Offering some relief from a raft of reports about declining education attainment and increasing college costs, Anya Kamenetz celebrates Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) for boosting higher education productivity, access, and affordability ("Change," September/October 2011). According to Kamenetz, PLA is transforming higher education by leveraging…

Western Governors University was conceptualized in 1995 at a meeting of the Western Governors Association, and founded soon after in an effort to increase degree production in higher education at a lower cost. It has expanded significantly over the past few years, driven both by increased demand for online education and by drastic state budget…

Andragogy's concern with process is at odds with the competence movement's emphasis on outcomes. Accreditation of prior learning, a system of assessing and certifying competence acquired through experience, has some similarities with andragogy. Learner reflection and identification of learning in many different contexts can bridge the gap. (SK)

A model for assessing/accrediting prior learning for the achievement of National Vocational Qualifications in Britain uses five evidence factors (authenticity, retention, relevance, quantity, and variety), assigns values to the factors, and assesses the resulting value patterns. (SK)

This inaugural issue of the Journal of the National Institute on the Assessment of Experiential Learning begins with the article, "Semantic and Conceptual Ambiguities in Prior Learning Assessment" (Richard J. Hamilton). It is the basis for a session presented at the National Institute on the Assessment of Experiential Learning in June…

As this booklet describes, New Zealand's Education Amendment Act of 1990 made the country's Qualifications Authority (QA) responsible for developing and implementing a process for recognition of prior learning (RPL) that would enable individuals to receive formal recognition for skills and knowledge they already possess. As of 1993, the QA had…

This publication highlights three topics from the 1992 National Institute on the Assessment of Experiential Learning. "Computer Conferencing at the National Institute: The Articulation of Knowledge and Writing Ability in the Assessment of Experiential Learning" (Evelyn F. Spradley) discusses the electronic conference held concurrently with the…

This publication contains two papers from the 1993 National Institute on the Assessment of Experiential Learning. "In Support of Prior Learning Assessment" (Rebecca C. Hull) highlights arguments in opposition to the acceptance of prior learning assessment and the responses that might best counter these arguments. "Outcomes Assessment of Prior…

Examines assumptions about Britain's Management Charter Initiative (MCI)--a competency-based approach to management education. Explores delegate motivation, significant in the process of accrediting prior learning. (JOW)

This publication is based on the session on assessment of prior learning and the accrediting process at the 1991 National Institute on the Assessment of Experiential Learning. The paper by Paula Hooper Mayhew focuses on regional accreditation, including the evaluation team visit and accrediting prior learning assessment during the visit. Amy K.…

This booklet explains the operation of New Zealand's National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and its relationship to workplace assessment. Discussed first is the NQF's mission of encouraging people to continue their education and training after secondary school and permitting flexibility in where and how people train. The role of the NQF in…

Adults learn from many sources, such as volunteer work, community services, homemaking, jobs, and other activities, and they increasingly want this learning to be recognized so that they can reenter the job market, get a promotion, or return to college. Therefore, scientific methods have been developed to help adults document their experiential…

During the last 5-10 years, a number of countries have introduced methods and systems for identifying, validating, and recognizing prior and nonformal learning that can be viewed as tools for improving the transparency and transfer of skills. In most cases, they have been operational for a comparatively short time, which makes it difficult to…

Educational institutions need to help women get a better education by taking into account the learning they have acquired through experience in homemaking, volunteer work, and other activities. This paper examines the need for recognition of women's prior learning by educational institutions and delves into some of the intricacies of the process.…

The New Zealand Qualifications Authority was established to develop a consistent approach to the recognition of academic and vocational qualifications. The National Qualifications Framework was designed following surveys of a number of sectors: universities, colleges of education, polytechnics, private training firms, schools, businesses, unions,…