While courses provide students with a familiar learning environment, Metropolitan State also encourages students to seek a variety of creative learning strategies. To explore these unique ways of gaining college credit, First College offers working labs for prior learning assessment and student-directed learning. Creative learning strategies include prior learning evaluation, theory seminars, independent studies, online learning and internships.
Getting Credit for What You Know
What you have learned in your life and work is important and, when appropriate, it may be recognized as legitimate college-level learning. To earn college credit for prior experiential learning, a number of important prior learning criteria need to be met to ensure that the learning meets quality guidelines. In many cases a diagnostic test is available to assess your theoretical and practical knowledge. The diagnostic test is a tool to help you determine which path you should take: prior experiential learning evaluation, theory seminar or traditional course.
Metropolitan State conducts assessment of prior learning in a way consistent with the MnSCU policy and university policy and procedure.
See the following chart for strategies in evaluating prior learning:
|
Strategy |
Benefits |
Drawbacks |
|
Free |
Only training already approved by ACE is covered | |
|
Inexpensive Can prepare for in advance |
Not available for all subjects Not for the test-phobic | |
|
Less classroom time Gain new knowledge |
Not available for all subjects Not always available | |
|
|
Flexible subjects, any area of knowledge |
Tuition same as new course |
- Prior learning assessment (PLA) is a systematic process to identify learning gained through life, work and/or community-based settings, and to assess it for college credit, on an individualized basis.
- Theory seminars provide an alternative to the individualized prior learning assessment process. Theory seminars are learning opportunities designed specifically for students with extensive experience and practical knowledge in a subject, but limited theoretical learning. Seminars meet as a group two to five times during a semster, and build on and integrate theoretical learning with students' prior experiential/practical learning.
- Student-directed learning (SDL) involving some or all new learning may be accomplished through a Theory Seminar, if significant practical learning has been previously achieved or registered as new learning as a student-designed independent study (SDIS). The SDIS allows the student to choose individualized college-level subject area(s), and to individualize the learning methods.
For information and support:
- Register for the one-credit course METR 100, Getting Credit for What You Know, which is offered each semster. See Class Schedule.
- Contact the First College student-directed learning coordinator Marcia Anderson with information about what prior learning you would like to consider for assessment, at marcia.anderson@metrostate.edu
- Attend a Working Lab on prior learning asssessment (PLA) and student-directed learning (SDL), offered for First College students regularly during the academic year.
To Identify PLA/SDL Faculty Evaluators:
- Students may ask faculty to serve as consultants in developing proposals for prior learning assessment (PLA) or student-directed learning (SDL).
- Assessment and evaluation of PLA and SDL must be done by approved university faculty evaluators, and student must be registered.
- See Consultants and Evaluators list for potential subject areas and appropiate evaluators. The list includes faculty e-mail links.
