Recognition of prior learning
Encyclopedia
Recognition of prior learning (RPL), prior learning assessment (PLA), or prior learning assessment and recognition (PLAR), describes a process used by colleges and universities around the world to evaluate learning acquired outside the classroom for the purpose of assigning academic credit. Common ways individuals have acquired college-level learning include: corporate or military training; work experience; civic activity; and independent study.
Methods to assess prior learning are varied and include: standardized exams such as those delivered by the College Board
, the Excelsior College Examination Program
or DANTES Subject Standardized Tests Program; American Council on Education
(ACE) Guides to credit recommendations for civilian and military training programs; evaluations of local training programs by local colleges, campus challenge exams; and portfolio assessments of experiential learning.
, which launched a subsidiary organization dedicated only to prior learning assessment. Through an ever-increasing demand for its research expertise, this special sub-group quickly became an independent non-profit organization, now known as The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL). Since 1974, CAEL has worked with postsecondary institutions, state boards of regents, and individuals by establishing and disseminating high quality standards for the awarding of credit through assessment, by training faculty evaluators and administrators in PLA practices, and by conducting research on the outcomes of these efforts and disseminating it widely throughout the postsecondary community. CAEL has emphasized the assessment and promotion of experiential learning for adults and is responsible for the development of several landmark publications on the topic, including Assessing Learning: Standards, Principles, & Procedures (in which a set of research-based standards for best practices in assessing learning is outlined) and Fueling the Race to Postsecondary Success: a 48-Institution Study of Prior Learning Assessment and Adult Student Outcomes (in which prior learning assessment is linked to positive academic outcomes, including improved retention and graduation rates).
Methods to assess prior learning are varied and include: standardized exams such as those delivered by the College Board
College Board
The College Board is a membership association in the United States that was formed in 1900 as the College Entrance Examination Board . It is composed of more than 5,900 schools, colleges, universities and other educational organizations. It sells standardized tests used by academically oriented...
, the Excelsior College Examination Program
Excelsior College Examinations
Excelsior College Examinations are a series of tests offered by Excelsior College in New York. Many colleges and universities will grant college credits for each test, although they are not as widely accepted as CLEP and DSST...
or DANTES Subject Standardized Tests Program; American Council on Education
American Council on Education
The American Council on Education is a United States organization, established in 1918, comprising over 1,800 accredited, degree-granting colleges and universities and higher education-related associations, organizations, and corporations....
(ACE) Guides to credit recommendations for civilian and military training programs; evaluations of local training programs by local colleges, campus challenge exams; and portfolio assessments of experiential learning.
Prior learning assessment
Prior learning assessment is a process that might save a person time as well as money in completing a certificate or degree program. The process reviews learning that may have been mastered through a variety of life experiences, including professional responsibilities, civic and volunteer experiences, military and corporate training, and independent study. Through Prior Learning Assessment, individuals with learning that has been acquired outside of a formal classroom setting have the opportunity to have that learning reviewed for college-level equivalency. The process of reviewing extra-curricular (or co-curricular) learning for college-level credits has been used in the United States since the 1930s, with concentrated research and study into the area emerging since the 1970s.History of prior learning assessment
Initial research into the prior learning assessment practice and implementation was conducted by the Educational Testing ServiceEducational Testing Service
Educational Testing Service , founded in 1947, is the world's largest private nonprofit educational testing and assessment organization...
, which launched a subsidiary organization dedicated only to prior learning assessment. Through an ever-increasing demand for its research expertise, this special sub-group quickly became an independent non-profit organization, now known as The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL). Since 1974, CAEL has worked with postsecondary institutions, state boards of regents, and individuals by establishing and disseminating high quality standards for the awarding of credit through assessment, by training faculty evaluators and administrators in PLA practices, and by conducting research on the outcomes of these efforts and disseminating it widely throughout the postsecondary community. CAEL has emphasized the assessment and promotion of experiential learning for adults and is responsible for the development of several landmark publications on the topic, including Assessing Learning: Standards, Principles, & Procedures (in which a set of research-based standards for best practices in assessing learning is outlined) and Fueling the Race to Postsecondary Success: a 48-Institution Study of Prior Learning Assessment and Adult Student Outcomes (in which prior learning assessment is linked to positive academic outcomes, including improved retention and graduation rates).
See also
- Alternative assessmentAlternative assessmentIn the education industry, alternative assessment or portfolio assessment is in direct contrast to what is known as performance evaluation, traditional assessment, standardized assessment or summative assessment...
- American Council on EducationAmerican Council on EducationThe American Council on Education is a United States organization, established in 1918, comprising over 1,800 accredited, degree-granting colleges and universities and higher education-related associations, organizations, and corporations....
- College BoardCollege BoardThe College Board is a membership association in the United States that was formed in 1900 as the College Entrance Examination Board . It is composed of more than 5,900 schools, colleges, universities and other educational organizations. It sells standardized tests used by academically oriented...
- College Level Examination ProgramCollege Level Examination ProgramThe College Level Examination Program is a group of standardized tests that assess college-level knowledge in several subject areas. Many colleges grant credit to students who meet their minimum qualifying score. Qualifying scores vary by school but are typically 50...
- DSST (standardized test)
- Excelsior College ExaminationsExcelsior College ExaminationsExcelsior College Examinations are a series of tests offered by Excelsior College in New York. Many colleges and universities will grant college credits for each test, although they are not as widely accepted as CLEP and DSST...
External links
- American Council on Education (www.acenet.edu) – Official website
- The College Board (www.collegeboard.com) – Official website
- Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (www.cael.org) – Official website
- DANTES (www.dantes.doded.mil/dantes_web/DANTESHOME.asp) – Official website
- Excelsior College Examinations (www.excelsior.edu/Excelsior_College/Excelsior_College_Examinations) – Official website
- Fueling the Race to Postsecondary Success: A 48-Institution Study of Prior Learning Assessment and Adult Student Outcomes
- Prior Learning International Research Centre (PLIRC) (www.tru.ca/distance/plirc.html) – Official website