This paper focuses on the potential of competency assessment to support the long-term growth of the labour market by facilitating the appropriate employment of skilled immigrants. A competency-informed approach involves looking holistically at an individual's ability to apply knowledge and skills with appropriate judgment in a defined setting. The…

The concept that "time is money" applies to the life outlook of community college students as much as anyone. Their success in completing a degree or certificate is often an equation that weighs their financial resources against how long they will need to finish. Prior learning assessments (PLA), which award academic credit for students'…

This article considers the underachievement of RPL in the Australian vocational education and training (VET) system, in terms of its apparent failure to reach and achieve outcomes for marginalised groups. It notes a range of analyses that are currently used to address this concern and draws on doctoral research in progress to highlight ontological…

Colleges have long had mechanisms for awarding students credit for prior learning, from evaluating transcripts to establishing standards for the units and course credit to be associated with designated scores on nationally and internationally recognized curricula and exams. While the processes for awarding credit via these traditional mechanisms…

A description is given of the system developed by the College Board during the past three decades through which, on the basis of examination, more than 1,500 colleges award degree credit for prior learning. Over 140,000 individuals take the examinations each year. (Author/MSE)

Discussion of the development of distance education programs in the United States, Australia, Canada, and Great Britain focuses primarily on six programs in the United States. External degree programs are discussed, standard examinations that assess prior learning are described, and credit policies for extra-institutional learning are examined.…

This manual describes a program that recognizes and assesses all prior learning in academics as well as in life skills and recommends a variety of educational opportunities so that adult learners can prepare themselves to meet requirements for high school certification. Four major areas of the Lowell Adult Diploma Program (LADP) are reviewed: time…

The results of the program of credit by examination at the University of Texas at Austin during the 1986-1987 testing year are presented. The data provide a basis for a comprehensive picture of the impact of the program on this campus. The examinations covered 51 subject areas with 171 courses taught in 36 departments/divisions in 8 colleges and…

The Regents External Degrees program to earn a degree without attending college, and the College Proficiency Examinations to validate knowledge gained outside of the formal college classroom are described. The programs are administered by the University of the State of New York, which has no campus or courses, but accepts credits from accredited…

The University College of Saint Joseph's University (Pennsylvania) has developed the Experiential Learning Assessment Program (ELAP) which is designed for University College students who wish to apply to and be assessed for college credits gained through experiential learning. The need for such a program was recognized when Archdiocesan teachers,…

An outline is given of the system developed by the American Council on Education through which more than 2,000 colleges have awarded hundreds of thousands of credits toward degrees for prior learning outside colleges, either in military service or employment. (Author/MSE)

Five contributors identify essential means for the college to assure high standards, quality control, and consistency in assessing the prior learning of adults. Types of learning include work or military experience and life experience; assessment methods include examination, portfolio examination, and competence-based programs. (Author/MSE)

Describes policies of educational validation in the context of European integration, finding assessment of prior learning more effective than equivalent degrees. Distinguishes between two types of arrangements in France, certification through diplomas and assessment of competence, and discusses the relative value placed on each in French society.…

Discusses bridging the gap between work and education through the establishment of programs to assess, evaluate, and certify experiential acquired learning. Covers two ways of viewing assessment: (1) separating inputs from outcomes; and (2) the portfolio process, which involves students writing descriptions of their learning as evidence. (JS)

The Defense Activity for Nontraditional Education Support (DANTES) Program is a testing service conducted by the Educational Testing Service for DANTES, an agency of the Department of Defense. DANTES' mission is to help service members obtain credit for knowledge and skills acquired through non-traditional educational experiences. Since World War…