Prior Learning Assessment for a New Era: Report Forecasts Changes in the Way Colleges and Universities Use PLA
February 09 2021 - 9:00AM
Business Wire
New research brief from Capella University
shares findings on how institutions can adopt PLA to support
student success and cost savings
Capella University, the trailblazing online university serving
working adults, today released a new report detailing
recommendations for how institutions can more effectively use prior
learning assessment (PLA) as a tool for helping to improve student
outcomes.
The report, “Unlocking the [Full] Potential of PLA”, is part of
the University’s ongoing efforts to surface high-impact best
practices that can help improve outcomes for non-traditional
learners and share findings with peer institutions and experts in
higher education.
“As students and universities recover from the unprecedented
economic turmoil and public health crisis of the past year,
adult-serving online institutions are in many ways at the center of
our nation’s response,” said Dr. Dick Senese, President of Capella
University. “Improving the effectiveness of practices such as PLA
is one way that institutions can reduce barriers to access and
affordability and offer educational experiences that are
tightly-coupled with the needs of the students we serve.”
The report found that on average, students at Capella University
who earn PLA credits, spend less money to obtain their degrees, are
more likely to persist throughout their degree programs, and
accumulate credits at a faster rate. Despite the potential of PLA
to improve outcomes, it is still widely underused by students even
as more institutions attempt to implement it.
Prior learning assessment, sometimes called “credit for prior
learning”, is the practice of documenting a learner’s existing
knowledge and skills through written assessments and portfolios of
work. In exchange, students can receive college credit for their
previous experiences learned outside of formal instruction.
“There is strong evidence that PLA can be an invaluable tool for
decreasing time to completion and reducing college costs—all by
recognizing and valuing the learning that students may bring from
their work and life experiences,” said Becky Klein-Collins, Vice
President of Impact at the Council for Adult and Experiential
Learning. “This report makes an important case for adult-serving
institutions to redesign PLA for a new era—in a moment in our
history when we need working adults to continue learning and
acquiring the credentials that support our knowledge economy.”
The report is one in a series of research reports from Capella
University on advances in innovative delivery models for adult
learners. In 2019, the University released “Moving Competency-Based
Education Forward,” documenting learner outcomes and observations
from its landmark FlexPath Direct Assessment model's first five
years of implementation.
For more information on how the PLA findings were calculated,
view the full report here.
Capella University (www.capella.edu) is accredited by the Higher
Learning Commission. Founded in 1993, the University is dedicated
to providing flexible, professionally aligned online degree
programs designed to help working adults advance in their careers.
Known for its commitment to learner success, academic quality and
innovations in online education, Capella pioneered competency-based
direct assessment programs, allowing learners to learn at their own
pace. For more information, call 1.888.CAPELLA (888.227.3552).
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Elaine Kincel elaine.kincel@strategiced.com 202-557-4920
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