Joseph Levy, Executive Director of Assessment and
Accreditation and Tracy Costello, Assistant Director of Prior Learning Assessment
of NLU believe that adult students need to feel validated and know their
experience and knowledge has value and worth. Consequently, they are taking the
proper steps to ensure these students are acknowledged. In The EvoLLLution online newspaper, Levy and Costello’s discuss
considerations for ensuring student success through PLA programs, while also
highlighting example practices at NLU. Prior Learning Assessments (PLA) allow a
student’s experiential learning to be evaluated for potential credit award
while recognizing and validating the non-traditional learning they bring with
them to college.
Through trial and error and finding the right balance of support, Levy and Costello have developed effective PLA options for undergraduate and graduate students such as credit by exam, credit by portfolio, credit by licensure and certifications, and course by arrangement to support students’ whose experience surpasses the coursework needed for completion of certain courses within some programs. These assessments are described in detail in the article and more information can be found on NLU’s PLA website.
With student support in place, Levy and Costello also
created outreach initiatives that support and encourage adult learners
including a PLA video showcasing students of PLA,
redesigning the NLU
website to provide testimonials, and program specific information
fact sheets to demonstrate the PLA process (e.g., undergraduate examples here). By doing so, these efforts educate
and reinforce PLA programs to students, faculty and staff, and are excellent
examples for other institutions to consider. “At NLU, our institutional legacy
is defined by its mindfulness in ensuring access to a diverse student body.
With this in mind, we have made it our mission to provide equitable PLA
opportunities for all students, supporting their unique individual backgrounds”
state the innovative creators Levy and Costello. Read the article in The
EvoLLLution online newspaper and learn more about NLU’s PLA
services at https://www.nl.edu/pla/.
These results, as well as other workshops from various adult
education groups will be discussed at the CAEL (Council for Adult and
Experiential Learning) Conference “Plug in: Energize Adults Pathways to Success”
at the Palmer House on Wednesday, November 6 to help support and promote the
continuing efforts for PLA options for adults in and around the Chicagoland
area. NLU is sponsoring the event, and the conference is opened to anyone would
like to attend. More information can be found here.