Developing a PLAR Assessment

In This Section

When developing a PLAR, consider including more than one type of assessment to give a larger breadth of opportunity to show learning, while still ensuring learners can complete the assessment(s) in a reasonable time frame. Existing course assessments may be used, where appropriate; however, ideally, a PLAR assessment should not include all the assessments of an entire course but rather capture the CLOs and application of theoretical knowledge. Combinations of existing assessments can be used, with appropriate modifications (e.g., a written test to an interview), or a new assessment can be created.

When developing the PLAR assessment, please:

  1. Write short, clear, and learner-friendly instructions explaining what the learner must do, prepare, or submit.
      1. The specific instructions and assessment will be subject matter dependent but should be relevant to the course learning.
      2. Include relevant logistics information such as generative AI statements, Academic Integrity information, due dates, submission expectations, and scheduling/timing information for synchronous evaluations.
      3. Confirm that all CLOs are addressed through the assessment using a CLO map or table.

        Tip

        As a reminder there is a mapping tool to support this work and/or a table provided in the assessment templates.

  2. Include rubrics, checklists, or marking criteria to ensure learners understand how their work will be evaluated.
    1. The rubrics provided should clearly derive from the assessment instructions and be tied to the CLOs.
    2. If offering multiple options for submission formats (e.g., audio, visual, written, etc.) ensure that the rubric effectively evaluates the CLOs regardless of submission type.
  3. Use plain language and avoid academic or technical jargon or acronyms whenever possible.

Note

While developing the PLAR assessment, reflect on whether the activity can be completed with Generative AI. If this is not permitted based on course policies, consider how the assessment can be adapted to prevent or dissuade Generative AI use.

Designing a Portfolio PLAR Process

If the evaluation category selected is a portfolio, the creation of the PLAR instructions will differ slightly from those above. Learners will have to include additional components for a fulsome evaluation as the portfolio is a greater reflection of lived experience rather than directly assessing course learning. When creating instructions for a portfolio, some components to consider including, but are not limited to:

  1. A Title Page: Outline the expectations for what information to include (e.g., faculty name, course title and code, learner name and number).
  2. Declaration or attestation of authenticity: to support Academic Integrity, for examples of attestation statements, see ICE.
  3. A Table of Contents: For ease of navigation.
  4. Course Learning Outcomes comparison: A description of how the learners’ experience matches the course requirements.
  5. Examples of artifacts or evidence to include: Help capture their breadth of learning, such as:
    • Résumé: Work and volunteer experience related to the specific course.
    • Employment letters: Proof of responsibilities and achievements as they relate to the CLOs.
    • Samples of work: Projects, reports, or other materials created for the position/experience.
    • Certificates or training records: Evidence of professional learning, transcripts of formal academic courses (is applicable), and/or certificates from non-credit courses.
    • Life history or goals paper: A short summary of key learning experiences and future goals.
    • Educational plan: How PLAR fits into the program of study.
    • Demonstration of knowledge: The portfolio may also require the completion of a task relevant to the course material (if not captured in the other sections), such as answering questions related to a case study, demonstrating communication skills, or walking through a decision-making scenario.
    • Essay: The learner writes about their learning and how/where they learned it.

Choose the expectations based on what is most authentic to the course and learner’s lived experience.

Adapted from: 1.5 How is Learning Assessed for PLAR credit? – Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) at Fanshawe College

PLAR Worksheets

To support PLAR Creation please select one of the worksheets:

Template to Create a Portfolio PLAR Assessment Template to Create any other PLAR assessment