After a considerable amount of work, the University has launched an updated website dedicated to prior learning assessment. This is an excellent resource for faculty and for students. Resources: https://priorlearning.psu.edu/
‘Stackable’ Credential Options
Penn State’s Center for Online Innovation in Learning (COIL) recently hosted a presentation from the UK’s Open University on how public courses paired with paid assessments could benefit Universities and students alike. The public course (previously known as a MOOC) would allow students to brush up on a topic prior to paying for the assessment. […]
Prior Learning Assessment in the Liberal Arts
Most of you are familiar with transfer credits, the most frequent way students bring credits into the university. But in addition to transfer credits, the university allows students to demonstrate learning outside of the classroom through other means. Through prior learning assessment (PLA), students may earn credit through testing, portfolios, validation. and advanced coursework during […]
From Penn State’s Director of Prior Learning Assessment
Dear Colleagues: I’m sharing the work I’ve collected and done since becoming the Director of Prior Learning Assessment to provide you with a status update. The Prior Learning Primer will give you definitions, examples, costs, and processes. The handout was created by the Education Advisory Board, of which Penn State is a member. https://www.eab.com/ The […]
The PLA policy environment
Here’s a link to one of the governing policies. At the bottom you’ll find additional links to related policies.
Prior learning assessment is the next big thing… in 2012
Here’s an old story from Inside Higher Ed that helps provide some context for our recent push to get serious about prior learning assessment.