure the right forms are filled out?
Other?

Role of Faculty
Integrity of the Curriculum
O College-level learning is validated through PLA when learners prove their mastery of the knowledge, skills, competencies, and abilities in a specific area of study offered by the college.
O Faculty is responsible for the academic integrity of the curriculum. Thus, the determination of credit awards or competency levels must be made by faculty or a subject matter expert whose experience and credentials are appropriate to a faculty position.

Role of Faculty
Integrity of the Curriculum
O All work assessed for PLA must meet a minimum of
”C” level proficiency for all of the course learning outcomes and/or technical competencies. This “C” level must be determined by the faculty to maintain academic integrity and rigor.
O Assessment must be directly related to the publicly identified course learning outcomes.
O Academic credit must only be awarded for those courses directly applicable to curriculum requirements in the student’s declared certificate or degree program as outlined in college publications
(including website).

Role of the Chief Academic Officer
The Chief Academic Officer is responsible for ensuring the academic integrity of the curriculum:
O
O
O
The CAO must ensure that the assessments are directly related to the course’s identified and publicized learning outcomes.
The CAO must ensure that the college policy and practices are followed.
The CAO must also work with the faculty to ensure that the assessments and assessment criteria are not overinflated by the faculty.
If a challenge exam is administered by someone at the college other than a faculty member, the CAO is responsible for ensuring the integrity of the process and that all policies are followed.

Small Group Discussion B
What is the current state of PLA at your college?
O
O
O
O
Have faculty developed any challenge exams?
How were the exams developed?
Has anyone analyzed the results of PLA on a program?
Are there some faculty in a department that believe in
PLA but are not able to do it because of concerns of their colleagues?

Small Group Discussion C
What is the current state of assessment at your college?
O
O
Has your program or department gone through the process of analyzing course outcomes (accreditation review)?
As a result, have you discussed the accuracy of these assessments and have you used this analysis to change your course learning outcomes or assessment?

Course Learning Outcomes
Demonstrate what students are able to demonstrate in terms of knowledge, skills and abilities:
O
O
O
Cognitive Learning
Affective Learning
Kinesthetic Learning
Comprised of three components:
O Student Learning Behavior
O
O
Assessment Method
Criteria for Success

Components of Learning Outcomes
O Student Learning Behavior
O Students will be able to….
O Assessment Methods
O
O
Tools and techniques used to determine the extent to which the student learning outcomes are achieved
Direct measure of learning: exams, portfolios, performance of a skill

Components of Learning Outcomes
O Criteria for Success or Desired Performance
Criteria
O Students will be able to ___ as exhibited by _____
O Scoring Rubric that identifies critical components of the work and discriminates differing levels of proficiency

Assessment Utilizing Bloom’s Taxonomy
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge of major ideas or mastery of subject matter
Level of Cognition
20%
Understanding, grasping meaning, interpretation 5%
Use information to solve problems using required skills or knowledge
25%
Generate or produce a product
50% is Cognitive Learning
50% is Kinesthetic Learning
50%

Structure of the Portfolio or Challenge Exam
For Example:
O 50% is Cognitive - 100 Written Exam Questions
O 50% is Kinesthetic - Practical Exam rated on a
100 point scale

Cognitive Assessment
100 Point Written Examination/ 50% of Course
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge of major ideas or mastery of subject matter
Level of Cognition
20%
Understanding, grasping meaning, interpretation
Use information to solve problems using required skills or knowledge
5%
25%
Written Portion
40%
10%
50%

100 Question Written Examination
Outcomes
Learning Outcome A
Percentage of Quantity in Course
30%
Number of Exam
Questions
30
Learning Outcome B 40% 40
Learning Outcome C
Learning Outcome D
20%
10%
20
10

30 of 100 Written Examination Questions
Learning Outcome A Portion of Written Examination
40%
Number of
Written
Questions
12 Knowledge of major ideas or mastery of subject matter
Understanding, grasping meaning, interpretation
Use information to solve problems using required skills or knowledge
10%
50%
3
15

Example from Northeast Mississippi
Community College
Learning Outcome
Demonstrate calculations with decimal and Fractional numbers
Demonstrate basic geometric and trigonometric functions
% of Class Number or questions as related to Bloom’s Taxonomy
40%
40%
40% of 200 = 80 questions needed
60%-Knowledge (48)
30% Interpretation (24)
10% Analysis (8)
40% of 200 = 80 questions needed
60%-Knowledge (48)
30% Interpretation (24)
10% Analysis (8)
Demonstrate the use of measuring tools using
English and /or metric measuring system.
20% 20% of 200 = 40 questions needed
60% knowledge (24)
30% Interpretation (12)
10% Analysis (4)

Skills Check Off Example from Northeast
Mississippi Community College
Given a steel ruler measure the following objects to the nearest 1/16 th of an inch:
Object one
Object two
Object three
Object four
Object five
Skills were written around equipment and materials common to all of the programs laboratories
Given a steel ruler measure the following objects to the nearest 1 millimeter:
Object one
Object two
Object three
Object four
Object five

NEMCC Challenge Exam Procedures
O After the exam is graded, students that pass the written portion can ask to take the skills portion.
Arrangements are made with the instructor.
O The instructor submits the grade to the Dean of
Instruction’s office.

Portfolio and PLA
O A PLA portfolio is a detailed documentation illustrating college-level learning. The documentation varies by course and may include:
O
O examples of documents developed or materials made
(like a machined part) at work or during a community or professional project.
a self-assessment, an essay or oral interview explaining knowledge and experience, awards and honors, and certifications showing completion of workshops or seminars offered by professional organizations, business, and industry or government agencies.

Portfolio Assessment
O Preparation and content of the portfolio are the responsibility of the student and must be of sufficient in breadth and depth to validate the student’s stated learning and provide the evaluator(s) with qualitative evidence for evaluation.
O The portfolio must be evaluated by the designated faculty member.

Industry Certification Crosswalks
O Colleges that utilize professional certifications as an assessment tool in courses should create a Certification Crosswalk.
O To challenge a course based on possessing a professional certificate, the student must provide the college with the appropriate documentation to validate the industry certification award.

Industry Certification Crosswalk Concerns
In some cases, faculty may not feel that a professional certification exam only proves mastery of course cognitive learning outcomes.
O i.e., if the professional certification is a paper examination and the course requires hands-on skill development, then college may require that students complete a practical challenge examination in tandem with the professional certification crosswalk.
O A+ is a good example

Example of Industry Certification
Crosswalk – Bossier Parish Community
College
EQUIVALENT BPCC COURSE
ACCT 205 Elementary Accounting I
EQUIVALENT BPCC COURSE
BADM 105 General Business Administration
EQUIVALENT BPCC COURSE
CIT 114 Microsoft Windows
CLEP Exam
Financial Accounting
DSST (DANTES) Exam
Introduction to Business
National Information Technology (IT)
Certificates
72-680 TS: Windows 7, Configuring
OR
72-620 TS: Configuring Microsoft Windows
Vista Client
Hours
3
Hours
3
Hours
3

Example of Industry Certification
Crosswalk – Ivy Tech Community College
Accounting Certifications Ivy Tech Courses
American Institute of Banking (AIB) Course 1000 Accounting 1 AND
AIB Course 1010 Accounting II
ACCT 101 Financial Accounting
American Institute of Professional Bookkeeping (AIPB) - Certified
Bookkeeper
ACCT 101 Financial Accounting I
ACCT 106 Payroll Accounting

Transcription of PLA Credits
O Best Practices recommend that the college determines methods to award a letter grade for PLA credit.
O Best Practices also recommend that PLA courses not be designated on the transcript as being
“nontraditional credit.”
Both of these practices raise a red flag for employers and for receiving institutions, if a student needs to transfer.

Determining a Grade in PLA
 Assessing a learner’s mastery of course learning outcomes
Develop a matrix or rubric that clearly identifies the learning outcomes and techniques for assessing mastery at the 100,
90, 80, and 70% levels.
O
O
O
Course X has 12 identified learning outcomes
Develop a challenge exam based on learning outcomes and ranking
If the student takes the challenge exam or submits a portfolio that shows a mastery of nine of those learning outcomes, this translates to 70% mastery and a letter grade of a “C”.

Using Assessment Tool to
Assign Written Grade
Learning Outcome A – 30% of Learning
Knowledge of major ideas or mastery of subject matter
Number of Written
Questions
12
Mastery on
Examination
10
Understanding, grasping meaning, interpretation
Use information to solve problems using required skills or knowledge
3
15
2
14
30 26 86.7%

Learning Outcome
Learning Outcome A
Using Assessment Tool to
Assign Written Grade
Mastery Percentage of
Questions
30% 86.7%
Learning Outcome B
Learning Outcome C
Learning Outcome D
40%
20%
10%
75%
90%
60%
Total
26
30
18
6
80%

Final Grade
O Written Examination – 80%
O 50% of grade
O Practical Examination – 71%
O 50% of grade
(80 * .5) + (71 * .5) = 75.5%

Small Group Discussion D
O With your colleagues, discuss your thinking about ways to develop challenge exams, portfolios or industry-based certifications for PLA in your program:
O
O
O
O
Discuss your syllabi and learning objectives
Are your learning outcomes cognitive, kinesthetic or both?
How might you turn learning objectives into assessments?
What role should/does your advisory committee play?

Darlene Miller, Ed.D.
National Council for Workforce Education executivedirector@ncwe.org
Ellen Hewett
National College Transition Network
World Education, Inc.
ehewett@worlded.org
April 2015