Share this
The Importance of a Prior Learning Assessment Process Mapping Checklist
by Scott Campbell on Apr 17, 2018
Prior learning assessment (PLA) can be a very effective way for encouraging adult students to persist toward meeting higher education completion goals.
Vital for the success of an institution's implementation of PLA, however, is the establishment of a means of capturing current PLA processes and providing a framework to improve PLA offerings. This process, known as PLA Process Mapping, provides a structured approach that can remove the burden of maintaining a strong PLA program institution-wide.
So, you've looked at the extensive research-including our latest study-and have come to the conclusion that developing a prior learning assessment (PLA) plan for your institution can be a valuable strategic offering for helping your institution meet enrollment, persistence and completion goals. Congratulations! You're making a choice that will help your institution serve the growing population of adult learners.
When offered to students in accordance with the right process, PLA can be a powerful tool to serve students, giving your institution a persuasive marketing asset for attracting the millions of adult students who may be able to expedite their degree or credential goals.
Yet for many institutions eager to offer PLA, determining precisely which process is the right one can be trying. Even internal staff dedicated entirely to devising, implementing and improving upon a PLA strategy can feel overburdened by the myriad responsibilities already on their plates.
What is a PLA proponent to do?
There is a solution that your institution can implement to set your PLA program on the right path. The solution, PLA Process Mapping, can guide internal discussions about PLA, help stakeholders assess current or planned PLA offerings, and devise and implement solutions to any problems that may be preventing your PLA program from functioning as well as it could.
PLA Process Mapping provides an exhaustive look at PLA offerings current and prospective, by design. Before you commit to PLA Process Mapping, below are a few of the variables you should be able to determine that play into successful PLA implementation.
PLA Inputs
Where is the source of your PLA credit applicants? Determining from where PLA credit applicants come to your institution can inform how you structure your PLA program. Trade events, job centers, open enrollment and career fairs are just a few potential sources of students who are seeking PLA credit, and knowing which ones represent most of your students is key for building a PLA program that works for them.
PLA Throughputs
For your PLA program to thrive, it's essential that your institution consider the division, department or specific functional role that processes or reviews PLA applicants and applications. Beyond the role(s) responsible for assessment itself, which other departments-such as marketing, admissions and student support services-play roles in your PLA offerings?
PLA Outcomes
Outcomes of PLA at your institution-also referred to as outputs-must be discussed to build and improve upon your PLA curriculum. Not just focused on the question of PLA credit being added to a student's transcript, PLA outcomes that you must consider also include whether the PLA process is consistent, whether there are clear guidelines on how to obtain PLA credit for students and whether there is a measurement system in place to track PLA credit.
PLA Forms and Methods
PLA credit can come from many different sources, and your institution needs to be able to factor them in to your PLA process. CLEP, DSST and UExcel exams; ACE credit; certification or license crosswalks to credit; and other methods and forms of demonstrated higher learning can allow students to earn PLA credit and so must be considered by internal PLA stakeholders within your institution.
Use a Helping Hand
Sound like a lot of questions that need to be answered? Thankfully, you have an option that can help you remove the burden of PLA programmatic development and implementation. A trusted PLA partner like CAEL can solve bandwidth issues at your institution that may impede PLA success. Recently, several major higher education institutions throughout the country have leveraged CAEL's decades of PLA experience to solve similar issues caused by a lack of available internal capacity-issues that may be the only thing standing in the way of successful PLA implementation at your institution.
Share this
- Adult Learner Success (104)
- Success Stories (68)
- CAEL Members (66)
- Workforce Development (52)
- Credit for Prior Learning (48)
- Best Practices (46)
- Career Pathways Support (29)
- Work-based Learning (28)
- Strategic Partnerships (25)
- Trends in Higher Education (25)
- Impact (21)
- DEI (19)
- Upskilling and Reskilling (18)
- Retention and Completion (17)
- Talent Management (17)
- Curation (16)
- Adult Learner 360 (15)
- Q&A (14)
- Policy (12)
- Competency Based Education (CBE) (10)
- Short-term Credentials (9)
- Student support (9)
- Adult Learner Academy (8)
- Enrollment (7)
- Research (7)
- Student Stories (7)
- Transfer Students (7)
- Experiential Learning (6)
- Featured (6)
- In the news (6)
- Military-connected Learners (6)
- NACTEL (6)
- Online Learning (6)
- Case Studies (5)
- EPCE (5)
- Education Benefits (5)
- HSIs (5)
- Community colleges (4)
- Wraparound Support (4)
- Apprenticeships (3)
- COVID-19 (3)
- Future of work (3)
- Guest blog (3)
- Structural Approaches to Learning (3)
- Accelerated Program (2)
- Tuition (2)
- Credit Predictor Pro (1)
- HBCUs (1)
- Skills-based hiring (1)
- Student parents (1)
- August 2024 (7)
- July 2024 (9)
- June 2024 (8)
- May 2024 (11)
- April 2024 (5)
- March 2024 (7)
- February 2024 (5)
- January 2024 (7)
- December 2023 (9)
- November 2023 (7)
- October 2023 (3)
- September 2023 (4)
- August 2023 (3)
- July 2023 (5)
- June 2023 (8)
- May 2023 (9)
- April 2023 (5)
- March 2023 (6)
- February 2023 (5)
- January 2023 (3)
- December 2022 (4)
- November 2022 (7)
- October 2022 (7)
- September 2022 (6)
- August 2022 (6)
- July 2022 (4)
- June 2022 (6)
- May 2022 (4)
- April 2022 (4)
- March 2022 (3)
- February 2022 (5)
- January 2022 (5)
- December 2021 (4)
- November 2021 (2)
- October 2021 (8)
- September 2021 (4)
- August 2021 (4)
- July 2021 (2)
- June 2021 (6)
- May 2021 (5)
- April 2021 (9)
- March 2021 (8)
- February 2021 (5)
- January 2021 (4)
- December 2020 (4)
- November 2020 (3)
- October 2020 (6)
- September 2020 (2)
- August 2020 (1)
- July 2020 (4)
- May 2020 (2)
- April 2020 (1)
- March 2020 (2)
- February 2020 (3)
- January 2020 (3)
- December 2019 (2)
- July 2019 (1)
- May 2019 (1)
- February 2019 (1)
- January 2019 (1)
- October 2018 (4)
- September 2018 (1)
- August 2018 (1)
- July 2018 (1)
- May 2018 (1)
- April 2018 (2)
- March 2018 (1)
- February 2018 (2)
- September 2017 (1)
- August 2017 (2)
- July 2017 (5)
- June 2017 (4)
- May 2017 (3)
- March 2017 (1)
- February 2017 (4)
- December 2016 (3)
- November 2016 (1)
- October 2016 (3)
- August 2016 (8)
- July 2016 (2)
- June 2016 (2)
- May 2016 (5)
- April 2016 (2)
- March 2016 (6)
- February 2016 (9)
- January 2016 (4)
- January 2015 (2)