Prior Learning Assessment & Individualized Learning at Granite State College

1. Prior Learning Assessment & Individualized Learning at Granite State College Adapted from Earn College Credit for What You Know, 4th Edition, by Janet Colvin, published by the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL), 2006. Updated 2/24/12

2. Presentation Overview • Writing Your Story/Individualizing Your Education • Prior Learning Assessment & Learning Outcomes • Prior Learning & Options for Seeking Credit • Maximizing Credit Awards through Planning • Portfolio Assessment Considerations • Activities in the Portfolio Course: SDLR 551 • Components of the Portfolio

3. Our Stories Erin Mary Ryan Joe Hear Maria’s Story! Chris Wayne Ellen

4. Creating Your Story with Individualized Learning

5. Individualized Learning Options at GSC

6. Individualizing Degree Requirements with PLA

7. Individualizing PLA Credit Awards Advocacy: Legal Procedures & Practice (4) Adult Transitions (4) Child Development & Trauma (2) ENG 600 Expository Writing (4)* Equestrian Studies (14) Principles of Writing & Research (4) MGMT 623 Systems Analysis & Design (4)* French & Spanish Teaching Methods (4) MGMT 602 Leadership (4)* History & Philosophy of the Montessori Method (12) EDU 553 Creative Arts in Early Childhood Education (4)* *Equivalent to Granite State College Course

8. Is my experiential learning college-level? Your college-level learning: • Could have been acquired through means other than taking college courses. • Can be articulated as outcomes comparable to course outcomes. • Can be demonstrated. • Can be assessed, measured & applied to your degree requirements.

9. Additional Considerations for Prior Learning Assessment* “Credit is awarded only for learning, not for experience.” “Credit is appropriate to the academic context in which it is accepted.” “Credit awards and transcript entries are monitored to avoid giving credit twice for the same learning.” *Council for Adult & Experiential Learning, Earn College Credit, pp. 47-50

10. Prior Learning Assessment:It’s all about the outcomes! Course Outcomes: “What is learned as a result of taking a course.”* *Council for Adult & Experiential Learning, Earn College Credit, p. 9

11. GSC Course Outcomes: Applied Studies APST 515 Grant-Writing Students will identify funding databases and search potential public and private sector funding sources. Students will develop a contingency plan in the event that the grant is not funded.

12. GSC Course Outcomes: Behavioral Science BEHS 502 Human Services & the Helping Process Students will comprehend the profile of persons in need of social services including those in need of short-term help after a disaster and those eligible for long-term care. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the skills and techniques used by the professional helper in a variety of personal and professional settings.

13. GSC Course Outcomes: Management MGMT 614 Planning for New Business Ventures • Identify regional and federal sources of information to aid small businesses. • Identify a new venture opportunity and formulate a business concept.

14. Making a Case for Credit The Argument : I have knowledge and skills in this subject equivalent to that knowledge and those skills taught in this college-level course. Making the Case: 1. The case has already been made by Granite State College or another organization using the same standards and criteria: workplace/volunteer training objectives have been evaluated and preapproved as equivalent to the learning outcomes of a college course. 2. The student must make the case for credit by identifying and demonstrating college-level learning outcomes by means of an ePortfolio.

15. Options for Prior Learning Credit

16. Preapproved Options for Prior Learning Credit Courses from Colleges with Regional Accreditation Standardized Testing: CLEP, DSST, Excelsior Training Evaluated by the American Council on Education (ACE) Training Evaluated by the National College Credit Recommendation Service (NCCRS) Training Evaluated by Granite State College Occupational Credential Issued by GSC-Approved Agency Occupational Training Program Accredited by GSC-Approved Agency

17. ~ Courses from Regionally-Accredited Colleges ~~ Training Evaluated by ACE ~ Standardized Tests ~ Request an official transcript or score report be sent to GSC Admissions to document completion of: • Courses with minimum grade of “C” from colleges with regional accreditation at the time you attended. • Military training evaluated by the American Council on Education (ACE). • Corporate and other training evaluated by ACE. • Previously-completed standardized tests (CLEP, DSST, Excelsior). Cost: GSC charges no fees to award this type of credit. The other colleges and issuing agencies may charge a fee.

18. Credit for Occupational Credential:Approved Issuing Bodies • American Association of Medical Assistants • American Culinary Federation Education Foundation • American Medical Technologists • American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers • American Registry of Radiologic Technologists • American Society for Clinical Pathology • Federal Aviation Administration • National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians • National Board for Respiratory Care • New Hampshire Board of Nursing

19. Credit for Occupational Credential Approved by GSC Submit a scanned copy of your certification or license to GSC Admissions to document: Technical or other occupational credential issued by agency that meets national standards. Cost: $275. Prior Learning Fee

20. Credit for Training Program Approved by GSC Request an official transcript be sent to GSC Admissions to document completion of: Training program accredited by accrediting agency that meets national standards. Cost: $275. Prior Learning Fee

21. Occupational Training Programs:Approved Accreditors Accrediting Council for Continuing Education & Training (ACCET) Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges & Schools (ACICS) American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA)

22. Training Evaluated by Granite State College Primary Training Providers: New Hampshire Division of Personnel Management New Hampshire Fire Standards & Training New Hampshire Police Standards & Training Northern New England Center for Financial Training Society for Human Resource Management Stonehearth Open Learning Opportunities

23. Training Evaluated by Granite State College Request an official transcript or documentation letter on letterhead be sent to GSC Admissions to document completion of: Training program evaluated by Granite State College. Cost: $275. Prior Learning Fee

24. Additional Testing Option Take standardized tests (CLEP, DSST) for prior learning that has equivalent tests. Maximum BS/BA = 64 credits Maximum AS/AA = 32 credits Cost: CLEP = $105. DSST = $110.

25. ePortfolio Options for Prior Learning Credit Competency-based Training ePortfolio Outcomes-based Learning ePortfolio for Courses from Colleges without Regional Accreditation Experiential Learning ePortfolio

26. Competency-Based Training ePortfolio Request ePortfolio template from Academic Affairs, and submit the required information. Cost: $275. Prior Learning Fee

27. Competency-Based Training ePortfolio Components Section I Program of Study Credit Requests Section II Portfolio Resume Section III Title of Credit Request Outcomes/Competencies Training Objectives &Topics Competency Narrative Supporting Documentation Template

28. ePortfolio Components for Courses from Colleges without Regional Accreditation • Academic Status • Degree Evaluation • Academic History • Credit Requests • Individual Courses • Block Credit • Narrative • Relationship of Courses to GSC Degree • Block Credit: Compare to Accredited Program • Individual Courses • List Learning Outcomes/Course Objectives • Discuss 3 Representative Assignments • Discuss 3 Examples of Application of Knowledge & Skills from Course • Supporting Documentation • Accreditation, if any • Official Transcript to GSC Admissions • Completed Assignments/Relevant Work Products • Block Credit: Comparator Program • Individual Course Equivalency: Course Description & Syllabus Template

29. Experiential Learning ePortfolio Take SDLR 551 Assessment of Prior Learning, and complete an experiential learning portfolio, if your college-level learning: • Was not acquired through formal instruction. • Was acquired through self-study. • Has no equivalent standardized test. Prerequisites: CRIT 500, ENG 500, 3 Additional College Courses, Permission of Academic Coach & Permission of Instructor Four credits will be added to your GSC transcript for successful completion of SDLR 551 Cost: SDLR 551 Tuition, Fees & Textbook = ($1,100. + $25.00)

30. Experiential Learning ePortfolio Components Section I: • Portfolio Resume Section II: • GSC Degree Evaluation • GSC Individualized Studies Proposal (for IS majors) Section III: • Summary of Credit Requests Section IV: • Portfolio Introduction Section V: Credit Request #1 • Outcome Statements • Experiential Learning Narrative • Supporting Documentation • Letters of Verification Section VI: Credit Request #2 • Outcome Statements • Experiential Learning Narrative • Supporting Documentation • Letters of Verification  Template

31. SDLR 551 Assessment of Prior Learning Offered three times a year in the Independent Learning Contract format (ILC). A Moodle course is used as a repository for resources, guidelines, and tracking your progress.

32. SDLR 551 Assessment of Prior Learning • Finalize credit requests from previous planning. • Write learning outcomes for two credit requests. • Analyze experiential learning: • Compare to college courses & programs. • Identify critical incidents. • Apply Kolb’s cycle of learning. • Write two experiential learning narratives. • Compile supporting documentation. • Prepare ePortfolio for evaluation.

33. Experiential Learning Analysis: Compare to College Courses BEHS 502 Human Services and the Helping Process This course provides an introduction to the helping process in the context of human services. There are two essential components to this course. The first examines the economic, social and political forces which have shaped the development of human service organizations and their status today. It reviews the issues and obstacles involved in providing quality service to various populations in our society. The second major emphasis offers learners the opportunity to review the basic elements of the helping process. Learners will examine the development of a professional working relationship with clients. They also learn what the process of helping includes. Attention is paid to the influence of personal experiences and values on prospective workers in the helping professions. 4 credits

34. Experiential Learning Analysis:Critical Incidents

35. Experiential Learning Analysis:Kolb’s Cycle of Learning

36. Purpose of the Narrative The purpose of the narrative in the portfolio is to take the college-level learning you have identified and articulated as outcome statements, i.e., what you know and explain to the reader how you came to know it. You will then use examples from your own experience to illustrate how you applied what you learned.  

37. Elements of the Narrative • Introduction– Provides faculty evaluator with relevant context for your experiential learning. • Process Analysis– Detailed account of how you acquired the knowledge and skills in your outcome statements. • Elaborates on the knowledge and skills from your outcome statements to demonstrate the extent of your knowledge and skills. • Illustratesyour learning through specific examples of when you applied the knowledge or skills from your outcome statements. • Supportsyour assertion of college-level learning by demonstrating that knowledge & skills have application beyond the context in which they were acquired. • Conclusion – Reflection on how the learning you just discussed is relevant to your educational goals and how you intend to use it in the future.

38. Supporting Documentation • Letters of Verification – Required • Annotated Bibliography • Newspaper Article • Web Site • Audio File • Video File • Work Products • Business Plan • Budget • Report • Proposal • Contract • Redacted Case Study

39. Where to begin? Begin with your academic coach! Set your educational goals. Determine which GSC degree program will best meet your educational goals. Apply for admission to your chosen degree program & submit official transcripts. Complete SDLR 550 if you’re an Individualized Studies major, which will include creating a prior learning assessment plan. - OR - If you’re in one of GSC’s structured majors, review your official Degree Evaluation with your academic coach and create a prior learning assessment plan.

40. Gap Analysis Business Definition of Gap Analysis An observation of the difference between an organization's goals and what it has achieved to date.* PLA Adaptation of Gap Analysis An observation of the difference between your goals and what you have achieved to date. *PCMAG.COM, Encyclopedia, retrieved from http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia_term/0,2542,t=gap+analysis&i=60697,00.asp, January 12, 2011

41. Using Planning to Maximize Credit

42. Prior Learning Assessment Plan

43. All roads lead to . . . Curriculum Maps

44. And they lived happily ever after!