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Prior learning assessment and student success at a community college: a qualitative study
Dissertation   Open access

Prior learning assessment and student success at a community college: a qualitative study

Jocelyn Lewis
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Drexel University
Sep 2024
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00010750
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Abstract

Education, Higher Education, Higher--Administration Educational leadership Recognition of prior learning Prior learning--Evaluation Community Colleges
Some states have attempted to streamline the process of providing prior learning assessment (PLA), also referred to as credit for prior learning (CPL), for work and life experiences. In terms of enrollment management, colleges nationwide look to increase student enrollment and positively impact attrition. Credit for work experience could have a multifactorial effect across many sectors. Students could earn academic degrees faster, and colleges could improve their enrollment rates. This qualitative case study examined the impact of PLA on student success and enrollment management and explored how students receive PLA from a community college. The study presents the effect of PLA on student success through a qualitative review of the literature and individual interviews with three faculty members and three students at a single community college with an urban campus and a suburban campus. The study's findings offer insight into the development of an assessment tool for PLA at community colleges useful for determining whether credit is awarded and applicable to a degree. The overarching research question was, What factors determine whether a student receives PLA? The three streams of theory, research, and practice provided a conceptual framework to examine PLA in higher education, the assessment of PLA, and student success and enrollment management. Keywords: prior learning assessment, credit for prior learning, community college, enrollment management, student success, adult learners

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