Are You Right for Portfolio Assessment?

April 12, 2013

Todd Siben, Assistant Director of Portfolio Assessment at Thomas Edison State College

By Todd Siben
Assistant Director of Portfolio Assessment

Attention writers, salespeople and creative types: I may have a method of earning college credit that fits your personality and skill set.

Students often ask, “Is portfolio assessment for me?” While we can answer that question, I want to turn that question around to help you determine, “Are you right for portfolio assessment?”

Portfolio assessment and prior learning assessment (PLA) may be the most nontraditional method of earning credit, even at nontraditional institutions. It is different than earning credit via a credit-by-exam program. So, what makes someone a good candidate for portfolio assessment?

My response to that question is based on years of observation. I’ve probably reviewed in excess of 100,000 portfolios in my years at Thomas Edison State College, and as a result I have some thoughts about the characteristics of people who are the most successful with utilizing the College’s Portfolio Assessment process in earning college credit. These include:

• Writers: The written word and narrative is a critical part of a portfolio assessment when breaking down and articulating the details of your college-level knowledge. This includes detailing the who, what, where, when and how you acquired the knowledge and applied it to a real-life setting and what documentation you can provide to support your narrative. Writers tend to find the PLA process to be within their grasp.
   
• Savers: Portfolio assessment can be ideal for those who save everything. When you need a copy of a certificate you’ve earned, you know where to find it. It’s in the second drawer from the bottom in that old metal file cabinet hidden in the back of your attic, behind the old coat rack. Whether it’s in a shoebox in your garage or an old, musty box in your basement, you know where exactly where it is because you keep things like that for the day when you know you will need it!  And because of this, you will be able to document your accomplishments.
   
• Paper Chasers: Portfolio assessment can be a good option for those who love the challenge of definitively proving a point by using documentation to make their case. If you can substantiate your claims of college-level knowledge by documenting evidence and incorporating that evidence into detailed report, you should excel at producing a strong PLA portfolio.
   
• Law Enforcement Professionals: Portfolio assessment is typically a good match for people in law enforcement because they understand ANYTHING can be viewed as evidence as long as you can show how it helps prove your case. Training in writing detailed, descriptive reports also positions law enforcement professionals well for developing a PLA portfolio.
   
• Confident People: Are you the person in your organization who is the in-house “expert” on something? It can be anything, from Microsoft Excel or digital photography to proofreading or project planning. Portfolio assessment can be a good option for people who have a body of knowledge that colleagues recognize and that can be equated to a college-level course.
   
• Storytellers: At least a portion of the narrative you write in your portfolio assessment is a story about something you’ve done or experienced. A good storyteller does not leave out the details and can go through the events in order, select the truly salient information and tell it in a way that is captivating and informative.
   
• Salespeople: You know this type. They are always selling something, whether it’s a new product or a new idea. Are you the determined type who expresses yourself well and persuades others to share your perspective? If so, portfolio assessment could be for you.
   
• Creative Types: Portfolio assessment can be especially well-suited for those in the creative or performing arts because they have learned to archive their accomplishments (whether it is on film, video, CD, DVD, MP3 or in written reviews) and promote their recent projects. For example, artists can show their paintings (finished or not), actors and musicians can share reviews of their performances, playbills and recorded works.
   
• Conceptualizers: If you can envision a relatively complex process from start to finish or are especially good at anticipating outcomes, you may be a good match for portfolio assessment and successfully structuring a PLA portfolio.
   
• Parents of newborns: The month following a birth of a new baby (assuming the baby has settled into a schedule) may be a good time to tackle a portfolio assessment. This method of earning credit may be ideal for this chapter of your life because it allows you to work on the portfolio in five or ten minute intervals, especially when your time and attention are torn between your baby and course work.
   
• People with Applied Skills: Although much of the information about portfolio assessment accentuates the college-level knowledge you possess, those who have concrete, real-world expertise in a specific subject area that can substantiate the knowledge are often successful with portfolio assessments.

So, do any of these characteristics sound familiar?

If so, then perhaps there’s college credit already in your head that has yet to be documented and validated. The best way to find out is to talk to someone in the PLA office of your college or university!

At Thomas Edison State College, contact me at [email protected].

Tags: portfolio assessment , prior learning assessment

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Learning in the Field

December 17, 2012

Warren Gramm, mentor at Thomas Edison State College

by Warren Gramm
Mentor, Thomas Edison State College

Prior learning assessment (PLA) at Thomas Edison State College is designed to help students gain college credit for knowledge gained through real life experiences. As a mentor for the College, when I consider that, I can't help but gravitate towards the many students that have had success through the music PLA credits they've earned while serving our country in the armed forces in locations throughout the world.

Many adult learners are actively engaged overseas and are at the same time demonstrating for me their music backgrounds and capabilities. I wish that more members of the armed forces bands knew that it is possible to gain college credit for what they already know!

Many students enrolled in Thomas Edison State College pursuing the Bachelor of Arts degree program in Music are playing the music of famous composers on a daily basis. While gaining real world experience serving our country, they are also gaining valuable experience in the music field.

In my mind, there is no better way to learn about Mozart and Beethoven than by playing their music. It is important to know what a literary resource might tell you about these musical giants, but to play their compositions add a substantive personal connection.

Please take a moment to read about a student, Reginald Hennessy, who has benefited from the PLA program.

How has the ability to gain college credit in music while you are serving overseas enhanced your career?
In the Army, college credit translates as promotion points. We are always looking to find ways to better ourselves to make the best of our time. We will not be in the army forever and we need to have opportunities for jobs on the outside of the army. Unfortunately (usually), music credits have to be done in house at your college. The ability to do the class online takes away the wait to get back to the states to finish our degrees.

What was the most challenging part of doing your music PLAs while serving overseas?
Time! Balancing a full time career with going to college is hard for anyone but being overseas it seems to a bit harder. We have to be mission ready while we keep our daily work up to date on top of your personal commitments. Postal Services are slower allowing less time with the materials you need.

Besides college credit, what else did you gain from the experience?
Knowledge, even though it’s a PLA you still learn something. As I went through the course I listened to the artist I was writing about or the time period. I learned that no music is dead, and artists are still writing in every genre or time period today. Most notable Gregorian chant with the group Gregorian: Masters of Chant. It is interesting to see their take on popular music.

The PLA program has awarded credit for college level knowledge to band directors, band members, and some of the finest musicians that our nation has to offer.

While serving in the military is something that should be highly applauded in and of itself, through our PLA program we are able to recognize the great life learning experience that the armed forces bestows upon its members. If you're currently serving as a musician in the armed forces, contact Thomas Edison State College to see if you can benefit from the PLA program! Contact the PLA Office at the College at [email protected].

Tags: PLA , portfolio assessment , prior learning assessment

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Is PLA Right for You?

October 17, 2012

Todd Siben, assistant director, Prior Learning/Portfolio Assessment

By Todd Siben, Assistant Director
Prior Learning/Portfolio Assessment

If you are like many adults, a significant amount of your life knowledge has been acquired through learning experiences that occurred outside of a classroom. Through Thomas Edison State College’s Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) courses, you can use your college-level knowledge to earn the credit you deserve.

Because Prior Learning Assessments (PLAs) are such a unique method of earning credit, students often find the concept somewhat difficult to grasp. I'm going to simplify it for you and help you over the next hurdle!

What is PLA?
The PLA process allows you to earn credit for knowledge gained through learning experiences that can be equated to what would have been learned in a college course from an accredited college or university.

This method of earning credit provides you with the opportunity to work with a mentor to demonstrate that you already possess college-level knowledge in a subject. Our students have reported that it is one of the most rewarding ways to earn credits, because it acknowledges and validates the learning they have acquired outside of a traditional classroom setting.

Students often ask if course credit can be awarded for life experience. The answer to this question is no. For example, we would not give you the credit equivalent for our Principles of Management (MAN-301) course because you have a business card that lists your title as 'manager.'  We could, however, award credit for the same course once you articulate the knowledge you have of management theory and concepts, substantiate your associated professional accomplishments and demonstrate how those accomplishments equate with the College's MAN-301 course objectives.

I also explain to students that PLA is not necessarily about book knowledge. Being well read on a topic may not be enough for you to earn credit via this method of course completion as PLA typically focuses on "experiential" learning.

What kind of experience may be applicable?
Did you grow up in an ethnically diverse culture? Are you proficient at playing a musical instrument? Do you have an interesting hobby in which you have an in-depth knowledge? Do you serve as the 'go-to' person for your employer in Microsoft Excel solutions? If so, you may be a candidate for PLA completion.

How is a PLA structured?
A PLA course has four significant components, they include:

• A course description that you have selected
• A set of course outcomes objectives provided by the course mentor
• A narrative that you write, which is fine-tuned to address the course objectives
• A body of appropriate evidence that proves your college-level knowledge in the subject you selected

The course description can be selected from the PLA Course Description Database. If you can't find a match there, locate a course description from the catalog of another regionally accredited college and submit the course description for approval to a Thomas Edison State College academic advisor.

The course outcomes are determined by the PLA mentor and they will serve as your roadmap for satisfying the PLA requirements. Through these, the mentor conveys what capabilities/competencies someone would have if they had taken this course.

The narrative is a student statement that discusses your knowledge of the topics in the course description and correlates these to the course objectives. In the process of completing the narrative portion and tying your narrative to the course outcomes objectives, you may even uncover some new learning opportunities. In the narrative, you should also address how, when, where and why you gained this knowledge. You would then provide information on how the knowledge was applied through supporting evidence.

Your evidence may include letters of reference or support, transcripts or certificates of completed training, licenses, performance appraisals from supervisors or samples of your work. If you have targeted the performing arts, for instance, you will want to submit a video/Web video or DVD of one of your performances. If you are a PLA candidate for Public Speaking (COM-209), you would need similar evidence. A photo of you giving a speech probably will not suffice, for instance, unless it is accompanied by a newspaper article that details your speaking engagement.

Isn't it time you got the credit you deserve?

This year marks Todd Siben's 24th anniversary with Thomas Edison State College. Previously, he served on the staff of Mercer County Community College, the University of Rhode Island, Northern Arizona State University, The University of Buffalo and Columbia University. He earned his Master of Arts degree at the Teachers College of Columbia University in adult and higher education. Siben has also been known to take courses at the College just to experience things from a student’s perspective.

Contact Todd and learn more about PLA at [email protected].

Tags: course outcomes , PLA , portfolio assessment , prior learning assessment

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