Evaluating Learning Beyond Academic Credentials: A 360-degree Look at the Recognition of Prior Learning

This webinar is presented by www.recognitionforlearning.ca, CAPLA’s online community of practice

This webinar was held Oct. 31, 2011. The slides from the webinar are attached below the description (filename: webOct31slides).

A recording of the webinar can be found here: http://cafpla.adobeconnect.com/p3yj7ca8a0b/

The Outcomes Report from the Webinar can be found in the Library under Reports or at this link:
http://recognitionforlearning.ca/library/beyond-academic-credentials

Ce rapport est disponible en français sous le titre: "Contribution à l'amélioration de la capacité d'évaluation". Le lien vers la traduction française est: http://recognitionforlearning.ca/library/contribution-a-lamelioration

Description of webinar:

Determining the competencies of an individual requires careful consideration of the person’s knowledge, skills, abilities and experience. Regulatory bodies, certification organizations and universities frequently rely on the evaluation of credentials to determine the level of immigrants’ competence. Increasingly, however, organizations realize that credentials alone do not—perhaps cannotprovide an adequate reflection of what an individual has learned or his/her level of competency in a particular field.

Assessment tools such as simulations, demonstrations, challenge exams, case studies, structured interviews and self-assessment processes are regularly used in classrooms and workplaces to help individuals meet licensing and other continuing competency requirements. They are often, however, overlooked in the assessment of entry-level competence requirements.

In this webinar we will begin to explore the use of tools commonly associated with prior learning assessment and recognition (PLAR) and competence-based assessment to better assess immigrants’ entry-level skills, knowledge and abilities. In so doing we hope to develop multiple options beyond credential evaluation for decision-makers to consider as they seek greater assurance and confidence in the evaluation process. We also hope that the webinar will serve to stimulate further discussion in a variety of other contexts.

This webinar will challenge participants to consider five questions:

1. How can we best facilitate a process that allows immigrants to demonstrate
   their knowledge, skills and abilities, beyond credential assessment?
2. What assessment strategies or tools would be effective with immigrants and
   why?
3. What factors help to determine the appropriateness of one tool over another
   for a particular organization or unique purpose?
4. Can a single tool or process ensure that an immigrant is “competent” to
   work in Canada?
5. What is the link between prior learning assessment and the assessment of
   competencies?

In addition to stimulating the conversation around these five questions, the webinar will enable us to generate key topics for inclusion at the pre-conference workshop on this topic that will be held on November 13, 2011, Toronto, ON at CAPLA’s Fall Focus event.

The Foreign Credential Recognition Program at Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) is supporting this webinar and is keenly interested in the outcomes of our discussion.

This webinar has been completed and registration is now closed.