Degree Completion through Prior Learning Assessment and Competency Based Education

Degree Completion through Prior Learning

Assessment and Competency Based Education

December 4, 2014 Presenter:

Pamela Tate, President & CEO

Meaningful Learning, Credentials, and Work for Every Adult

CAEL links learning and work – for nearly 40 years

Council for Adult and Experiential Learning

A 501(c)(3) non-profit, international organization with nearly 40 years of lifelong learning experience

National leader in PLA best practices, research, and writing

Dedicated to removing barriers to adult learning

Standards for assessing prior learning recognized by regional accrediting bodies

CAEL’s Unique Integrator Role

Leadership in Prior Learning Assessment and Competency-Based Assessment

Adult Learning-Friendly Institution Assessment

Leveraging the value of learning and the learning ecosystem to support and spur economic growth

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CAEL’s Work

Aligning workforce development and higher education with economic development

Employer Engagement and Link to Learning and Development Opportunities

What We All Want

Engaged,

Skilled Workers

Educated

Citizens

 Approximately 55 million jobs are expected to

open up in the economy by 2020.

 65% of those jobs will require workers to

possess postsecondary credentials.

Why are Degrees Important? The U.S. Skills Gap

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Some college, no degree

13% 27% 22% 8% 19% 12% Levels of Education

for the U.S. Population Ages 25-64

Less than high school High school graduate (or equivalency)

Some college, no degree Associate degree

Bachelor's degree

Graduate or professional degree

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Another Look at the Degree

Completion Gap

** Best performance is the average of the top three states.

63,127,642 41,860,914

0 20 40 60 80

Degrees Needed to Meet Best Performance** (55%)

Degrees* Produced from 2005 to 2025 with Current

Rate of Production plus Population Growth

Millions

* Degrees includes both Associates and 4-year degrees.

We need to increase the rate of degree production in the U.S. by 50.8%.

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Data Point United States

Current % of Adults with College Degrees 39.4%

Trend Projected for 2025 49.0%

Lumina Foundation Goal for 2025 60%

Gap 11%

Additional Number of Degrees Needed by 2025

18,215,010

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Lumina/Gallup Survey

America’s Call for Higher Education Redesign – Feb 2013.

87%

75%

of Americans think students should be able to receive college credit for knowledge and skills acquired

outside the classroom

would be more likely to enroll in higher ed if they could receive credit for what they already know

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Early History: PLA and

Competency-Based Programs

1974

Research Project at ETS

1976-1977

CAEL incorporates as a 501(c)3 1970s

Pioneering colleges began PLA and competency-based programs for adults

Prior Learning Assessment

P

L

A

On-the-job learning Corporate training Independent study, such as MOOCs Military service Volunteer service

Industry Recognized Certificates Evaluated Non-College Training Standardized Tests Student Portfolios

The Variety of PLA Methods

•College Credit, College Completion

Credit is for LEARNING, not for

experience

Subject matter experts make credit

recommendations

Any fees are for assessment, not for the amount of credit

awarded

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Graduation and Completion of

Adults with PLA Credit

Baccalaureate students are

2½ times more likely to persist to graduation.

 _{Not enough colleges granting credit for prior learning,} and even when they do, marketing to students is

weak

 Adult learners are not aware of PLA so they often repeat what they already know

 _{Need for consistent application of CAEL standards}  Need for a national, accessible online approach

 Can use faculty experts nationwide for portfolio review using CAEL portfolio assessment rubric for high quality assessments

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 _{www.LearningCounts.org}  On-line PLA service

 _{Free PLA Credit Predictor}

 Complimentary student guidance on all forms of PLA

 Courses to teach students how to discover and document their own college-level learning and build portfolios online

 LearningCounts becomes college’s PLA Department

with student tracking, reports, administration, and coordination with Registrar’s office

 CAEL provides free webinars and video training for

frontline staff and leadership

 LearningCounts courses are listed in college’s catalog;

student registers through college’s registration system

 Logo and link to college’s website from

LearningCounts.org

 Annual Fee (plus one-time Implementation Fee)  CAEL Membership

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Montana system, Ohio Board of Regents and Texas A&M have agreed to:

 Host meetings of institutional leaders, legislators, and

others to promote PLA and LearningCounts

 Complete CAEL survey of PLA policies and practices  Develop or improve PLA policies

 Encourage institutions to develop policies that support

PLA generally and LearningCounts specifically

 Encourage institutions to participate in webinars and

trainings on PLA and LearningCounts

 Work with CAEL to document the activities and their

impact on PLA availability and use, emphasizing the degree of adoption of LearningCounts

Lumina Grant on PLA,

LearningCounts State Adoption

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Competency-Based Degrees

 CBE Jumpstart – CAEL and Lumina  The Incubator – Educause and

Gates Foundation

 C-BEN - Public Agenda and Lumina  Quality Collaboratives and GEMs –

AAC&U and Lumina, Hewlett and Gates

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 University of Texas System  University of Michigan

 Purdue University

 Cross-disciplinary bachelor’s degree  Contest for departments to propose

three-year degree and competency-based programs

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 South Texas College, Texas A&M

University–Commerce

 Flat, seven-week rate and work

through as many courses as their schedules allow

 Revamped the faculty role,

incorporates individual coaches, faculty teaching and evaluation

 Student work in e-portfolio

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 Southern New Hampshire

University

 Self-paced online program

 Cost of roughly $2500 per year  Competencies defined, in part, by

employers

 Curated content, expert graders,

coaches 28

What Can Colleges Do?

 Reach adults with some college but

no degree

 Reach adults with high school

diplomas but no college

 Adopt adult learner-friendly practices,

like Prior Learning Assessment (PLA), in colleges

 Convince employers to invest in

credential completion for their employees

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What Can Colleges Do?



Better career and education

advising



Expanded/flexible online

options



Competency-Based programs

 Career and educational guidance—

help with translating/cross-walking prior experience to college-level learning

 Help in navigating postsecondary

education

 Recognition of prior learning for credit  Job readiness and employer referrals

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 Expanded on-line support services  Degrees and certificates, not just

courses

 Interactive formats

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 Strategic alliances

 Linked to existing and emerging

industry skills and knowledge needs

 Customized programs  Collaborative curriculum

development

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 CHEA asks: Are we doing enough

to ensure quality?

 Commission on Quality Assurance

and Alternative Higher Education

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What About Quality?

It’s not innovation OR quality. It’s innovation AND quality.

 CAEL and others advocating for

financial aid to cover high quality, innovative models.

 Experimental Sites provision  Direct Assessment provision

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 Invent, or use,

methods that will get PLA and CBE to scale

 Keep adult learners’ multiple roles and needs

at center of thinking and design

 Keep up to date on adult learning innovations

and technology platforms

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What Can You Do?

www.cael.org

(Research and Publications)

Pamela Tate

President and CEO

Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL)

[email protected]