In efforts to encourage student recognition of greater connections between their experiential learning and college-level learning, the author has developed a model comprising four key areas towards a method he calls 'thresholding'. These key areas are: situating experience, reflecting on experience, understanding college-level learning, and…

Portfolio assessment, designed after the model disseminated originally by the Cooperative Assessment of Experiential Learning (CAEL) project, has become the assessment technique of choice in prior learning programs as well as the foundation for adult degree programs. Innovations and changes in the assessment process are discussed. (Author/MLW)

Precise transcript development is vital to the articulation and transfer of credit. The transcript, the institution's award of credit, must present the institution's relation to experiential learning; transcription practices must allow institutions to communicate with third parties. Sample transcripts are provided. (MLW)

The Institute for Personal and Career Development of Central Michigan University offers external degree programs for adult learners using nontraditional study. The competency-based programs described include credit given for the educational background and relevant career-life experiences of registered nurses in Michigan. (Author/LBH)

A discussion is given of competency-based programs of innovative colleges, including the role of assessment of prior learning in such programs, drawing on the experience of Justin Morrill College of Michigan State University. (Author)

The off-campus term program (OCT) of the University of South Florida is described. The OCT represents a model of centralized, comprehensive experiential education. The methods and systems used are described as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the OCT centralized model. (Author/SF)

A study at Syracuse University funded by the Cooperative Assessment of Experiential Learning resulted in the development of a model for the assessment of experiential learning and the awarding of appropriate academic credit in a given educational environment. (Author/LBH)

Discusses the importance of experience and experiential learning in distance education. Models of prior knowledge and experiential learning are discussed, the measurement of experiential learning is described, a model of the portfolio assessment method is explained, and implications for Dutch higher education and the Open University are suggested.…

This report is intended as a tool for colleges, universities, volunteer associations, businesses, and industries that wish to give women official recognition for experience acquired through nonpaid work. Chapter 1 examines experiential learning in the United States and how it is viewed for women. The second chapter is a selective bibliography from…

Evaluation of nontraditional educational programs and individual achievement is discussed in terms of three components: process-environment, objectives, and evaluation. The combinations of these components in traditional and nontraditional orientations are each presented and examined as possible models for measurement of educational outcomes. (JMF)

Models for assessing prior learning or noncollege learning are discussed. The increasing variety of interests, ages, and levels of maturity among prospective college students requires that higher education institutions face the issue of granting credit for noncollege learning. It is suggested that the key issue for colleges and universities is how…

College internship programs in a political science curriculum are discussed. After considering the perspectives of the university, students, faculty, and the government agency that serves as the learning site, a description is given of college internship programs that illustrate a variety of approaches at the following institutions: University of…

A general overview of the Cooperative Assessment of Experiential Learning's Operational Models project is presented. The information is intended to aid other institutions in developing a similar model. Three papers are included: Developing an Operational Model for Assessing Experiential Learning by Warren W. Willingham and Kurt F. Geisinger,…

A model for assessing and awarding credit for prior experiential learning is presented; the adult student's experiences are summarized in a portfolio. The model incorporates eight stages: facilitating the construction and assessment of a portfolio, identifying significant prior experiences, expressing the learning outcomes of prior experiences,…

Evaluation of prior learning for the External Degree Program at Florida International University is described. Efforts in the following areas are presented: (1) implementation and evaluation of the competency-based assessment tool, (2) integration of the assessment process with other processes of the External Degree Program and the entire…