San Francisco State College's new program of credit by examination enabled 38 percent of the 1971 freshmen who took the CLEP to become instant sophomores. (HS)

Methods for validating nontraditional study are discussed and the premises on which they are based are the subject of this article. (Editor/PG)

Credit by examination is essentially the awarding of credit for theoretical knowledge gained outside traditional classroom situations. The examination provides the basis for the kinds and numbers of credits awarded. Programs in credit by examination are innovative because they recognize that people do indeed learn, either purposefully or…

This report presents guidelines developed by a task force at William Rainey Harper College (Illinois) for translating experiential learning into academic credit. Introductory sections describe the institutional commitment to granting credit for non-traditional learning experiences, a new related Associate in Liberal Studies degree, the current…

Describes nontraditional study as it occurs in nursing education. Some characteristics of nontraditional study are being incorporated in nursing education, such as using different geographical locations for learning and alternative instructional techniques. The evaluation of nontraditional nursing programs is an area where further research is…

It is suggested that student learning through cooperative education programs should be evaluated in terms of stated objectives, and that it should be the basis for awarding degree credit. Purposes of, responsibility for, time of, and means of evaluation are discussed. (Author/LBH)

The reflections of 79 participants attending a national conference on special adult degree programs are synthesized. The central theme of the first session was the identification of the most appropriate content for a liberal studies curriculum. Session 2 expressed concern over major problems: the transient nature of man; the role of accrediting…

A cost/benefit analysis of the assessment of experiential learning was performed at Webster College, Missouri. An undergraduate and a masters degree program were studied; the costs of evaluating experiential learning were compared to the costs of traditional college programs. Total costs for experiential learning assessment were found to be…

The University of Albuquerque established a degree program for adults which includes (1) a time shortened concept, (2) a seminar format in the general education program which allows the adult students an opportunity to question, critique, discuss, and engage in scholarly dialogue with seminar preceptors, (3) a flexible schedule that allows adult…

The Columbus (Ohio) Public Schools administers the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills (CTBS) districtwide to document the learning which has occurred and to guide classroom teachers and administrators as they establish curricula which is responsive to student needs. This report presents the results from the tests administered in April, 1986 to…

A program leading to the Bachelor of Liberal Studies (BLS) for adult, part-time students was conceived and implemented at the University of Oklahoma between 1957 and 1965. The program is designed to surmount difficulties posed by rigid course and residence requirements, scheduling, and undergraduate-oriented instruction. By giving special entrance…

Central Michigan University's experiential learning program and the guidelines for awarding academic credit are described. Graduate students may apply for college credit on the basis of relevant skills which have been acquired as a result of their occupational, military, and personal experiences. The evaluators judge the student's application to…

This is the introduction and summary of a series of six papers discussing major issues about student assessment for the University of Wisconsin Extended Degree Program, a program designed to give academic credit for college level learning derived from experiences outside the scope of formal classes. A distinction is made between prior learning,…

At Metropolitan State University, St. Paul, Minnesota, individualized undergraduate programs are designed by the students. Educational objectives are stated in terms of competencies achieved through life and work experiences, or during enrollment at the university. Two issues were central to this study: (1) the criteria to be used in judging the…

Specifications for the types of information necessary for the evaluation of nontraditional college programs involve: content, respondent groups, schedule for data collection, possible instruments and forms of response, and presentation of the information to different groups. One important issue is the need for more precise definitions of…