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The EXCEL program includes two ways in which you can prove that your knowledge, skills, and abilities correlate to specific courses. The first method is the writing of a detailed experiential narrative, and the second method is the inclusion of supporting documentation.
The Narrative
In the narrative you explain in detail what you learned and how you learned it. Using the list of competencies as an outline and course objectives as a framework, you can begin to show how your learning is equivalent to college courses. Here, it will be important for you to address everything you listed as knowledge gained. The narrative's focus must remain on your knowledge of the topic. Think about what someone would need to know to do your job, including the ways it is done, the reasons for doing it, and how this knowledge relates to other parts of a larger picture.
To have a greater likelihood of receiving credit, it will be important to address the transferability of your knowledge. This means that you must address the concepts and practices you have learned as they might be used in other instances or industries. For example, if you have done accounting for a doctor's office, the concepts you used in handling the balance sheets would be similar in other industries, and you should be able to articulate generally accepted accounting principle in your narrative when applying for credit for accounting.
Remember, you cannot receive experiential credit for learning already placed on your transcript from another source. However, your narrative can cite the transcripted learning as a basis for requesting more advanced credit. Your narrative should include those references, as well, to help evaluators form a complete picture of your learning through experience.
Providing Proof
Once you have explained the learning you have acquired through your experiences, it is necessary to support your explanations with proof. This is the role of the documentation section. It is the area evaluators will use to judge whether your narrative is sound and your request for credit is reasonable.
In this section you have the opportunity to supply support for the claims made in the narrative. This support comes from others and outside sources. This step is explained in much more detail during the EXCL 301 class, where you are given examples and sample formats to use in requesting documentation of your prior learning. This orientation explains the concept of documentation to help you decide whether EXCEL is the right program for you.
There are many kinds of documentation, most of which fall into two categories: direct and indirect.
Direct documentation includes materials such as:
- Computer programs you have written
- Art you have created
- Books or articles you have authored
- Musical scores you have written
- Videotapes of performances or speeches you have made
- Other things you have done.
Indirect documentation includes:
- Letters from supervisors detailing your learning
- Newspaper articles about your accomplishments
- Awards and commendations
- Performance evaluations
- Certificates of training completion (with class objectives)
Documentations can also include lists of books you read to become competent in an area, and other items that support your claims for credit. Chances are that you already have a great deal of documentation in your personal files. Once the documentation is complete, the portfolio will be assembled and submitted to your instructor for approval.
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