Helpful Links (Faculty & Staff)
Recommended Websites
The Apple Learning Interchange (ALI)
ALI is a social networking site for educators. A new section for Higher Education faculty showcasing campus projects, research and more has recently been developed. Dr. Helen Barrett has created a section that uses pieces of video to discuss the creation of e-Portfolios. Her video lecture illustrates many ways that Apple technologies can be used to create electronic portfolios for learners of all ages, from early childhood, through graduate school and into the professions.
Canadian Association for Prior Learning Assessment (CAPLA)
CAPLA's members have become modern-day pioneers in the field of PLAR.
Since the early 1990's, those interested in the recognition of adult learning have come together to share practices connected to experiential learning and how it can be articulated against academic credit or industry standards. Experts from across Canada and abroad have helped shape the look and substance of what PLA in Canada has become.
Canadian Council on Learning - State of Learning 2007
CCL is a national, independent, non-profit organization that is committed to improving learning opportunities across the country. CCL develops and supports research initiatives and promotes adult and experiential learning best practices and frameworks for national policy. CCL’s “State of Learning” (2007) reports on Canadian literacy challenges.
Guidelines for The Canadian PLAR Practitioner
These practitioners' guidelines grew out of Developing Benchmarks for Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition-Practitioners' Perspectives (Malcolm Day, 2000). The guide includes learning activities to help practitioners reflect upon and improve their own practice, plus exercises to complete as they develop their portfolios against the newly-emerging benchmarks.
Recommended Print Resources:
Colvin, Janet. Earn College Credit for What You Know. Chicago: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 2006.
Informative question and answer format, which includes exercises for understanding and applying prior learning assessment and recognition principles. The book also includes profiles of successful adult students using prior learning assessment to complete their degrees and explanations of the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) standards for quality prior learning assessment. Earn College Credit for What You Know is in stock at UFV’s library.
Fiddler, Morry, Catherine Marienau, Urban Whitaker. Assessing Learning: Standards, Principles, & Procedures. Chicago: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 2006.
This book provides detailed descriptions and explanations of each of the CAEL “Ten Standards for Quality Assurance” and their application in prior learning situations. The standards can be used to help faculty assess an adult learner’s knowledge while University or College administrators can use the standards to ensure consistency in compliance with institutional policies and practices.
Van Kleef, J., et al. Quality Assurance in PLAR: Issues and Strategies for Post-secondary Institutions (Volume I). (2007).
An informative and easy to read summary of research related to Quality Assurance in PLAR in Canada and internationally. Volume I explains the definition, importance, and pattern of quality assurance in PLAR. It also includes a table detailing the benefits and challenges of PLAR methods. The conclusions in Volume I are linked to strategies to refine current PLAR policies and practices to benefit students and post-secondary institutions.
Van Kleef, J., et al. Quality Assurance in PLAR: A Guide for Institutions (Volume II). (2007)
This Guide offers practical ideas for implementing PLAR principles, policies and assessment practices at an institutional level. It is a great resource for people who would like practical information on how to advise students in PLAR or how to assess PLAR submissions in addition to explaining how PLAR policies and practices should be monitored and evaluated to maintain PLAR standards.
Van Kleef, J., et al. Quality Assurance in PLAR: Annotated Bibliography (Volume III). (2007)
The annotated bibliography is divided into two sections. Section One presents literature on quality assurance in PLAR in ten countries as well as a number of multi-national initiatives. Section Two presents literature on quality assurance in higher education and assessment in seven countries in addition to some multi-national initiatives. The literature in Volume III represents a small sample of what exists and was selected based on potential utility and interest to readers in relation to the assessment of prior learning.
Portfolio Samples:
LaGuardia Community College
This website includes a collection of links to e-Portfolio sites throughout the United States that have a variety of portfolio samples and “how to” information. The examples and information are useful for organizing your portfolio and seeing the variety of ways a portfolio can be constructed.
Portfolio Library
Martin Kimeldorf is a teacher and an author. He has written several books and articles on the topics of work, leisure, journal writing, community service and portfolios. His website illustrates several types of portfolios including career and professional portfolios in addition to explaining how PLAR candidates can resolve challenges they may experience on their way to portfolio completion.
Teaching Portfolios
Electronic Teaching Portfolio: A Guide for Faculty Members at UBC
An extensive guide describing electronic teaching portfolios which is also available in PDF format. The Centre for Teaching and Academic Growth (TAG) in BC developed this document, which provides many useful tips for electronic portfolio preparation for teachers. E-Portfolio components are detailed in a reflective question format. Other sections include philosophy statements, teaching approaches/activities and responsibilities, advising/supervision, professional contributions and teaching reflections. Although it is targeted towards UBC university teachers, this document provides useful information to evaluate teaching effectiveness. This resource would be most useful to people completing teaching portfolios, facilitators and administrators.
UMDNJ Centre for Teaching Excellence
The UMDNJ Center for Teaching Excellence was conceived and developed as a service for the health professions community. It is an excellent site to learn more about teaching portfolios and professional development regardless of academic focus.
University College of Dublin (UCD)
UCD provides both a description of a teaching portfolio and suggestions about what to include within it. The examples provided are easy to navigate and the definitions and theory provided are good starting points when embarking on professional development within an education related profession.
SFU – Teaching Portfolio
This site was created by SFU's Learning and Instructional Development Centre to provide you with the information and resources to help you create a teaching portfolio, also known as a teaching dossier.
The purpose of a teaching portfolio is to present a picture of your teaching beyond the student course ratings. This site provides some suggestions for what to include, but the final decision on content should be based on what best demonstrates your thinking about teaching and the teaching activities that you engage in.
