PLAR Research - Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition

About RFL

Contact

Supporters

Site Map

Practitioners

Research

JavaScriptnotGet Help

Centre for the Study of Education and Work (CSEW)
at the University of Toronto is a key partner with RFL in research on PLAR.

Welcome PLAR researchers!

This is a place to locate PLAR research studies and research guides, discuss research with colleagues and plan research projects with peers. We need your help to make sure RFL Research meets your needs so please go to the Researchers section of our discussion board and join the "Planning RFL Research" discussion. This discussion is open to all PLAR practitioners with an interest in research.

If you want to work on a particular research project with colleagues, contact us and we'll set up a private discussion for your group. Select "Contact" above.


Search Results

A Slice of the Iceberg:
Cross-Canada Study of Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition

Development date: 1999
Author(s): Sandra Aarts, Deborah Blower, Roberta Burke, Eleanor Conlin, et al

The title of this study is based on a metaphorical "iceberg" created by Allen Tough (1976) depicting the concept that only a small percentage of adult learning is recognized in our society. The purpose of this study is to elicit information on PLAR in Canada and to observe whether PLAR lowers the waterline on the "iceberg" by increasing recognition of informal learning. It is also the Study's purpose to examine what has happened in PLAR in Canadian colleges over the last several years.

Updated on Thursday March 23, 2006

A Spring 2003 Snapshot:
The Current Status of Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) in Canada's Public Postsecondary Institutions: Part One

Development date: May 2003
Author(s): Bonnie Kennedy (A/Executive Director, Canadian Association for Prior Learning Assessment (CAPLA).)

This cross Canada snapshot of PLAR in Post-secondary institutions was prepared for the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC), with funding from HRSDC.

Updated on Tuesday May 23, 2006

An On-line Portfolio Development Model for the 'Going to Canada' Portal
Final report for Human Resources and Skills Development Canada and Citizenship and Immigration

Development date: March 2004 (Updated: June 2004)
Author(s): CAPLA

The Canadian Association of Prior Learning Assessment (CAPLA) was contracted by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRADC) to develop an on-line portfolio development model. Activities included web research, a survey of stakeholders and a working meeting of an Advisory Committee to develop the model. The result is a conceptual framework for on-line portfolio development that other professionals might use in development of the web site and e-curriculum for a portfolio program.

Posted on Sunday March 19, 2006

Best Practices in Prior Learning Assessment Recognition (PLAR) Final Report

Development date: May 11, 2005

This Final Report was prepared by Barrington Research Group for Alberta Council on Admissions and Transfer (ACAT).

Posted on Thursday January 26, 2006

Buyer Beware
Report on PLAR Policies and Procedures
of Post-Secondary Educational Institutions in Canada

Development date: 2009
Author(s): G Hall (for the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Coucil (CTHRC))

An initial 'snap-shot' web-based scan of post-secondary educational
institutions policy and procedures related to PLAR to identify pan-Canadian benchmarks and provide information to prospective
learners. As more individuals come to Canada with industry
and workplace training and skills development, and as
the culinary sector struggles to raise the bar of
professionalism and safety in the field, the value of
PLAR and the need for it will only increase. The report provides some questions for potential PLAR candidates to ask of an institution.

Updated on Wednesday August 5, 2009

Canadian Adults' Interest in Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR)
A 2004 National Survey

Development date: October 2005
Author(s): D.W. Livingstone (Dr), M. Raykov, C. Turner

This report indicates the findings of Canadian adults' interest in PLAR from a 2004 survey with a large representative national sample of the adult (18+) Canadian population (N=9,063).

The report describes findings related to the very high interest in PLAR, unmet demand for formal education through PLAR, socioeconomic factors related to interest in PLAR and informal learning and PLAR. The full survey, which provides unprecedented quantitative detail on learning and work activities and their inter-relations was done through the WALL (Work and Lifelong Learning) project of Ontario Studies in Education of the University of Toronto. Complete results of the survey findings can be found at the Wall site.

To read the report on adult interest in PLAR, click the link below.

Posted on Monday October 23, 2006

Competency Portfolio Report

Development date: Nov. 2009
Author(s): Jane McLalren (RFL Coordinator)

In November 2009, a group of key stakeholders from across
Canada came together at the CAPLA Fall Focus in Toronto, ON to discuss the concept of the competency portfolio as a learning management tool. The purpose of this paper is to share the knowledge brought forth in this session, to learn about current opportunities, identify key
ingredients, and to discuss considerations and possible solutions in the development and use of competency portfolio.

Contributers include:
Nancy Anningson, PLA Centre
Deb Blower, Red River College
Eddie CalistoTavares,
Options for Success Inc.
Patrick Cummins, ESPORT
Guy Fortier, Compétences Montréal
Gaelyne MacAuley, Trade Essentials Centre, PEI
Bill Pigram, Middlesex County Employment Services
Samantha Slade, Percolab.com
Maha Surani, Association of Canadian Community Colleges
Frank Vandenburg, New Brunswick Community College

Posted on Saturday February 6, 2010

Developing Benchmarks for Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition
(2000) Practitioners' Perspectives

Development date: 2000
Author(s): Malcolm Day

The aim of this benchmarking study was to develop and promote national benchmarks for PLAR practitioners in Canada. The study reviews Canadian PLAR practices and the benchmarking process. It also analyzes the climate for benchmarks, discusses PLAR policy development and presents a mechanism for validating the competence of PLAR practitioners. A practitioners' guide was published separately. See Developing Benchmarks for Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition-Practitioners' Perspectives: Guidelines for The Canadian PLAR Practitioner.

Posted on Thursday April 1, 2004

e-Portfolio Quality Standards

Development date: April, 2004
Author(s): Dr Kathryn Barker (President, FuturEd Inc)

A listing of e-portfolio system and product standards required for quality.

Updated on Thursday March 23, 2006

ePortfolio Policy Scan

Development date: October 25, 2005
Author(s): The Learning Partnership

The paper provides a context, background, and overview for the study of ePortfolio activity both in Canada and around the world.

Updated on Thursday March 23, 2006

Feedback from Learners:
A Second Cross-Canada Study of Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition

Development date: 2003
Author(s): Sandra Aarts, Deborah Blower, Roberta Burke, et al

This study presents the views of adult learners about PLAR. The learners fall into two groups: those who participated in PLAR and those who received an orientation to PLAR but did not proceed with assessment. The authors synthesize these perspectives with a review of the research literature and their findings on institutional activities over eight years.

Posted on Thursday April 1, 2004

NALL (New Approaches to Lifelong Learning)
(1999) PLAR "Values" Statements

Development date: 1999

PLAR "Values" Statements reports on a very small survey about values associated with PLAR, the risks from PLAR and the future for PLAR in Canada. Those surveyed came from business, chartered accountancy, community colleges, an equity group, the First Nations Technical Institute, the labour movement, secondary schools and other constituencies.

Posted on Thursday April 1, 2004

NALL (Research Network on New Approaches to Lifelong Learning)
Various Projects and Resources

Development date: 1997-2001
Author(s): Various

NALL, as part of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), under the leadership of Dr. David Livingstone, has done research on informal learning and PLAR between 1997 and 2001.
NALL's basic objectives are to document current relations between informal learning and formal/nonformal education, identify major social barriers to integrating informal learning with formal/nonformal programs and certification, and support new program initiatives that promise to overcome such barriers. Various Project reports and resources are listed.
Under a second SSHRC grant (2002-2006), the research continues! The body of data will thus continue to grow. Please visit the WALL (Work and Lifelong Learning research network) website.

Posted on Thursday April 1, 2004

PLAR and Career Development Integrated Efforts
Needs and Opportunities

Development date: August 2007
Author(s): Gail Hall

The paper identifies key issues, needs and opportunities raise by career development practitioners and PLAR practitioners with regards to knowledge exchange and cooperative efforts between the two fields.
It is a legacy document from the CAPLA Recognizing Learning Conference of October 2006.

Posted on Monday April 28, 2008

PLAR Programs in Canada

Author(s): Leah Moss

I am a candidate in the Ad Hoc PhD program at McGill University, Montreal in the Department of Integrated Studies in Education. The following is an excerpt from my literature review for my doctoral work entitled: Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) programs in Canada and the role of globalization. I’m posting this for a few reasons – one to contribute to the RFL site, but I’m also looking for feedback and commentary. So…. This is the third section of the lit. review which is an overview of the contemporary status of prior learning assessment programs in Canada and the different levels of activity within participating provinces.

Political History of Prior Learning Assessment in Canada
It has been almost a hundred years since Dewey (1938) developed his theory of experience, and fifty years since the advent of the G.I. Bill and the start of the influx of adults to college campuses, yet the mission, philosophy and practice of most universities have not kept pace with the significant advances in the assessment of learning (Hamilton, 1997, p. 38).

In Canada, the field of adult education is both vast in scope and deep in history. With the advent of new technology, the field continues to grow tentacles of opportunities in areas of distance education, e-learning and correspondence courses. However, the concept of prior learning assessment is a relatively new idea that, unfortunately, is not enjoying the same popularity as some of the other recent innovations in the field. The purpose of this section is to investigate the possible reasons or root causes for this resistance as well as the current status of prior learning assessment programs across Canada. Through an analysis of the political history of prior learning assessment programs in Canada, it is also expected that a better understanding can be achieved of the optimal conditions required to implement a successful program within a formal education institution. The framework for this investigation is rooted in the context established in previous chapters of this comprehensive study of the marginalized role adults play in current formal institutions of higher education as well as the historical and political influences that shaped Canadian society in the post-war years. This section, as well as the doctoral research, will limit itself to the relationship of prior learning assessment programs within the academic setting and will not address the corporate sector or activities undertaken by Canadian unions.
Hamilton (1997) defines prior learning assessment as “a process of identifying, articulating, measuring, and accrediting learning that is acquired outside the traditional classroom and frequently prior to enrollment in college” (p. 32). This definition offers both a step-by-step procedure of what is to take place as well as the stated purpose of enrollment in college. Wong (2001) adds further clarification to the relationship of entry to a formal education system by defining prior learning assessment as “a systematic process to evaluate and accredit learning gained outside formal educational institutions, by assessing relevant learning against the standards required by post-secondary courses and programs” (p. 159).
This definition infers the idea of “challenging” courses at the post-secondary level in order to gain credit or advanced standing in a program. Finally, for a uniquely Canadian perspective, Thomas (2001) offers the following definition: “Prior Learning Assessment (PLA), known in Canada as Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR), is a process of demonstrations, challenge examinations, and the personal portfolio allowing informal learning outcomes to be translated into academic credit” (p. 343).
In the literature, PLA and PLAR are often used interchangeably and it is at the discretion of the author which terminology is used. To add to the confusion, The Canadian Association for Prior Learning Assessment (CAPLA), recently held a two-day event entitled “Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) Benchmarks for Practitioners Workshop” (September 25-26, 2002, George Brown College, Toronto, Ontario). The association, incorporated in 1997, well after the addition of the “R” for “Recognition”, does not seem to make a distinction between the terms. Thomas (2001) seems to be the exception in his efforts to highlight the unique feature of “Recognition” as a Canadian attribute to the terminology. Most Canadian authors refer to the concept as simply Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) (Wong, 2001; Greason, 1998).
The history of prior learning assessment in Canada is reflected in the experience of the United States in the post-World War II years. “From 1946 until the early 1950s, higher education was completely preoccupied with the problems of absorbing the veterans” (Rose 1990, p. 32). There was unprecedented cooperation between the Federal government, provincial governments and institutions of higher education to recognize life experience for college credit. However, this exceptional period of collaboration was short-lived.
The issue is not only the recognition of adult experience, easy enough in abstract terms, but the problem then of incorporating this knowledge into the curriculum itself. While colleges and universities were willing to do this in an emergency situation, as a form of veterans’ benefits, they immediately stepped back from this in the early 1950s (p. 43).
The notion of “stepping back” was not the original intent for most of the authors of the demobilization plan. These planners seemed to have far greater expectations for the complete overhaul of the system of higher education. As well, there were those who were insightful enough to recognize that the unique post-war situation offered a tremendous opportunity for education policy makers in the form of a “laboratory” of activity. One of the most drastic changes that still is a profound factor in contemporary higher education is the shift away from a strictly liberal arts curriculum to one that is more vocational in nature. Rose (1990) quotes Forkner (1944), a policy maker of the time, as saying “we can be certain that the boy who dropped out of college is not going to want to return to much of the time-wasting type of education which colleges frequently provided before he went to war” (p. 34). The reference to “time-wasting” has more to do with the required length of residency in a program than the actual curriculum. This effect is still in evidence today and is a striking element in the argument for implementing programs of prior learning assessment, where an adult student may not be able or willing to commit to a standardized time-line of residency in a university or college program.
Throughout the literature dealing with returning veterans and higher education, an interesting theme emerged concerning the character of these “new” students. I found it fascinating how the education policymakers in the 1940s and 1950s took great pains to emphasize the adult nature of the veterans who would be students and how this would make a huge difference in their planning. According to Rose (1990) “writers noted that the veterans would be motivated to complete their education; have a good idea of what kind of education they wanted and would demand good teaching” (p. 34). Are these not the very characteristics espoused by most contemporary authors of adult education literature? Not only was the present-day model for such programs as prior learning assessment formulated in these post-war years but the definition of “the adult learner” was as well. Cornelius Turner, the director of the Commission on Accreditation of Service Experience stated as Rose (1990) notes:
But for the benefit of those who do not complete formal schooling, we must be prepared to measure, and recognize their educational growth, no matter how attained, not only to serve the welfare of the individual citizen but also to serve the needs of our democratic society. A program of accreditation by means of examinations supplements the educational program of our schools and colleges and, when fully recognized, will enable the educators of this country to assume more completely their responsibility to the American people (p.42).
At the time, there was the recognition of a need to treat adult students as adults and to award credit for life experience. In Canada, a concerted effort to organize around the concept of prior learning assessment did not come to fruition until the 1970s. In the late 1970s, the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) took “a leadership role in promoting experiential learning as an important part of higher education. The academic and administrative standards of PLA developed by CAEL have guided practitioners and institutions for a decade” (Wong 2001, p. 160). National policy concerning programs of prior learning assessment did not take place again until the mid-1990s. Perhaps due to the cyclical nature of politics there is only recently a resurgence in Federal activity in the area of prior learning assessment. In 1995-1996, the Canadian Labour Force Development Board (CLFDB), “a national advisory body comprising labour market partners, initiated a national consultation that resulted in the development of national standards for prior learning assessment and recognition” (Wong 2001,p. 161). As previously mentioned, it was only in 1997 that the Canadian Association for Prior Learning Assessment (CAPLA) was incorporated, a relatively new organization to represent a concept that had developed in the 1940s. In terms of prior learning assessment programs across Canada, the level of activity varies remarkably from one province to the next.
The relatively young country of Canada seems to struggle at times with a sense of national identity. This is exacerbated by a pervasive sense of regionalism. Further, the dichotomy of responsibilities that fall under provincial and federal jurisdiction seems to add fuel to the political fire. Education is a provincial responsibility and represents more than simply a transfer of knowledge from teacher to student. Education is the very socialization of a country’s constituents for responsible citizenship. It is also the canary in the mineshaft of provincial policy concerning budgetary issues. It seems that when a province is enjoying prosperous times, there is money for innovative education policies such as prior learning assessment. However, when there is fiscal restraint, there is a sharp regression to vocational training programs. According to Selman et al. (1998) in British Columbia “in the latter half of the 1990s, the emphasis is on prior learning assessment and recognition, distance education and learning outcomes – in each case, with particular reference to work-related training” (p. 253). However, the policies regulating adult education are still considered “piecemeal”. British Columbia’s on-line resources for information regarding prior learning assessment programs are through the Open Learning Center website, however the site is difficult to access and rarely seems to be updated.
Manitoba is in stark contrast to the rest of the Prairie Provinces in terms of its activity in prior learning assessment programs. Through the CAPLA website, the only province that appears on the “Provincial PLAR link” is Manitoba. The “Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition in Manitoba” site is an up-to-date website that not only defines the concept but provides a listing of government services, frequently asked questions and the outline of the MPLAN (Manitoba Prior Learning Assessment Network), whose mission “supports and promotes the concept of building interconnected learning communities through the formal recognition of prior learning” (www.plarinmanitoba.ca). Within the website’s contact list there are four community colleges and four universities that offer prior learning assessment programs, among them Red River College, a founding institution of prior learning assessment programs in Canada. Selman et al. (1998) seem to have a more positive tone concerning the efforts in Manitoba to establish a concise policy in regard to adult education and the promotion of prior learning assessment programs.
In 1996, the Post-Secondary Education Council was established, creating one administrative body to guide the development of post-secondary education. Among other things, it is hoped the Council will promote more prior learning assessment and recognition, increased laddering among institutions and improve articulation agreements (p. 258).
The situation in Ontario is perhaps the most interesting since it is full of anomalies and contradictions. On one hand, prior learning assessment programs seem to enjoy great support within this province in terms of government policy and subsidies, unions, associations and groups that promote the concept as well as research in institutions of higher education. And yet, there are very few programs that are actually taking place. According to Thomas (1998), “in Ontario, the discrepancy between the sometimes unstated expectations of the early implementation groups and the reality of demand has been dramatic. Since the period of initiation, demand has grown slowly” (p. 337). CAPLA is based in Ontario as well as the Ontario Institute for the Study of Education at the University of Toronto which houses the New Approaches to Lifelong Learning project.
NALL - The national research network for New Approaches to Lifelong Learning has been funded by the SSHRC ( Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council ) to study informal learning and its relation to formal and continuing education throughout the life course (www.oise.utoronto.ca/depts/sese/csew/nall/about.htm).
According to Greason (1998), “unfortunately, while Quebec was one of the leaders in this emerging field in the 1980s, it fell far behind several other provinces in the 1990s” (p. 96). This was mostly due to budgetary cuts to the education portfolio. Quebec’s unique CEGEP system was at the forefront of the prior learning assessment movement in the 1980s. The contemporary scene is practically void of any activity and it is difficult to attain information concerning their programs. “Fewer than five hundred adults per year use the prior learning assessment services offered by Quebec CEGEPs” (Greason 1998, p. 97). The trend of neo-conservative budgetary restraint continues to be a prevalent factor in the landscape of education policy. “In their roles of system managers, governments such as those of Ontario and Quebec stimulated the creation of specific organizations, roles and designations, but the current trend is to re-absorb those roles and procedures within pre-existing ones” (Thomas 1998, p. 340).
The Maritime Provinces offer a special case of innovative adult education programs in Canada. From the grassroots ideals of Coop programs to the initiatives of Moses Coady, there exists a strong sense of pioneering spirit for adult education programs. In Halifax, Human Resources Development Canada has funded the “PLA Centre”. “The Prior Learning Assessment Centre (PLA Centre) is a joint project involving five Halifax universities, the provincial community college system, and representatives from community groups, voluntary organizations, labour, the private sector and the government” (www.placcentre.ns.ca).
In 2002, the “Halifax Declaration for the Recognition of Prior Learning” was released, which represented the results of research carried out amongst participants of the ‘Recognizing Learning’ conference in Halifax on October 28 to 31, 2001 (www.capla.ca). Likewise in New Brunswick and Newfoundland, there appears to be substantial studies and policy reports that have been undertaken in the area of prior learning assessment – however the activity does not seem to see fruition at the stage of implementation. Instead, the focus of most programs appears to be on the promotion of job-training skills.
There is a curious paradox in the concept of prior learning assessment that Thomas (1998) continues to investigate. There is the notion that most prior learning assessment programs are created by senior administrators or government agencies. This has meant that the concept is not being pushed forward by those who are most likely to be its principal beneficiaries, meaning adult learners (p. 335). However, according to Wong (2001) this trend may be changing:
In the last decade, there has been a growing demand for colleges and universities to implement PLA systems. It is a reflection of a global phenomenon where falling job expectations and a general longing for something better are driving increasing numbers of adults to return to post-secondary education (p. 159).

Updated on Wednesday August 5, 2009

PLAR State of the Field Review

Development date: December 2005
Author(s): Wihak Christine (Dr)

A state of the field review commissioned by the Canadian Council on Learning reveals a lack of research on Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) and a lack of information hindering the widespread PLAR uptake for learners who could benefit from PLAR in secondary, post-secondary and work settings.

Updated on Wednesday June 25, 2008

Prior Learning Assessment and Internationally Trained Medical Laboratory Technologists
Capstone Report prepared for CAPLA and CSMLS

Development date: September 2006
Author(s): Barbara Haley, Susan Simosko

The Canadian Society for Medical laboratory Science (CSMLS) is the national certification body for medical laboratory technologists (MLTs). The CSMLS develops and administers entry-level certification examinations for medical laboratory technology in 3 disciplines; General Medical Laboratory Technology, Clinical Genetics, and Diagnostic Cytology.
In an effort to partially address an impending shortage of mLts, the CSMLS developed a Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) process to evaluate the credentials, education and experience of internationally trained MLTs against the Competency profile and education requirements expected an entry level technologist in Canada. The goal of the PLA process is to allow internally trained mLTs to be more quickly deemed eligible to take and pass the certification exam, and thus entre the Canadian labour market.
French version of the report is available at: http://www.csmls.org/french/rapport.htm
- located under 2006/2007.

Posted on Wednesday May 16, 2007

Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition
(PLAR) and Human Resource Management (HRM):
A Valuable Link

Development date: 2007
Author(s): Gwen Wojda, For CAPLA

A summary report of two pre-conference workshops on Prior Learning Assessment Strategies for the HR Practitioner, from the 6th International Forum on PLAR and Qualification Recognition hosted by CAPLA and sponsored by HRDC in October 2006.

Posted on Tuesday November 20, 2007

Program Level PLAR User's Guide
Evaluating Adult Learners Against Industry Standards or Entire Program Outcomes.

Development date: June 2008
Author(s): Cristal Gobeil (for CAPLA), et al

This practical User's Guide is a product developed out of the collaborative presentations and discussions at the Canadian Association for Prior Learning Assessment (CAPLA) 2007 Fall Focus pre-conference workshop entitled "Evaluating Adult Learners Against Industry Standards or Entire Program Outcomes". It is designed to lead an organization step by step through a prior learning assessment and recognition (PLAR) process of an entire program and provide an understanding of some of the challenges that may be encountered.

Posted on Wednesday October 8, 2008

Quality Assurance in PLAR

Development date: November 2007
Author(s): Joy Van Kleef (Canadian Institute for Recognizing Learning), Martha Ireland (G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education, Ryerson University), Kim Orynik (SIAST), Judith Potter (College of Extended Learning, UNB), et al

The Canadian Institute for Recognizing Learning (CIRL) and its post-
secondary partners have published several resources on quality assurance in PLAR. The project is aimed at encouraging strategies for PLAR quality assurance in colleges and universities.

Resources include:

Quality Assurance in PLAR: Issues and Strategies for Post-secondary Institutions report – Volume I
Quality Assurance in PLAR: A Guide to Institutions – Volume II (also available in French)
Quality Assurance in PLAR: Annotated Bibliography – Volume III

These resources can be downloaded from the www.cirl.org website (see 'What's New' on the site), found by clicking the link

Updated on Sunday January 27, 2008

Recognizing the Prior Learning of
Immigrants to Canada
Moving Towards Consistency and Excellence

Development date: October 2006
Author(s): Margaret Riffell (Red River College)

The study clarifies and articulates the process of RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning) and identifies some exemplary practices in which it is used. It provides National research to:

examine promising joint models of PLAR/QR systems (defined as RPL); and to
identify organizations that offered exemplary RPL systems for foreign trained individuals.

As part of this process, the study developed an instrument to assess practices, and developed 7 principles that an exemplary RPL system for foreing-trained individuals should be built on, including performance indicators on each principle.

The report was funded by Human Resources and Social Development Canada, and was carried out by CAPLA (the Canadian Association for Prior Learning Assessment).

Updated on Thursday June 25, 2009

TAKING AcCOUNT
A REPORT ON THE NUMBER OF PLAR ASSESSMENTS CONDUCTED BY PUBLIC POST-SECONDARY INSTITUTIONS IN CANADA

Development date: January 2009
Author(s): Joy Van Kleef (Canadian Institute for Recognizing Learning)

Results of the collection of already available, reliable statistics from governments and individual public institutions across Canada on the number of prior learning assessments conducted annually at the post-secondary level from 2004-2007.

Posted on Friday January 23, 2009

WALL (Work and Lifelong Learning)
Research Network for The Changing Nature of Work and
Lifelong Learning in the New Economy:
National and Case Study Perspectives

Development date: 2002-2006
Author(s): Various

Recently awarded a $3 million grant by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), a grant complementing work begun by the NALL (New Approaches to Lifelong Learning) research network, WALL is a part of the Initiative for the New Economy (INE), which aims to help Canadians understand and benefit from the ways in which the global economy is being transformed. the WALL research network endeavours to identify gaps in workplace training and education in Canada and bring visibility to current learning and work issues and trends.
The cumulative research generated by the WALL research network will provide a better understanding of current learning practices, processes and environments, and contribute to the production of valuable resources for instructor training, workplace innovation and government initiatives.
Note particularly the links to Research and to Resources.

Posted on Thursday April 1, 2004

Select using one or more of the following:


	Category:



	Author (by surname):



	Date: (or update)

Resource/ResearchSHOWCASE

Competency Portfolio Report
In November 2009, a group of key stakeholders from acrossCanada came together at the CAPLA Fall Focus in Toronto, ON to discuss the concept of the competency portfolio as a learning management tool. The purpose of this paper is to share the knowledge brought forth in this session, to learn about current opportunities, identify keyingredients, and to discuss considerations and possible solutions in the development and use of competency portfolio.

PLAR ContactSHOWCASE

Alberta Council on Admissions and Transfer (ACAT)
ACAT is actively involved in PLAR in Alberta. Please visit our website for further information on ACAT and to review the PLAR Final Report and Handbook prepared by ACAT.

PLAR ContactSHOWCASE

Canadian Tourism Human Resources Council
The Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council (CTHRC) is a national non-profit organization that promotes professionalism in the Canadian tourism industry. The pages on Occupational Standards link to numerous occupational profiles and focus on the essential skills which can serve as a basis for prior learning assessment and professional certification.

Top

Policy