A Tale of Two Continents: Cross cultural perspectives in using experiential learning as a foundation for negotiated programs

SUNY Empire State College Founded 1971 to meet the needs of the Adult Learner > 20,000 students - Associate, Bachelor’s, & Master’s degrees 35 Face to Face locations in New York State, plus Center for Distance Learning ≥ 40% of enrollment (Students in all 50 states and across 50 countries)

Undergraduate Program - Open Curriculum –Individualized degree design to connect studies with students’ personal learning goals across 13 Areas of Study –Credit for college-level experiential learning: –Standardized exams: CLEP, DANTES, TECEP, NYU, Excelsior –Military, Training Program or Course evaluations: ACE, NCCRS –ESC Generic/Partnerships –Individualized Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) –PLA: Students prepare a reflective, narrative self- assessment and is interviewed by a content expert (faculty or equivalent)

Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) “Prior Learning Assessment is a term used to describe learning gained outside a traditional academic environment. Put another way, it’s learning and knowledge your students acquire while living their lives: working, participating in employer training programs, serving in the military, studying independently, volunteering or doing community service, and studying open source courseware” (CAEL). “In short, PLA is the evaluation and assessment of an individual’s life learning for college credit, certification, or advanced standing toward further education or training” (CAEL). 4 Life Experiences Professional Training Prior Learning Assessment Personal Learning

Why Prior Learning Assessment? Prior learning assessment has been a practice for over 40 years at Empire State College. PLA offers all learners, especially adult learners the ability to: – Earn credit for learning outside of the classroom. –Complete their degrees sooner at a lower cost. SUNY Empire State College follows the Council on Adult Learning Education’s and the Middle States Accreditation guidelines for the individualized assessment of learning. Traditional Transfer Credit Non- Traditional Transfer & Testing (ACE Credit, CLEP, etc). Prior Learning Portfolio Assessment

Variations in PLA Practices Application of Credits: Restrictive vs. Non- Restrictive 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

How PLA works at Empire State College Students meet with a faculty mentor Students take 1 required course – Educational Planning Students design their own degree program plan using prior learning as a basis Students develop PLA requests as part of their degree plan The PLA recommendation is part of the final degree program plan portfolio The PLA credits are approved as part of the degree program approval process.

Assessment of Prior Learning at Empire State College 1. A course and some attend a workshop 2. Learning essay 3. Supporting documentation 4. Portfolio Students are interviewed in PLA Process

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

Questions? Will an institution assess students emergent learning acquired while attending the institution or only time bound learning prior to attendance? Will PLA policies provide for students to add on assessed learning as they move through their degree? Will institutions be willing to expand their PLA policies to allow more assessed learning credits be recognition toward degree requirements? How will the additional learning be recognized when it expands beyond degree requirements? When learning doesn’t fit a degree, will institutions expand their offerings, such certificates, to capture students’ learning? Will institutions accept badges for credit? Can the peer-review system be developed within academic settings for prior learning? Will institutions be able to embrace the variety of verifiable college level learning posed by students? Is the essay the only way that students can demonstrate verifiable college-level learning? Originally, there was belief that the writing process required college-level skills and was important in documenting academic equivalent learning. Is this true? Could greater depth and breadth of learning be documented by using relational tools? What would happen if these tools were combined? Are there other practices that demonstrate learning that could be used in the documenting process?

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