Prior Learning Credits- a win-win situation for working adults

Prior Learning credits are basically referred to as credits of past learning or work related experience. In other words, we can say that whatever a person has learnt in the past in terms of courses which he/she was not able to complete or work experience which he/she might have attained from his/her work life is counted as prior learning credit.

Prior Learning validation

Prior learning is verified or validated through a process of assessment which is called ‘Prior learning assessment’. It is a process through which formal recognition for the achievements of past learning and experiences can be obtained. Such assessments are counted as official education through the process of accreditation which is commonly given by many universities today.

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Acceptance of Prior Learning Credits

Many entities including educational institutes and government authorities have realized the importance of prior learning assessment as it is a fact that most effective learning does not come from a textbook only. It also requires actual work experience to gauge the best in any field and so prior learning credits achieved recognition. Today, these credits are of immense importance as people have started accepting the worth of prior learning. Even today, there are places where high importance is given to degree holders but it is really not possible for every individual to hold a degree. Thus, prior learning credits have proved to be the best solution for such people who have started working in their early age or for people who were not able to complete their studies due to any reason. However, prior learning credits not only help in knowing where a person is standing in terms of knowledge and expertise but also help people to continue their education with the help of these credits.

Recognition of Prior Learning

The goals of President Obama pertaining to development and progression in the United States have proved the importance of prior learning and have given demanding recognition to the notion of prior learning. The goals of President Obama included increase in the number of U.S. citizens with postsecondary credentials which seemed impossible as working adults and professionals cannot be sent back to colleges and universities to get degrees. To overcome this problem, the policy makers of Obama’s administration took the concept of prior learning assessment in order to motivate professionals by giving recognition to the work experience in the form of formal accreditation. The count of students in this examination was more than 62000 working adults who belonged to professions like military, corporate training etc. This proved to be one of the most influential ways to motivate working adults as they got to know the worth of the hard work they have put in all their lives.

Future of Prior Learning

The future of prior learning credit seems bright as people have now started accepting the concept of prior learning. This notion will stay at boom for long as this process has highlighted the importance of judging people on their skills and knowledge also. Moreover, prior learning have done wonders for people who are deprived of attaining quality education as they got a chance to prove their competencies through the process of prior learning assessment.

The Future of Education is Online

“In five years the best education will come from the web” Bill Gates

With the arrival of 4G technology, broadband Internet, social networking, web-based video, instant messaging and a whole new set of collaboration tools, online education has grown by leaps and bounds. From high schools to community colleges, from university to various certification institutions, online education has blossomed in the last few years.

Due to the tremendous popularity of the Internet new educational opportunities and various learning prospects have emerged for students of all ages through online education. Almost two years back, a 93-page report on online education, conducted by SRI International for the U.S. Department of Education, was published with this conclusion: “On average, students in online learning conditions performed better than those receiving face-to-face instruction.”

With changing times, the interest of students, especially the working adults, have changed dramatically. Some of the organizations have been working on strategic plans to implement online education. For working adults, it is very difficult to study in traditional educational institutes and manage professional as well as personal lives. On the other hand, ever growing competition in job market would not allow you to remain on your specific educational level. To progress or stay competitive in your specific field, you need to acquire further education.

Institutions of higher education have increasingly embraced online education while high schools are a bit slow towards this adaptation. Schools like James Madison High School, OLWA High School and Keystone High School are few of the leading online education providers which have been helping students achieve their potential through online high school diplomas and GED.

Keeping all the factors in mind, one would agree that online education is the perfect solution to the academic needs of individuals such as professionals and working adults. Features like affordability, accessibility, flexibility, and self-paced study programs as well as various other student services are a few factors that motivate many students to continue their studies without any hassle. There is still a lot of room for improvement in online education systems and the educational institutions need to integrate digital technologies into core curricula which will help them attract a large number of students and allow them to prepare for a future filled with increasingly complex social networks.