Running Head: PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT
Prior Learning Assessment: Policies, Practices, and Penn State
Hannah Brukardt
The Pennsylvania State University
PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT
Prior Learning Assessment: Polices and Practices
The linear journey from high school to college to employment is no longer the normative
trend in higher education. More often than not, students take nontraditional pathways that
ultimately lead back to the classroom after other personal, educational, and/or professional
experiences. During this winding journey from high school to higher education, these
nontraditional students gain valuable learning experiences. Increasingly, institutions of higher
education are accepting these out-of-classroom experiences as relevant and transferrable learning
that can be submitted for academic credit. This practice is widely known as Prior Learning
Assessment (PLA). While higher education institutions have practiced PLA for decades, a surge
of interest and implementation of these practices has been seen recently.
Increasing numbers of nontraditional learners and transfer students in higher education
and legislation to make higher education more accessible urges institutions to adopt more open
PLA policies. Nontraditional learners, or adult learners, have surpassed the traditional-aged
students as the majority demographic in higher education (U.S. Department of Education, 2014).
Between 2000 and 2010, enrollment of students over 25 rose by 42% and is projected to increase
another 20% by 2020 (U.S. Department of Education, 2012). While this population goes by
several names, the definition of adult or nontraditional learners is fairly consistent throughout
scholarly and institutional work. Adult learners, as adopted by many scholars and institutions, are
students who are over the age of 24 and/or take on at least one adult role like military service,
full-time employment, marriage, or parenthood. Most adult learners exhibit multiple
nontraditional characteristics which inevitably complicates their higher education goals. PLA
provides an avenue for adult students to receive academic credit for their prior learning.
Unfortunately, the most common type of PLA credit earned is earned by traditional-aged
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students. To fully support the adult learner community, institutions, like The Pennsylvania State
University, need to expand their policies and practices surrounding PLA.
Literature Review
The definition of PLA is generally the same among scholars and institutions, but the
Council of Adult and Experiential Learning’s (CAEL) Rebecca Klein-Collins (2010) has the
most thorough definition:
PLA is the process by which many colleges evaluate for academic credit thecollege-level knowledge and skills an individual has gained outside of the classroom (or from non-college instructional programs), including employment, military training/service, travel, hobbies, civic activities and volunteer service (p. 6).
PLA has been utilized in higher education since the 1940s when the American Council on
Education (ACE) began evaluating military experience for college credit (Ryu, 2013). The
expansion of the G.I. Bill and the surge of World War II veterans in higher education urged
institutions to recognize the experiential learning that soldiers acquired during their service
(Bamford-Rees, 2008; Ryu, 2013). Later, this access began to spread to adult learners in general.
In 1974, ACE began evaluating corporate and professional experiences for credit (Ryu, 2013). At
the same time, CAEL established their Ten Standards for Assessing Portfolios (Travers, 2012;
Bamford-Rees, 2008).
Types of PLA Evaluation
PLAs evaluate the learning outcomes students gain from various experiences. The focus is on
what students learn, not how they learn (Fiddler, Marienau, & Whitaker, 2006; Klein-Collins &
Wertheim, 2013). Prior learning can be evaluated in four ways: standardized national exams like
College Level Examination Program (CLEP) or Advanced Placement (AP); in-house,
departmental, or challenge exams; previous program evaluations like those provided by the
American Council on Education (ACE); or individual portfolio assessments (Klein-Collins,
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2010; Bamford-Rees, 2008). While some types of PLA like the CLEP and AP are widely
accepted among higher education institutions, portfolio assessment and training evaluations are
still regarded with skepticism by some academic institutions and departments.
The most common form of PLA is credit by national exam like the CLEP or AP (Klein-
Collin, 2010; Ryu, 2013; Bamford-Rees, 2008). Eighty-three percent of institutions accept
credits from national standardized exams (Ryu, 2013). This type of PLA credit acceptance is
most successful and useful because unlike their counterparts, CLEP and AP credits can be
applied to major education requirements, whereas the other less popular types of PLA are mostly
used for general elective credits (Ryu, 2013). The wide acceptance and usage of these credits can
be attributed to the campus-wide policies (Ryu, 2013), which may be housed in the campus
registrar or admissions office. Other types of PLA, specifically in-house or challenge exams and
portfolio policies, are created, implemented, and executed by the academic departments (Ryu,
2013). Even if an institution supports PLA credit transfers, ultimately, academic departments
have the final say of whether or not to accept any transfer or PLA credits (Klein-Collins, 2010;
Ryu, 2013; Junor & Usher, 2008).
In-house or challenge exams are very similar to national exams. They both used
examinations to test the knowledge and learning of the student. National exams are standardized
across the country and the world, whereas in-house exams are created and implemented in
individual academic departments. Traditional-aged students commonly use national exams to
earn college credits while still enrolled in high school. The in-house or challenge exams operate
a similar assessment, except each exam is created and administered by the individual academic
department instead of by a national testing agency. AP, CLEP, etc. paved the way for the
acceptance of other types of PLA credits (Travers, 2012).
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Although credit by portfolio is the second most popular form of PLA (Klein-Collins,
2010), it is far less likely to be truly useful in a student’s degree plan. It is unlikely institutions
will use portfolio credits for pre-requisite courses, let alone major course requirements. PLA
credits can be used to satisfy various requirements based on the student’s undergraduate degree
program and academic unit. Mostly, PLA credits are used to fulfill general elective requirements
(94%), general education requirements (88%), and major requirements (79%) (Klein-Collins,
2010).
Relevance of Prior Learning Assessment
Although PLA assessment has been in practice for decades, there has been a surge of
interest from the government, institutions, and students in recent years. President Obama has
spoken several times about the importance of increasing the access, affordability, and graduation
rates of higher education. In large part, this refers to the adult learner population. According to
Ryu (2013), “validating and credentialing college-level knowledge and skills acquired outside of
the classroom is increasingly seen as a vehicle for supporting increased education attainment,
especially among adult nontraditional students” (p. 1). PLA is more prominent than ever because
of the emergence of adult learners (Travers, 2012), MOOCs (Klein-Collins & Wertheim, 2013),
online education (Klein-Collins & Wertheim, 2013), and student mobility (Simone, 2014).
Pressure to provide greater access to higher education to adult learners can be felt from all
directions. There is a social justice push from institutions to add diversity to classrooms (Travers,
2012) as well as governmental push to increase graduation rates (Klein-Collins & Wertheim,
2013; U.S. Department of Education, 2015) and increase access and affordability of higher
education to all (U.S. Department of Education, 2015).
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Enrolling adult students has a reciprocal benefit. First, adult students bring a unique and
diverse perspective to undergraduate classrooms (Travers, 2012). Adult students benefit from
earning credits for this experiential learning, but other students also gain from learning about
these experiences. Second, adult student enrollment not only helps institutions fulfill their own
missions of supporting adult learners (Klein-Collins, 2010), but also the government’s mission to
raise the education level of the average American (Klein-Collins & Wertheim, 2013; Ryu, 2013;
U.S. Department of Education, 2015). More and more, institutions are seeking to serve this
growing demographic of higher education, if for not anything else besides the revenue stream. In
today’s educational society, PLA is more relevant and important than ever as it has a significant
impact on student success.
PLA and Student Success
The acceptance of PLA credits has numerous other benefits that ultimately lead adult
students to a point of success. Based on Klein-Collins’ (2010) survey of 48 varying types of
institutions in the United States (46) and Canada (2), these benefits include decreased time to
graduation, higher graduation rates, more accumulation of credits, and increased persistence.
On average, students with PLA credits who are pursuing a bachelor’s degree graduated
2.5-10.1 months earlier than their non-PLA peers (Klein-Collins, 2010). The vast financial
savings associated with decreased time to degree is twofold: the student saves money on tuition
and the government saves money on financial aid (Klein-Collins, 2010). The sooner students
graduate, the sooner they can capitalize on their higher education credential in the workforce
through promotions, increased salaries, and better opportunities. Not to mention the economic
benefit of having more educated workers.
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The graduation rates of students with PLA credits are more than double those of students
with no PLA credits. For both bachelor’s and associate’s degrees, PLA students graduated at a
rate of 56 percent while non-PLA students graduated at a rate of 21 percent. The number of PLA
credits has proven to be a strong predictor of graduation; as the number of students’ PLA credits
increased, their graduation rate aligned more closely to the national graduation rate (Klein-
Collins, 2010). The increase in graduation rates may be related to the decreased time to complete
a degree or to students’ self-esteem boost through their PLA experience.
Even if students had not graduated by the end of Klein-Collins’ 2010 survey, those with
PLA credits had accumulated more credit overall than their non-PLA peers. More than half of
PLA students had attained 80 percent of their credits toward a bachelor’s degree, while more
than half of non-PLA students acquired less than 40 percent (Klein-Collins, 2010). This
accumulation plays a great role in student persistence.
Student retention and persistence are two of the strongest predictors of student success.
After Klein-Collins’ (2010) six-year survey ended, higher percentages of PLA students
continued to earn credits two, three, four, five, and six years later over their non-PLA peers.
Students with PLA credits are also more likely to enroll in consecutive years as opposed to
stopping out and then re-enrolling (Klein-Collins, 2010).
While it is obvious that PLA credits generally benefit students, Klein-Collins (2010) also
points out that students who have earned PLA credit may be successful because they are more
likely to be high-achieving students. That is to say, students who are motivated to seek out PLA
credit opportunities are also more likely to apply themselves academically.
Regardless of student motivation or achievement, much of PLA student success hinges
on the applicability of PLA credits. PLA students are increasingly more successful when their
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PLA credits can be flexibly applied to their degree plan. Most PLA credits are used for general
elective or general education requirements (Klein-Collins, 2010; Ryu, 2013). It is less likely that
PLA credits, with the exception of national exams, can be used for prerequisite courses, major
courses, or upper division courses (Klein-Collins, 2010; Ryu, 2013). Although general
acceptability of PLA credits is determined by the university registrar (Ryu, 2013) or admissions
office, the designation of credits is decided by individual academic departments (Klein-Collins,
2010; Ryu, 2013). While the institution at large may recognize PLA credits, the department can
ultimately decide not to use credits. This mentality mainly applies to national exam credits or
program evaluations. Most credit by examination and credit by portfolio policies are under the
control of academic departments (Ryu, 2013).
The applicability of PLA credits also depends on the type of institution. In Ryu’s (2013)
study of 414 institutions of higher education and their PLA policies, he found two-year public
institutions were most likely to accept ACE evaluations and credit by portfolio. Public two-year
institutions were also least likely to accept no PLA credit (Ryu, 2013). Private, for-profit
institutions were also likely to accept ACE evaluations, especially for corporate training (Ryu,
2013). These two types of institutions historically have strong missions to support adult learners.
This is most likely why they accept so many PLA credits. Public two-year and private, for-profit
institutions are also more likely to use PLA credits for major requirements (Ryu, 2013). Public
and private four-year institutions also have their strengths in awarding PLA credits. Public, four-
year institutions are most likely to accept national exam credits (Ryu, 2013). This is not
surprising since these types of institutions serve a large population of traditional-aged students
who are likely to take AP courses in high school. Surprisingly, private, non-profit institutions are
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tied with public, two-year institutions for the highest amount of credit by portfolio credits (Ryu,
2013).
Overall, PLA policies and practices have grown across institutions. Klein-Collins (2010)
found that each type of PLA experienced an increase in the number of institutional offerings
from 2006 to 2009. The average increase was 12.8 percent, with the largest increases related to
credit by portfolio and credit by institutionally-evaluated programs (Klein-Collins, 2010). This
exhibits a great start for PLA, but many institutions and their students can benefit from expanded
PLA policies.
The Pennsylvania State University Prior Learning Assessment Policies and
Practices
The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) was chosen as the focus for this paper for
several reasons. First, the university currently employs the author so access to data was less
restricted. Second, the university has a strong mission to support adult learners, with one campus
to primarily serve this population. Third, the university recently hired Dr. Michele Rice for the
newly created Director of Prior Learning Assessment position to oversee the university’s policies
and practices. Altogether, it is an exciting time for PLA at Penn State.
Penn State is a large, land-grant institution serving 76,137 undergraduate students across
all twenty of its residential, undergraduate campuses. An additional 6,245 students are enrolled
in the university’s online campus, World Campus (Undergraduate Enrollment By Class
Standing, 2014). In recent years, Penn State has made the push to become an adult-friendly
campus. This includes the expansion of the World Campus, as well as designation of being a
military friendly school. Nearly 18,000 of the undergraduate students at Penn State are adult
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learners. Eighteen percent of undergraduates are active military or veterans (“Commission for
Adult Learners: Fact Sheet,” 2015).
Penn State Senate Policies
Mirroring the research, Penn State has several university-wide policies related to PLA.
Although these policies support the awarding of PLA credits, much of the control lies within the
academic departments. The University Faculty Senate outlines all the methods for credit
acquisition under Faculty Senate Policy 42-00 Acquisition of Credit. The following sections of
policy 42-00 directly apply to PLA:
42-50 Credit by Examination (CRX)
42-81 Credit by Validation
42-92 Advanced Placement Program by the College Board
42-94 College-Level Examination Program by the College Board
42-97 Credit by Portfolio
42-98 Credit by Experience in the Armed Forces
42-99 Credit by Training in Non-Collegiate Organizations
Each policy is linked to the procedures for obtaining said credit.
Policy 42-50 Credit by Examination (CRX). Students may request credit by
examination from their academic department to receive credit for a specific Penn State course.
Students cannot earn credit by exam for courses that already appear on their transcript, regardless
of previous grade. A student must get the permission of the academic dean and department head
in order to sit the exam. A nonrefundable $30 fee per credit will be assessed to take the exam.
There is no limit to the number of credits by examination a student may earn. To earn credit,
students must earn at least a C. Penn State offers credit by exam in the following areas:
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Chemistry, English, Computer-Aided Drafting, Work Force Education, Early Childhood
Education, Mechanical Engineering Technologies, and Calculus (M. Rice, personal
communication, April 22, 2015).
Policy 42-81 Credit by Validation. Credits earned at other institutions that were not
initially transferred to Penn State can be reviewed via credit by validation. Commonly, this type
of review focuses on work from unaccredited institutions. Students may request credit by
validation through the Undergraduate Admissions Office. The Undergraduate Admissions Office
will make a preliminary review of the course syllabus (provided by the student) to evaluate the
academic quality of the course. If appropriate, the Undergraduate Admissions Office then
forwards the transcript and other materials to the academic department for review. The academic
department then decides on the transferability of the course and reports back to the
Undergraduate Admissions Office. There is no fee to process credits by validation nor any
limitation on the number of credits earned by validation.
42-92 Advanced Placement Program by the College Board. Students can earn credit
for certain AP exams. The academic department determines the proper score and subsequent
usability of these credits. There is no fee to process AP credits nor is there a limitation on the
amount of AP credits that can be transferred, if acceptable.
42-94 College-Level Examination Program by the College Board. Students may earn
credit for CLEP exams if they have earned a score at the fiftieth or higher percentile. Higher
scores may be required for specific exams. The department determines the scores and subsequent
usability of CLEP credits. There is no fee to process CLEP credits. A maximum of 60 credits can
be earned via CLEP.
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42-97 Credit by Portfolio. Credit by portfolio is available to students at the discretion of
the academic department. Access to information regarding this policy should be made available
by the Undergraduate Admissions Office, Division of Undergraduate Studies, Center for Adult
Learner Services, Distance Education, and academic advisors. If a student’s request for credit by
portfolio is approved, the student then gathers evidence of prior learning to present to the
academic department in accordance with their guidelines. Credit by portfolio can either defend
unique prior learning or learning that has been previously evaluated by the department. The
faculty then assesses the portfolio and determines if credit should be awarded. No grades are
earned, just credit. A maximum of 6 credits can be earned per portfolio. Baccalaureate
candidates can earn a maximum of 30 credits by portfolios. Associate degree candidates can earn
a maximum of 15 credits by portfolio. A $390 fee is charged before the portfolio is reviewed for
independent learning. A $10 fee is charged for previously evaluated training.
42-98 Credit by Experience in the Armed Forces. Students may earn general credit
from military training based on ACE evaluations. Not all ACE evaluated credits transfer per the
discretion of the Undergraduate Admissions Office. The academic department determines the
usability of the general credits.
42-99 Credit by Training in Non-Collegiate Organizations. Students may earn general
credit from professional training based on ACE evaluations. Not all ACE evaluated credits
transfer per the discretion of the Undergraduate Admissions Office. The academic department
determines the usability of the general credits.
Penn State PLA Data
Despite the expansive policies surrounding PLA at Penn State, students can experience
barriers to earning PLA credit. Unfortunately, outside anecdotal evidence, there is a lack of data
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regarding PLA at Penn State. However, with the creation of the Director of Prior Learning
Assessment position, there is hope that more in-depth data collection and analyses will occur in
the near future. Notwithstanding this lack of data, Dr. Michele Rice, Director of Prior Learning
Assessment was able to provide basic descriptive data regarding PLA at Penn State (personal
communication, April 22, 2015).
Approximately 90 percent of all PLA credits are awarded through AP credits. In the
2013-14 academic school year, first-year students earned 65,000 AP credits. Credit by portfolio
is the second-most common method, accounting for about two percent of all PLA credits. In
total, a little over 1,100 students earned credit by portfolio in 2013. Military and professional
training credits account for less than one percent each (M. Rice, personal communication, April
22, 2015).
Penn State PLA Benchmarking
Penn State’s primarily benchmarks within the Big Ten Conference. These schools are
similar in size, structure, and mission. Rice (personal communication, April 22, 2015) found
some interesting themes across the Big Ten. Many of the universities that offer credit by
portfolio do not offer this assessment at their flagship campus; these policies are only applied at
the branch campuses. Although Penn State University Park (Penn State’s flagship campus) has
the smallest population of adult learners when compared with the World Campus and the
collection of the commonwealth campuses, credit by portfolio is still available.
In her research, Rice (2015) also found that several universities require students to take a
PLA portfolio course, for credit, before being able to submit a portfolio for review. These
courses teach students how to prove and present their prior learning, while assembling their first
portfolio for review.
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Some students at Penn State are able to plan their prior learning experience in advance.
Rice (personal communication, April 22, 2015) cited students in the College of Engineering who
take multiple internships can use portfolio assessments to earn credits for these experience
beyond the single internship that is allowed. For students like this, Rice (2015) found that the
University of Nebraska requires students to get pre-approval for the learning experience before a
portfolio can be assessed. This may be of use for students interested in service and professional
experiences.
Finally, Rice (personal communication, April 22, 2015) commended The Ohio State
University for their comprehensive catalog of available credit by examination opportunities. The
catalog, available through the university’s registrar, outlines not only the exam that are available,
but also the procedure, limitations, restrictions, and fees (Credit by Examination 2015 – 2016,
2015). Compared to Penn State, this catalog is much more accessible and visible.
Although much can be learned from these peer institutions, benchmarking with
community colleges and other types of institutions may also prove beneficial. Community
colleges serve large populations of adult learners and have successful practices in place to award
PLA credits that may inspire some new Penn State practices.
Penn State PLA Goals
The creation of a position purely concerned with PLA policies generates vast potential
for improvement and change in Penn State’s policies and practices. Rice (personal
communication, April 22, 2015) outlined goals she has for PLA at Penn State.
The collection of more specific data is needed. What students are using PLA credits? For
which courses are PLA credits being used? Which majors allow for the most PLA credits? This
data will ultimately inform better policies and practices.
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Establishing relationships with academic colleges and advisors is mandatory to make
PLA a success. Currently, some colleges are more receptive to PLA credits than others. For
example, the College of the Liberal Arts has a “robust” PLA website that is easy to access and
understand, whereas the College of Engineering’s PLA information is more difficult to find (M.
Rice, personal communication, April 22, 2015). The various levels of interest in PLA can cause
confusion for students. While academic units cannot be forced to accept PLA credits,
relationships can be established to ease the process for students. It is vital to know who is open to
PLA and who is not (M. Rice, personal communication, April 22, 2015)
Related to relationships with academic departments, Rice (personal communication,
April 22, 2015) also wants to establish relationships with advisors as part of an on-boarding
process. It is important that advisors are well versed in PLA procedures so as to properly advise
students. At present, it is unknown what advisors are telling students, if they are telling them
anything. Getting advisors behind the process can help bring visibility to PLA opportunities to
students.
More concrete goals include developing an online catalog of all PLA credit opportunities
at Penn State. Information on everything from CLEP to credit by exams to credit by portfolio
would be centrally accessible to students via this catalog. Rice (personal communication, April
22, 2015) also aims to implement a portfolio course for students interested in credit by portfolio.
There is currently a pilot course being offered through the College of the Liberal Arts. If the
course is deemed a success, plans to implement the course at some of the smaller Penn State
campuses will go into effect.
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Implications of PLA
With the increasing popularity of PLA, there are some implications of this type of credit
that must be explored by scholars and institutions alike. Theoretically and practically, the
emergence of PLA fundamentally changes the established status quo of higher education.
At its core, credit transfer, and by extension PLA, revolves around one main tenet: the
credit hour. The Department of Education defines the credit hour as:
an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally established equivalency that is not less than one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out of class work for each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester… or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time.
In their 2015 study of MOOCs, Siemens, Dragan, & Dawson explore the changing
meaning of credentials in higher education. In the last two decades, the credit hour has come
under fire as an appropriate measure of learning assessment because of shifting ideals in higher
education. One of the major shifts focused on the economic value of the credit hour and how it
relates to the meaning of a degree (Siemens, Dragan, & Dawson, 2015).
Bahram Bekhradnia (2004) defines the credit as a type of “knowledge currency.” This
currency is accumulated then used to “purchase” a degree (Junor, Usher, & Educational, 2008).
Using this definition, Junor and Usher (2008) explain the exchange rates of credits. Just as
monetary currency has variable exchange rates among different countries, “knowledge currency”
has variable exchange rates among different types of institutions and learning.
The true conflict over awarding credits for material not learned at the current institution
addresses an issue much more complex than the recognition of the credit hour. The major
argument is whether the universality of credit is more important then the uniqueness of
individual institutions and their programs. Most institutions, especially more prestigious ones,
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have strict scaffolding in place to structure curricula and degree attainment. Universally
accepting credit from other sources jeopardizes this scaffolding because the institution is no
longer in control of how or what exactly the student is learning (i.e. pre-requisite courses). The
credit transfer process needs to take into consideration not only the credential itself, but also how
it will fit into the institution’s academic scaffolding. Laitinen (2012)further argues that the credit
hour is a poor form of “knowledge currency” because of the variable exchange rates. This is
because there are varying levels of trust among institutions of higher education (Siemens et al.,
2015). In her study, Laitinen (2012) argues that if a credit hour truly measured student learning
then it would have equal value across institutions and experiences. As she argues, a dollar is a
dollar and an hour is an hour no matter where you are in the United States.
By extension, institutions need to consider the implication of Massive Open Online
Courses (MOOCs). While many institutions do not directly give credit for MOOCs, theoretically
a student could complete another form of PLA to earn those credits. ACE has started evaluating
MOOCs for credit as well (Masterson, 2013). On a meta-analytical level, MOOCs essentially
open the door to self-learning. There is nothing to stop students from enrolling in MOOCs or
researching a specific subject and then demonstrating that learning via an assessment.
Institutions need to decide if how something is learned is more important that what is actually
learned. If they choose to value the latter, then their PLA policies need to reflect that.
Recommendations
Upon review of the current context of higher education, general PLA policies, Penn State
practices, and theoretical implications, the following recommendations are made.
Visibility
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Available PLA policies should be highly visible for incoming students. PLA policies
should not be hidden on websites, or referred to by word of mouth. For PLA to be successful, it
needs to be visible. Ideally, a centralized forum or catalog for all an institution’s PLA
opportunities should be available to students. This resource should be available to prospective as
well as accepted students. The availability and data about the success of PLA can be the reason a
student chooses to attend or not.
Many institution websites, including Penn State’s website, include information about
credits available for AP and CLEP exams. However, it can be difficult to understand exactly how
these credits relate to a degree plan. Providing information about which courses are pre-
requisites versus electives is vital to avoid students taking useless exams.
Support
Support of PLA has two parts. Firstly, it is not enough to have university-wide policies
related to PLA. Support for the use of PLA needs to come from the departments as well as the
administration. It is deceiving to present PLA opportunities at a university level that are not
accepted at the department or college level. All stakeholders should have the same understanding
about the availability and usability of PLA credits. This is not to say every department needs to
accept all PLA credits, but they should at least be upfront about the possibility, or lack thereof, of
earning and using PLA credits.
Garnering academic department support may be a challenge. Administration should not
mandate that academic departments accept every PLA credit, but they should encourage
departments to be open and understanding to the value of PLA credit.
The second part of support is that of the administration to the department. PLA practices
take additional time and resources. A plan needs to be in place to support those departments and
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faculty that participate in the review of PLA. Providing additional resources may also serve as an
incentive for departments to be more open to PLA.
Transparency
When dealing with transfer and PLA credits, students are confused about institutional
decisions related to their credits (Ryu, 2013). For example, different institutions can award
different credits for the same student experience. Explaining the process by which PLA credits
are evaluated and awarded can help students not only understand their credits, but it may also
prepare them to succeed in future PLAs. Why and how credits are awarded should not be a
secret.
This transparency should be applied before, during, and after a PLA experience. Students
should be aware of policies related to PLA (as per the visibility recommendation) as well as
exactly how these policies are implemented. PLA evaluations should be available to each student
who participates in PLA. The evaluations should explain what was assessed, how it was
assessed, and why certain credits were or were not awarded.
Flexibility
This will be the most difficult change for institutions to make because it calls into
question their pride and their value of the credit hour. Institutions should seriously consider the
ways in which they allow PLA credits to be used. Ideally, these credits should be used for all
manner of requirements. If the learning can be clearly demonstrated, there is no reason to
disallow the direct usage of credits for prerequisites or major courses. As the research from
Klein-Collins’ (2010) shows, the more flexibility a student has with her PLA credits, the more
successful she will be.
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Conclusion
PLA has the capability to change the face of higher education. It provides increased
access to higher education by providing an avenue to earn credits for learning experiences
outside of a classroom. Many adult students have professional or personal experiences that are
not only a benefit to themselves, but also to their peer students. The addition of adult students to
the classroom offers diversity of thought and experience.
PLA a viable means for adult learners, and even traditional-aged students, to earn a
degree more efficiently and effectively. Earning PLA credits through national exams, in-house
exams, evaluations, or assessments increases credit accumulation and graduation rates. Students
who earn PLA credits graduate in less time, accrue less debt, and require less financial aid.
Research shows that numerous and flexible PLA policies bolster student success as well by
allowing students to use credits efficiently and reducing instances of students having to retake
courses. As Fiddler, Marienau, and Whitaker (2006) say, “And [PLA] is a justifiable basis for
reducing redundancy and the inefficiency of requiring students to participate in a one-size-fits-all
curricula when they are otherwise qualified by their knowledge or skills gained from experience”
(p. 12).
The increasing population of adult learners shows no signs of slowing down. Institutions
need to adapt to this growing demographic if they want to survive. Offering well-constructed
PLA opportunities is a way to accomplish this.
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References
Bekhradnia, B. (2004). Credit accumulation and transfer, and the Bologna process: an overview. Higher Education Policy Institute, (October), 1–54. Retrieved from http://www.bccat.ca/pubs/13CATFullReport.pdf
Commission for Adult Learners: Fact Sheet. (2015). The Pennsylvania State Univesity.
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