PLA Process for Students & Assessors

1. PLA Process for Students & Assessors Valdosta State University Adult Learning Consortium Workshop Lake Blackshear June 22-23, 2009

2. What is PLA?

3. What is PLA? “The assessment of learning attained through experiences irrespective of the time and place in which they occurred.” Assessing Learning, 2nd edition, (2006) By Morry Fiddler, Catherine Marienau, and Urban Whitaker p.12. The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) at http://www.cael.org/.

4. Learning Experience Theory Assessing Experience-Based Learning • Focus on learning – not just experience • Learning based on: - experience and - academic theory

5. Why do we need PLA?

6. GA-BOR Goals • ALFI (Adult Learning Focused Institution) is a goal of GA Board of Regents

7. Unit Goals • From Valdosta State University’s Strategic Planning Goals: 5 Goals in 5 Years • Enrollment & Retention • Assess and implement changes in faculty load, facilities, course offerings & class scheduling to enhance the use of university resources in support of planned growth. • Increase number of students seeking certification and licensure renewal. • Develop a proposal for programs and program delivery strategies that meet the needs of non-traditional degree seeking students. • Financial Support • Improve profile in the Valdosta community, by continuing to develop external/community partnerships.

8. Adult Learning Focused Institutions • Serve adult learners effectively: • Outreach • Life & Career Planning • Financing • Assessment of Learning Outcomes • Teaching-Learning Process • Student Support Systems • Technology • Strategic Partnerships • Transitions http://www.cael.org/alfi.htm

9. The ALFI Toolkit With these two measures we can compare the perceptions of our institution members with those of the adult learners in our institution

10. What about academic rigor?

11. Quality Assurance • Credit only for learning, and not for experience. • Assessment based on standards for acceptable learning. • Assessment based on an understanding of learning processes. • Assessment by appropriate subject matter experts. • Credit appropriate to the academic context. • The program of study and the student’s major, i.e., core, upper-division, or graduate, of the student determines the “academic context.” Adapted From: Morry Fiddler, Catherine Marieneau & Urban Whitaker. Assessing Learning: Standards, Principles, & Procedures. Chicago: CAEL (Council for Adult and Experiential Learning), 2006.For more information visit: The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) at http://www.cael.org/.

12. What about Academic Freedom?

13. Decisions: Academic Freedom • Although PLA uses a consistent format, • Assessors establish academic legitimacy • Academic departments and/or assessors decide • Courses eligible for PLA • Learning outcomes for targeted courses • Assessment protocols (rubrics) • Resubmission options

14. Flexibility in Assessment Assessment method depends on the course Theoretical Applied Exam e.g. Mathematics Essay e.g. English Portfolio e.g. Science Performance e.g. Fine Arts Traditional Behavioral

15. Who are the PLA students?

16. Who are PLA students? • Did not complete college • Hit a career ceiling -want promotion • Need to retrain • Individual experience – languages, sociology, applied sciences, fine arts • Personal interests - perspectives

17. Students Spring 2008 Six Students with Three Having Earned Credit So Far

18. Students Summer 2008 Three Students - all Earned Credit

19. Students Fall 2008 Eight Students with Three Having Earned Credit So Far

20. Walk in their shoes

21. Walk in their shoes • PLA students • Have individual skills and knowledge from prior experiences • Need to document these to meet objective criteria • To achieve professional goals (university credit) • Analogy: Promotion and Tenure • University faculty • Have individual skills and knowledge from many sources • Need to document these to meet objective criteria • To achieve professional goals (promotion and tenure)

22. P&T Activity • Scenario: You need to document your competencies as a PLA assessor as part of your P&T application. • Task: Outline your submission • Description of competencies • Evidence of competencies • Significance of competencies

23. P&T Activity Discussion • How did you approach the task? • What information would you need? • What other information would be useful? • Where would you find this information? • Who would you go to for help?

24. How did you approach the task? • What do I have to offer? • What do they want to see?

25. What information would you need? • Eligibility criteria • Submission requirements • Evaluation criteria

26. What other information would be useful? • Guidelines • Suggestions • Examples

27. Learning Outcomes are critical

28. Learning Outcomes Are Critical Learning outcomes: • Define expectations for the target course • Define areas of content (not too specific) • Define levels of learning • Define observable/measurable behaviors • Must be clear and explicit • Should include all valued components (including process skills)

29. Distinguish between… • Learning activities – experiences that led to learning • Learning outcomes – what someone knows and is able to do • Evidence of learning – tangible products that document learning

30. In addition … • To help ensure evidence of learning is valid and authentic • Focus on examples and applications from personal experience

31. Learning Outcomes Are Critical If learning outcomes are not explicit, students cannot be held accountable.

32. What are the Challenges for Assessors?

33. Challenges for Assessors • Do grades have to be satisfactory for each learning outcome? • How do you handle gaps in learning? • Do you allow retakes? If so, what restrictions? • How much support/access should you provide the student?

34. PLA Course Grades • Remember: • Grades are satisfactory – not target • There is a wide range of satisfactory learning

35. Common Problems • Common assessment problems: • Big picture synthesis is missing • Context is missing • Growth and development is missing • Significance of learning is missing • Learning is described but evidence and justification are lacking • Narrow focus on individual experience

36. What do assessors have to do?

37. Role of Faculty Assessors • Help determine appropriate courses based on backgrounds of students • Develop assessment methods appropriate for the course • Provide syllabus and assessment guidelines • Evaluate student documentation, portfolios, etc.

38. More on Assessor Roles • Assessor =\= Advisor • Counselor helps align experience & courses • Assessor promotes growth via feedback • Assessor =\= Tutor or Instructor • Avoid perception of undue influence • Avoid perception of over-coaching

39. Responsibilities • Student: • proof of competence • Assessor • clear criteria • valuation of evidence of learning

40. Assessment • Syllabus • Description and Learning Outcomes • Evaluation instrument • Generic rubric format • Flexible to fit any course • Guidelines • Suggested/required sources of evidence • What is valued

41. Evaluation Instrument

42. Day II Working Session

43. Stipulations • GA-BOR promotes ALFI • Our institutions are committed to collaborate on a consortium approach to PLA • This means some consistency in • Principles • Policies and practices • Delivery of services

44. Many Faces of PLA • AP • CLEP • ACE • DANTES • Challenge exams • Portfolio – offered only when other PLA formats are unavailable

45. PLA Models • VSU has presented one model which has been piloted • This is only one possible model for the consortium to consider • Different institutions may choose different models but they should be mutually compatible

46. Our Task • Develop PLA course resources • Learning outcomes • Define scope of content • Define quality (level) of learning • Must be measurable • Should not be prescriptive • Evaluation rubric • Guidelines • What is valued • Possible forms of evidence

47. Our Task continued • Plan role of PLA within a program • What courses within your program? • Plan specific courses for PLA credit • What prerequisite experience & knowledge? • What constitutes satisfactory? • What resubmission policies? • Consider academic rigor • What can you do to make this authentic, valid, and reliable?

48. Our Goal • Each institution should identify • Issues to be addressed • Questions to be answered • Challenges to be overcome • What practices could and should be consistent? • What should they look like?

49. Issues to be addressed

50. Questions to be answered