Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) CANADA

1
Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition
(PLAR)CANADA

Canadian Information Centre for International
Credentials (CICIC) at the Council of Ministers
of Education, Canada (CMEC)

• Yves E Beaudin2007.01.25

2
INTRODUCTION- Education in Canada falls
under provincial and territorial jurisdiction
(10 provinces 3 territories)- PLAR policies
will vary in the provinces and territories-
Widely accepted in universities, colleges,
professional regulatory bodies, certification
boards, industry, etc.
3
Role of Governments

• Research
• Policy / Frameworks
• Financial support
• Guidelines

4
Universities

• autonomous organizations with individual
  governance and discretion in terms of policies
• responsible for their quality assurance
  processes
• set academic standards and develop assessment
  methods and procedures for accessing formal,
  non-formal and informal prior learning for
  admissions or credit purposes.

5
Policies and Procedures

• 50 universities with policies and procedures
• Institutional policies
• Departmental policies

6
PersonnelMost universities have personnel
dedicated to PLAR activities at the institutional
or the departmental (faculty) level
7
Credit transfer and PLAR

• Credit transfer system used towards a university
  degree
• Challenge for Credit towards a specific course
• Some universities use portfolio assessments and
  credit challenge to award credit for non-formal
  and informal learning towards a degree program

8
Best Practices in Prior Learning Assessment and
Recognition (PLAR)

• PLAR implementation is not standardized. The
  development of a coordinated prior learning
  assessment strategy based on current best
  practices is something that needs further
  exploration.

9
Some institutions would like to

• Collaborate with other post-secondary
  institutions to develop clear definitions,
  standards and assessment practices for PLAR
• Initiate and support PLAR networks or working
  groups to create a forum for sharing ideas and
  conducting research

10

• Increase professional development opportunities
  by providing access to courses and conferences
  and promote opportunities for interaction with
  and among PLAR practitioners. There is an
  abundance of knowledge and experience in this
  field.
• Provide clear reasons for unsuccessful
  assessments of prior learning and include a clear
  explanation as to how the individuals
  qualifications were assessed.
• Provide unsuccessful applicants the right to
  appeal. Appeals should not be heard by persons
  involved in the original decision.

11
Fees

• Most have fees associated to PLAR except where
  base funding is provided
• Students address the financial strain of the fees
  required

12
Other

• In most cases no distinctive codes are accorded
  to credits obtained through alternate assessment
  methods.
• PLAR participants report having received better
  pay, benefits, improved career prospects, and as
  an accompaniment to academic accomplishment, have
  a better quality of life
• Women, in particular, have benefited from PLAR

13

• PLAR students have been shown to engage in more
  continued lifelong learning. They take more
  courses and are more likely to engage in post
  diploma studies
• Recognition is applied to various certificate,
  diploma, and degree programs

14

• Most PLAR participants indicate that PLAR was
  valuable, some believe that too much work was
  involved for the maximum amount of credit that
  could be received.

15
Resistance

• Higher education institutions have been slow to
  change
• Institutions cite inadequate funding to train and
  compensate advisors and assessors and to create
  tools and resources, administrative procedures,
  and gap training. For faculty, who already
  report being overloaded, the additional tasks
  come with no recognition to them or increase in
  pay.

16

• The formal education sector is concerned with
  standards, quality assurance and dealing with the
  demands placed on the institution

17

• Acceptance of non-formal and informal learning
  may lead to quality assurance issues
• Academically, institutions may refuse to
  recognize transfer credit transcripted as having
  been obtained through PLAR

18

• Colleges
• Professional Regulatory Bodies
• Certification Boards
• Industry

19

• Canadian Association of Prior Learning Assessment
  (CAPLA)
• Canadian Institute for Recognizing Learning
  (CIRL)
• Canadian Information Centre for International
  Credentials

20
Questions - Discussion