PLA and Portfolio Help

Prior Learning Assessment (PLA), which includes Portfolio Assessment, refers to a collection of credit-earning methods utilized to award credit for college-level knowledge you have acquired outside the traditional college classroom. This is knowledge that is equivalent to what would be learned in a college course on the same subject. Thomas Edison State University recognizes that adults bring knowledge with them when they come to college, and credit awarded for that knowledge often can be applied to a degree. At Thomas Edison State University you can utilize our PLA Course Description Database as well as course descriptions from the catalogs of other regionally accredited colleges to find the best way to earn credit for what you already know.

A portfolio in the PLA process is a written presentation that you assemble and submit to earn credit for knowledge you have that is equivalent to what would be taught in a specific course. Each portfolio addresses a course description and learning outcomes through a written narrative and a collection of evidence that support your knowledge and background. The Portfolio Assessment process is managed, submitted and reviewed completely online.

There is no limit to the amount of credit you can earn through prior learning assessment. The math and composition courses that are required for all degree programs are not available for portfolio assessment, but we do offer TECEP© and other exams for these subjects.  At Thomas Edison State University we value experiential learning and will assist you with the development of a portfolio that addresses as many subjects and courses for which you are capable of demonstrating your knowledge.

The University offers a pair of online courses that provide structure and guidance for students interested in earning credit for prior learning. PLA-100 Introduction to Prior Learning Assessment provides a broad overview of PLA options for earning college credit for your prior learning.  PLA-100 will provide you with insight about the various credit-earning methods that the University uses when assessing prior learning. PLA-200 will teach you the skill of portfolio development both for earning college credit and for your future professional use. For more information on these courses, click here.

During the PLA-200 course you will develop and submit a list of potential portfolios that you plan to pursue.  Once the semester is over you can develop, upload and register your portfolios. The assessment will be provided by a Subject Matter Expert (SME) who has expertise in the subject area being assessed.

Note: although PLA-100 is an optional course it will provide you with excellent foundational knowledge of PLA.  

Before you enroll in PLA-100 or PLA-200, before you attempt a portfolio, you should first have completed the English Composition requirement of six semester hours. Portfolio development requires a great deal of writing, so college-level writing skills are a necessity. Having these skills will be an asset.

Students will sometimes submit a collection of college transcripts, professional credentials, certifications, licenses, a résumé and other documents for review and ask how many credits they will receive in return. This is not the process for earning credit through portfolio assessment.

Thomas Edison State University degree seeking students should send notarized certificates and licenses, and arrange to have official transcripts sent, to the Office of the Registrar along with your application and application fee.

The University may have already reviewed your workplace training, professional certification, or other recognized industry credential for college credit through its Office of Professional Learning Review (OPLR). Other organizations, such as the American Council on Education (ACE) and the National College Credit Recommendation Service (NCCRS), also perform similar reviews accepted by the University. Be sure to check the list of University reviews (called Academic Program Reviews or APRs) as well as ACE and NCCRS for your training or credential.

An academic evaluation will be provided to you based on how those credits apply to your degree. This report tells you how many and which credits you have completed, and in which areas you still need credit.

Portfolio assessment should be done only after you receive your degree program evaluation from the University. During the PLA-200 course you have the opportunity to identify the potential credits you hope to earn through the portfolio process. 

After completion of PLA-200 you will know how to develop, upload and register your portfolios for assessment.

For non-degree seeking students, it’s your responsibility to see that the credits you intend to earn through any PLA method at Thomas Edison State University, including portfolio assessment, will be within the guidelines of the program or school for which you earn these credits.

Students have earned credit in an amazingly wide variety of academic subjects from Accounting to Zoology (from A to Z). Remember that before submitting a portfolio for assessment, as part of the PLA-200 course you will first submit a Declaration of Intent listing the credit you plan to earn. Potential credits should be approved on to your degree plan the same way you would have any course approved prior to registering for it. At Thomas Edison State University you utilize our PLA Course Description Database to identify potential course credits. If we do not have a course description for you, consult with the PLA office about how you can proceed.

Most course requirements can be satisfied via portfolio. However, Thomas Edison State University does not offer students the opportunity to earn credit for English Composition, Physical Education “activity” courses, or Math (with certain exceptions) through the portfolio process. Additionally there are more than 150 exams that can be taken for college credit.  If an exam is offered in a subject that you wish to submit a portfolio for, consider that the exam will be completed much quicker than the portfolio. 

If you believe you already possess college-level skills and knowledge in math, English composition or any of the other 150 subjects, consider taking a TECEP or other exam. Additionally, there are some topics for which students have had greater difficulty developing a portfolio. The Office of Prior Learning Assessment/Portfolio (plaweb@tesu.edu) can provide additional information about this.

Yes! Those guidelines are part of what you will learn by taking the 2-credit PLA-200 Introduction to Portfolio Development course that is offered. Additionally, the PLA-200 course will guide you through the administrative and operational steps in the portfolio process. Without these you cannot submit portfolios for assessment.  

PLA-100 lasts four weeks; PLA-200 lasts eight weeks. At the end of those 12 weeks, you will need to spend additional time completing your portfolios.  Since the number of credits one can earn through the portfolio process is limited only by your college-level knowledge, the amount of time you spend in the process can vary.

Your PLA-200 course will guide you through the process of developing your portfolio. In addition, you have access to the staff of the Office of Prior Learning Assessment/Portfolio, who can also assist you with the process.

In the context of prior learning assessment, having a grasp of theory means understanding the concepts and ideas underlying the topic, being able to apply them to new and/or unfamiliar situations, and understanding the context of your experience. How do you document theoretical knowledge? Evidence of learning may come in several forms. Certificates of training or attendance from relevant seminars will be helpful. You can also use letters of support from third parties who can vouch for your knowledge and expertise. Perhaps the most effective item of evidence is an informal, annotated bibliography: you can supply a list of publications that cover theory, concepts, and context for your experience. This list should be provided alphabetically by last name, first name, title of the book or article, year of its publication, and a few sentences that summarize the relevant contents of the publication.

There are instances when adequate evidence is just not available, cannot be located or obtained. Perhaps you learned from someone in a particular field, and the person is not available now. The strategy at that point is to put together the best package you can, make sure to address the course learning outcomes, figure out what you can use to demonstrate your knowledge or skills, and allow the mentor to guide you through filling in the missing pieces. If you find yourself in such a position, be candid and honest in your approach. Explain what you know and explain how you can verify this.

The success of a portfolio is measured not only by what is said, but also by how it is said. Demonstrating your familiarity with some of the professional terminology you would have learned in the college course is essential in a successful narrative.

The Subject-Matter Experts (SMEs) reviewing your portfolio may determine that something is missing. Perhaps the SME will ask for something additional or conduct an interview by phone. Perhaps you will be asked to complete a task, do some research and write a “compare and contrast” statement. The main goal is to demonstrate to the Subject-Matter Expert that you have the knowledge.

No. The Office oversees the process. We can assist you with decisions about contents and style of presentation, and may provide information about the quality and substance of your work but we do not make a decision about whether or not credit is awarded. The decision to award credit is made by the Subject-Matter Expert, who has expertise in that subject. These SMEs are people who teach or have taught courses in that subject area and are familiar with course requirements.

The process is based on one pivotal concept. If you make a reasonable and accurate selection as to the course description you want to challenge for credit, AND you have the appropriate background and knowledge as well as the skills to articulate that background and knowledge, you should be able to earn credit. The overwhelming majority of our Portfolio students are successful in their attempts to earn college credits.

While no two PLA candidates are exactly alike, those who succeed usually have the following elements in common:

• They have a realistic view of their knowledge
• They follow the instructions carefully
• They challenge a course that is appropriate to their knowledge and skills
• They submit a well-organized portfolio that pays attention to details
• They seek help from the PLA-200 course mentor and the Office of Prior Learning Assessment when needed

PLA-100 (1 credit) and PLA-200 (2 credits) are OL courses, and the per-credit tuition for those is the same as for other OL courses. Once you successfully complete the PLA-200 course and have learned how to write and assemble your portfolio work, there is a Portfolio Assessment fee for the review of your material. The fee is $389 for the first 12 credits reviewed (it is not a per-credit fee—it covers up to 12 credits), and then $221 for each additional 6 credits reviewed.

Financial aid is awarded for letter-graded courses only, so PLA-100 and PLA-200 are eligible. Since Portfolio Assessment credit does not receive a letter grade (A, B, C, D), it is not usually eligible for financial aid.

Portfolio assessment fees may be covered depending on your enrollment plan.  For additional information please consult the Tuition and Fees page of the website, or contact the Office of the Bursar.

If that’s not enough incentive to consider PLA, the “cost/benefit” is worth considering. Portfolio Assessment validates the learning you’ve already done in your lifetime so you can actually earn credit for your accomplishments and capabilities. The personal satisfaction and pride has no price tag!

View a sample portfolio:

• ART-395 Urban Mural Art
• CET-151 Construction Methods and Materials I
• ENG-216 Business Letter and Report Writing I
• HIS-252 Civil War and Reconstruction
• HIS-399 Lincoln's Life and Times
• MAN-435 Project Management
• PSY-332 Substance Abuse Counseling
• PYT-309 Coaching Ice Hockey
• REE-103 Real Estate Principles and Practices I

While all of these samples generally reflect the contents of an acceptable portfolio you will see variations from one to the next. This is because the portfolio assessment process is so personal. There is no single correct approach to the constructing and developing a portfolio. However, there are aspects that are common to all of the samples. For instance, all samples have:

• TESU cover sheet
• Course number and title
• Course Description and Learning Outcomes
• Table of contents
• Introduction
• Narrative that addresses knowledge and background relevant to the subject
• Bibliography or indication of knowledge acquired through reading material
• Selection of evidence items that prove they have such background (includes signed letters of support, certificates of training, samples of related work)