For more than 50 years, colleges and universities have used a range of different methods to award college credit for learning that takes place outside of the classroom--particularly learning from work, life, and military experiences. These methods--often called prior learning assessment (PLA) or credit for prior learning (CPL)--value the learning…

Adult students--whether just starting college or returning after stopping or dropping out--often have significant college-level learning they have acquired outside of academia. Postsecondary institutions have the option to evaluate that learning for the purpose of awarding credit or otherwise recognizing the learning so that it can count toward a…

For more than 50 years, colleges and universities have used a range of different methods to award college credit for learning that takes place outside of the classroom--particularly learning from work, life, and military experiences. These methods--often called prior learning assessment (PLA) or credit for prior learning (CPL)--value the learning…

This report describes the adult student's experience with prior learning assessment (PLA) using student record data from 72 degree-granting postsecondary institutions in the United States, primarily focusing on the data from 69 of those institutions based on the more detailed data provided by those institutions to the study. Researchers from the…

This report describes the adult student's experience with prior learning assessment (PLA) using student record data from 72 degree-granting postsecondary institutions in the United States, primarily focusing on the data from 69 of those institutions based on the more detailed data provided by those institutions to the study. Researchers from the…

Previous research from the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) and the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) found that prior learning assessment/credit for prior learning (PLA/CPL) 1 has a positive effect on adult student credential completion--an effect that was evident for every student subgroup analyzed in a…

The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning's (CAEL's) 40th anniversary year provided an opportunity for the "Forum and News" to examine the world of the adult learner from multiple perspectives and to invite CAEL friends and supporters to reflect on the evolution of the field and of CAEL as an organization. This publication presents…

The national imperative to improve postsecondary degree completion has led to various innovations within colleges and universities to improve student retention and academic success, particularly of non-traditional learners. One innovation that has been in use since the 1970s, but is often under-promoted and under-utilized within institutions, is…

Prior Learning Assessment, or PLA, is an important and often overlooked strategy for helping adults progress towards a degree. PLA is the process by which many colleges evaluate for academic credit the college-level knowledge and skills an individual has gained outside of the classroom, including employment, military training/service, travel,…

Prior Learning Assessment, or PLA, is an important and often overlooked strategy for helping adults progress towards a degree. PLA is the process by which many colleges evaluate for academic credit the college-level knowledge and skills an individual has gained outside of the classroom (or from non-college instructional programs), including…

The evaluation of training and education sponsored by the Armed Forces, business, and industry, as well as prior learning assessment has been standardized. One method of standardizing the transcripting of extrainstitutional education to increase its acceptance in traditional institutions is described. (Author/MLW)

This volume provides a cumulative review of the primary methods used or available for use in recording formal training experiences and an annotated bibliography of documents relating to the accreditation of training experiences. The literature review begins with a discussion of academic documentation, that is, the record of formal training…

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…

The status of colleges' credit-granting practices for nontraditional learning (attained outside legally authorized and accredited postsecondary institutions) was studied in 1986, along with credit-granting procedures for military learning experiences, business/industry training, credit by examination, and credit obtained through other assessment…

This bibliography provides a thorough and representative sample of the different types of available Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) publications and resources. These publications and resources are grouped under nine categories: (1) PLAR Policy (Canada, Europe, Africa, Australia, United States of America, New Zealand, Asia and the…