ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS - Algonquin College
CONTENTS
Acknowledgements 1
INTRODUCTION
Portfolio Development: The Cornerstone of the
Prior Learning Assessment Process 2
THE PORTFOLIO DEVELOPMENT PROCESS 5
What is A Portfolio? 7
What Goes Into A Portfolio 8
What Objectives Will I Accomplish as a Result of Participating in the
PLA Process via the Development of a Portfolio 8
What Are The Steps in the Portfolio Development/Evaluation Process? 9
What Is the Role of the Portfolio Resource Person 10
How Is Credit/Recognition Awarded for Prior Learning? 10
PART I The Chronological Record 12
Sample I 14
Sample II 16
PART II Life History 19
Sample 27
PART III The Goals Paper 32
Reasons for Setting Goals 33
What Does the Goals Paper Have To Do With
PLA and Portfolio Development 35
Factors to Consider In Goal Setting 35
Criteria for Goals 36
Steps in Setting Goals 38
Writing the Goals Paper 38
Sample Goals Paper 39
Educational Planning 41
Education Training Plan Worksheet 44
Education Plan Worksheet 45
PART IV The Core of the Portfolio - The Narrative of Competencies 46
Learning Experience Worksheet 49
Sample Learning Experience Worksheet 51
Course Training List Worksheet 55
Bloom’s Taxonomy of Cognitive Objectives 59
Writing Learning Outcomes 61
Steps for Writing A Competency 66
Sample Competency Worksheet 68
Competency Worksheet 70
PART V Documentation 75
Evidence Continuum 78
Sample - Letter Requesting Documentation 83
Sample - Background Information 84
Sample I - Verification Letter - Appropriate as Documentation 85
Sample II - Recommendation Letter - Inadequate as Documentation 86
PART VI Assembling the Portfolio 88
Sample - Cover Letter 91
PART VII The Evaluation of the Portfolio 92
Request For Evaluation 96
Challenge Evaluation Form 97
APPENDICES 98
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This is the second edition of the guide and it represents an attempt to broaden its focus to include occupation and workplace-based assessment. It is designed to provide those adults who participate in the prior learning assessment process with some tangible support and useful information to assist in this challenging and rewarding task.
It is by no means a final product nor is it an original piece of work. It is a compendium of materials and ideas drawn from a variety of sources. There are literally hundreds of organizations, individual adult educators, post-secondary institutions and workplaces across North America and indeed throughout the world that are making important contributions to both the theory and practice of prior learning assessment and adult education.
Paul Zakos
FNTI
March, 2003
PORTFOLIO DEVELOPMENT: THE CORNERSTONE OF THE PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT PROCESS
The introduction of prior learning assessment has been one of the most significant occurrences in education in the past twenty years.
Post secondary institutions are faced with increasing numbers of older adults re-entering the education system. As well, there is increased emphasis on the need for continuously upgrading the skills and knowledge of the existing workforce in a highly competitive global economy. These institutions must also contend with a more diverse, steadily increasing adult population caused in part by changes in immigration policies and a decline in Canada’s birth rate.
Given such circumstances prior learning assessment is indeed a timely and appropriate strategy. It recognizes that adult learners enter educational institutions with rich clusters of post-secondary level skill and knowledge gained from a variety of experiences. Acknowledging the educational validity of prior learning and equating it to the outcomes of post-secondary courses or workplace competencies recognizes adults ability to learn important skills and knowledge outside of school and enriches our educational institutions.
A key element in the prior learning assessment process is the preparation of the portfolio. This document is a major piece of work and its completion requires a high level of commitment and strong motivation by the adult learner.
The portfolio is widely recognized as an essential ingredient in a multi-faceted service for adult development not only for earning potential college credit, but also for assisting with career change, increasing self-esteem and confidence and organizing one's lifetime accomplishments.
The portfolio process itself provides some specific components that not only help adults to identify relevant prior learning but also facilitate re-entry into post-secondary education and possible vocational change. A growing number of learners seeking credit for prior learning will likely have been away from school for several years. Many of them may lack confidence in their ability to learn and will need guidance and support as they attempt to dispel any previously acquired negative attitudes associated with formal learning. The process of identifying one's prior learning via the portfolio route is a rigorous task and in the initial stages it is usually confusing and difficult for most learners. With appropriate support however, it can be an extremely affirming experience and a significant exercise in critical thinking. Consequently it is especially important to provide some formal support mechanisms to assist adult learners with this demanding task. Among the range of options are: counselling, mentoring, education/career alternatives and self-instructional materials. Adults should also be provided with clear information concerning the steps involved in the process of assessment including examples of portfolio materials.
The process used to orient adult learners to the PLAR process is in itself an important learning event. It serves as a form of instruction for one of the most important and basic learning activities: identifying how one learns and in the post-secondary area it usually takes the form of a credit course. In addition to enhancing the adult's awareness of his/her learning style, the activity is a vital link between the assessment of prior learning and the identification of future learning and career development plans. The PLAR process has many other advantages: it signals that post-secondary institutions employers and credentialing bodies are serious about the way they treat the adult learner and acknowledges the value of the learning which they bring both to the workplace and the educational institution.
In the educational area an assessment course which has credit value also makes a clear and direct statement about the educational worth of the assessment process to the learner, the institution and the community which it serves. The portfolio course is a useful method of monitoring one's progress, providing support and assistance as necessary.
The fact that learning is assessed as being creditable is not generally a sufficient basis for the granting of credit. In most cases the validity of evaluating a learning experience for credit and recognition depends upon a clearly demonstrated relationship to a specific diploma program or course objectives and workplace competencies. The preparation of the portfolio is widely reported to be an empowering learning experience for the adult learner, by adding value for the learner via increased positive self-knowledge. It also enhances the adult learner’s basic understanding of the assessment of learning and tends to reinforce the individual’s ability and skill in accepting responsibility for his/her own learning and of the mutual accountability with the faculty.
Enhanced self-esteem and a more informed understanding of the processes involved in self-assessment are in themselves significant learning outcomes in a society in which four or five career changes over the course of one's lifetime are predicted to be the norm for many adults.
The assessment of prior learning is an experience unique to each person who undertakes the challenge. In the process of developing your own personalized portfolio you will be involved in a demanding and intense experience designed to renew your appreciation of who you are and where you are going.
During this interesting and challenging activity, you will work toward accomplishing the following goals:
1. Identify your learning from experience
2. Match your learning to specific courses/competencies
3. Identify your education/career goals
4. Develop an education/career plan
5. Identify your best prior learning assessment options
6. Develop your portfolio of prior learning
Initially, you will be helped you identify your learning from a variety of different experiences which may include work, seminars, workshops, self-study, continuing education and volunteer activities.
We will also help you match your learning to specific courses and/or competencies. It is important to keep in mind that while all experiences are a source of learning, not all learning is able to be credited. We will help you identify your learning related to education and career goals and help you demonstrate how it compares your educational, career or vocational objectives.
You will be assisted to identify the best educational and/or career direction for you to follow in light of your prior experiences and your future goals, academically and/or professionally.
You will be helped to design an education and career plan to guide you as you pursue your learning goals.
We will help you to identify the best method or methods for you to use to match your learning against specific outcomes or competencies depending upon whether you are seeking post-secondary credits or workplace-based recognition.
There are several possible methods from which to choose. They are as follows: Standardized Tests, Review of Transcripts; Licenses and Certificates; Challenge Exams; Portfolio Review; Oral Exam/Discussion; Performance Observation; Skills Demonstration/ Product Assessment and Program Review.
Portfolio Development is the most comprehensive method for organizing one's learning. As you know a portfolio is a written document used to describe learning acquired through life experience and to enable that learning to be evaluated for college course equivalency or recognition of workplace-based competencies.
A main goal of this manual is to help you develop your own portfolio of prior learning.
In essence, most PLA processes involve matching one's previously required learning to some pre-determined standards. This means that, with the assistance of your PLA facilitator, you will identify specific competencies/courses for which you wish to request credit evaluation. For example, as a computer programmer, you may want to request evaluation for credit for Introduction to Computers. If you have given many presentations, you may want to request evaluation for credit for Effective Speaking I. In relation to occupational competencies, for example, you may wish to demonstrate the skills needed to qualify for a specific licence or certificate. e.g. cook or electrician.
It is very important to understand that you do NOT receive credit for experience, but you DO receive credit for LEARNING that has occurred from prior experience. This learning can be defined as learning that 1) is measurable; 2) demonstrates a level of achievement defined by faculty or subject matter experts; 3) has a knowledge base; 4) is conceptual as well as practical; and 5) has a relationship to education/career goals.
NOTE: Clear, concise writing is essential to an effective presentation of your learning. Enrolment in a basic English course may be advisable if you have doubts about your writing skills. We are also prepared to work with you as part of preparing your materials for assessment using the various components, to help hone your writing skills if they are a bit "rusty".
NOTE: Keep in mind that successful completion of the portfolio in no way should be interpreted as a guarantee that the content of your learning will automatically receive credit or recognition. Only appropriate faculty evaluators and/or subject matter experts can make that judgement.
WHAT IS A PORTFOLIO?
The portfolio is the formal document which defines learning acquired through a variety of formal and informal learning experiences. It is used to request formal credit/recognition for your learning from experience.
Portfolio preparation is an exercise in self-evaluation, introspection, analysis, and synthesis. It is an educational experience in itself. It requires you to relate your past learning experiences to your education and career goals, to exhibit critical self-analysis, and to demonstrate your ability to organize documentation in a clear, concise manner.
After you have made the decision to seek formal credit/recognition through the PLA process, it is a good idea to begin to identify as clearly as possible, your academic and career goals. The portfolio process demands that you give some thought to the requirements needed to achieve these goals and how you will go about accomplishing this task. For example, if you are unable to pursue your educational goals via full time study, will enough courses be available on a part-time basis for you to accomplish your goals? One of the prime uses of the portfolio development process is to assist you to make a clearer decision about which course of action is most appropriate for you to pursue. Additional educational and career counseling may be useful in assisting you in making the best possible choices.
WHAT GOES INTO A PORTFOLIO?
Although the portfolio is in many ways a highly individualized portrayal of your own unique experiences and learning, there is a certain prescribed format to be followed. The portfolio consists of:
1) a “Cover Letter”, which states your request for post-secondary credits and/or formal recognition of your skills and competencies
*2) a 4-5 page “Life History” (autobiography) which outlines the important events of your life - the events which helped shape you into who you are today
3) a “Goals Paper”, which describes your personal, career and educational goals
*4) a year-by-year “Chronological Record” of your experiences since high school (or age 18) up to the present time - usually a sentence or two for each year
5) the “Competency” (learning match), which provides concise statements of experience and of the resulting learning, as it relates to a particular course of study or workplace-based competencies
6) “Documentation” of the learning experience supporting each competency described
*These two components are optional. Some adults may decide that they do not have the time necessary to complete these elements of the portfolio development process.
While you will become familiar with each page and document of your portfolio, those evaluating your portfolio do not have this advantage. Therefore, it is most important that you follow this format, developing a carefully organized and written portfolio so that a stranger would be able to follow it logically and identify supporting documentation easily.
WHAT OBJECTIVES WILL I ACCOMPLISH AS A RESULT OF PARTICIPATING IN THE PLA PROCESS VIA THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PORTFOLIO?
A major outcome of the Portfolio Development process is the identification, articulation and documentation of competency statements. Preparing a portfolio is an unfamiliar, laborious, yet rewarding task. It should have special relevance for you as you begin to examine your life, seeing it as a series of interwoven learning experiences, a sequence of milestones along the path of your development. Accordingly, the outcome of the Portfolio Development process is much more than the completion of a portfolio for formal evaluation and potential credit for prior learning. It is hoped this process will also allow you to enhance your self-esteem and your self-concept as a learner and your ability to clarify and reach important life/work goals. In addition, the portfolio itself is an excellent record of your effectiveness in a variety of life/work situations, suitable for presentation to prospective employers and others interested in your skills and competencies.
As a result of participating in the PLA process, you should be able to:
- describe the conditions needed for participating in the portfolio development process, the basic elements of the portfolio development/evaluation process, and the role of the mentor/resource person
- clarify the importance and purpose of the portfolio in relation to the identification, articulation, documentation and evaluation of your learning against college and/or workplace competencies
- recognize the value and legitimacy of learning from experience
- appreciate that learning is indeed a lifelong process
*- write a 4-5 page Life History about yourself
*- prepare a 1-2 page Chronological Record
- set life/career goals and priorities
- write a 2-page Goals Paper
- differentiate between “theoretical” learning and “practical” learning, to understand the expectations of faculty evaluators and/or subject matter experts in the workplace
- assess your own skills and knowledge competence
- prepare competency statements for courses/competencies you wish to submit for evaluation
- demonstrate understanding of the principles of documentation of your own prior learning and provide at least 3 documentation alternatives for each learning description you record in your portfolio
- describe and document competence developed through experience
- assemble your own portfolio of life and career accomplishments for submission to faculty evaluators, prospective employers or others interested in appraising your competence
- develop an educational plan for achieving your education/career goals
* These two components are optional.
WHAT ARE THE STEPS IN THE PORTFOLIO DEVELOPMENT/EVALUATION PROCESS?
With the help of your portfolio course instructor and staff members you will work through the following steps in the portfolio development process:
1) You will reflect on your prior experiences and examine what you have learned.
2) You will clarify your educational, career, and personal objectives in the light of past growth/experiences, and develop an education/career plan.
3) With the assistance of the portfolio resource person you will identify and record learning you have acquired from a variety of sources, and relate it to specific post-secondary and/or workplace courses and competencies to demonstrate equivalency.
4) You will document the learning for which you are seeking credit and/or recognition.
5) You will complete the portfolio, which includes a statement of educational, career and personal objectives, *a chronological record, *a life history paper, a clarification of experiences and related learning, and supportive documentation. The portfolio will demonstrate how the learning is related to particular courses and/or competencies. Your specific request for credit/recognition related to your identified learning is also included.
6) The portfolio will be reviewed by the portfolio resource person and returned to you with specific comments, for revisions or corrections as warranted.
7) You may be required to pay for the individual evaluation of each competency you have developed, especially if you are seeking post-secondary credits.
8) The portfolio will be evaluated by faculty and/or subject matter experts based on the type of credit/recognition requested.
9) If post-secondary credit is awarded, it will be recorded on your college transcript in the manner in which the grades are recorded in that institution (e.g. letter or number). The grade achieved will be included as part of your grade point average.
* These two items are optional.
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE PORTFOLIO RESOURCE PERSON?
The main function of the portfolio resource person is to advise you about the basic principles and steps of the portfolio development process and to assist you in the preparation of materials for assessment.
The portfolio resource person will provide you with technical assistance, support, and direction in the development of the portfolio. Your portfolio should ultimately be approved by this person after sufficient review/discussion of your work and prior to the finished product being passed along for formal assessment.
HOW IS CREDIT/RECOGNITION AWARDED FOR PRIOR LEARNING?
It is important to remember that you do not receive formal credit/recognition for experience. Instead, credit and recognition is granted for verifiable learning growing out of experience. In other words, credit will be granted for the learning, either knowledge or skills, acquired from a variety of experiences, not for the experiences themselves. For example, Bill has had ten years' experience as a sales manager. He will not be awarded credit for his ten years of selling experience, but rather on the basis of his ability to demonstrate what he has learned about salesmanship that relates to college-level learning courses or specific workplace-based competencies. The reason for this is that Bill may have learned very little after the first year that can be equated to college or workplace competencies. Remember, it is your responsibility to identify the learning outcomes resulting from the experience. The portfolio resource person and others, including colleagues can often assist you with this task.
When you have identified your learning from experience, you then match it to specific outcomes of post-secondary courses or workplace competencies. The next step in the process is to prepare a narrative, describing how you learned (prior experience), and what you have learned in relation to specific outcomes and competencies of courses or occupations. This narrative, along with your documentation, well be sent to the appropriate evaluator who will decide whether or not to award credit for your competencies. Please note that the evaluator, after reading your portfolio, may request additional work from you in order to demonstrate (or increase) your competence in the specific area being evaluated. To that end you may be requested to enter into a learning contract which outlines the specific competencies needed before credit/recognition can be granted.
PART I
THE CHRONOLOGICAL RECORD
The portfolio is a document about you and what you have learned over the course of your lifetime. A good way to start the assessment process is by trying to remember what those experiences have been. You will do this by preparing a “Chronological Record”.
The Chronological Record is a year-by-year account of what you have been doing since high school or since age 18. For each year, list what you consider to be the important happenings in your life. You might include:
- employment
- military experience
- schools attended
- seminars/workshops
- volunteer involvement
- major life events (marriage, the birth of children, moving, divorce, etc.)
The Chronological Record is a way to begin to organize all your experiences. The format is simple - using one or two sentences, starting with an action verb, describe the important events of that year. (Please indicate both city and provincial locations.)
Preparing your Chronological Record will take time. At this point in the process you may be unsure what you should list. Initially it may be difficult to determine dates and events for the years since high school. The more information you include, the more helpful your Chronological Record will be as you identify significant learning experiences. You will continue to update and modify entries over the next couple of weeks, as you become more familiar with what is useful.
Your Chronological Record can help to provide the evaluator with an overview of your experiences.
Samples of two Chronological Records appear on the pages which follow.
Sample I - Bobbi R.
CHRONOLOGICAL RECORD
1975 Graduated Grade 12, E.L. Crossley Secondary School, Fonthill. Robbed at knife point while working at a gas station. Married high school sweetheart, relocated to Hamilton.
1976 Graduated Grade 13, Hamilton Collegiate Institute. Worked as an assistant to the purchasing agent during summer at a steel fabricating company, Arcan Eastern.
1977 Attended full-time studies at McMaster University, Hamilton. Worked as an assistant to the purchasing agent at Arcan Eastern during summer. Served on jury duty for two trials.
1978 Separated from husband, changed residence. Had a car accident. co-habited with new partner, Jimmie (three children). Volunteer for Alternatives for Youth at the Hamilton Detention Centre.
1979 Graduated B.A. McMaster University, major Psychology. Employed as a Sessional Instructor Mohawk College, Job Readiness Training Department. Travelled to Vancouver, B.C. (first trip). Attended Life Skills Coach Conference, Belleville
1980 Travelled to Acapulco Mexico. Hired full-time as a Teaching Master, Mohawk College. Focus for Change, Women's Program. Volunteer for the Sexual Assault Centre, Public Education. Attended Life Skills Coach Conference, Barrie
1981 Took all-inclusive trip to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Started taking Wen-Do, Women’s Self Defense training basic and then intermediate classes
1981 Completed Life Skills Coach Training Course (180 hours). Taught Assertiveness Training at the YWCA, Ottawa Street
1982 Bought first house. Taught Assertiveness Training at Mohawk College, CE
1982 Completed Wen-Do Instructors Intensive Training Program. Taught Wen-Do in the WITT (Women in Trades & Technology)
1983 Secondment to Counselling Department, Futures Program. Repeated CPR Training.
1984 Successfully defended myself from an attack at a bus stop. Bought a car. Taught Focus for Change, Kiwanis Campus. Taught aerobics on lunch hour at Kiwanis Rec Centre.
1985 Travelled to Virginia to visit best friend who moved away. Learned to operate table saw to build recreation room.
1986 Taught Technical Upgrading Program, Mo/Mac Centre. Seriously ill with rheumatoid arthritis. Implemented Ontario Basic Skills Program, Highview Campus. Enroled in Masters of Education, Brock University. Partner’s first grandchild (son) was born. Bought an IBM compatible computer and took Saturday courses at Mohawk. Partner’s second daughter married, first wedding. Quit smoking New Year’s Eve.
1987 Became a mentor for Life Skills Coaches and worked on the committee to develop a pilot project for interns requesting accreditation in ALSCO. Travelled to Puerto LaCruz, Venezuela. Got braces on my teeth.
1988 Taught Focus on Skills, Brantdale Campus. Travelled to Cartagena, Columbia. Repeated First Aide Training. Attended P.D. workshop on Coping with Change, Facilitator: John Hosley. Took WHIMIS Training. Completed Small Business Course. Taught Resume Writing and Career Planning at Firestone, Plant Closure. Decided I was due for a career change (10 year itch)
1989 Secondment to the Educational Research & Development Office CAATS/Computer Based learning Project/Interactive Videodisc Technology. Developed lessons and taught Word Processing to Focus on Skills and ESL students (WP 4.1). Completed my own portfolio for accreditation by the Association of Life Skills Coaches of Ontario. Attended Life Skills Conference, Orillia, made a presentation to my intern who received accreditation in ALSCO. Travelled to Cartagena, Columbia. Attended Strategic Planning workshop. Took ballroom Dancing I. Received my 10 year award as an employee of Mohawk College. Partner's son graduated from Medical Imaging and got a job in TO. Partner's second grandson born.
1990 Took a Caribbean Cruise: (8 Islands). Empty nest, partner's son moved to Toronto to be closer to work. Took Ballroom Dancing II. Secondment to the ACCESS Department as Coordinator of Credit for Prior Experiential Learning. Attended Life Skills Conference, Orillia. Attended workshop on Long Range Planning at Five Oaks, Attended Prior Learning Assessment Conference, FNTI, Belleville. Attended Prior Learning Assessment Conference, Montreal. Attended Prior Learning Assessment Conference, CAEL, Chicago. Took WordPerfect 5.1 Update Course. Graduated Masters of Education, Brock University, Major: Adult Education. Won the Jack Noble Book Prize for highest academic standing in M.Ed. Program.
1991 Attended second annual Prior Learning Assessment Conference, FNTI, Belleville. Travelled to Europe (Belgium, Germany, France). Sold house. Bought a new house, relocated to Ancaster. Change in reporting structure at College, reporting to Dean C.E. Presented at CAEL, Prior Learning Assessment Conference, California. Vacationed in California and Las Vegas.
1992 Presented at third annual Prior Learning Conference, FNTI, Belleville. Member of COR Pre-implementation Committee. Attended CAEL Conference, Florida. Vacationed in Florida. Presented at ACAATO. Partner’s granddaughter born. Father-in-law died.
1993 Gave invocation at Graduation.
Sample II - Laura B.
CHRONOLOGICAL RECORD
1967 November - left Essex District High School in grade 11.
1968 Married in February. I was 17, he was 19. Moved from my father's home to an apartment in Leamington. Obtained full-time position in the kitchen of Leamington District Memorial Hospital (LDMH). Purchased a new car, 1967 Chevy Malibu.
1969 Accepted full time position in the laboratory at LDMH as housekeeper. Position was transferred to Housekeeping department within 3 months. Accepted a full time position as an Assistant Lab Technician, trained on the job by the Chief Lab Technologist. Returned to school for upgrading to complete grade 12 through Essex County Board of Education. Took correspondence courses as well as evening classes.
1970 Purchased our first home in Leamington.
1971 Completed Grade 12 equivalent. Purchased a new car, 1970 Mercury Montego MX.
1972 Spent many hours decorating, landscaping and fixing the house.
1973 February - Travelled to Hawaii for a 3 week holiday to celebrate 5th anniversary. November - Had my first child, a boy. Left my position as Assistant Lab Technician to stay home with new baby. He was not well during the first year of his life.
1974 Sold the house in Leamington and moved into an apartment in Windsor. Husband went to school full time and continued working full time at Ford Motor Company in Windsor. Extremely stressful year, but he completed his grade 12 equivalent. Spent every weekend shopping for a new home in Windsor.
1975 June - Moved into the perfect house in Windsor. July - Had my second child, a girl.
1976 Attended Continuing Education Courses at St. Clair College in Windsor for General Interest: Transactional Analysis, Adventures in Attitudes (a 3 day workshop which involved self analysis and personal goal setting). Took tennis lessons.
Attended a Flower Arranging course through St. Clair College. Had my youngest child, a boy.
1978 Attended adult confirmation classes at Glenwood United Church in Windsor. Accepted position as Chairperson of the Baptism Committee. February - Started a small arts and crafts business with my husband (A & M Woodcrafts). Purchased my own car, 1978 Mercury Zephyr Station Wagon. The auto industry was cutting back staff and husband quit his job at Ford's to operate the business full time. Sold the house and moved to new home in the country (10 miles outside of Windsor).
1979 Attended business courses at St. Clair College, Bookkeeping, Marketing and Salesmanship. The business expanded from retail to wholesale and my sales territory consisted of Southwestern Ontario. Purchased company vehicle - 1979 MaxiVan. Hired a full time/live-in housekeeper and nanny.
1980 Displayed A & M Woodcrafts at the Trade Shows in Toronto. Had 10 people on staff. The business was growing and successful. Opened a retail outlet in Windsor - The Tree House. Purchased new vehicle, 1980 Mustang. Decided to give up the travelling and hired a distributor to market our products.
1981 The country was in the middle of a recession, commercial lending rates hit 23%. March - The distributor declared bankruptcy. December - A & M Woodcrafts declared bankruptcy. Lost everything we owned, the house, the business, the company vehicle.
1982 January - moved to Cambridge with 3 healthy children and my husband. Husband started new job as CNC operator with Farris Industries. June - Manufactured product for an Arts and Craft Show in Windsor. Trailer caught on fire en route, managed to detach the car but the product was lost. Got the children to safety. September - Obtained a part time position in Continuing Education with Conestoga College teaching Ontario Management Development Programme: ES - Communications and Marketing.
1983 August - Started a full time position as Sales Representative for Co-operative Insurance. Obtained license to sell Life Insurance. Attended training course in general insurance. Started 2 year programme - Life Underwriters Agents Training Course (LUATC).
1984 January - Purchased a home in Cambridge. July - My husband and I separated after 16 years of marriage. Became a single mother with three children. Decided to keep the house. Took on additional teaching assignments through Conestoga College: OMDP: Human Relations, Motivation and Leadership and Administration.
1985. Co-instructed a Women's Transition project for single mothers re-entering the workforce. Taught the Ontario Basic Skills programme. Did guest speaking for Futures programme - Self Motivation, Understanding the Basics of Insurance. Completed LUATC. Took a 2 week vacation to Minnesota.
1986 Purchased a lot and started construction on a new home in St. George. Moved in with B. and his two children in September. Became the mother of 5 children (ages 9 - 15) in a blended family.
1987 February - Regretfully gave up my position with Co-operators Insurance. Received a 1987 Chrysler Daytona as gift from my parents.
1988 Applied and accepted for adult student status at University of Waterloo: Courses: Philosophy - Critical Thinking and Local History. Took a 2 week vacation touring Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana. Accepted 6 month, part time position teaching Ontario Basic Skills programme at a Drug Rehabilitation Centre. July - Obtained a full time position as a Commercial Sales Representative with Cowan McVicar Insurance. Obtained my RIBO license. (Registered Insurance Brokers of Ontario).
1989 My youngest son, was hit by a car while riding his bicycle. Admitted to intensive care at McMaster Hospital. Life and death situation. He survived with no permanent injury. Attended C.E. at University of Waterloo: Sociology.
1990 Cowan McVicar Insurance has lost numerous major accounts. Laid off as part of reducing overhead expenses. May - Hired for a one year pilot project as a Programme Coordinator at CODA (Community Opportunities Development Association). Joined the Kitchener/Waterloo Women in Networking. Travelled to Tennessee for a one week Houseboat vacation. Attended courses in Basic Dos and WordPerfect 5.1 at Conestoga College.
1991. June - Pilot project concluded. July - Started Business Support Services doing consulting to small business. Accepted teaching assignment at Conestoga College: OMDP - Effective Supervision - Administration. Attended a 3 day workshop at the Canadian Industrial Innovation Centre in Waterloo: Teaching Entrepreneurship. Wrote 2 articles for Cambridge Cityline Magazine on self employment: 1) Starting a small business 2) Home Alone. Wrote 3 restaurant reviews for the local newspaper the St. George Lance. Accepted an invitation to sit on the Citizen's Review Committee for the Cambridge United Way. Received a 1987 Olds Cutlass Cierra as a gift from my parents.
1992. Accepted contract positions at Conestoga College through Training and Development to conduct Job Search Workshops and pre-employment training programme. Attended one day seminar for Management and Leadership Skills for Women. Attended a Professional Development Day for Associate Faculty of Conestoga College. Enroled in C.E. programme at Mohawk College: Credit for Prior Learning as part of a pilot project for a 2 year General Business Diploma. In the process of developing a new Training and Development business with a long time acquaintance and previous associate. Member of the Citizen's Review Committee of Cambridge United Way to assess programmes of health care related agencies.
1993. Employed by Mohawk college, Job Readiness Training, programme to do sessional teaching. Accepted contract from Conestoga College to teach OMDP - Effective Supervision - Human Relations for Toyota Canada employees at Cambridge plant. Received contracts to write three new manuals for Conestoga College courses: Entrepreneurial Women - Level I and Level II, and Women at Work. Accepted position as committee member to co-ordinate a one day conference called Business Success for Women to be held in November 1993. Currently in the proposal stages to write a study identifying the gap between training, development and support needs of women entrepreneurs and available programmes.
PART II
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The Chronological Record allows you to recall most of the varied experiences of your life, and list them in chronological order. However, it is merely a list. It says very little about how the experiences affected you, or what you learned from them.
The purpose of the Life History Paper is to help you gain a greater understanding of yourself, as well as to help you reflect upon how you have grown and changed and how you have overcome obstacles. Busy adults rarely take time to reflect on the ways their experiences have affected their lives. The Life History Paper enables you, the adult learner, to review the goals, decisions and learning that you have experienced, and your ongoing development as a person.
Your next step is to reflect on the years since high school or when you were 18. What have you learned from your experiences? How have you changed? How have you progressed in your job and in other aspects of your life? How have you changed as a person since you were 18? As busy adults, we do not always take the time to think about "where we have been" (past experiences and "where we are going" (future goals and plans). Both are necessary steps as you examine your prior learning and clarify your goals. Preparing your Life History Paper provides you the opportunity to thoughtfully examine "where you have been". Laura B.’s Life History Paper is a concrete example of how one adult learner chose to reflect on the significant events in her life.
There is a great deal of talk these days about adult development, and the stages of adult growth. A life cycle is what takes place between birth and death in the life of a person; it is his or her personal history. While each individual is unique, several theorists have attempted to identify common patterns in the adult life cycle. Are there stages of growth which are common for all people? What are they, and what do they mean? How are these stages the same and different for men and women? How do they vary depending on age and racial differences? By understanding these stages, organizations such as educational institutions, can enhance their ability to facilitate adult development.
A few different theories of adult development are presented in this section for you to consider as you evaluate your own life experiences. Remember, there is no one right theory for everyone, but one or another of these theories will hopefully help you in preparing your Life History Paper. As you read this section, which ideas seem to relate to your own experiences? Which ideas are different?
I Daniel Levinson (1978) has done extensive research on the stages of adult development for Yale Medical School. His findings have suggested that adult development is influenced by an individual's sociological environment (e.g. work, school, family, friends) and displays itself in how he/she relates to this environment, in terms of both external behavior and internal perceptions. Levinson characterized our lives as alternating periods of stability and transition, which create what he calls our “life structure.”
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Learning involves some sort of transition and periods of transition seem to alternate with periods of stability. Rather than following a strict linear pattern (Figure A) learning and personal growth seem to move forward between plateaus of stability (Figure B).
THREE TRANSFORMATION THEMES WHICH ARE INTEGRAL
TO GROWTH AND TRANSITION
1. RESISTANCE - none of us easily leave our usual ways of thinking, feeling and doing things behind. Our “old” world is where the “light” is best and most of us no matter how wise and mature are a little afraid of the “dark” and that the bogey man might nab us. So we prefer to stay “under the blanket” of our old worlds.
2. GRIEF - with transformation/change an old order dies and a new one is born. Whether growth involves a small part of us or our entire being, a loss usually occurs before a gain. Grieving is often associated with growth but usually overlooked or under estimated in its influence. Growth and significant change is one of the highlights of our lives - but like life itself it has pain as well as pleasure. Grief is most influential when one is between worlds or stages of growth; having left the old and familiar but not yet arrived at the new. Each of us has our own style of grieving and ways of handling loss. It is important to be aware of it and make it work to our advantage.
3. COURAGE - as we can readily see this quality is an important part of growth. We often are forced to leave the old world and set out to discover the new one without a guarantee in advance of what it shall be. The risks tend to intimidate us; and although we often don’t see ourselves to be courageous, we act in courageous ways at various times. I have witnessed many examples of such courage and continue to be awe struck by the hurdles people have overcome in their lives - reading life histories for example brings this point home. Despite all of our human frailties we as people possess a certain toughness. Such courage is inherent in all of us and is essential to growth.
TRANSFORMATION PATTERNS - Development as growth, using these three themes as the framework, involves adding new things to ourselves, integrating them with what was there before and as a result transforming a small or large aspect of ourselves perhaps even our entire being. According to Douglas Robertson these patterns occur in most people but he believes that if we are aware of them and allow for them and use them in our planning process that they can be used constructively. Not acknowledging or respecting them encourages unrealistic expectations and can give rise to frustration and disappointment.
As the diagrams (Figures A & B) demonstrate, transformation/growth is not continuous but rather occurs in a series of steps involving periods of transition alternating with periods of stability. This phenomenon is often referred to as a “PARADIGM SHIFT”, i.e. something new is added to the old and integrated and then transformation occurs.
TRANSITION, STABILITY, TRANSITION, STABILITY
William Bridges (1980) business consultant and transitions expert, in his book, TRANSITIONS: Making Sense of Life’s Changes, describes the three phases which he believes characterize life transitions:
A. ENDINGS - a time of realizing our old ways don’t work as well as we would like, often triggered by some event - a divorce, birth, promotion, death - forcing us to realize our old perspective isn’t adequate any more. Endings come in many forms and our personal reactions to them vary widely. Endings tend to fall into one of five categories:
1. MAJOR - MINOR - Does change involve a central part of who we are or marginal aspect?
2. ANTICIPATED - UNANTICIPATED - Did we expect the change (growing older) or was it a surprise?
3. PLANNED - UNPLANNED - Did we consciously choose it or not?
4. GRADUAL - ERUPTIVE - Did it develop slowly or “zap” us from out of the blue?
5. POSITIVE - NEGATIVE - Were we happy that the change occurred or was it a devastating blow?
Endings are usually easier if they are minor, anticipated, planned, etc.
B. NEUTRAL ZONE - Follows endings. We are in transit between worlds, sailing along getting sea sick but not yet arrived. Nothing is solid or fixed, we are somewhat disoriented and at times confused. This phase requires that we tolerate ambiguity for a while. Since it is a relatively empty time we may begin to see “old” things in a different light, fresh perceptions can occur, new insights emerge and previously unrecognized options may become apparent. We may also feel freer to experiment with new ways, behaviours, etc. and to integrate our new learning.
C. NEW BEGINNINGS - A period of adding the new learning and integrating it with the old order, transforming our entire being in some fashion. Time is needed to integrate this newness and let others adjust to it since we are part of a larger set of systems; the family, community, workplace, nation, global community, etc. Being aware of this web of connecting lines can help us see the potential ripple effects of our transformation or growth.
Growth involves adding to ourselves and through the integrating of this variety of new things, transforming ourselves. Growth builds on our previous experiences, it does not try to eliminate them - suppressing them can lead to harm, integrating them constructively can lead to growth.
You may want to identify the periods of transition and stability in your own life. Describe each transition period. Was it followed by a more stable period in your life? How was this period different from the transition period? How did these periods of transition and stability affect your personal and professional life?
II Gail Sheehy (1976), her book Passages, describes seven stages of development which an adult typically experiences. You may find it interesting to compare your life to these stages. What is similar? How has your life been different?
Fledgling Adulthood (ages 22-29 years)
This stage is an individual's entry into the adult world. The individual is preparing for his/her lifework. He/she is trying out the teachings of childhood. Individuals are concerned with doing what they “should”. An individual passing through the provisional adulthood stage is seeking the answer to “What do I do?”
Age 30 Transition (ages 29-32)
During this period individuals are typically questioning and re-examining commitments made in their twenties. The individual questions the “shoulds” and “oughts” of his/her upbringing. Life begins to look more complex. An individual is seeking the answer to "What do I really want out of life?"
Putting Down Roots (ages 32-39 years)
During this stage life becomes more rational, less questioning and searching. The individual seeks to be more established, both personally and professionally. Individuals become emotionally aware of the reality of death and are concerned with the question “Is there still time to change?”
Mid-Life Transition (ages 39-43)
For many this is a painful period. The individual re-examines his/her purpose in life, becoming aware of the fact that we are alone - there is no one to go to for “permission.” It is often a time of transition filled with both danger and opportunity. Many must face the realization that there are limits to success and achievement. Youthful dreams may not match reality. Also, they are concerned with the expectations others have placed on the individual. The major question of this period is “What do I truly want for myself and others?”
Realization and Flowering (ages 43-50)
For many individuals this is the best time of life. They have regained their equilibrium. Having forged through the earlier stages, they have gained a new stability, a renewal of purpose. They are interested in becoming a mentor, sharing their knowledge and skills with younger friends and associates. Individuals listen more to their own inner voices than to external demands.
Renewal (ages 50-65)
This stage is a renewal period for many adults. They have come to grips with what they have and haven’t done and are eager to build a more authentic life structure. Friends and privacy are greatly valued. Individuals are concerned with retirement - when to retire, what to do and how to cope.
Retirement (ages 65 and over)
This is the stage of exciting changes. As a result of better health care and standard of living, the quality of life has greatly improved. Individuals are living active lives, pursuing new careers and experiences. They are not retiring, but retreading.
Take a few moments and review your Chronological Record and events in your life, in relation to these stages. Do they come close to describing your life? How does your life experience differ? You may find that you do not fit neatly into these stages, do not be concerned. They are descriptions of average tendencies from group studies, and may not match your life exactly. You are a unique individual with your own experiences and ways of reacting.
III Frederick Hudson (1991) argues that this view of the world is no longer applicable. Individuals cannot expect events to occur in a predictable manner. Adults change careers several times, return to school, retire at different ages. Individuals may become parents and grandparents more quickly than they could have ever imagined. Examine your own life. Have you always been able to predict events? Have you been able to control change? All these events affect how adults develop. They occur at different times in people's lives and influence people in different ways.
Hudson suggests that a cyclical view of adult development is more applicable to today's world and more descriptive of the adult life cycle. Cyclical concepts are patterns that are repeated but have different meanings at different times in our lives. They are not better or worse than earlier forms, merely different. For example, you may have attended college after completing high school. The basic experience of attending school is the same at age eighteen as at age forty, and yet it is a significantly different experience. You are a different person, your life is different and your reasons may be very different.
Hudson describes four phases which he believes are continually repeated throughout the life cycle.
Phase 1: Alignment - Getting My Act Together
Individuals are consciously and unconsciously inventing their life structure. A life structure is a span of time when life seems clear, purposeful, promising and effective. During this phase an individual develops their vision of their future and takes action to accomplish this vision. As they move towards accomplishing this vision they reach a plateau. A plateau is the point where much of the vision has been realized and individuals begin to question, “Is that all there is?”
Phase 2: Out of Synch
During this phase adults continue to manage their life structure while searching for ways to keep it thriving. It can be a confusing time as adults re-evaluate their vision and attempt to make changes to regain their earlier sense of purpose. Unanticipated events may enter the picture which affect the life structure or one’s view of it. Adults face a momentous decision during this phase of attempting to restructure and rejuvenate the vision or to abandon the vision. The latter decision throws adults into a Life Transition as they disengage from their old vision. Hudson refers to this as cocooning, a time for endings in order to rebuild a new life structure.
Phase 3: Disengagement
This is a time of being rather than doing, as adults turn inward. It is a time of letting go of external structures, lost dreams, lost roles, lost youth, children, career, income, etc. It is a time of self-renewal as adults regain a sense of self.
Phase 4: Re-integration
During this phase adults expand their self-renewal to include the external world. It is a time of exploration, creativity, and networking as adults explore what their new life structure might look like.
After reviewing your past experiences, developmental stages and transitions, your next step is to prepare your Life History paper. This paper should be a 4-5 page essay, reflecting on your past experiences and your development. Taking time to reflect on your life can be an important part of your growth and development. It is usually a necessary process for adults who are setting new goals in their lives. This paper should help the evaluator to understand who you are and the context of your learning experiences.
As you work on the development of your portfolio, there will be experiences that you may not want to share. We all have had experiences that were painful; that's part of life. As you reflect on your past experiences you cannot avoid being reminded of such experiences, however, you do not need to include the experiences in your portfolio.
* Some adult learners share a great deal of information about their personal lives, while others focus only on their career and educational experiences. You must decide what you are comfortable sharing in your portfolio.
A sample copy of a Life History paper appears on the following pages.
LIFE HISTORY PAPER
LAURA B.
In 1963, when I was 13 years old, my mother died after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Looking back on her life, I realized she had left this world a better place by the way she touched so many lives around her with such gentleness and caring. By example, her determination and fortitude left me with an inner strength that would not only sustain me through times of distress and disappointment but give me the ability to pull from each experience every possible positive lesson that could be learned. It took many years before I was truly able to understand the profound impact this experience would have on my life, in my beliefs and on my values.
I left school, left home and married at the young age of 17 and started a full time position in the kitchen of the Leamington District Memorial Hospital (LDMH). By working hard, I eventually became a cashier in the cafeteria. In this position, I was able to meet the entire hospital staff and was eventually approached by the Chief Lab Technologist, John Edwards. John offered me a full time position cleaning the lab, which I looked at as an opportunity to advance. After three months in this position, the job was transferred to the housekeeping department and John offered to train me as an assistant lab technician under his direction and guidance. Technically, I learned venipuncture, testing of lab specimens, urinalysis, blood sugar analysis, blood typing, taking electrocardiograms and haematology. Personally, I learned about human behaviour, caring for others, illness and dying and the need for dignity in all of us. John encouraged me to go back to school to complete my grade 12, which I did, and I worked in the lab until my first child was born in 1973. Through this experience I learned two valuable lessons that would benefit me through my life. The first was the value of continuing education. Your formal education should never end. By taking courses and continually upgrading, you keep your mind alert and open to new ideas, concepts and information. You are able to grow, both personally and professionally and are able to expand your horizons through life long learning.
The second lesson I learned through my experience at LDMH was the value of giving 100% to your employer. One comment John made to me after an extremely demanding work day, has remained with me for 20 years and had a major impact on my working life. “Laura, I know I can always depend on you.” It sounds so simple, almost insignificant, but that comment meant to me, being responsible, on time, trustworthy and knowing that if the effort I put in was 100% of what I had to give, that it would be recognized. That comment has served me throughout my lifetime.
In 1978, my husband and I started A and M Woodcrafts, a small manufacturing company, making wooden furnishings and giftware. My husband's responsibility was purchasing, production and manufacturing and my responsibilities included marketing, promotion and sales. Although these were our designated areas of responsibility, often our work overlapped and I would take part in staining, lacquering and packaging orders. We jointly hired staff and built an effective and capable team of ten employees. I also took care of the office with regards to bookkeeping, payroll and the accounts payable and receivable.
For 3 ½ years I marketed our product throughout southwestern Ontario, both to retail and wholesale customers. Throughout this time my business knowledge and experience grew in areas of sales, marketing and management. I also learned about human behaviour, initiative, drive, perseverance and commitment to excellence. Because I had been away from my family for long periods of time, having a live-in Nanny and feeling like a part time mother, I accepted an arrangement to sell our products through a single distributor. In retrospect, I realized that by giving away this control in the company was a great mistake. In 1981, Canada was in the middle of a recession. Commercial lending rates had reached 23% and the distributor that we were selling our products through declared bankruptcy leaving A and M Woodcrafts with a tremendous receivable that we would never be able to collect. In late 1981 we were forced to declare bankruptcy.
Through the experience of running a small manufacturing company, I gained an incredible amount of knowledge and experience in business. Administrative and organizational skills, financial planning, goal setting, customer service, human relations and marketing and sales were now part of my experiential credentials. I often think we learn more, and more effectively, from our failures than from our successes. We had taken an idea from conception through inception, from development to expansion and from success to final closure.
In retrospect, I learned that you may not always be able to have total control over your financial gain but from each experience you walk away much richer in wisdom, insight and experience. It then becomes more important for your future to decide what you are going to do with this knowledge.
The knowledge I had gained from A and M Woodcrafts, offered me an opportunity at Conestoga College to teach their Ontario Management Development Programme. When I first started with the College, I thought that I would be able to share my past experience and knowledge with students who were interested in learning more about business and supervisory skills. After being with the College for ten years and teaching adult students, I have not only been able to share with them, but in return, have learned from their experience and expertise. I have taught Communications, Human relations, Motivation and Leadership, Administration and Marketing. As an instructor, presenter and teacher, I have learned about human behaviour and human nature, interaction and interchange, public speaking and effective presentations and facilitating and motivating. With every course there is new information and new students, new ways to learn things and new ways to teach and always an opportunity to grow and improve.
In 1982, after 16 years of marriage, I went through a painful divorce and became a single mother, supporting 3 children, a dog and a mortgage. I was working for Co-Operators Insurance as a sales representative where my income was limited only by the hours I had to put into it. Although I was financially successful and secure, I continued to work with Conestoga College and was offered my first contract to teach the Ontario Basic Skills programme to other single mothers who were trying to enter the workforce. Along with resume preparation, interviewing skills, and job search techniques, I was able to share my experiences and knowledge in helping students find their own inner motivation, develop a positive attitude and belief in themselves.
My own philosophy is that one's inner drive, discipline and determination determines your level of success. Teaching has given to me an opportunity to help others recognize their own potential and improve their own self esteem and self confidence. I have also recognized that the change is not up to me, but instead, up to each individual at the time in their life that is right for them. Through teaching and training, I have not only been financially rewarded, but more importantly emotionally rewarded with thanks, praise, cards and roses from students who believe I have made a difference in their lives. What better reward can there be for doing a job you love to do. Teaching has also given me skills for doing effective presentations, selling ideas and new concepts and planning and preparation. It has taught me how to set goals and monitor and evaluate performance. I have learned about human behaviour and human relations and how to find in an individual the strengths that will help them become a more fulfilled person and motivated employee. I have learned to become a coach and a facilitator while encouraging contribution and growth from each individual. Through my teaching experience I have become confident in my own abilities to help others learn to help themselves.
In 1989, my youngest son, then 12 years old, was hit by a car while riding his bicycle. He was admitted to intensive care at McMaster Hospital in Hamilton and over a period of seven days I learned the most important lessons of my life. I learned the fragility of life. I learned to value each person and each experience and to appreciate each day that we have been given. I learned that until we can walk in the shoes of someone who has watched a loved one's life hang in the balance for days on end we cannot appreciate and relish in the value of life itself. Life is too short and unpredictable to think we can waste a moment, a day or a lifetime wallowing in self pity or complaining about things we cannot change. We need to seize every moment, find the pleasures and opportunities in it, learn from it and share it with all of those around us. We need to touch people in a positive way and to leave this world a better place to be.
My determination, fortitude and persistence can be attributed to having such tremendous admiration for my mother's ability to give to others even during times of personal distress and adversity. She lived life to the fullest, taught by example and instilled in me the desire to do the same.
Laura did not attempt to discuss all the experiences she listed in her Chronological Record. She selected the experiences she felt were most significant and discussed how they had influenced her. After reading Laura's Life History, you begin to develop a better understanding of who she is and how she has developed. The preparation of the Life History paper is intended to help you reflect on your experiences and examine how they have helped you to become the person you are today.
As you write your own Life History paper remember that it is not necessary to discuss all the experiences listed in your Chronological Record. Experiences should be selected which represent the most significant and influential events from the larger list of events. After reading the Life History paper it should be easier to understand the learner from a more personal perspective and to get a clearer picture of the forces which helped shape his/her development. The evaluator should find this information useful as he/she attempts to understand the depth and breadth of your learning experiences.
PART III
THE GOALS PAPER
This section of the Guide is designed to help you continue the process of self-assessment but the emphasis will shift from the past to the future. Building on the insights you've acquired from preparing your Chronological Record and Life History Paper and the insights you will develop as you go through this phase of the Portfolio Development process, you will be asked to set some goals and prepare a Goals Paper that describes these goals and your plans for achieving them.
REASONS FOR SETTING GOALS
Most people would agree that being the best we can be and striving to achieve more of our potential is desirable. However, the pressures of everyday life and normal human failures often prevent us from giving much attention to achieving this potential. We are often inhibited by the feeling that we have little control over our fate and we may simply be pre-occupied with day-to-day issues and problems.
Setting goals is one useful way to help keep our attention focused on aiming toward achieving more of our untapped potential. This happens because identifying goals can help us channel more of our energy. The situation is comparable to driving a car. If you have a destination in mind, you can use the car's energy to cope with most barriers to your progress. For example, if a road is blocked, you can choose to turn off the engine and save gasoline while you wait for the road to be re-opened; or, you can choose to drive the car along an alternate route. Through these planned responses to the environment, you will eventually arrive at your destination. However, what if you begin driving with no destination in mind? You are likely to randomly change direction each time you encounter a barrier. As a result, while your car may have used just as much gasoline as in the previous situation, your odds of arriving at a desirable destination are small while your odds of becoming completely lost are greater.
Similarly, when you have a clearer life or career goal, you can direct your energy toward attaining that goal and avoid scattering it in other directions. You can start planning the steps to help attain your goal and begin avoiding unconscious steps away from it. For instance, if your career goal is to become a buyer for a large retail store, it may not be logical to take a job working on an assembly line, even if the latter job pays better. Of course, as with driving to a destination, directing your energy toward a goal does not mean you will not have to make detours or that you won't be delayed or distracted.
Moreover, if you are goal-directed, you will know that you charted most of this course yourself. You will have a greater sense of being in control. In addition, having a goal clearly in mind enables you to know when you have succeeded. This seems obvious, but it is an important benefit of goal setting. “Success” is a term that most people use but never really define in their own minds. As a result, a person can accomplish many tasks, receive many promotions, earn lots of money, be recognized with awards and still not feel “successful.” Often, this is because she does not know what “success” is - she has never developed a personal definition for the term. Setting goals is a way of defining “success” for yourself - it in a way that allows you to recognize your own successes, to be satisfied with them, and to be motivated to set new goals and strive for new achievements. In other words, you gain a greater sense of your abilities and potential.
Each person must define what success is for himself or herself. The individuals who are successful are those who work to make their lives the way they want them to be. Anthony Robbins (1987) identified the following seven characteristics that successful people have in common: Passion, Belief, Strategy, Clarity of Values, Energy, Bonding Power, and Communications.
First, they have Passion. Successful people have discovered a reason or purpose that drives them to grow, and to achieve more of their potential. It gives them the fuel to accomplish their goals and can help them through the rough times.
The second characteristic is Belief. Successful people believe in themselves and in their capacity to grow and accomplish goals. If you say to yourself, “I could never do that,” then you will not, no matter how hard you work. To succeed, you have to believe you can.
While Passion and Belief are the fuel for success, success does not automatically happen. The third characteristic is Strategy. Successful people do not sit around waiting for things to happen. They make plans - that is, they develop a strategy to achieve what they want. They also realize the strategy is not carved in granite. It can be changed or modified if they are faced with roadblocks or new opportunities. They develop a strategy which enables them to stay focused on their goals.
The fourth characteristic of successful people is a Clarity of Values. Successful people have a clear idea of their own values. Values are our specific belief systems about what is right and wrong in our lives. Values are fundamental, ethical, moral, and practical judgments we make about what really matters to us. Our values affect every decision we make either directly or indirectly. Successful people understand the importance of values and have a clear notion of their value system. They also know that values change, adapt and develop throughout life. Remember when you were 18 and said, “I'll never do that,” only to find yourself at a later age doing the thing you said you would never do. It may reflect a change in your values.
The fifth characteristic of successful people is Energy. Accomplishing goals takes effort. Successful people do not hesitate to use their energy - physical, intellectual, and spiritual energy - to accomplish what is important to them.
The sixth characteristic is Bonding Power. Successful people know they cannot accomplish goals alone. Bonding power is our ability to connect with and develop rapport with people from a variety of backgrounds and beliefs. No matter what you want to do, see, create, share, or experience, it involves others. Often, other people can help you accomplish your goals more quickly and easily. Successful people have learned this and have learned to develop a rapport to solicit the help and partnerships they need.
Finally, successful people understand the importance of Communication. The way we communicate with ourselves is as important as the way we communicate with others. Successful people are those who have learned how to take any challenge that life gives them and communicate that experience to themselves in a way that causes them to successfully change things. Their self-communication is generally positive - they don't impose “should”, “oughts”, or “cant's” on themselves.
Successful people have learned and mastered the art of communication. Communication is perhaps the most important skill we can master. We spend most of our waking hours communicating - reading, speaking, listening. Steven Covey's (1989) book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, stresses that successful people have developed the art of empathic listening - they seek first to understand and then to be understood. Empathic listening helps you to understand another person's frame of reference. You try to see the world the way he sees it. You don't have to agree with him, but you first try to understand, and from there you work on mutual problem solving.
WHAT DOES THE GOALS PAPER HAVE TO DO WITH PLA AND PORTFOLIO DEVELOPMENT?
Setting attainable goals is an important step in the portfolio development process - if you want to create a portfolio that can help you earn credit for specific courses and/or recognition for occupational competencies. In this case, goals are necessary because they will help direct your efforts as you develop your portfolio. As a result of preparing your Chronological Record and your Life History Paper, you probably realize that you cannot write about all your experiences. It is important to be selective about which of your previous experiences will lead to the identification and documentation of the maximum number of competencies/ credits and help to clarify your career path.
Your personal/career goals are the starting point for this sorting process. This is how the process works: once you have your goals in mind, you can select the college program or occupational grouping that is most likely to help you achieve them. With this goal established, you can examine the courses required for the diploma and/or requirements for the occupation and decide which ones cover topics that match your learning from experience. Then you can sort through your experiences and focus on the ones that yield relevant learning that is applicable to the program or occupation you have selected. This entire process will be covered in much greater detail later in the Guide, but the point to remember is that the process begins with clear goals.
It is important to remember that setting goals is only one part of the process. Once your goals have been set, it is important to take the necessary action to carry out the plans, thus accomplishing your goals or revising them if necessary.
FACTORS TO CONSIDER IN GOAL SETTING
The process of setting clear goals begins with remembering past experiences and doing a careful self-analysis - analysis of your past experiences, your values, your interests, your abilities, and your needs and wants. This introspection is essential because it is the only way to develop goals that are truly your own - goals that you believe are worth attaining.
One phase of this self-analysis involves becoming more aware of your own values - of what is important to you, of what makes you happy. When people list their values, they usually include such things as money, leisure time, security, independence, social status, helping others and so forth. However, the priority individuals assign to a particular value varies from person to person. While one person may value financial security above all else, another may value leisure time most.
Being aware of what you value most enables you to match these values to the types of rewards - and costs - that are common in a particular career. For example, a career in sales may yield an above-average amount of money. However, such a career may have less status than some other fields. On the other hand, a career as a nurse may provide greater status, but you may forfeit the ability to make large amounts of money. In the process of examining your own values, you may become clearer about what you want and what you are willing to sacrifice in order to get it. The activities which follow and the discussions with the portfolio resource person will help you with this values clarification process.
Unless you are already certain about your career goals, you may need to give some special thought to this area. As you set goals, in addition to understanding your own values you should also be aware of your interests and what attracts and holds your attention. Once you clarify your interests, you can begin to look for a career that allows you to earn money for doing tasks similar to those you would choose to do for fun. A professional hockey player is obviously someone who has found a way to match his livelihood to his interests and make lots of money too! A less obvious example of the same sort of well-planned matching is the person who loves to solve puzzles, and makes her/his living de-bugging computer programs.
However, while taking into account your values and interests, you must also honestly analyze your abilities. From past experience, you know what you can and cannot do. Now you need to analyze whether you lack certain skills simply because you were never trained in them, or whether you lack aptitude in that area. Perhaps you can figure this out on your own; but, if you cannot, there are several resources in the community which offer career counselling services to help you.
If there are areas in which you have aptitude but require training, you must decide how much time, energy, and money you are willing to devote to getting this training. This decision will affect your career goals. You should decide how much time you can spend developing your skills and set your goals accordingly.
How much time you can spend depends on your needs and wants - the final factor to analyze as you set your goals. As an adult, you have a responsibility to meet your own basic survival needs and perhaps, the needs of others. You must temper your goal-setting accordingly.
CRITERIA FOR GOALS
As you work on your Goals Paper, keep the following guidelines in mind: your goals should be-
Believable - Remember, if you do not believe you can accomplish something, you never will.
Conceivable - Is the goal stated in such a way that you can conceive of accomplishing it? It may not be very conceivable for you to become a professional basketball player if you are only 4 feet, 11 inches tall. However, it may be entirely conceivable for you to learn the rules of professional basketball, or improve your own free-throw percentage, or become a coach.
Achievable - Is the goal achievable? Do you need to break it down into smaller goals first? Maybe you want a social work degree. your first step might be to earn a Social Services Diploma, then a Bachelor of Social Work. Do you have the resources (time, money, determination)?
Desirable - It must be a goal you want to accomplish, not what someone else wants you to accomplish. You may be considering returning to school because of job pressures, but if you don't desire education for yourself, you will find subtle ways to sabotage earning a college diploma or university degree.
Measurable - The more measurable or specific you make your goals statement, the better it will be for planning as well as evaluation: Did I accomplish my goal? If you say, “I am going to increase my savings this year,” and in December of this year your savings have increased by $1, did you accomplish your goal? Well, yes and no. Yes, it is $1 more; but unless you are a small child, you probably had more than $1 in mind. A much more useful goal statement would be, "I am going to increase my savings by $600 this year." You can use this statement to plan to save $50 each month, from January through December of this year, and on December 31, you can examine your saving account balance and quickly determine if you have met your goal.
Stated with No Alternatives - A goal statement should never be written, “Maybe I will go to school, or maybe I won't.” If you give yourself that choice, I’d bet money on “I won’t” every time. In order for goals to be valuable, they should be stated “I will” or “I am (going to school, etc.).”
Growth Facilitating - Goals should be established that are not harmful to ourselves or others, but enable us to learn or accomplish something new.
As you work on your goals, you might find the following questions helpful:
* Are your goals in line with your personal interests, skills and opportunities?
* How do your goals statements fit with the other criteria mentioned above? Do you believe in what you have stated? Are the goals stated with no alternatives? Can you be even more specific?
* What is the relationship between your long-term and your immediate goals?
* How can your immediate goals help you accomplish the long-range ones?
* Have you established a timetable for reaching the immediate goals? Have you given yourself enough time? Or can you really get these things done more quickly than you thought?
STEPS IN SETTING GOALS
For this course, setting goals involves the following steps:
- Perform the self-analysis discussed in the preceding paragraphs.
- Based on this self-knowledge, formulate your long-term goals - decide what you want your life to be like five or ten years from now.
- Set short-term goals - goals for next semester or next year. These goals should lead logically to your long-term goals and serve as stepping stones. (For example, short-term goals of securing a part-time job as a retail clerk and pursuing a diploma in Business Administration would be stepping stones to a long-term goal of owning your own business.)
- Identify and develop resources to help you achieve your goals.
- Write a Goals Paper
WRITING THE GOALS PAPER
Once you have gone through the steps described above and know your own goals, you can write the goals paper that will be included in your portfolio. As you write this paper, make certain that you clearly state your goals, both long-term and short-term. Also, be sure to discuss the thought processes you went through in setting these goals. Answer such questions as: What are your values? How do you know or how did you decide? What are your interests? What abilities do you have? What skills do you need to develop? What are your needs and wants? What current responsibilities are affecting your choice of goals? What plans have you made to help you achieve your goals? What resources have you identified?
Keeping the above guidelines in mind, write a Goals Paper that emphasizes your future instead of your past. In two typed pages, you should try to describe your hopes and aspirations - your plans for the future!
A sample Goals Paper, on the next page, lists personal, educational and career goals.
SAMPLE GOALS PAPER
OCCUPATIONAL GOALS: LAURA B.
2 MONTHS
By December 31, 1992, my partner and I will have completed the business plan, brochure and business cards for Amaryllis Associates Training and Development Inc. We will be marketing Personal and Professional Life Skills Training programmes to agencies and business for staff development. Courses and workshops will include Time Management, Team Building, Creative Conflict Resolution, managing Stress, Assertiveness Training, Peer Training, managing Change, Effective Presentations, Communications and Problem Solving Techniques. At this time both Diane and I will be doing the training, writing and marketing for Amaryllis.
6 MONTHS
Amaryllis Associates Training and Development plans to have an office opened and contract trainers hired to provide training of our programmes. Diane and I will have completed the programme manuals for the above courses and have hired contract trainers to instruct the workshops. There will also be special workshops “For Women Only” consisting of topics such as Working Women-Balancing Your Roles, Projecting a Positive Self Image, Assertiveness Training for Women and Management and Leadership Skills for Women.
1 YEAR
Amaryllis Associates Training and Development plans to have an office opened and contract trainers hired to provide training of our courses.
We will have developed courses for Entrepreneurial Women's Studies which will be marketed through educational institutions.
2 YEARS
We will be providing leadership and support to Small Business Support Groups for Women Entrepreneurs within the region.
Team building and Leadership training will be provided to help them run their own group, as well as courses in business management.
3 YEARS
We will be involved with the operation of a Women’s Business and Entrepreneurial Training Centre affiliated with the college, the Ministry of Industry Trade and Technology and local business. This centre will consist of training rooms, an incubator and private rental space as well as providing co-operative secretarial, marketing and advertising support.
5 YEARS
Diane and I will be working as consultants for Women’s Entrepreneurial Studies programmes and new business opportunities for women.
EDUCATIONAL GOALS
1 YEAR
Working with Roberta B. through the College's Experiential Learning Programme, by December 31, 1993, I will have applied for experiential learning credits towards a two year General Business Diploma.
I will also have applied through the Ministry of Colleges and Universities for an Ontario Management Development Programme (OMDP) Certificate in Business Management Studies.
3 YEARS
In three years I will have completed the necessary credits and received the General Business Diploma from the college through continuing education.
EDUCATIONAL PLANNING
You have written your Goals Paper, listing your personal, career, and educational goals. Writing your goals does not guarantee that they will be achieved. They are best achieved by making plans and working to carry out those plans. It may be difficult to be successful without these three components: 1) setting goals; 2) making plans; and 3) taking action.
Planning however, is more than just a list of things to do; it is a process and involves the following tasks:
* identifying one's personal and professional goals and objectives
* identifying personal and professional opportunities, resources and strategies (or creating tem as need be)
* setting target dates for accomplishment of objectives - i.e., professional involvement, continuing education, and organization objectives
* specifying evidence of accomplishment in some record, file, or notebook
* specifying how valid the evidence is, i.e., how has it been validated and by whom
* consulting with others about your plan
* in implementing the plan, keeping track of the main goals
* evaluating accomplishments periodically, at least every six months
* reviewing and setting new goals following every evaluation and/or self-appraisal
There are usually several ways to achieve one’ goals. The planning process allows you to pre-test the alternatives, mentally trying them out. By doing this, you can begin to develop the plan that works best for you. Also the plan helps you stay focused on achieving your goals. By writing down your plan you have a road map to which to refer. You actually have concrete evidence that you are making progress.
The planning process can help you identify obstacles to successfully achieving your goals. Obstacles come in all shapes and sizes: lack of money, lack of time, lack of confidence, illness, lack of support, inflexible hours, community responsibilities, family responsibilities. If you identify possible obstacles in advance, you can plan how you might try to resolve them before they prevent you from accomplishing your goals.
Planning alone does not ensure success and as mentioned earlier it is important to develop your plan and move toward implementing it.
As you begin to do this, you learn as you go and as you well know there is no more powerful teacher than experience! As you begin to implement your plans, you are no doubt aware that you may have to adjust your timetable and deal with detours. Don’ despair. Obstacles and unexpected opportunities are part of the journey. Use your goals and your plan as a way to re-prioritize, and develop contingency plans to accomplish your goals. When faced with an obstacle in your plan, it may not be necessary to abandon your goals but rather to look for an alternate route.
Preparing an educational plan can help you achieve your academic goals. As an adult, you realize the importance of continuous learning, probably more than ever. Regardless of how much importance you place on education, it may tend to fall third or fourth on your list of priorities. You have to make a living, to raise your children, and so on. You have to juggle responsibilities and priorities in your life. If you want a diploma, you have to somehow make space for it. An educational plan can help you examine how to do so. The planning process helps you to think how you might best proceed.
The forms on the next pages are worksheets for you to use to begin to develop your educational plan. The purpose of this plan is to assist you to achieve your academic goals. As you develop it you will decide which education or training programs will help you accomplish your goals and you may find that you have several alternatives. Developing the educational plan will help you decide which route is best and fastest. For adult learners, earning the diploma quickly is often as important as the program they choose. Adults often have plenty of solid experience but they need the diploma for verification of their credentials and to enhance their employability.
Developing the educational plan will help to insure that you take advantage of all the options and services in the local community to help you meet your education and training needs. We are aware that adults have a variety of needs and concerns as they consider returning to learning. One of our goals is to minimize the obstacles and increase the supports needed for you to be successful.
The first step of your educational plan is to list the courses you have completed at college and/or university. If you have credits at a post-secondary institution, you may wish to request an official transcript for your records.
Step two is to look at your education and training options and list the courses you wish to have evaluated based on your prior learning. Remember, writing a portfolio is not the only method for receiving credit/recognition of one’ learning. A variety of other methods are available. (See page 2 for a complete list of assessment options.) If you choose a method other than the portfolio process, you will need some assistance to determine how best to organize the materials needed for assessment and the most appropriate processes.
Note that the Educational Plan Worksheet forms ask for a projected completion date. It is a good idea to try to set up a timetable for completing the evaluation of courses. You may also want to take courses and work on the evaluation of your prior learning at the same time.
Step three is to list the courses that you need to complete your education and/or training goals that involve new learning. These are activities you know you must take to acquire the skills which you have identified. Again, your portfolio resource person can help you clarify just what you need to complete the requirements.
As you work on your educational plan you may wish to think about your plans after you complete your education/training goals. Do you want a Bachelor's degree, and then a Master’s degree? If so, you need to think about where you want to go to earn your Bachelor's degree before you finalize your educational plans. Not all the courses taken at one institution such as a community college for example, will be accepted by Ontario universities.
You will have to negotiate an individual arrangement and you may wish to shop around at more than one university.
Although investing in education can be a rather large expenditure it is an investment that lasts a lifetime in terms of its long term benefits. Thus, you need to take your time and pick the best program for you. Be as careful a consumer of education and training as you would be when you buy a house. Talk with people at the facility, counsellors, instructors, faculty and students; check out the facility in detail, visit the site; talk with participants and graduates. Do not be afraid to shop and compare. Look for the circumstances which best suit your interests, needs, time frames, learning style and resources.
Don't hesitate to investigate non-traditional programs. True, there are some “diploma mills” offering mail-order diplomas and degrees with questionable value, especially in the USA, but there are also many excellent legitimate non-traditional programs. More colleges and universities in Canada are beginning to develop adult-oriented programs, designed to fit the needs of working adults and degree programs that can be completed at a distance. In Ontario, for example Waterloo University and Queens University are two schools with extensive distance education (correspondence) programs which allow adult learners to pursue degrees on a part-time basis and in some programs, to complete degree requirements without attending on a full-time basis. Athabasca University in Alberta is another excellent example of a post-secondary institution that reaches out to adult learners by offering a variety of part-time, distance education programs across Canada. In addition, Athabasca has recently opened a career development service with a prior learning assessment option.
EDUCATION TRAINING PLAN WORKSHEET
Date: Name:
Total Courses Needed: Name of Program:
Courses Completed to Date:
Advisor's Name: Expected Graduation Date
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|Program |College/ |Training/Seminar|How will you earn |Projected |
| |University |Activities |the credit/demonstrate your competence? |Completion |
| |Transfer | | |Date? |
| |Credits | | | |
| |Course |Other | |Part-Tim|Learnin| | |
|Portfoli|Challen| |Full-Tim|e Day of|g |Other | |
|o |ge | |e Day |Evening |Contrac| | |
|Assisted| | | | |t | | |
|Assessme| | | | | | | |
|nt | | | | | | | |
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EDUCATIONAL PLAN WORKSHEET
Date: Name:
Total Courses Needed: Name of Program:
Courses Completed to Date:
Advisor's Name: Expected Graduation Date
| | | | | |
|Program |College/ University |Training/Seminar|How will you earn |Projected |
| |Credits |Activities |the credit/demonstrate your competence? |Completion |
| | | | |Date? |
| |Course |Other | |Part-Tim|Learnin| | |
|Portfoli|Challen| |Full-Tim|e Day of|g |Other | |
|o |ge | |e Day |Evening |Contrac| | |
|Assisted| | | | |t | | |
|Assessme| | | | | | | |
|nt | | | | | | | |
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|ent | | | | | | | |
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|Employment: | | | | |
|1. Assistant Lab Technician |4 years |- assisted chief technologist, took samples, |- steps involved in administering various lab tests, obtain |- job descriptions, job evaluations |
| | |prepared reports |specimens for testing by performing venupuncture, blood sugar|- letters of commendation |
| | | |analysis, urinalysis | |
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|2. Self-Employed Family | |- marketing, promoting, selling, bookkeeping, |- stages involved in establishing a small business; setting |Original Business Plan: |
|Business |4 years |payroll, production, employee relations |up bookkeeping and payroll system |- sales and marketing materials |
| | | |- steps involved in customer service and employee relations |- product samples |
| | | |- setting production and marketing goals |- letters from suppliers and bank |
| | | |- implementing sales and marketing plans |manager |
| | | |- evaluating sales and marketing strategies | |
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| | | |- setting goals, schedule time, identify and priorize tasks, | |
| | | |developing a work plan |- job descriptions |
| | |- locating potential clients, scheduling and |- interviewing skills and knowledge to obtain necessary |- letter of commendation |
| | |attending meetings, identifying insurance |information |- verification of employment |
|3. Sales Person | |needs, collecting information, preparing |- how to ask questions, active listening, observing verbal | |
| |7 years |quotations, completing forms, delivering |and non-verbal behavior, identifying and assessing clients | |
| | |policies, understanding auto and life |needs, writing reports that were clear and accurate | |
| | |insurance policies and programs | | |
|Education (non-credit courses and | | | | |
|seminars): | | | | |
|- Transactional Analysis | | | | |
|- Flower arranging |3 days | |- steps involved in identifying and assessing my values and|- certificate from LUAC |
|- Life Underwriters Training Course | | |beliefs |- course outline |
| |30 hours | |- personal goal setting |- sample assignment |
| | | |- basic components of | |
|Volunteer Experience: |2 years | | | |
|- Chairperson – United Baptism | | |Organization Abilities: |- letter from minister |
|Committee | | |- instructing individuals and groups |- certificate from volunteer bureau |
|- United Way – Citizens Review | | |- presenting ideas, concepts |- sample terms of reference for review committee |
|Committee | | |- interpersonal skills | |
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|Recreation and Hobbies: | | | | |
|- Flower Arranging | | | |- certificate of completion |
|- Interior Decorating | | | |- course outline |
| | | | |- sample flower arrangement (picture) |
|Military Experiences | | | | |
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|Licenses, Awards, Publications: | | | | |
|Magazine Articles | | | | |
|1. Dining Out | | | | |
|2. Starting a Small Business | | | | |
|3. Home Alone | | | | |
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|Reading: | | | | |
|- Teaching | | | | |
|- Management | | | |- annotated bibliography |
| | | | |- annotated bibliography |
|Other: | | | | |
|- Writing Proposals | | | | |
| | | | |- work plan of training program for women |
| | | | |entrepreneurs |
Once Laura completed the Work/Learning Experience worksheet, she focused on the column “Description of Learning Outcomes and Competencies”. She noticed that she had mentioned small business development and management, interpersonal communications, instructing, presenting ideas and organizational abilities several times. Her next step was to examine the college catalogue for Communications, Teaching and Business Management Courses.
Using the forms on the next two pages, complete your Work/Learning Experience Worksheet.
SAMPLE LEARNING EXPERIENCE WORKSHEET
|Experience |Time Spent in |Description of Duties, Tasks and Activities |Description of Learning Outcomes and Competencies |Documentation: Can You Suggest Ways an|
| |Activity | | |Evaluator Can Judge These? |
|Employment: | | | | |
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|Education (non-credit courses and | | | | |
|seminars): | | | | |
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|Volunteer Experience: | | | | |
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|Recreation and Hobbies: | | | | |
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|Military Experience: | | | | |
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|Licenses, Awards, Publications: | | | | |
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|Travel: | | | | |
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|Professional Reading: | | | | |
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|Other: | | | | |
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|Other: | | | | |
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|Other: | | | | |
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|Other: | | | | |
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Now, take another look at your list of learning experiences. Add to it any significant learning you may have omitted that the following list of activities might bring to mind:
1. Work - include any activity for which you were paid, including military service.
2. Homemaking - include those activities related to child-rearing, home maintenance, marriage, etc.
3. Volunteer experiences - include internships or apprenticeships without pay, community aid, community activities, political activities, church activities, service organizations, elective offices held without pay, volunteer work in social service agencies, time contributed to supervising youth organizations, etc.
4. Non-credit courses and seminars - include in-service training, workshops, clinics, conferences, discussion groups, evening courses, lecture series, television or radio courses, correspondence courses, etc. (for which no academic credit was given).
5. Recreational activities and hobbies - include performing in a musical group, acting or working in a community theatre, sports, artistic activities, nonfiction writing, public speaking, nature interest, attending plays and concerts, visiting art museums, restoration of furniture, clothing construction and design, gardening, or any other leisure time activity pursued for the purpose of personal satisfaction and enjoyment.
6. Independent reading, viewing, and listening - include any subject areas in which you have done intensive reading for which you have not received college credit, as well as significant articles read, television programs which you have viewed, or radio programs to which you have listened. Significant plays or movies may also be of importance.
7. Travel - include study tours, significant vacations and business trips, living for extended times in various parts of the country or abroad, participating as a worker or volunteer in special volunteer activity such as a neighbourhood improvement project.
8. Conversations with experts - list any significant extensive and intensive conversations with experts which you have had since you graduated from high school and which were not related to any activity for which you have already received college or university credit.
After completing the sample worksheet, pay particular attention to the “Description of Learning” column. In our example, the learner has extensive learning in Small Business Development, Management and Communications. Using a college catalogue, she read the course descriptions for courses in those subject areas and listed the course numbers for courses that might match her learning. With help from the portfolio resource person she obtained and examined the course outlines for those courses, selecting courses she felt matched her learning.
After completing the preceding worksheet, the next step is to decide whether your learning is related to specific courses taught at a college or university which can help you meet your education/career goals.
You could begin by searching the post-secondary institutions catalogue, reviewing program and course descriptions. Carefully read each course description, and relate it to your learning experiences. More detailed information about the courses is usually available in the form of course outlines and some course textbooks. Please consult with the portfolio resource person to obtain these materials.
COURSE TRAINING LIST WORKSHEET
| | | | |
|Experience |Taught at College/University |Taught at College or University |No Post-Secondary course equivalent |
| |required for my |not required for my |(may be field placement or practicum |
| |program |program |credit in some programs) |
| | | | |
|Samples: | | | |
| | | | |
|1) College |001-050A | | |
|Teaching Selling |001-075B | | |
|Insurance | | | |
| | | | |
|2) Human |051-827D | | |
|Resource | | | |
|Management | | | |
| | | | |
|3) Microcomputer |045-290D | | |
|Skills | | | |
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|4) Bookkeeping |041-300C | | |
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After identifying learning which you interpret to be post-secondary-equivalent or related to a specific occupation or group of occupations, you are ready to articulate that learning in the form of a “Competency”. A Competency is a narrative detailing your learning from prior experiences as it relates to a specific post-secondary course or occupational profile. You will prepare a Competency for each of the areas for which you hope to receive credit. Your objective is to provide the evaluator with: 1) an explanation of the experiences that have helped you learn about the skills and knowledge covered in a particular course or occupation; 2) an overview of your skills and knowledge about the course or occupation; and 3) documentation to verify and support your request.
The competency is prepared on a three-column form using the following headings: Description of Experience, Learning from Experience and Documentation.
Name: Page: of
Course No.
Course Title:
Description of Experience Learning From Experience Doc.
NOTE: If you have a word processing package and a PC, you may find it easier to create your own form, using the appropriate headings.
Column 1 - Description of Experience. In the first column, you will describe your learning experience. The tendency is to write about your experience rather than your learning. You will want to be careful to keep the description of your experience separate from the learning you acquired. The first column of the form is reserved for describing your experience only.
In describing your experience, you should indicate:
1. where the learning took place;
2. when and for how long the experience lasted;
3. your job title
4. your job’s major responsibilities (limit yourself to a brief description);
5. the number of people supervised, if you were in a supervisory role;
6. a description of seminars and workshops you attended;
7. titles and authors, as well as publisher and copyright date, of books and articles which were helpful to you; and
8. any description that will help an evaluator to better understand the circumstances of your learning.
Column 2 - Learning from Experience. The learning from your experience should be specified as precisely as possible in the second column of the Competency form. The learning should be clearly defined and expressed. It should relate to the specific courses for which you wish to demonstrate competence.
To relate your own learning to a specific course or occupation, you should refer to the course description, the course outline and/or occupational profile. Pay particular attention to the learning outcomes expected for that activity, comparing them to your own learning. Use the learning outcomes to help organize your description of competence. You may wish to purchase resource materials such as text books or technical manuals to help you refresh your memory about the skills and knowledge needed to be successful in that area.
The primary criterion for award of credit is your demonstration that your learning is comparable to the learning outcomes defined by the faculty or subject matter experts in the course or occupation for which you are seeking credit/recognition. Since theoretical learning is often not at required levels despite impressive practical learning, and since learning from experience is seldom identical to what is expected in the classroom or the workplace for example, you may find that you are strong in most of the major outcomes or competencies, but weak in one or two others. In this case, you should attempt to do some individualized study to develop learning in the weak area or areas. Any additional readings, essays, or projects you do should be described in the Competency, placing the products of your individualized study activity (i.e., annotation of chapters of a text or manual you have read; essays; projects; etc.) in the Documentation section of your portfolio.
The following are suggested “learning terms” you might utilize in the Learning From Experience section to help you clearly distinguish your experience from your learning. In performing this task it is important that you use language that is open to few interpretations and avoid using words which are open to many interpretations. The following lists serve to illustrate this point:
USE WORDS OPEN TO FEW AVOID WORDS OPEN TO MANY
INTERPRETATIONS INTERPRETATIONS
- to write - to know
- to recite - to recite
- to identify - really understand
- to differentiate - to appreciate
- to solve - to fully appreciate
- to construct - to grasp the significance of
- to list - to enjoy
- to compare - to believe
- to contrast - to have faith in
While at times it may be difficult to state your learning using verbs which describe specific behaviors or actions, it is important to practice doing so because this method allows you to demonstrate that learning has occurred and to clarify the skills and knowledge for which you are seeking credit/recognition.
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY OF COGNITIVE OBJECTIVES[1]
Least
Complex
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
Most Complex
Level
1. Knowledge of:
a) specifics
b) dealing with specifics
c) abstractions, principles
2. Comprehension
a) translation
b) interpretation
3. Application
4. Analysis
5. Synthesis of:
a) a unique communication
b) a plan
c) abstract relationship
6. Evaluation
a) using evidence
b) using set criteria
Interpretation
The learner can recall and recognize facts, terms and principles in the form they were taught.
The learner can understand the meaning of his/her knowledge, can interpret or explain.
The learner can use general principles or abstractions in concrete and different situations.
The learner can break material down into its parts and know the inter-relationships.
The learner can combine elements of his/her knowledge into a new structure.
The learner can judge the value of material for a specified purpose.
Sample Associated Verbs in Objectives
define
state
list
label
reproduce
justify
illustrate
explain
contrast
classify
predict
assess
choose
find
construct
analyze
identify
compare
criticize
separate
summarize
argue
derive
relate
generalize
judge
evaluate
defend
select
determine
Examples of some cognitive and psychomotor skills and what verbs may be used to construct specific learning outcomes.
Skills
Cognitive ~ Recall
Cognitive ~ Understanding
Cognitive ~ Application
Practical ~ Manual Skills
Practical ~ Behavioural Skills
Active Verbs (examples)
Define, List, Identify, Name, State, Recognise, Outline
Explain, Interpret, Predict, Distinguish, Summarise, Justify, Compose
Analyse, Solve, Calculate, Evaluate, Plan, Devise, Select, Compose, Organize, Compile
Assemble, Measure, Manipulate, Construct, Perform, Use
Demonstrate, Communicate, Provide Support, Advise
In drawing up specific learning outcomes it is important to avoid ambiguous language.
Avoid words like:
Know
Understand
Be familiar with
Become acquainted with
Have a good grasp of
Obtain a working knowledge of
Appreciate
Realize the significance of
Be aware of
Believe
Be interested in
Use words like:
List
Describe
Evaluate
State
Explain
Select
Identify
Distinguish
Design
Construct
Solve
Although the above list is arranged in pairs of contrasting words or phrases there is no suggestion that the word in the second column is meant to replace the word or phrase in the same row of the first column. It should be understood that it is not suggested that these are not worth-while goals for a university or college student. However, these words are inappropriate for describing how a teacher will recognize whether goals seeking knowledge, appreciation or understanding have been achieved.
WRITING LEARNING OUTCOMES
When Bloom’s Taxonomy is combined with a list of action verbs, we have a good basic tool for writing objectives (learning outcomes).
Knowledge: Involves bringing to mind the appropriate facts and combination of facts.
define
list
name
recall
record
relate
repeat
underline
Comprehension: Lowest level of understanding includes understanding of basic concepts, principles, theories, etc.
describe
discuss
explain
express
identify
locate
recognize
report
restate
review
tell
translate
Application: The selection and use of general rules, procedures and methods for a specific situation. Involves the process of manipulating information to obtain a particular result.
apply
employ
demonstrate
dramatize
illustrate
interpret
operate
practice
schedule
organize
give examples
predict
Analysis: The breaking down of an organized structure to identify the elements, their relationships, and the organizational principles involved. Includes the ability to re-organize the structure.
analyze
appraise
calculate
categorize
compare
contrast
criticize
debate
determine
diagram
differentiate
distinguish
examine
experiment
inspect
inventory
question
relate
solve
test
Synthesis: Putting together elements and parts to form a new whole. This involves working with pieces, principles, rules, etc., and organizing them into a new structure not clearly there before.
arrange
assemble
collect
compose
construct
create
design
formulate
manage
organize
plan
prepare
propose
set-up
Evaluation: Judgement about the value of data, materials, results or methods. Includes quantitative and qualitative judgements in relation to both obvious and obscure criteria.
appraise
assess
choose
compare
estimate
evaluate
grade
judge
measure
rate
revise
score
select
value
The following are samples of learning statements which have been used to introduce learning sections, and may serve to help you get started (it is important to personalize your portfolio by the use of the word “I”:
* I can describe the steps necessary to prepare all financial statements for a small business.
* I can explain giving reasons for my answer why an important principle of effective public speaking is to know one’s audience.
* I can list the six styles of leadership, and describe which style works best for me.
* I can discuss the basic configuration of a computer system.
* I can explain and use the operating system for the IBM S34.
* I can discuss the importance of goal setting and planning in order to improve the operation of the department.
Those experiences that did not lead to learning that are difficult to document or that are unrelated to the occupation or course you are requesting to have assessed should not be included in the sections of the portfolio that will be evaluated. Learning that satisfies the criteria needed to demonstrate competence should be stated clearly and concisely.
Since you are writing a Competency or Course Match to request credit/recognition for a particular course or occupational competency, it is important that the Competency only focus on course objectives or learning outcomes. Your learning experiences will seldom match the identified competencies in exact order. You will need to organize your competency to cover only the competencies for whichever course/module you are describing at the time. For example, Laura was owner of a small manufacturing firm, a salesperson for a Life Underwriters Association and a Community College teacher. She had extensive experience in both Management and Communications. She was able to write three Competencies (one for a Management course and two for a Communications course), separating her experiences to match the course objectives for each course.
The following are examples of how Laura related her learning to course objectives. Here are three different courses, with one learning objective described for each course:
MAN 225 - Human Resources Management
Objective: Differentiate between the various modes of motivational behaviour with emphasis on the theories of Maslow and Herzberg.
Experience: Attended a learning activity sponsored by the Life Underwriter’s Association of Ontario which is part of a two year program. The course consisted of 100 hours of classroom instruction over a six month period.
Learning from Experience: I learned from my small business activities and in the Life Underwriters Training Program that a person's behaviour is really a person’s way of acting. Individuals behave according to their own nature and thoughts. Their behaviour is simply a reaction to a situation. Their attitudes, values, environment, their way of life, their association with people and their job assignment all have an effect on their behaviour. According to Abraham Maslow, man’s behaviour is directly related to satisfying his physiological and psychological needs.
A. Physiological needs are:
1. Food
2. Water
3. Rest
B. Psychological needs are:
1. Safety - to feel safe from danger and pain
2. Belonging - to be a part of the group or organization
3. Self-Esteem - to feel worthy and respected
4. Self-Actualizing - to become all he or she can be potentially
COM 211 - Effective Communication I
COM 212 - Effective Communication II
Objective: Explain the seven important elements of effective listening.
Experience: During the four years of running my own business, I had many opportunities to make presentations to employees, customers and suppliers. I also attended the Life Underwriters Association course in Toronto on Communication in 1989. Each student was required to prepare and present three ten-minute speeches.
Learning from Experience: I learned how to be an effective listener by applying the following principles:
A. Being prepared to listen both mentally and physically.
B. Taking the responsibility for comprehending by comparing what is being said to similar experience.
C. Listening to understand rather than to relate.
D. Controlling the emotions by watching out for trigger words and not letting annoying mannerisms detract from what is being presented.
E. Listening for main ideas rather than the minute details.
F. Being mentally agile by concentrating on what is being said.
G. Taking notes to remember the main ideas.
Laura will add the rest of the objectives for each course, until she has met all the requirements for the courses she is challenging.
Column 3 - Documentation. Important components of each competency are references to the documentation you have acquired in order to verify the description of your learning. These documents make up the final section of your portfolio and should be referenced in the third column of each competency. (The next section of this Guide contains details about documentation.)
As with any type of writing, before you write the competency you need to develop a plan for presenting your experience and learning. You will need to decide what experience you wish to include in your competency, what skills and knowledge you want to discuss with specific experiences, and in what order you want to present your ideas.
Keep in mind why and for whom you are writing the competency. You are writing the competency to request credit/recognition for a specific course or occupational category, explaining how you have acquired learning in that field (Description of Experience), and what you have learned about the program/occupation (Learning from Experience). You are writing the competency for the faculty member or subject matter expert who is evaluating whether you possess the same competencies he or she is trying to convey to the traditional classroom student or expects of a successful person in that particular occupation.
As with any writing assignment you will probably need to spend time organizing your ideas before you begin to write the Competency. The worksheet and description of steps on the following pages will help you prepare your first Competency.
STEPS FOR WRITING A COMPETENCY
Step 1 - Identify major learning objectives
After selecting the occupation or program for your first Competency, you need to carefully review the course objectives or occupational competencies. You will find this information in the course outline in the case of post-secondary credits or in a job description or occupational profile in the workplace. You may find it helpful to list the stated competencies on the worksheet in your own words. This should help you understand what the evaluator will be looking for. It may also help you focus on gaps in your learning which you may need to review.
Step 2 - Identify experience(s) relating to learning objectives.
The next step is to determine what experiences helped you learn the identified competencies listed in Step 1. Review your Chronological Record and list the experiences under Step 2 of the worksheet. It is usually difficult to determine exactly when you learned something. Examine your experiences and decide which experiences will help you best explain how and what you have learned.
Step 3 - Organize Step 1 and Step 2.
By collecting the information for Step 1 and Step 2, you have the basic components of the Competency. However, they appear as two separate lists: 1) the course objectives/occupational competencies, and 2) your experiences.
Before you can write the competency you should think about how you will merge Step 1 and Step 2, i.e. what experiences are you going to use to discuss which course objectives/ occupational competencies? You do not need to discuss outcomes in the same order presented on the course outline or job description. Rarely do people learn from experience in the same order as a textbook, course outline or occupational profile.
The most common way to merge the two lists is to use your chronological order of experiences, fitting the objectives to the experience. Usually you will not be able to make an exact match with your experiences and the identified competencies. You will need to decide which experiences will enable you to discuss your learning to its best advantage.
Chronological order may not be the only way to organize your competency statement. You may have another idea which may be more effective for demonstrating your learning from experience. The important point is to look at the information in Step 1 and Step 2 and decide how you will match the two lists. Develop a strategy for writing your Competency; otherwise you will find it difficult to get started or you may find that you tend to ramble and repeat yourself.
Step 4 - Writing the Competency.
You are now ready to use the 3-column Competency format to write your Competency. Keep in mind that the information you listed in Step 2 should be discussed in the “Description of Experience” column, and the information you listed in Step 1 should be discussed in the “Learning from Experience” column. The format is designed for the evaluator to read first about your experience and then about the associated learning, and to review the appropriate documents, moving back and forth between the columns.
Step 5 - Documentation.
Documentation is discussed in detail in the next section of this Guide.
Step 6 - Revise
After preparing the worksheet, you are ready to prepare the competency in its final form. As you review your worksheet, ask yourself:
Have I covered the course objectives/occupational competencies?
Have I explained my experiences clearly enough for the evaluator to understand the situation?
Have I organized my experiences and learning so that the evaluator can easily follow along?
Have I separated my learning from my experience?
Am I being clear and concise?
Am I leaving too much for the evaluator to assume?
Am I repeating myself too much?
The following pages are an example of how Laura used the worksheet to develop a Competency for Effective Speaking I (COM 211) and Effective Speaking II (COM 212). You can use the worksheet on pages 55 and 56 to begin to prepare your competency or you may find using notebook paper like Laura has done works better for you.
SAMPLE COMPETENCY WORKSHEET - LAURA B.
STEP 1 - IDENTIFY MAJOR LEARNING OBJECTIVES FOR THE COURSE (COM 211 AND 212)
After reviewing the course outline and textbook for COM 211 and COM 212, Effective Speaking I and II, Laura developed her own list of topics for the course:
1. Components of a Well-Organized Speech
* Selecting an Interesting Topic
* Thesis Statement
* Organization of Material
* Ending Speech
2. Important Elements of Listening
* Setting Listening Goals
* Focus on Important Words, Phrases, Ideas
* Non-Verbal Feedback
3. Ways to Establish Rapport with an Audience
4. Entertaining Speech
* Selecting a Topic
* Organization of Speech
* Presentation
* Critiquing the Speech
5. Informative Speech
* Selecting a Topic
* Research
* Organization of Speech
6. Persuasive Speech
* Planning
* Developing Persuasion
* Techniques in Changing Attitudes
STEP 2 - IDENTIFY EXPERIENCES RELATING TO LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Next Laura reviewed her chronological record to determine what experiences helped her learn about the topics she listed in Step 1.
Prepared business plan
Organized training classes
Workshops - gave classroom presentations and critiqued others
Interviewed and hired staff
Selling products/services
College teaching
Proposal writing
Nov. 1993 co-ordinated conference
STEP 3 - ORGANIZE STEPS 1 & 2
Laura gathered the basic components of the competency. Next she had to merge the information from Steps 1 and 2, matching experiences with course objectives.
Co-ordinator
* Organization of project materials
* Presentation skills
* Listening skills
Training Materials
* Research material
* Organization of ideas
* Presentation of ideas
Classroom
* Developing persuasion skills
* Organization
* Non-verbal communication skills
* Use of humor
* Listening skills
Sales Person
* Listening skills
* Overcome nervousness
* Presentation techniques
Owner/Manager
* Informative speeches
* Established rapport
STEP 4 - WRITE THE COMPETENCY
On the following pages you will find the completed competency for Effective Communication I, II.
COMPETENCY WORKSHEET
Competency Worksheet for
(Course)
Step 1 - Identify Major Learning Objectives (Course Outline)
Step 2 - Identify Experience(s) Relating to Learning Objectives
(Chronological Record)
Step 3 - Organize Step 1 and Step 2
Step 4 - Write Competency
|Description of Experience |Learning From Experience |Doc. |
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Step 5 - Documentation
Step 6 - Revise
Name: LAURA B.
Course No.: COM 211, COM 212
Course Title: EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION I & II
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|DESCRIPTION OF |LEARNING FROM |DOC. |
|EXPERIENCE |EXPERIENCE | |
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|1983 - 1987 |Planning & Organization | |
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|Co-operators Insurance. My respon- sibilities |I learned how to identify and set long term and short | |
|included: Prospecting for clients, contacting |term goals which were challenging but attainable. I | |
|potential clients, scheduling and attending meetings |learned how to schedule time and prioritize activities.|A-1 |
|with potential clients, identifying their insurance |I learned to plan my work and then work my plan. I | |
|needs, collecting information and preparing |learned persistence and determination in reaching | |
|quotations, presenting the insurance which would best|goals. | |
|fill the client's needs, accurate completion of | | |
|necessary forms, delivery of the insurance policy, |Communication Skills - | |
|follow-up and contact after the sale, knowledge of |Questioning & Interviewing | |
|home and auto insurance and knowledge of life | | |
|insurance policies. |I learned to identify when and how to use open ended | |
| |and leading questions to get maximum information. I | |
|1985-1986 |learned active listening skills so that I could clearly| |
| |understand the message. Listening skills are usually | |
|I attended weekly training sessions for two years at |taken for granted, but in the insurance business, it | |
|Life Underwriters Asso- ciation Training Course |was critical to get accurate and truthful information | |
|(LUATC) while employed as sales representatives at |in order to assess as risk. Active listening consists | |
|Co-operators Insurance. |of: concentrating on the individual, avoiding external |B-1 to B-4 |
| |distractions, avoiding internal distractions such as | |
|1988 |letting your mind wander, keeping an open mind, not | |
| |jumping to conclusions, creating a positive | |
|I wrote the exam and received Insurance Broker |communication environment and clarifying the message | |
|Licence from Insurance Brokers Association of |you received to be sure it has been understood. | |
|Ontario. | | |
| |I learned to identify and assess the needs of a client.| |
| |I learned to identify unreliable information by asking |C2 |
| |questions which could show the answers were not similar| |
| |enough to be truthful. | |
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Name: LAURA B.
Course No.: COM 211, COM 212
Course Title: EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION I & II
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|DESCRIPTION OF |LEARNING FROM |DOC |
|EXPERIENCE |EXPERIENCE | |
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|1988 - 1990 |I learned to identify key words or phrases which |D-1 |
| |indicated the client wished to purchase the insurance. | |
|Cowan McVicar Insurance Broker | | |
| |Professional | |
|Responsibilities included: Prospecting for clients, |Selling/Communication Skills | |
|contacting potential clients, scheduling meetings | | |
|with potential clients, identifying their insurance |I learned that product knowledge and a belief in the | |
|needs, preparing quotations, presenting the insurance|product and company were important for the client to | |
|which would fill their needs, delivery of the |believe in you. I learned to think of myself as a | |
|insurance policy and follow-up and contact after the |professional with in depth knowledge of auto, home, | |
|sale. |commercial and life insurance. I made recommendations | |
| |to clients for coverage based on professional | |
| |evaluation of their needs and financial situation. I | |
| |could identify factors which helped to assess a risk to| |
| |be acceptable or not based on a set of criteria. I made| |
| |sure I was aware of competitive products on the market | |
| |which enabled me to sell the strengths of my company. I| |
| |had a successful career in sales because I learned how | |
| |to implement professional selling techniques, design | |
| |and implement a marketing plan and set and achieve my | |
| |goals. | |
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Name: LAURA B.
Course No.: COM 211, COM 212
Course Title: EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION I & II
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|DESCRIPTION OF |LEARNING FROM |DOC |
|EXPERIENCE |EXPERIENCE | |
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|1991 - 1993 |I learned how to design and deliver | |
| |educational programs to adults using language | |
|Teaching at Conestoga and Mohawk Colleges |that is clear, concise, jargon free and based | |
| |on the experience of the learners. |E-1 to E-7 |
|Responsibilities included: re- searching, | | |
|designing, imple- menting and evaluating |I learned the steps involved in the | |
|training programs for adults, research and |preparation and presentation of materials to | |
|design and implement training manual for women|adult learners and the importance of | |
|entrepreneurs |acknowledging the skills and expertise of the | |
| |audience as part of effective communication. | |
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| |I learned to identify verbal and non-verbal | |
| |signs which indicate interest in the topic | |
| |being presented. | |
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| |I learned how to apply techniques involving | |
| |the use of humour to get the attention of the | |
| |audience in order to relax them, to help make | |
| |a point clearly and concisely. | |
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|1991 |I acquired skill and knowledge in the | |
| |effective use of the over head projector. | |
|Authored several articles for magazines in | | |
|Western Ontario on the topics of dining out |I was able to identify the steps involved in | |
|and starting a small business. |researching my topic before writing the | |
| |article and to accurately identify the target | |
| |audience for whom the article was intended. | |
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| |I learned how to develop and organize my |F-1 to F-5 |
| |materials so that my writing skills were | |
| |effective and professional. | |
PART V
DOCUMENTATION IN PLA
Documentation is a critical element in the assessment of one’s prior learning. Its main purpose is to help provide evidence that the learning being sought for credit took place and can be verified.
IMPORTANT POINTS TO CONSIDER: documentation can be divided into two categories - direct and in-direct.
DIRECT - products, performances, reports, plans, etc., created by you. Generally direct documentation is the strongest evidence to support PLA requests.
IN-DIRECT - information about your achievements such as letters written by employers, business partners, etc., awards, commendations, performance appraisals, official records (such as transcripts). In-direct documentation generally refers to information about you and your achievements.
Usually direct evidence is preferable to in-direct evidence.
FOUR BASIC DOCUMENTATION CRITERIA:
1. Directness - a copy of something you have produced, designed, created, etc.
2. Authenticity - did you produce, create, design, etc. alone or with others?
3. Breadth - does it show more than superficial knowledge/skill/depth?
4. Quality - at what level(s) of mastery is the learning demonstrated?
It is important to select and organize your documentation so that it will enhance your request for credit and/or recognition. Appropriate documentation can help to establish the credibility of your portfolio and lend authenticity to your description of learning experiences.
The types of documents you will need to gather for your portfolio will become more apparent as you identify the courses and/or occupational competencies for which you wish to write competencies. Remember, you are trying to document your learning and not the experiences. The documentation you use for Effective Speaking would be different from what you use to document your learning for Principles Management. For Effective Speaking you might use an outline of a presentation, certificates from training in which you participated on how to be a trainer, and evaluations of speeches you presented. For Principles of Management you might include job descriptions, certificates of supervisory training, a bibliography of readings, and work samples.
REVIEWING DOCUMENTATION (EVIDENCE)
Key Questions to Consider:
1. Validity Does the documentation relate to the standards/learning outcomes for which credit is being sought? Does it match all or part of the standards for the trade, program or profession?
2. Sufficiency Can the documentation serve as conclusive proof for one or more of the modules being assessed? What else might be required?
3. Currency Is the documentation relatively recent and up-to-date in relation to the standards for the occupation/program?
4. Authenticity Is the direct evidence the work of the candidate? Does the indirect evidence give an accurate picture to support his/her claims of competence?
EVIDENCE CONTINUUM
TYPE OF ACTIVITY
Work Experience
Military Service
DOCUMENTATION
Good
* Samples of work produced
* Evidence of suggestions adopted
* Explanation of tasks performed
* License, supported by performance standards for acquiring the license
* Membership in, supported by requirements for, membership in professional/trade organization
* Scores on licensing exams
Average (if standing alone)
* Job descriptions
* Promotion evaluations
* Evidence of promotion
* Explanation of ranking, rating, or classification system in company or organization
* Licenses
* Membership in professional or trade organizations
Acceptable
* Awards
* Letters of commendation
* Letters of corroboration from superiors, peers, clients (without other documentation)
* Congratulations on high performance
Good
* Certificates of completion and grades attained in service schools
* Work samples
Average
* Service schools attended, courses completed
* Military records
Acceptable
* Military separation paper
Community Service Activities
Non-College Courses and Training
Special Accomplishments
Good
* Evidence of training undertaken and completed, necessary to achieve the goals and objectives of the service activity
Average
* Any of the acceptable documentation, with verified written description of activity
Acceptable
* Commendations
* Awards
* Newspaper and magazine clippings
* Letters of corroboration from fellow volunteers, clients served, supervisors
Good
* Learning outcomes or course objectives
* Evaluation instruments used in the course and grade achieved
Average
* Number of assignments
* Time spent on outside assignments
* Number of class hours
* Number of clinical or practicum hours
* Course description/outlines
Acceptable
* Certificate of completion
* Syllabus
* Diploma
* Letter confirming student's enrolment
Good
* Books published
* Lectures given on specific topics, with evaluations
* Writing samples
* Audiovisual presentations
Average
* Copyrights or patents obtained
* Programs from performance activities
* Proposals written
Acceptable
* A lists of books read
* Exhibit
* Speeches given
* Conversations with experts
Some learning experiences will be difficult to document for a variety of reasons, such as the fact that “It was so long ago that no one would remember me,” or “I had all the information stored in the basement and it flooded,” or “the business is no longer in existence and all their records are gone.” In cases like these, more recent learning experiences may be better sources of documentation.
In your efforts to document your learning you will assemble a package of documentation to present to the evaluator. Not all of your documentation will be “good” as previously defined but in total it should document your learning.
It is easy to get caught up in the process of gathering and submitting documentation, placing more emphasis on this task than on the competency statement or any other part of the portfolio. Excessive documentation should never be used as a substitute for clear articulation of the learning experiences.
Remember, your focus should be on quality, not quantity. A few pieces of very strong documentation are much better than a box full of poor or inappropriate documentation.
As you acquire verification letters, it is important that you use the following points as a guide.
1) The person preparing the statement should have observed you directly.
2) One person may verify more than one of your experiences. The statement should, however, comment directly and clearly on each experience.
3) The letter should describe the learning experience and identify the competencies acquired. The letter should also address the quality as well as the quantity of the competencies.
4) The person writing the letter of verification should identify his or her relationship to you (supervisor, peer, subordinate) as well as his or her qualifications for commenting on you experience.
5) The letter should be written on the official letterhead of the company, organization, or institution with which the author is associated. If it is not possible for the author to use paper with an official company or organization logo or letterhead, a brief explanation should be included in the letter.
6) The letter must be signed.
Since most people have probably never been asked to write the kind of letters you want as your documentation, you must explain your needs very carefully. The letter and background information on the following pages are designed as a guide which you may wish to use as you contact the people knowledgeable about your learning.
One form of documentation used frequently to verify prior learning is letters written by people who can verify your learning*. The key word is verification - not be confused with recommendation! The following examples illustrate the difference between a useful verification letter and an unacceptable letter of recommendation which tells the evaluator nothing about your level of knowledge or skill.
Acquiring letters which document your learning from experience may take longer than you would expect. Sometimes several contacts are necessary before a letter is secured. For this reason, it is important to keep track of when you make contacts in order to follow up your requests and ensure timely receipt of documentation. Then, if several weeks pass and an answer has not been received, there is still time to make additional inquiries by mail, by telephone or in person. Some employers prefer to send documentation directly to the evaluator.
Third party letters can verify many types of learning, but adult education courses, correspondence courses, on-the-job training programs or special institutes or conferences probably need a different form of documentation. You should document your participation in these endeavors by means of transcripts, letters from the sponsoring organization certifying attendance, products of your participation (e.g., tests, term papers, certificates) or a letter from the instructor.
Verification of your participation in a course, and of the course's duration, will be considered minimal documentation. Your documentation will be strengthened if you can provide an outline of content, a bibliography, and an evaluation of your work.
Other excellent forms of documentation are samples of your work. For example, on your job you many have prepared a complex budget, developed a manual for your employees, or written a computer program. These are samples of your work which could be used as documentation.
In other cases, you could use as documentation products your have created while pursuing an avocation or special project. For instance, writing samples, published work, audiovisual presentations or samples of artwork or photography are verifications of learning.
Whatever forms of documentation you use, keep the following suggestions in mind as you acquire your supporting materials:
1) Many documents for each learning experience are not always necessary. Quality is more important than quantity and too much documentation can actually complicate the review process. After you have assembled all your documentation, you should review it carefully and eliminate duplication or items that do not specifically and directly contribute to supporting your request for credit.
*Note: These letters are usually stronger forms of documentation when presented in conjunction with other forms of documentation (See Evidence Continuum Pages 78 & 79.)
2) Documentation for every learning experience that contributed to a particular skill or competence may not be necessary. Sometimes it is difficult or even impossible to obtain documentation for each experience that contributed to your learning or skills in a particular area. Do not spend a lot of time or energy in trying to dig up ancient history. If the skill in question is one that you have continued to use and you can provide evidence of its current existence, that should suffice.
3) If products such as canvases, pottery or machines are to be used as documentation, they could be photographed or reduced to slides.
4) Often items are not easily presented in an 8 ½” x 11 binder. Rather than trying to include the product in your portfolio, place a photograph or description of the item in the portfolio with the statement AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.
This is also true of large documents you have prepared, e.g., procedures manuals, computer programs, or training manuals. Rather than trying to include the entire document, making the portfolio extremely awkward to handle in addition to incurring unnecessary duplication expense, include a brief description of the item (possibly a table of contents or executive summary), a copy of the cover page of the document, and the statement AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.
5) You should underline those parts of the documentation relevant to the claimed learning outcomes with a colored pen or highlighter.
6) You should retain originals of any valuable documents such as licenses, certificates, letters, or commendations, and instead use copies in the portfolio.
7) Some of your documentation may be highly confidential and cannot be included in the portfolio. If you can share the information with the faculty evaluator in your presence, then place a brief description of the item(s) in the portfolio, along with the statement CONFIDENTIAL, AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.
SAMPLE
LETTER REQUESTING DOCUMENTATION
(Today's Date)
Dear__________________________:
As a ____________ post-secondary student pursuing a degree/diploma in _______________, or as a ___________________ (type of skill) pursuing a licence/certificate in _________________. I am writing to request that you write a letter verifying my learning and my experience with your organization. As you may know, _____________ institution/employer has a rigorous process for evaluating and granting credit/recognition for prior learning gained from a wide variety of experiences. To receive credit/recognition, I must describe my learning and provide verification that such learning took place. Evaluation is ultimately the task of ____________ faculty/subject matter experts in my area(s) of competency.
The letter which I would like you to write is more than the usual letter of recommendation. This letter should:
1) specify the period of time I worked under your supervision;
2) describe the particular duties that I was required to perform;
3) describe the learning involved in performing these tasks;
4) evaluate my general level of performance.
This letter is not easy to write and I am enclosing background information about my work for you and certain other information which may be useful to you in writing it. Since the letter may be considered in my evaluation for academic credit, the contents will be carefully scrutinized.
The letter should be directed to ___________ College or ___________ Employer, etc. To Whom It May Concern or Workplace Supervisor, c/o (name), PLA Co-ordinator. If you have any questions about the letter or would like any further information, please call me at (phone #). I would greatly appreciate it if you would send this letter to me by (Date). I wish to express my thanks for your support and assistance in this matter.
Sincerely,
Eileen Carter
The following should accompany your request for a verification letter on a separate sheet:
SAMPLE
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Employee Name: Eileen Carter
Date of Employment: February 1979 to August 1989
Occupation: Executive Assistant and Home Support Co-ordinator
1. Executive Secretary
Duties: Scheduling appointments, assisting in the preparation of monthly agenda for board meetings, taking minutes of board meetings, keyboarding and word processing, training staff in basic computer applications, greeting the public.
LEARNING FROM EXPERIENCE
I learned the procedures for WordPerfect 5.1 and MS Dos operating systems, how to write minutes and develop agendas for board meetings, how to schedule appointments and deal with impatient, angry and upset people.
2. Home Support Co-ordinator
Duties: Managed a caseload of 65 seniors, taking applications for various types of assistance such as meals on wheels, appointments with medical specialists, liaising with a variety of community service providers, making referrals, planning, implementing and evaluating programs, interviewing and counselling and preparing reports.
LEARNING FROM EXPERIENCE
I learned to be a competent interviewer and the steps involved in completing application forms accurately and neatly. I learned the importance of identifying both verbal and non-verbal behaviour, as well as being able to distinguish feelings from information in the helping interview. I learned the steps involved in making effective referrals to other agencies and I learned to design, implement and evaluate programs to meet the social and emotional needs of senior citizens. I learned the steps involved in the process of advocacy and when to advocate. I also learned how to write clear, concise reports and how to present verbal reports on my client’s progress.
SAMPLE I
VERIFICATION LETTER - APPROPRIATE AS DOCUMENTATION
(Date)
PLA Co-ordinator
(College)
(Address)
To Whom It May Concern:
This letter is intended to verify that Ms. Eileen Carter was employed by Community Help for Seniors in Maberly, Ontario from February 1979 to August 1989.
While working for our agency, Mrs. Carter held the positions of Executive Assistant for a two year period (1979-1981) and Home Support Co-ordinator from 1982-1989. As executive secretary to the director, she took an active role in scheduling meetings, taking minutes at board meetings, typing all correspondence and reports to the board, and installing a word processor and computer data base for the agency. She also helped train several other staff in WordPerfect 5.1 and MS Dos operating system.
As home support co-ordinator, she carried a caseload of 65 seniors and was responsible for ensuring that their physical and emotional needs were being adequately met.
She possessed first-rate interviewing and counselling skills. She was an excellent listener and had a broad knowledge of other agencies in the community. She was able to make effective referrals to them on residents' behalf.
Ms. Carter planned several programs for seniors and her planning skills were excellent. While competent in all phases of program planning, she was especially skilled at assessing needs, setting goals and program implementation and evaluation.
Eileen worked well on her own. She was responsible, competent worker who needed very little guidance. She also was a team player and functioned well in group situations. She was supportive of others in the agency, positive in her verbal and non-verbal interactions and went out of her way many times to assist other workers when emergencies arose or the workload became onerous. As her supervisor for five years and having seen her rise through the ranks from secretary to home support programs co-ordinator, I had the utmost respect for her as a mature counsellor and a fine human being.
She handled all of her duties with confidence, skill and sensitivity. She fulfilled the requirements of her job and often went well beyond what is normally expected of people in such positions. She was a credit to our agency and human service work in general.
Yours truly,
Jean P. Sparling, Executive Director, Community Help For Seniors
SAMPLE II
RECOMMENDATION LETTER - INADEQUATE AS DOCUMENTATION
(Date)
PLA Co-ordinator
(College)
(Address)
(Address)
To Whom It May Concern:
I am pleased to furnish a letter on behalf of Ms. Eileen Carter, a person I have known and respected for several years.
She began work at the agency in a clerical position and through a combination of hard work and perseverance became Home Support Co-ordinator.
Eileen was always an energetic, alert and willing worker who carried out the requirements of her job in a professional, competent fashion. She often willingly did more than her job description required, handling the extra workload with relative ease; in a very responsible manner.
Eileen in summary, was a valuable part of the agency staff. Her commitment and dedication to working with the elderly helped us to provide a first rate service to an important and growing segment of our community.
Yours truly,
Jean P. Sparling, Executive Director
Community Help For Seniors
The second letter, although positive and supportive in its comments about Ms. Carter’s skills and knowledge, is too vague. It is more like a general letter of recommendation which is commonly used when a person is applying for a job. The first example on the other hand, specifically identifies and describes in more detail her knowledge and skill in a variety of areas; computers, counselling, planning programs, scheduling, making referrals to other agencies and group work.
It is this type of detail that helps to answer questions which faculty evaluators may raise about one's claim for credit in any given course.
See appendices for sample documentation for Communication I and II for Laura B.
PART VI
ASSEMBLING
THE
PORTFOLIO
It is important that your portfolio be assembled in a professional manner. The overall presentation of your portfolio could affect the grade you receive for the course being evaluated. Watch your grammar, sentence structure, and use of punctuation. The typing should be neat and easy to read, allowing for a wide-enough margin on the left side for binding. If you are using copies, make sure they are clear and readable. Take time to proofread your material and correct errors. Remember first impressions are important and may make a difference!
Each section of your portfolio should be clearly labelled, and the entire documentation should be enclosed in a binder. (Flat binders are preferred to ringed ones, for mailing purposes.)
The sections of the portfolio should be assembled in the following order:
1) the cover letter, which states your name, program, portfolio course instructor, credit request, and synopsis of experience.
2) your life history paper, which highlights the important transition stages of your life;
3) your goals paper, describing your personal, career, and educational goals;
4) a year-by-year chronological record of your experiences since leaving high school, up to the present time;
5) each competency/course match (in three-column form), which provides concise statements of your experience and learning, related to each particular course request;
6) the course outline you obtained from the portfolio course instructor; and
7) the documentation for the learning experiences described in the narratives, separated alphabetically using dividers or index tabs. e.g. for the first portfolio evaluation request use the letter A to denote documentation intended to support your claim and the letter B to denote the second source of documentation and so on.
Make sure you label the outside of your portfolio. The label should include:
Your Name
Today's Date
Name of the Program
The Course(s) for which you are requesting assessments
Your Portfolio Course Instructor's Name
Make a COPY of EVERYTHING
before it is submitted to the PLA Co-ordinator
When your portfolio is sent for evaluation, you should submit each course request in a separate cover. Each folder includes a Cover Letter and a copy of your Life History, Goals Paper and Chronological Record.
You may retrieve your portfolio when your evaluation has been completed. The best time to retrieve your portfolio is after you receive your copy of the evaluation form, signed by your evaluator. However, you should keep your portfolio available for one year following the evaluation in case there is a question about your grade competency rating.
SAMPLE
COVER LETTER
(Date)
TO: Name of Post-Secondary Institution
FROM: (Student’s Name)
RE: Evaluation of Prior Learning Portfolio
PROGRAM: Name of Post-Secondary Program
MENTOR/FACULTY: (Student’s Portfolio Resource Person)
SUBJECT: Portfolio Assisted Prior Learning Assessment
- Portfolio Development Process
I respectfully submit my expectation for evaluation of this prior learning portfolio for the following course(s):
1. 071-406J Presentations I 45 hours
2. 071-406J Presentations II 45 hours
3. 045-623C Introduction to Word Processing 45 hours
4. 045-628C Keyboarding 45 hours
5. 085-155E Interviewing and Counselling I 60 hours
Total Work/Volunteer Experience: 28 Years
General Office Administration and
Human Services Work
PART VII
THE EVALUATION OF THE PORTFOLIO
When your portfolio is completed and assembled, it is ready to be reviewed and evaluated. The review is performed by a committee made up of people who assist with and administer the Portfolio development process. The Committee’s role is to review your portfolio to make certain that it meets the basic criteria as outlined in this Guide. Specifically, the committee will use the following questions as they review your portfolio:
1) Have you separated your experience from your learning?
2) Have you discussed the course objectives?
3) Have you documented your learning?
4) Is the portfolio prepared in a professional manner, i.e., typing, spelling, writing style, neatness, etc.?
5) Have you included all the parts of the portfolio?
6) Is the portfolio correctly labelled?
7) Have you labelled each section of the portfolio, using index tabs?
After the review, the Committee makes recommendations to you about the readiness for evaluation of each of the competencies you have prepared. The Committee will suggest one of several alternatives:
If the Committee says the portfolio is acceptable, then it is ready to be sent to an evaluator.
Revise means the competency should be modified before it is sent to an evaluator, but the Committee feels the revisions will be minor and the portfolio can go to an evaluator as soon as possible. You should arrange to see your portfolio resource person for aid in making the needed revisions.
Unsuitable means the competency is not likely to be favourably evaluated in present form and probably needs some major changes.
Note: It is strongly advised that you follow the recommendations of the Portfolio Review Committee. If a learner chooses to disregard these recommendations, a note will accompany the portfolio when it is sent to the evaluator, advising the faculty of the Committee's concerns.
NOTE: Approval by the Committee in no way indicates that credit is guaranteed for a particular course. Committee approval only indicates that the competencies are ready to go on for an evaluation by an appropriate evaluator.
The evaluation of your portfolio will take place as soon as possible. The evaluation of your portfolio involves the following steps: (In the case of post-secondary credits the following steps are usually common to most educational institutions.)
1) You initiate the evaluation process by submitting a “Portfolio Evaluation Application Form” with your evaluation fee to the Registrars office. Your portfolio course instructor or the PLA Co-ordinator will provide you with the application form when your portfolio has been approved to be evaluated. The evaluation fee is a flat amount based on the number of courses for which you are requesting evaluation at that time. Generally the evaluation fee is $89.00 per evaluation request.
2) You can submit the Evaluation Application Form at any time during the semester, but the competency must be ready to be evaluated before you pay for the evaluation. Evaluation fees are not refundable if you change your mind later about the evaluation. Contact your portfolio instructor or the PLA Co-ordinator for specific instructions before submitting an Evaluation Application form.
If it is late in the semester your portfolio may not be sent to the faculty evaluator until near the end of the school year (May-June). (Additional delays may occur during the summer due to faculty vacations.)
3) Once you have registered and paid for the evaluation, the PLA Co-ordinator sends your portfolio to a faculty evaluator who teaches the courses for which you are requesting credit. (Note: There may be a delay if there is no appropriate evaluator available for the course you requested; your portfolio instructor or the PLA Co-ordinator should notify you of any special circumstances.) The faculty evaluator then begins reading your portfolio. You will receive written or verbal notification telling you exactly who has received your portfolio and when from the PLA Co-ordinator.
The faculty evaluator may contact you by phone or by mail to arrange a meeting with you on campus. If you do not hear from the faculty person within two weeks after he/she receives your portfolio(s), then it is likely that a personal interview will not occur.
4) During your personal meeting with the faculty evaluator, you may be asked to verbally answer questions about your learning; or, the faculty person may ask you to provide more information. The faculty evaluator may even ask for a demonstration of your skills (especially in skill areas such as drafting, computer programming, etc.). In some instances, a faculty evaluator may return a portfolio evaluation to the PLA Co-ordinator without asking for a personal interview.
5) Either during or soon after your meeting with the evaluator, you will know the results of your evaluation. The possibilities are:
Possibility #1 - You have demonstrated competence and should be awarded credit for the course or occupational competency requested, for a grade of A, B, C or D or according to a competency rating scale.
Possibility #2 - You have demonstrated competence and should be awarded credit for a different course or competency, other than the one requested. You must agree to the substitution before this possibility is used and the person making the recommendation must be a qualified evaluator for the alternate course he/she suggests. You would also be awarded an A, B, C or D grade for this new course or a rating appropriate to the occupational competency.
Possibility #3 - You have not demonstrated competence and will not be awarded credit/recognition for the course/competency requested.
In the case of post-secondary credit, when the evaluation is completed and the results have been returned to the PLA Co-ordinator, you will be sent a copy of the evaluation form. At the time you receive these results the Registrar’s Office receives the same information, and is instructed to include this information in your permanent record.
Please remember that the faculty evaluator has a responsibility to his/her discipline and to other students who have learned the course material through class attendance. You may receive credit only if there is documented proof that the required learning has taken place. If the learning falls short in any way, the faculty evaluator may deny credit or require some additional course work to fulfil the course requirements.
Posting of Portfolio Grades
You may need to check with the Registrar’s Office.
Mini-Contract
The faculty evaluator may determine that you do not have sufficient understanding of significant portions of the learning objectives for the course. The evaluator may be willing to initiate a mini-contract to help you supplement your knowledge with learning activities. The mini-contract describes what you and the faculty evaluator have agreed upon to complete your evaluation.
There may be an additional fee for this process, since the teacher actually performs two evaluations for the same competency, as well as directing your learning - ask your portfolio course instructor for details.
Challenging A Grade
If you feel that you did not receive a fair evaluation, there are specific procedures you can follow to challenge the results. Please consult the PLA course outline and the Loyalist calendar for proper procedure.
|PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT (PLA) |
|Request for Evaluation |
| |
| |
| |
|Student Name: Student #: |
|Courses to be Evaluated Method of Evaluation |
|Course Code Name (Examination/Portfolio) |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|1. Faculty Assessor may contact student by mail or phone for a personal interview. |
|2. Credit award is not automatic. The assessor is under no obligation to grant credit if learning is below the level expected of traditional |
|students in the classroom in that course. Additional demonstration of learning (verbal exam, written exam, practical demonstartion, etc.) may |
|be required. |
|3. Student requesting an assessment of prior learning are required to pay an assessment fee. Students will not receive a refund if credit is |
|denied. |
|4. In exceptional circumstances, supplementary assignments may be requested, if an area of learning falls short of a particular course |
|outcome/objective. Special reading assignments, learning contract, projects or reports and interviews, may be required, in addition to the |
|initial assessment process. If minimal additional time is spent with students, assignments may be arranged informally. |
|5. Faculty Assessor may contact references or employees as named in the portfolio to verify sources of documentation. |
|6. Submission of portfolios must allow sufficient time for completion of the evaluation and processing of paperwork in order for the grade to |
|appear on transcript. |
|7. By signing this application, I certify that all fo the information/documents provided, to support this assessment are authentic, accurate |
|and true. I agree that my application for credit may be denied if I have falsified any information in any way. I authorize the use of all |
|documentation, assignments, projects, exams and portfolio by Faculty Assessor, for the purposes of assessing prior learning. I understand that|
|receiving a credit for prior learning does not guarantee entry into a program of study. |
| |
| |
|___________________________________________________ ______________________________________ |
|Student Signature Date |
|The information on this form is collected under the legal authority of the Ministry of Colleges and Universities Act, R.S.O. 1980, Chapter |
|272, S.S.; R.R.O. 1980, Regulation 640. The information is used for administration and statistical purposes of the College and/or the |
|Ministries and Agencies of the Government of Ontario and the Government of Canada. For further information, please contact the Registrar of |
|the College. |
| Amount Due: Total Number of Courses ____________ x $ = $ _____________ |
|Please make cheques or money orders payable to Loyalist College (Student Number must be written on the cheque or money order). Mail or deliver|
|the payment with this form to the cashier as soon as you have been approved for evaluation. The fees are non-refundable. The PLA Co-ordinator |
|will be advised of your payment. |
Loyalist College
Prior Learning Assessment
PORTFOLIO/CHALLENGE EVALUATION FORM
Assessor: Student:
Course Code: Credit Hours:
Course Name: Program (If applicable)
IT IS MY JUDGEMENT AND RECOMMENDATION THAT THE ABOVE NAMED STUDENT:
( Has demonstrated competence in the required learning outcomes and should be awarded credit for the course named above with the following letter grade:
( A
( B
( C
The student has demonstrated knowledge and skills that meet all of the required learning outcomes at an exceptional level of performance and/or competency.
The student has demonstrated knowledge and skills that meet all of the required learning outcomes at more than an acceptable level of performance and/or competency.
The student has demonstrated knowledge and skills that meet the required learning outcomes at more than an acceptable level of performance and/or competency.
( Has demonstrated competence and should be awarded credit for a course other than/in addition to, the one requested. (Please complete a separate evaluation form per course.
Course Name:
Course Code:
Program:
( Learning is incomplete in the course named above and a mini-learning contract is necessary before a grade can be received.
( Has not demonstrated competence and should not be awarded credit for the course named above.
Basis of Evaluation/Comments:
Date: Date:
Assessor’s Signature Dean’s Signature
94/11 Please return one copy of this form, along with the portfolio to the PLA Co-ordinator, room 3N8 by the date on the cover letter unless other arrangements have been made. Thank you.
APPENDICES
DOCUMENTATION
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A-1 Verification of Employment at Co-Operators Insurance
B-1 to 4 1. Life Underwriters Training Course Certificate
2. LUATC - Course Outline
3. LUATC - Course Outline
4. LUATC - Course Outline
C-1 R.I.B.O. Licence and Examination Information
D-1 Letter from Cowan McVicar and Associates
E-1 Courses developed and written for Conestoga College
F-1 to 5 Magazine Articles - written for local publication
A-1
VERIFICATION OF EMPLOYMENT AT CO-OPERATION INS.
B-1
LIFE UNDERWRITERS ASSOCIATION TRAINING COURSE
LUATC CERTIFICATE
B-2
LUATC COURSE OUTLINE – TAKEN 1985/86
B-3
B-4
C-1
RIBO LICENCE AND EXAMINATION INFORMATION
D-1
LETTER FROM COWAN MCVICAR AND ASSOCIATES
E-1
COURSE WRITTEN FOR CONESTOGA COLLEGE
COURSE OUTLINES:
E-2
E-3
E-4
F-1
DINING OUT ARTICLES WRITTEN FOR THE ST. GEORGE LANCE
F-2
F-3
F-4
F-5
-----------------------
[1] Bloom B.C. et al, Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: Cognitive Domain New York: McKay, 1956 Note: A useful way to remember Bloom’s taxonomy is the sentence A Bloom makes a good CAASE for learning… Get it?
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