PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT AND RECOGNITION (PLAR)

PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT AND RECOGNITION (PLAR) June 2004 Prepared by: Deb Blower PLAR Facilitator Red River College C519-2055 Notre Dame Ave. Winnipeg, MB. R3H 0J9 Phone: 204-632-2065 Fax: 204-632-4859 Email: dblower@rrc.mb.ca 1

Table of Contents 1. Introduction 3 2. Achieved Outcomes and Deliverables (September 2001- June 2004) 2.1 PLAR Foundation Course (onsite delivery).. 4 2.2 PLAR Foundation Course (online delivery).. 6 2.3 PLAR Practitioner Course (onsite delivery)...8 2.4 PLAR Practitioner Course (online and live video streaming delivery).. 9 2.5 PLAR Professional Development Service 9 3. Conclusion 10 Appendices Appendix 1 Appendix 2 Appendix 3 Appendix 4 Appendix 5 PLAR Practitioner DACUM Skills Checklist PLAR Foundation Course PLAR Foundation Course PLAR Process Resource Package PLAR Practitioner Course (advanced) RRC PLAR Training Courses 2

Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition PLAR Practitioner Training Initiative Report June 2004 1. Introduction In June 2001, Red River College (RRC) received funding from the Systems Restructuring Envelope for a three year PLAR Training Initiative to develop and facilitate two levels of PLAR training and professional development for faculty and staff in post secondary institutions and other organizations across the province. RRC has developed and implemented a multi faceted two level PLAR training program to ensure quality practice for those who implement PLAR processes and systems. Two courses the PLAR Foundation Course (basic level) and the PLAR Practitioner Course (advanced level) form the core of the training and help to ensure equivalency and consistency of practitioner competence in the province. The basic PLAR Foundation Course is facilitated onsite at RRC by Deb Blower, PLAR Facilitator and through classroom delivery across the province by Lois Morin, PLAR Coordinator, Department of Advanced Education and Training- Adult Learning and Literacy Program. The PLAR Foundation course is available for staff from post secondary institutions, adult learning centres, employment centres, Apprenticeship and other organizations wishing to access the onsite training in many locations across Manitoba. It may be completed, through RRC as a credit course with a transcript/grade and a Certificate of Achievement or for audit purposes with a Certificate of Participation. RRC also offers the PLAR Foundation Course through online delivery access. Red River College developed the PLAR Practitioner Course (advanced level) and it was facilitated for the first time in 2002/2003. The advanced course provides experienced PLAR practitioners with more in depth training and skills enhancement related to PLAR systems and new skill development. This PLAR Practitioner Course is available onsite at RRC and through a combined online and live video streaming delivery. Participants may complete the course for RRC credit and a Certificate of Achievement or for audit purposes with a Certificate of Participation. The PLAR Professional Development Service, in partnership with the Manitoba Prior Learning Assessment Network (MPLAN) provides ongoing professional development activities to assist Manitoba s PLAR practitioners to remain current and to demonstrate continuing competence in their work. The PLAR Training Initiative 3

provided administrative assistance and resources between 2001-2004 for a number of MPLAN s professional development activities. This report describes the achieved outcomes and deliverables of the PLAR Training Initiative between 2001-2004. The attached appendices provide additional detail on the courses and resource development. 2. Achieved Outcomes and Deliverables (September 2001-June 2004) During the three years of the project, (September 2001- June 2004) significant development, implementation and evaluation occurred. To begin the initiative, RRC conducted the first DACUM process in Canada for PLAR Practitioners (October 2001). The DACUM process identified the knowledge, skills and abilities of PLAR advisors, assessors and facilitators. This PLAR Practitioner DACUM provided the basis for two levels of PLAR training: PLAR Foundation Course (basic level) and PLAR Practitioner Course (advanced). The PLAR Practitioner DACUM has been developed into a PLAR Practitioner DACUM Skills Checklist (Appendix 1). This self-assessment is used by PLAR advisors, assessors and facilitators to assess knowledge, skills and abilities for PLAR practitioner competence. It may also be used by individuals to develop professional portfolios for the PLAR field and for, a future voluntary certification process for PLAR Practitioners. 2.1 PLAR Foundation Course (onsite delivery) The PLAR Foundation Course (Appendix 2) comprised of seven (7) workshops (i.e. 40 hours) was offered onsite at Red River College by Deb Blower, RRC PLAR Facilitator and facilitated across the province by Lois Morin, PLAR Coordinator, Advanced Education and Training, Adult Learning and Literacy Program. Staff and faculty from post secondary institutions, adult learning centres, employment centres and other organizations participated in the training. In addition to the onsite delivery, the PLAR Foundation Course was delivered online in 2002/03 and 2003/04, two summer institutes (2002, 2003) were held and a customized PLAR Foundation Course was provided for an external group of Human Resource managers and staff from the Manitoba Civil Service Commission (CSC). Participants also accessed individual course workshops. Outcomes and deliverables achieved: Revised (where necessary) the PLAR Foundation course curriculum that had been in place since 1999 using the PLAR Practitioner DACUM, frequency of skill data, national and international PLAR standards and National Benchmarks for Canadian PLAR Practitioners (CAPLA 2000). Instructor resources were compiled for each of the seven workshops and included outcomes, activities, handouts, presentation slides and resources. 4

Delivered 35 on-site workshops at RRC (October 2001-June 2004) in the PLAR Foundation Course. Participants included faculty and staff from RRC, Keewatin Community College, Assiniboine Community College, University of Winnipeg, University of Manitoba, Brandon University, College Universitaire de Saint- Boniface, adult learning centres and other organizations. One hundred seventeen (117) individuals participated in these workshops and fifty eight (58) completed the entire PLAR Foundation Course through the in class workshop delivery format. Implemented two (2) one-week PLAR Foundation Course Summer Institutes. The first one at RRC (June 17-21, 2002) was for 25 participants from colleges, universities, regulatory/ licensing bodies, Apprenticeship and community organizations. A second institute was held at Yukon College in Whitehorse for 10 participants and eight (8) completed the course. Provided a customized PLAR Foundation Course for a group of Manitoba Civil Service Commission (CSC) staff and Human Resource managers. Eleven participated in the training and eight (8) completed the course. Evaluated each workshop session using the PLAR Workshop Feedback form. Participants evaluated the sessions very positively and strongly agreed or agreed that the workshop outcomes were met, the training sessions were useful, there was good balance between facilitator input and activities and that, as a result of the training, they were better able to develop PLAR services, processes, policies and procedures. Developed procedures for the PLAR Foundation course to be recognized as a credit course via RRC Continuing Education and Distance Education (for online delivery) as well as credit recognition in the tri College Certificate in Adult Education (CAE). The PLAR Foundation Course has also been included as an elective course, effective Fall 2004 in RRC s Career/Employment Counseling Certificate and Human Resource Management Certificate (with a specialized HR PLAR stream). Developed a PLAR process and PLAR Process Resource Package (Appendix 3) for the PLAR Foundation Course. To date, one individual has received credit recognition for equivalent prior learning via PLAR for the entire course and a few have received credit recognition via PLAR for individual workshops. Marketed/promoted the PLAR Foundation Course on the RRC website (www.rrc.mb.ca/prior) and through extensive mail out of brochures. 5

2.2 PLAR Foundation Course (online delivery) Outcomes and deliverables achieved: Completed the development of the PLAR Foundation course (7 modules) for online delivery. The PLAR curriculum developer, Gail Hall worked with RRC Program and Curriculum Development staff and RRC PLAR Facilitator, Deb Blower to develop the online version. Early in the development, focus groups were conducted to gain feedback on the online version from participants who had completed the onsite PLAR Foundation Training. The online version was developed to foster active learning (learner/ faculty contact, learner to learner interactivity and learner to system/course activity interaction). The online course included video clips from the PLAR Foundation Summer Institute (June 2002). Developed an online Orientation module to assist participants who had not previously participated in an online learning course. This module allowed the participants to get to know each other and practice using the various tools of WebCT (posting, chat rooms, email, etc.) Developed and implemented an introduction to WebCT resource for course participants. Developed by Mike Stuhldreier, RRC Program and Curriculum Development, this online resource provided the participants with the opportunity to learn about WebCT and its tools. The Using WebCT resource incorporates examples and screen captures from the PLAR Foundation online course and is now being utilized in other RRC online courses. Both the Orientation module and the Using WebCT resource were evaluated very positively by the participants. Facilitated the online delivery of the PLAR Foundation Course in 2002-03 for 10 participants (8 completed the course, 2 completed half of the course, 4 completed the course for credit recognition in the Certificate in Adult Education). Participants were faculty and staff from Assiniboine Community College, Keewatin Community College, and adult learning centres in the Westman Region. Facilitated the online delivery of the PLAR Foundation Course in 2003-04 for 19 participants. Twelve (12) participated in portions of the online course and seven (7) completed the full course. Four (4) participants completed the course for College credit. Participants were from Manitoba adult learning centres, colleges and community organizations. Out of province participants were from Alberta (college), Nunavut (government/college) and New Brunswick (government, colleges). Conducted ongoing evaluations as the course progressed and a Post Pilot Questionnaire/Evaluation of the PLAR Foundation online course. Prior to acceptance in the pilot course in 2002/2003, all participants were informed of the 6

feedback/evaluation process. All participants contributed to the ongoing feedback and the Post Pilot Questionnaire. Based on the feedback during the course some activity requirements were adjusted. The Post Pilot Questionnaire evaluated the PLAR learning during the course and whether the online environment fostered active learning, student/faculty contact, student/student interactivity and person to person interaction. Questions were developed based on a literature review of good practice in evaluating online courses as well as adult learning principles and PLAR. The course evaluations were very positive. A focus group of Brandon area course participants was conducted in May 2003. Feedback was extremely positive for all areas of the online course and only minor revisions were made for the 2003/2004 online delivery. Evaluated the online course in 2003/04 and participants evaluations were positive. Feedback was provided at the end of each workshop and a mid course questionnaire was posted online for participants to complete. As with the previous year, participants were pleased with the learning acquired from the various online postings and noted the value of having participants from across the country. Due to some participants extremely busy travel and external schedules, it was a challenge to schedule the start and end dates of the modules. More flexibility in timing was required. Some participants who did not complete the course had personal problems arise or had a change in employment. NOTE: From 2001-2004, 290 learners completed the PLAR Foundation Course. Two hundred (200) completed the course through Advanced Education and Training Adult Learning and Literacy Branch and 90 completed it through Red River College s onsite and online delivery. A total of 167 individuals participated in the workshops offered by RRC. 2.3 PLAR Practitioner Course (advanced level) The advanced level PLAR Practitioner Course (Appendix 4) comprised of seven (7) workshops (42 hours) is intended for those who have completed the PLAR Foundation Course (or have equivalent prior learning that can be proven) and who have a minimum of six months to one year experience in the PLAR field. The course provides in-depth discussions of the issues and challenges related to the roles and responsibilities of those who advise, assess and/or facilitate PLAR in post secondary institutions or other organizations. It is offered onsite and through a combination of online and live video streaming delivery methods. 7

PLAR Practitioner Course (onsite delivery) Outcomes and deliverables achieved: Completed the development of the PLAR Practitioner (advanced level) workshops with facilitator resource binders detailing outcomes, activities, handouts, resources, presentation slides, etc. The course includes seven workshops that allow the participant to focus on advisor, assessor and facilitator roles as well as strategic planning, research and quality systems in PLAR. The course was developed in this way to ensure it met the needs of experienced PLAR practitioners who have broad responsibilities yet need to analyze the challenges and determine solutions for specific areas of PLAR. The depth and breadth of skill required at the advanced level was determined using the PLAR Practitioner DACUM, importance of skill data and CAPLA S National Benchmarks for the Canadian PLAR Practitioner (CAPLA 2000). Delivered the PLAR Practitioner course in 2002/2003 via onsite workshops at RRC for 10 participants. Nine (9) completed the full course. A targeted promotion was conducted to recruit the pilot group. All were experienced practitioners in PLAR who had completed the PLAR Foundation Course or were able to demonstrate equivalent prior learning. Two participants were from Brandon, one from Thompson and the remainder from Winnipeg. Six of the participants were from post secondary institutions (i.e. RRC, KCC, ACC, and College Universitaire de Saint Boniface), two were from adult learning centres (Brandon Adult Learning Centre/ACC, MacLeod Adult Learning Centre), one was from a community organization and one was from government. Delivered the PLAR Practitioner Course in 2003/2004 via onsite workshops at RRC. Fifteen (15) participants completed the onsite course between November 2003 April 2004. Participants were from adult learning centres, Apprenticeship, government, ACC, University of Winnipeg, Civil Service Commission, and other organizations. Evaluated the course both years using a variety of methods (i.e. Workshop Feedback form completed by participants after each session and a PLAR Practitioner Post Pilot Feedback Questionnaire at end of course). Feedback from the 2002/03 participants identified that they did not want optional stream delivery (i.e. advisor, assessor, facilitator) but felt it was important for all practitioners to know the related issues for all PLAR Practitioner roles. In 2003/04, the revised delivery did not include optional streams. Participants in both courses felt that the focus on independent research and application of PLAR in a range of environments was very important. 8

2.4 PLAR Practitioner Course (online and live video streaming delivery) Outcomes and deliverables achieved: Completed development of the PLAR Practitioner course in a blended delivery format including: development of four workshops for online delivery and delivery of three workshops using live video streaming. Delivered the PLAR Practitioner course online/live streaming model (November 2003-April 2004) for six (6) Manitoba participants and one from Nova Scotia. Five (5) participants completed the entire course and three (3) completed it for College credit. Evaluated the PLAR Practitioner course (i.e. online, live streaming delivery). The online delivery was evaluated at the end of the course and feedback was very positive. Some participants found it allowed more in depth reflection of issues prior to posting online and all noted the benefit of the online discussions and opinions from people in various environments and locations. For the live streaming sessions, the online participants felt the exchange of information with the inclass participants was valuable. Rural participants indicated that the videostreaming allowed them to feel a part of the large group and to see the personal dynamics in class. All participants felt positive about the online learning in the course. Two issues were identified with the videostreaming delivery- some organizations have firewalls which prevented the receipt of the videostreaming and some found it difficult to schedule release time from work in order to participate on the specific workshop dates. Developed strategies to market/promote the PLAR Practitioner Course. This type of advanced course is not offered anywhere else in Canada. NOTE: In 2002/2003 and 2003/2004 a total of 30 learners completed the PLAR Practitioner Course via onsite, online and live video streaming delivery. 2.5 PLAR Professional Development Service (2001-2004) Outcomes and deliverables achieved: Provided administrative support and PLAR resources for a number of MPLAN s professional development events including Bringing the Learning Home Conference (November 2001), Reflections on PLAR Practice in South Africa (June 2002) with international consultant Paul Zakos, Manitoba PLAR in Action conference (February 2003) and Moving Forward in PLAR Conference (May 2004). RRC etv staff 9

provided the resources and support for MPLAN s live video streaming networking event with the rural membership in April 2004. Presented on the PLAR Practitioner Training Initiative at CAPLA s Building Community Capacity for PLAR as part of an HRDC consultation (October 2002, PEI), at the fifth international Recognizing Learning Conference Building Capacity in a Knowledge Economy (October 2003, Winnipeg, MB) and at the First Nations Technical Institute, 15th Annual PLAR Conference (June 2004, Belleville, Ontario). It was through these presentations that individuals from across Canada heard about the training courses and decided to participate. Conclusion The development and implementation of this two level PLAR Practitioner Training Initiative has involved extensive work and commitment from the curriculum developer and course facilitator hired for the project. There was also significant in kind contribution from Red River College. RRC s Program and Curriculum Development area provided DACUM facilitation, conversion of course materials to WebCT, development of interactive activities and technical support for online course development and facilitation of Learning Outcomes workshops. RRC etv Studio s coordinator and staff set up the live video streaming sessions of the PLAR Practitioner Course (advanced). RRC Distance Education provided technical support and RRC s PLAR Facilitator facilitated the PLAR Foundation and PLAR Practitioner onsite courses and coordinated the project. Between 2001-2004, 290 participants completed the PLAR Foundation Course, ninety (90) through Red River College via online and onsite delivery and 200 through Manitoba Advanced Education and Training Adult Learning and Literacy. From 2002-2004, 30 participants completed the PLAR Practitioner (advanced) Course through RRC online and onsite delivery. Both courses have been developed with extensive resources built in, facilitated across the province, evaluated and revised to meet the needs of those who practice in PLAR. The PLAR Practitioner training model and these two courses, when paired with RRC s Portfolio Development Courses, provide a complete training program for PLAR Practitioners (Appendix 5). RRC has taken a leadership role in PLAR Practitioner education in Canada. Through this project, the College has developed basic and advanced courses in PLAR, that can be customized/adapted for other users and delivered via onsite workshops, online modules, live streaming sessions, weeklong institutes and 10

customized training. The PLAR Foundation and PLAR Practitioner courses can be completed as credit courses (plus Certificate of Achievement) or audited (Certificate of Participation) through RRC. There is credit recognition in College programs (Certificate in Adult Education, Career/Employment Counseling Certificate and Human Resource Management Certificate) with built in opportunities for those with prior learning to demonstrate it through flexible assessment options. In 2004-2005, RRC will continue to facilitate both the PLAR Foundation and the PLAR Practitioner (advanced) Courses onsite and via distance delivery through Continuing Education and Distance Education. Plans are underway to market the College s PLAR training courses, including Portfolio Development courses (Appendix 5) across the province and nationally. Customized online PLAR training has also been developed for Campus Canada. This online module Intro to PLAR and Quality Assessment is for faculty from Canadian post secondary institutions who will be reviewers of workplace courses for Campus Canada s Workplace Training Review Service. In September and October, 2004 RRC will provide a PLAR Foundation - Train the Trainer Course for Civil Service Commission and HR managers in the provincial government. This group will transfer their learning to their HR colleagues across system and co-facilitate PLAR workshops to government personnel. Plans are underway to offer another Train the Trainer for Professional Portfolio courses for RRC faculty and staff who teach professional portfolio development in College programs. The outcomes achieved and successful results of this PLAR Training Initiative are significant. Three hundred and twenty (320) individuals have completed the PLAR Foundation Course and /or the PLAR Practitioner (advanced) Course during the past three years. This training has helped to ensure quality PLAR practice and, equivalency and consistency of PLAR practitioner competence. RRC will continue to take a leadership role in Manitoba and Canada in the delivery of PLAR practitioner education and training. 11