Prior Learning Assessment in the Relational Age Presented By: Nan L. Travers and Viktoria Popova-Gonci National Institute on the Assessment of Adult Learning June 6-8, 2012 Atlantic City, NJ

SUNY Empire State College Founded 1971 to meet the needs of the Adult Learner ≈ 20,000 students 35 face-to-face locations in NY Center for Distance Learning ≈ 40% Students in 50 states & 50 countries Associate, Bachelor’s, & Master’s degrees Undergraduate students self-design their degrees – all can use PLA

Shifts in Our Lifetimes Technology – increase productivity & replace human tasks Communication – constrained by time & place Knowledge Acquisition – well defined, delivered Industrial Age 18 th Century – late 1970’s Technology – capture, process & share information Communication – wired & networked Knowledge Acquisition – begins to extend globally Informational Age Late 1097’s Technology – amplifies connections & relationships Communication – unplugged, anytime/anywhere Knowledge Acquisition – self-organized Relational Age present

Today’s Learning Environments Higher Education Internet Open Education Classrooms Online Courses ePortfolios Websites, Blogs, Wikipedia Mobile Aps Social Media Web Videos – YouTube, iTunes Open CourseWare Consortium Open University Network Kahn Academy Peer-to-Peer University Badges

Shifts in Higher Education Deliver Courses and Information Help students to be well-rounded, liberal arts educated persons Provide specific skills for specific fields Confer Degrees Connect Learning to big picture; context, historical and future implications. Connect Liberal Arts Education, Global Learning, and Workplace Learning and blend skills for evolving employment Help students to Learn to Learn Help students to Present their Learning Assessment of Learning Become partners in learning Provide Stackable Credentials Past RoleCurrent Role

Assessing Learning Brain Research SRL Research PLA Research Concept Maps ePortfolios Student’s Role Self-Assess their Learning Reflect Upon their Learning Articulate their Learning Institutional Role: Confirm College-Level Learning Credential the Learning

Emerging Research

Single Institutional Studies –  Retention, Persistence, Graduation Rates, –  GPA –  Career Opportunities, Salary Increases CAEL study (2010) –Examined student data from 48 institutions, across US and Canada –Significant increases based on PLA participation PLA Students had higher graduations rates, Persisted longer and Took more credits at institution than non- PLA counter parts Institutional Outcomes Research on PLA

Variations in PLA Practices Application of Credits: Concentration vs. Electives Assessment Process: Blind Review vs. Interviews Policies & Support Integrated vs. Add On Evaluators: Faculty vs. Outside Experts Evaluation Criteria: Course Match vs. Non-Course Match

Research on the Brain Integrative nature of brain function Brain Connectivity Network Theory

Research on Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) Metacognition Strategic Action (planning and self-assessment) Motivation to Learn

A tool for organizing and representing one’s learning (concepts/ideas, principles/theories) and understanding (relational connections, structures) of a domain of knowledge.  To externalize tacit knowledge  To generate, organize, and communicate complex ideas  To provide assessment tools Concept Mapping Institute for Human and Machine Cognition Concept Mapping and PLA

Cmapping: Assessing Learning Cmapping offers quantitative and qualitative measures of learning, which can be indicative of learning levels and types (ex., academic vs. non-academic, introductory/advanced, applied/liberal, etc.).

Epistemological Ideas The Universe consists of objects and events, and energy exchange during events. Concepts are constructed by humans and are perceived regularities or patterns in events or objects, or records of events or objects, designated by a label, usually a word. Two or more concepts can be linked with appropriate words to form a meaningful statement or proposition. Concepts and propositions are the building blocks of knowledge in all fields. Canas, A.J. & Novak, J.D. (2006). Re-Examining the Foundations for Effective Use of Concept Maps.

Novice Knowledge

Cmapping Tools

Cmapping Tools: Collaboration

CMapping Tools: Parking Lots and “Expert Skeleton” Maps

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Conclusions and Questions