Prior Learning: Diversity and Practice

Students bring vital learning from their life experiences to their campus classrooms. This learning is not always recognized in course activities or assignments. When it is, students persist and complete their degrees. These benefits are especially evident for adult and non-traditional students. Our proposed presentation on prior learning has three movements. The first will be an overview of how prior learning is presently recognized in higher education. The second will be a discussion of the promise and limitations of recognizing prior learning to promote traditionally excluded voices. The third will be a discussion of strategies for applying principles of prior learning recognition and assessment across disciplines and in the classroom