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    Prior Learning Assessment Certificate Program

    The Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) Certificate Program is the only certification program for prior learning assessment practitioners and administrators in the United States. The online program is comprised of four workshops designed to assist you in developing or improving your institution's portfolio assessment program using prior learning proven standards. During each workshop, you participate in a series of structured activities that use both online and off-line materials. You'll work with a learning group for discussions and activities, and each group is assigned an online consultant to facilitate learning and provide feedback.

    Courses in this Program
    Who Should Attend

    • Adult learning practitioners
    • Faculty and administrators in higher education
    • Professional association education developers
    • Employees of institutions interested in developing a professional portfolio assessment system

    Benefits

    The online program will help you:

    • Learn the principles of experiential learning and its value for adults
    • Understand and apply the steps and procedures in the PLA process
    • Identify the links between experience and learning and determine college-level learning gained from experience
    • Discriminate between college-level and pre-college-level learning
    • Learn the history and development of prior learning assessment
    • Apply principles of best practice in prior learning assessment
    • Use administrative principles of prior learning assessment within the context of your institution
    • Articulate the value of prior learning assessment to various audiences

    Topics/Syllabus

    The Prior Learning Assessment Certificate Program is comprised of four online workshops.

    PLA Workshop 1: This introductory workshop is intended for those with little or no experience with PLA concepts or practices. In this workshop you will become familiar with the language of PLA, a set of standards for the assessment of learning and the procedural steps to run an assessment process.

    PLA Workshop 2: This workshop builds on the fundamentals of PLA covered in Workshop 1, including how to apply prior learning assessment principles to the series of decisions that make up assessment activity.

    PLA Workshop 3: This workshop focuses on quality assurance and the integration of activities, policies and procedures that ensure that a program's practices are congruent with its goals.

    PLA Workshop 4: This workshop focuses on additional quality assurance and the integration of activities, policies and procedures that ensure that a program's practices are congruent with its goals.

    Upon completing the first two workshops, you will be awarded a Certificate of Achievement in Prior Learning Assessment. If you successfully complete all four facilitated workshops, you will be granted a Certificate of Mastery in Prior Learning Assessment.

    FAQ

    What are the system requirements this program?
    The program is delivered online with some offline assignments.
    You will need a computer (IBM Compatible PC or Apple Macintosh) with:

    The program is taught asynchronously - you can take it anywhere, anytime you have access to the above. However, there is a weekly schedule you are expected to keep.

    Is there a required text?
    Assessing Learning
    • Yes. Assessing Learning, 3rd edition [2017] by the Council For Adult Experiential Learning (CAEL), Donna Younger, and Catherine Marineau will be mailed to you as you start the program.
    What is the weekly time commitment for the workshops?
    On average you should spend five to seven hours weekly on the workshops. The best way to do this is to spread the hours over the week, perhaps half an hour each evening or during lunch, then longer at the weekend.

    For More Information, Contact:

    Janie Rollinson

    Email: jrollin1@depaul.edu
    Phone: +1 312-362-5792

    Upcoming Class Offerings

    To see these class offerings, click on the links under the Courses in this Program section on this page (click here to jump to that section).

    Paper Registration

    If you wish to register for a class via a paper form, click here.

    Student Policies

    Click here for a list of our student policies.

    Contact Us

    For general inquiries, please email us or call 312-362-6300.