Prior Learning

Quick Links:

• Introduction
• The Course and the Process
• Contents of the Portfolio
• Targeting Courses
• Documenting Your Prior Learning
• Evaluation of the Portfolio
• Prior Learning Home

Targeting Courses

Translating learning you have gained from other experiences into college credit can be difficult—people don’t learn from their life experiences in the same ways that they learn in the classroom. In a classroom, students usually learn theories and concepts first, and apply those theories and concepts to examples or case studies. Learning is measured out, structured, and determined in advance by experts; it is managed and directed by others.

Conversely, the knowledge we gain from experiences in our work, volunteer activities, and hobbies is often self-directed. We learn what we need to, when we need to. Therefore, our learning can have gaps that would not have been included in a college course. Often, we don’t actually learn until time has passed and we have had the opportunity to reflect on the experiences we have had. But because it is our learning, it is meaningful to us. It determines our perceptions about what we learn later and how we use what we learn.

In EXCL 301, you will use your experiential résumé to develop a detailed list of competencies and knowledge—things you can do and things you know. With the assistance of the instructor and student assistant, and collaboration of your classmates, you will find and list courses that have descriptions and objectives closely resembling your list of "things I know and can do."

After you make an initial decision regarding which courses to target, the course syllabus is provided for your review. The syllabus contains important information about the course, including the description, any textbook and learning materials, requirements, grading policies, schedule for completion of course requirements, and most importantly, the learning objectives.

The learning objectives state what you are supposed to take away from the course—the learning that you should gain by the end of the session. By closely examining the course objectives, it is quite possible to know whether you have already learned what is expected in a particular course.

While you may not know everything listed in the objectives of a particular course, you may know—and be able to prove you know—enough to convince an evaluator that you should receive credit for this knowledge.

Documenting Your Prior Learning