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