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PLA ASSESSMENT

Assessment Tools Overview

To receive credit for courses through Prior Learning Assessment, you must provide evidence that you have the knowledge, skills and abilities of the stated outcomes. The Assessment Tools guide you through the process of providing evidence by suggesting appropriate assessment methods, and by providing instructions, guidelines and templates for completing projects and activities.

Assessment Methods

Assessment Method refers to a way of providing evidence that learning matches learning outcomes. The criteria associated with each learning outcome outlines appropriate assessment methods. The Assessment Tools, available only to registered PLA candidates, consist of templates, instructions, guidelines, and recommendations, to guide the learner in the preparation of evidence.

Learners often have a mix of experiences, and the assessment method should not only fit the learning but also the learner. The choice of methods is dependent upon the following:

  • The experiences of the learner
  • Availability of learner's evidence
  • Nature of the learning outcomes being assessed
  • Faculty choice and resources
  • The context and situation
  • The Applied Business Technology/Office Administration program uses a variety of assessment methods.

Some examples are:

  • Challenge Exams
  • Standardized Exams
  • Oral Questioning
  • Written Questioning
  • Demonstrations or Performance Test
  • Equivalencies
  • Simulations/Role-play
  • Narrative/Reflective
  • Portfolio
  • Work-based Assessment
  • Projects/Assignments/Products or Artifacts
  • Validation

Refer to the Glossary for further explanation of each assessment method.

Key Points to Quality Practice

  • Learners are actively involved in the assessment of their own learning achievements.
  • Educators have primary responsibility for establishing learning and assessment criteria.
  • Assessment processes should relate to course, program or institutional goals.
  • Goals are clear, concise and understandable to all who need to use them - learners, advisors, assessors, other institutions.
  • Assessment involves expert judgment based on explicit performance criteria.
  • Assessment reflects multiple experiences and the use of diverse evidence to maximize the learner's likelihood of success.
  • Assessment includes structured and constructive feedback to the learner, on areas of success and those needing improvement.
  • Self-assessment is essential to good assessment whatever the context. PLA cultivates this as a natural part of the process.