Alternative credentials are given for learning
experiences gained through massive open online courses, training that issues
badges, and boot camps. However, institutions take differing approaches on how
they issue credit for adult prior learning,
according to a report from the Online Learning Consortium and the Research
Center for Digital Learning & Leadership.
The study, Alternative Credentials: Prior Learning 2.0,
profiled the assessment practices at six institutions, finding that each
understood the need for quality measurements. However, internal assessment takes
too much time and so is normally outsourced to a nonprofit organization.
Data management and reporting was also a challenge for the
schools. Student data can be insufficient for evaluation or maintained by more
than one department on campus, making the decision-making process on credit
more difficult.
“This
availability, or lack of availability, of reliable data leads to mostly
suppositions made surrounding time to degree completion,” Jill Buban, senior
director of research and innovation for the Online Learning Consortium, wrote
in the report. “We know that prior-learning evaluation processes increase time
towards degree completion and can be a cost savings for students. However,
without accurate data there aren’t identifiable percentages around specific
types of credentials, increasing time to degree completion.”