The CAEL (Council for Adult and Experiential Learning) and the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) announce the inaugural winners of the Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) Equity Awards, recognizing strategies that have been proven to put CPL in reach of key adult learner populations and/or increase their CPL credit-earning.…

This brief highlights examples of career pathway models funded by TAACCCT [Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training] that were designed for adult students who require accelerated timelines because they are often under pressure to enter or reenter the workforce quickly to support their families. In each of the cases chosen,…

Within the next few years the majority of jobs in the U.S. will require some type of postsecondary credential. However, less than half of adults in this country currently possess a credential beyond high school. Though they may not have a college degree to show for it, most adults have likely gained significant and valuable learning through their…

Previous research from the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) and the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) found that prior learning assessment/credit for prior learning (PLA/CPL) 1 has a positive effect on adult student credential completion--an effect that was evident for every student subgroup analyzed in a…

The Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC) and The Presidents' Forum have released a new study authored and researched by the Online Learning Consortium's Dr. Jill Buban, which sheds light on how adult learning institutions address students who possess alternative credentials and seek to apply these experiences to a degree. This…

The awarding of prior learning credits for military students goes back to World War II, when the American Council on Education (ACE) first translated military training to college credit. Since then, the practice has expanded. More than 2,000 colleges and universities accept military training as a form of credit, explains Cathy Sandeen, ACE's vice…

The Open and Distance Learning (ODL) has come to stay as an alternative mode to meet the higher educational requirements of diverse groups. Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), a system leader in India, plays a major role in giving access and equity, besides maintaining and coordinating standards of distance education in the country.…

The national imperative to improve postsecondary degree completion has led to various innovations within colleges and universities to improve student retention and academic success, particularly of non-traditional learners. One innovation that has been in use since the 1970s, but is often under-promoted and under-utilized within institutions, is…

To meet the future's challenges, recommends that community colleges: improve the entry-exit-reentry process, individualize instruction, make open admissions meaningful by combining literacy and occupational education, grant credit for experiential learning, serve as educational brokers, collaborate with community agencies, strengthen student…

Describes a Texas community college program in which students earn "equivalent" college credits for learning experiences outside the traditional college classroom. Discusses qualifications for the program, companies cooperating in this program, and how the program works. (CT)

This handbook presents information to aid students in applying for prior learning credit at Whatcom Community College (WCC). First, introductory material outlines the types of activities that may qualify a student for prior experiential learning credit and presents a flowchart illustrating the accrediting process. Next, a step-by-step guide is…

Reviews Northern Virginia Community College's Prior Learning Activity for Credit Evaluation (PLACE) program, which helps returning adult students and those attending college for the first time capitalize on their experiences and earn college credit for them. Describes the author's grant-related activities of revising PLACE's workbook and teaching…

The Child Care Services Course (CCSC) at Red River Community College in Manitoba offers an innovative experiential learning component for the first year of a two-year diploma program. To apply for the experiential learning program (ELP), applicants must have 2 years of full-time experience in a children's center or licensed day care home working…

Traces the history of and rationale for awarding college credit for experiential learning in order to avoid duplicating educational experiences, accommodate preferred learning styles, respond to social changes, and promote lifelong learning. Reviews methods of assessing and documenting prior learning. Considers implications for practice. (DMM)

Sinclair Community College's (SCC's) Experience Based Education (EBE) program offers an alternative approach to learning which operates outside the time, format, and place constraints imposed by traditional, classroom-based education. After introductory material defining EBE and tracing the increased recognition of adult, lifelong learning…