LibraryC1 High-value operations1c Credit evaluation and articulation
LTI-OPS-016
Assess non-academic learning through portfolio-based evaluation
Two-year to four-yearwith adaptationFour-year to two-yearwith adaptationFour-year to four-yearwith adaptation
Contradicted In Part
source says long portfolios are ill-suited to students needing fast re-entry. PLA take-up under 5% nationally
Mechanism
Adult students document college-level learning from their working lives in a structured portfolio and get credit for it. Shorter degree, lower cost.
Preconditions
A faculty-approved rubric and standard submission guidelines for portfolios.
Owner, by role
Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) Coordinator / Departmental Faculty
Who can act
One institution alone
Effort
Medium, 9 months to first visible effect
Outcome metric
Time to degree and graduation rates for adult transfers
Failure modes
Faculty members may resist reviewing portfolios due to perceived lack of rigor or uncompensated grading workload.
Contra-indications
Highly standardized and structured programs (e.g., nursing) may have strict accrediting limits on experiential credits.
Related practices
- LTI-OPS-017 Establish institutional credit-by-examination challenge tests