Abstract
One critical avenue for supporting experiential learning and learners is the award of credit through prior learning assessment and use of career pathways that are unique and individual to meet student needs and academic goals. Institutions must build on in-place practices and policies to enhance institutional infrastructure for translating non-credit coursework to certificate and degree programs, streamline internal business processes, and increase capacity through scaling to serve larger numbers of students in an effort to impact retention and completion.
TopIntroduction
For institutions of higher education, it is time to add a new twist to academic pathways that builds in experiential learning as a key component of the curricular design rather than an add-on or afterthought. Higher education has long recognized learning that occurs outside of a formal, classroom-based setting and it goes by many names. Competency-based education, prior learning assessment, and credit-by-examination are well-known and well-established institutional protocols that award credit based on a student’s demonstration of mastery of specified skills and knowledge and generally accelerate program completion rates. Yet of these three alternative approaches, only credit-by-examination has become a widely known and applied practice. While Miami Dade College and thousands of colleges throughout the country, for example, award thousands of credits for successful scores on examinations such as Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) and College-Level Examination Program (CLEP), relatively few credits are awarded through competency-based education and prior learning assessment. This chapter posits that experiential learning and authentic assessment should become a standard part of many postsecondary programs and, in turn, become the bridge to development of prior learning assessment.
Developing programs with experiential learning as an integral and expected part of the curriculum requires more than simply allowing credit to be applied when and if the student presents evidence of mastery. Faculty should plan for experiential learning to be a formal and required part of a program; curriculum developers should create courses that incorporate hands-on practice, authentic assessments, and performance assessment rubrics. Yet implementing experiential learning and its often accompanying prior learning assessment, is not easy to do, especially within the current structures of higher education.
Before experiential alternatives to credit award can be widely accepted and adopted by institutions, faculty and administrators must accept that awarding credit for work experience or military training or an examination score is crucial as we forge ahead in this new era of career ready education. It is time to build the curriculum and assessments in ways that recognize that an increasing majority of non-traditional students are entering college for the first time or second or third with experiences and knowledge that can be articulated and demonstrated. Miami Dade College’s approach to formally incorporating experiential learning was to create academic pathways with the understanding that it is not a one-size-fits-all approach but can vary from student-to-student. Prior to the COVID-19 Pandemic, MDC’s commitment to the utilization and translation of experiential learning options was evident.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Equity: Equity in exam administration is paramount for fairness in PLA programs; multiple exams with varying levels of rigor cannot exist across the college. In other words, the challenge exam offered at Campus A must be equitable to the exam offered at Campus B and beyond. In this chapter, MDC securely stores all approved challenge exams within the College’s District Testing and Assessment Office and provides them to the respective campus testing center on the day of the examination.
Credit by Exam: The awarding of college credit for successful scores on examinations such as Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) and College-Level Examination Program (CLEP).
Credit for Industry Certifications: Process of establishing credit equivalencies for select industry certifications so the certifications can be converted into college credits to apply to a college degree.
Stackable Credentialing: An approach to earning a degree that enables a student to earn valuable, employment-worthy non-credit credentials that, through prior learning assessment (PLA) will convert into credits that ‘stack’ into a degree. For example, this chapter’s Figure 1 illustrates how a nationally recognized industry certification and a college credit certificate are converted into credits that apply toward the AS in Emergency Medical Services without losing or duplicating credits.
Academic (Guided) Pathways: A relatively recent approach to degree program delivery that goes beyond the traditional identification of program prerequisites, courses, and electives to actually mapping clear pathways from the first day of college to a student’s end goals for every program offered by an institution. Students can clearly see the courses necessary to complete a program or qualify for transfer, how long completion will take, and what opportunities for employment or further education they will have at the end of the program.
Portfolio-Based Assessments: Considered the most authentic and original form of experiential learning; students are charged with demonstrating how their actual experiences have led to their mastery of the learning outcomes established for a particular course. Students demonstrate this competence by preparing a portfolio of illustrative materials such as a written narrative of their experiences, a resume and supporting documentation from employers, and publications, graphic designs, patents, etc. that demonstrate their expertise to the relevant subject matter.
Experiential Learning: Often described as ‘learning by doing’, experiential learning engages learners in the actual practice and application of new skills or knowledge, thought to allow for greater understanding and retention.
Micro-Credential: A micro-credential is a short, competency-based recognition that allows a student to demonstrate mastery of specific skills and/or competencies. They are typically more narrowly focused and shorter than traditional college courses or certificate programs and are often offered in more flexible timespans.
Prior Learning Assessment: Assessing mastery of skill or knowledge and awarding credit for it based on a student’s work experience, military training, non-degree credentials, or an examination score (e.g., AP, IB, CLEP).