The first-year university experience is inherently linked to student satisfaction, retention and academic success. A sense of academic preparedness can enhance the first-year transition experience. Subjects designed to assist students to transition to university can improve the transition experience; however, there is very limited evidence of…

Universities across the United States are grappling with both funding and enrollment pressures and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Decreasing state funding coupled with lower birth rates of the recent past (Grawe, 2018) are forcing colleges and universities to rethink enrollment and retention strategies. Amid the push to…

This document summarizes the National Institute on the Assessment of Experiential Learning conference in July 1989, during which educators from the field of adult education met to discuss prior learning assessment (PLA), a process developed for awarding credit for college-level knowledge acquired outside the classroom. Some educators were…

A study was made to identify the competencies women gain from their volunteer work and homemaking experiences and to develop materials helpful to women and to colleges in evaluating these experiences for college credit. By a review of the literature and interviews and surveys of adult women, the investigators identified fourteen volunteer work…

This handbook was designed for adults who did not complete an occupational or degree objective and who are considering returning to college and wish to request credit or advanced standing for learning acquired through non-college experiences. The handbook guides the student in the preparation of a portfolio which examines, identifies, describes,…

This handbook gives the adult student information to complete portfolios that are designed to help adult students earn college credits for outside experience. Portfolio assessment is a flexible and efficient way to earn college credit. Nearly any area of learning can be converted into credits as long as it is taught at a regionally accredited…

The implementation of the Adult Degree Completion Program (ADCP) at Antioch-Yellow Springs is described. The ADCP is a transfer program designed to enable adults who have never finished colege to complete their undergraduate degree work, often without having to abandon their obligations to families or to professions. To enroll in the program,…

Cooperative education, experiential learning, and personal knowledge are addressed in nine conference papers. Kenneth Abrahamsson considers the nature of experiential learning, the recognition of prior learning, educational design and the assessment of quality, and policy and practice for integrating learning and experience. Harry Hienemann…

A model for assessing and awarding credit for prior experiential learning is presented; the adult student's experiences are summarized in a portfolio. The model incorporates eight stages: facilitating the construction and assessment of a portfolio, identifying significant prior experiences, expressing the learning outcomes of prior experiences,…

This student guide is directed at the adult student who petitions for college credits based on prior experiential learning. It will assist such adults in maximizing the value of their prior experiences in relation to educational goals and successfully obtaining appropriate credit. The reader is led step by step through the process of identifying…

The Community College of Vermont holds the position that the highest purpose of education is to foster self-reliance, in both the community and the individual. This college awards the associate degree upon the completion of individual, student-written, competence-based degree contracts. Areas of competence which are evaluated include self…

The Associate Degree in Liberal Studies program (ALS) at William Rainey Harper College, Palatine, Illinois, offers students the opportunity to design their own curriculum, awards college credits for experiential learning, and provides a structure for independent study. This report briefly discusses the selection and training of evaluation…

The Cooperative Assessment of Experiential Learning (CAEL) Project involves Educational Testing Service and some 250 member institutions. The purpose of the project is to develop procedures and materials that will be useful in strengthening the assessment of experiential learning in higher education. This report describes extensive findings that…