ERIC Number: ED524559
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2011-Aug
Pages: 4
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Moving the Starting Line through Prior Learning Assessment (PLA). Research Brief
Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (NJ1)
Prior learning assessment (PLA) methods can help adult students earn college credit for what they already know. PLA can be an important offering by postsecondary degree programs because it can save students time and money. In addition, the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning's (CAEL's) "Fueling the Race to Postsecondary Success" study found that adult students who receive PLA credit are two and a half times more likely to persist to graduation--and complete their degrees--than students who do not receive PLA credit. Institutions interested in expanding their PLA offerings as part of a larger degree completion strategy for adult learners will want to have a sense of what the scope of their program is likely to be. The authors know from "Fueling the Race to Postsecondary Success" that about 25% of adult students in their sample earned credit through PLA. Therefore, institutions with no history of offering or promoting PLA could initially estimate that as many as one-quarter of its adult students would take advantage of PLA when such opportunities are offered and promoted. It may also be helpful for institutions to be able to estimate how much credit the average adult student earns through PLA. This research brief provides information on the average number of PLA credits earned by a subgroup of 4,905 students in their sample, looking at how the average number of credits differs by institution type and by students of various demographic groups. (Contains 5 figures.)
Descriptors: Prior Learning, Experiential Learning, Adult Learning, Performance Based Assessment, Educational Environment, Postsecondary Education
Council for Adult and Experiential Learning. 55 East Monroe Street Suite 1930, Chicago, IL 60603. Tel: 312-499-2600; Fax: 312-499-2601; e-mail: cael@cael.org; Web site: http://www.cael.org
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Adult Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Council for Adult and Experiential Learning
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A