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The Canadian Association for Prior Learning Assessment (CAPLA) presents
Recognizing Learning - Recognizing Skills
Innovative Assessment Practices to Support Sustainable Development
November 7 – 9, 2010
Ottawa Marriott Hotel
Ottawa, Ontario
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Speakers
Keynote & Plenary Speakers
Don't miss the opportunity to get your signed copy of two important books: Harnessing America's Wasted Talent - A New Ecology of Learning (2010) by author and CAPLA guest speaker Peter Smith and Re-theorizing the Recognition of Prior Learning (2006) by editor and visiting scholar Judy Harris.  David A. Walden David A. Walden is the Secretary-General of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO Mr. Walden began his career as an archivist/historian with the National Archives of Canada. From 1984 – 1999, he held the positions of Secretary to the Canadian Cultural Property Export Review Board and Director of the Movable Cultural Property Program in the Department of Canadian Heritage . From 1985 – 2001, he was the Canadian representative on the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property to its Countries of Origin or its Restitution . . . Read more in Case of Illicit Appropriation. In 1996 and again in 1999, he was elected Chairman of this Intergovernmental Committee.
In 1997, Mr. Walden led the Canadian delegation that negotiated the Agreement Between the Government of Canada and the Government of the United States Concerning the Imposition of Import Restrictions on Certain Categories of Archaeological and Ethnological Material. Mr. Walden has also been a member of many other Canadian delegations, including the Diplomatic Conference on the UNESCO Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict (The Hague, 1999), the General Conference of UNESCO (Paris, 1999 – 2005) and the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) High Level Meeting on Sustainable Development (Vilnius, 2005). He is currently a Canadian representative on the UNECE Steering Committee on Education for Sustainable Development. Mr. Walden has also served on numerous UNESCO Committees including as Vice-President of Commission I (General Questions and Programme Support), and the Legal Committee of the General Conference, and Working Groups on the Protection of UNESCO's Name and Logo, and Relations among the Three Organs of UNESCO.
Mr. Walden serves as a member of the Management Committee of the Canada Council for the Arts and represents Canada on UNESCO’s 58 Member State Executive Board and the Board's Non-Governmental Organizations Committee.
David A. Walden holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in History and Political Science and a Master of Arts in Canadian Studies from Carleton University, Ottawa.
Close biography  Michael Bloom Dr. Michael Bloom, Vice-President, Organizational Effectiveness and Learning at The Conference Board of Canada, is responsible for managing the Organizational Excellence, Education and Learning, and Organizational Learning and Development Research groups, and for overseeing funded research projects at the Conference Board. He has management responsibility for fourteen executive networks. Corporately, Michael is co-leading CanCompete, the Conference Board’s flagship three-year research initiative. CanCompete builds on results from the Canada Project which defined seven . . . Read moremajor strategies for improving the sustainable competitiveness of Canada. He also leads a major Conference Board research initiative, Hollowing Out and Corporate Transformation, on the impact of corporate takeovers on Canada and Canadian firms.
Recent major research projects under his direction include: Valuing Culture: Measuring and Understanding Canada’s Creative Economy; Healthy People, Healthy Performance, Healthy Profits: The Case for Business Action on the Socio-Economic Determinants of Health, Building from the Ground Up: Enhancing Affordable Housing in Canada, Critical Steps for Canada: Environmental Health Lessons Across Borders: Australia, Sweden and California, Learning and Development Outlook 2007; How Canada Performs – Education and Skills Chapter; National Credit Review Service Pilot Project; Sector Council Research Project; Socio-Economic Benefits of Sport Participation in Canada; and the Public Works and Government Services Procurement Project. He also oversaw development of the Innovation Skills Profile, the General Innovation Skills Aptitude Test (GISAT), and the Skills Credentialing Tool.
Dr. Bloom speaks on human capital strategies, immigration issues, organizational effectiveness, learning and development, credentialing, skills and learning, innovation, post-secondary education trends, health matters, and international benchmarks.
Dr. Bloom is a graduate of the University of Oxford (DPhil) and Carleton University (BA, MA).
Close biography  Dr. Peter Smith Peter P. Smith, Ed.D. is the Senior Vice President of Academic Strategies and Development for Kaplan Higher Education. He is responsible for the development of mid-term strategies and program development to move Kaplan Higher Education, a $1 billion business, to higher profitability and academic quality . . . Read more.
Dr. Smith is the former Assistant Director of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and served as the founding president of California State University at Monterey Bay (CSUMB).
As the highest-ranking American at UNESCO, he was responsible for the supervision and management of some 700 full and part time staff located in more than 30 countries around the world. Headquartered in Paris, UNESCO’s Education Sector serves the Ministries of Education in the world’s less developed and emerging nations as their trusted intellectual advisor and advocate in developing and supporting national educational plans and strategies.
As founding president of CSUMB, he oversaw all aspects of leadership and development of the institution, working closely with the founding faculty. The university is widely recognized for its outcomes-based curriculum, a strong science and technology program, the first wireless computer network on a public university campus in America, a focus on first generation college students, and a commitment to service learning as a core component of the curriculum.
Dr. Smith, who holds a Doctor of Education from Harvard University, also advanced higher education in Vermont. He led a successful effort to implement Vermont’s community college system, which included the design of its operating, administrative, academic, and assessment systems. Peter served as the first president of the statewide Community College of Vermont from 1970-1978, and was named President Emeritus upon resigning.
Later, he went on to serve as the Dean of the Graduate School of Education and Human Development for George Washington University. He increased the student body, earned a new facility, and added highly talented and diverse faculty during his tenure from 1991-1994.
In 1989, he was elected as a representative from Vermont to the U.S. House of Representatives. He served as Vermont’s Lieutenant Governor from 1982-1986.
Dr. Smith is the author of the critically acclaimed The Quiet Crisis: How Higher Education Is Failing America (Anker Publications, Bolton Mass., 2004) & Harnessing America’s Wasted Talent A New Ecology of Learning (Published by Jossey-Bass A Wiley Imprint, San Francisco, CA 2010).
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International PLA Panel Speakers
Margaret Cameron
Margaret Cameron entered higher education as an adult, graduating in 1997 from the University of Paisley (now the University of the West of Scotland) with an MSc, the focus of which was on the use of credit-based programmes within adult guidance. Having gained experience as an education guidance advisor, she developed and managed a number of widening participation initiatives in the West of Scotland and in Lancashire England. A manager at the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework Partnership since 2005 she currently leads on activities relating to the quality and integrity of the Framework and on activities involving other frameworks in the UK, Europe and beyond.  Nigel Lloyd Nigel Lloyd is principal of Cambridge Professional Development (CamProf), a small consultancy based in the UK. CamProf advises organisations on the development of their professionals. CamProf specialises in standards of competence, professional development, and multicultural working. Recent projects include: - development of an accreditation of prior learning system for the Polish construction industry (APL-Bud) including assessment of migrant workers. . . . Read more
- updating Bloom's Taxonomy and its application to occupational standards for the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council, mapping CTHRC qualifications against several qualifications frameworks.
- evaluation of distance learning certification in humanitarian logistics
- international coordinator for a project to develop the EuroPsy qualification for chartered psychologists, and for another project to develop a European Financial Advisor qualification.
- piloting the European Qualifications Framework in the financial services sector by assigning levels to qualifications in 14 countries.
Prior to 1994, when Nigel created CamProf, his early years included spending a year in India, after completing school, as a volunteer, before studying Engineering & Economics at Oxford University. Three years research in urban computer modelling at Cambridge University was followed by an initial career as a civil engineer working for 9 years in Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and Bangladesh. He also worked with the Register of Engineers for Disaster Relief (REDR) in Somalia and Ethiopia. He increasingly specialised in the human aspects of development projects, returning to UK in 1989 to work as Staff Development Manager for Transportation Planning Associates, involved in the creation of the competence-based NVQ system for construction professionals, managers and technicians.
Close biography  Dr. Madhu Singh Dr. Madhu Singh is Senior Programme Specialist and Coordinator of the Lifelong Learning Programme at the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning in Hamburg, Germany. She joined UNESCO in 1998. Prior to this, Dr Madhu Singh was in the Unit for Third World Studies at the Technical University in Berlin where she did research on expanding competences, qualifications and adult vocational education in the informal sector . . . Read more in developing countries. Before coming to Germany, she lectured on the sociology of education at Poona University in India before joining the University of London Institute for Education as a Commonwealth research fellow.
She is currently coordinating UNESCO’S programme on National Qualifications Frameworks and the Recognition, Validation and Accreditation of Non-formal and Informal Learning which is an initiative for achieving the greater participation of adults in lifelong learning and education for all. Her forthcoming publications on recognition include: Why Recognition Matters: Global Perspectives on Non-formal and Informal Learning (UIL: Hamburg, 2010) and Benchmarking National Learning Cultures on Linking Recognition Practices to National Qualifications Frameworks (with Ruud Duvekot, UIL: Hamburg, 2010).
Previous publications include: Institutionalising Lifelong Learning: Creating Conducive Environments for Adult Learning in the Asian Context (2002); Enhancing Adult Basic Learning: Training Educators and Unlocking the Potential of Distance and Open Learning (2004); Meeting Learning Needs in the Informal Sector: Skills Development for Decent Work, Empowerment and Citizenship (2005) (ed.); Adult Learning and the Future of Work (1999); Economics and Financing of Adult Learning (1999); Poverty Alleviation, Work and Adult Learning (1999).
The UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning is a non-profit international research, training, information, documentation and publishing centre for literacy, non-formal and adult education from the perspective of lifelong learning. One of its major programmes is the promotion of South-South and North-South research co-operation and policy dialogues in the area of qualifications frameworks and recognition practices world-wide.
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Introduction
Recognizing Learning - Recognizing Skills
Innovative Assessment Practices to Support Sustainable Development The 2010 International Recognition for Prior Learning (RPL) conference will take place in Ottawa on November 7-9, 2010, marking the 15th anniversary of the first national PLAR Forum which took place in the same city in 1995. The conference will be looking at innovative prior learning assessment and recognition (PLAR) and qualification recognition (QR) practices, programs and services. In 2005 the United Nations declared the years 2005-2014 to be the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, challenging member states to think about their environmental, economic and social systems by encouraging growth that is good for the planet and for people. According to the Bonn Declaration (2009) which emerged from UNESCO’s World Conference in Germany, Education for Sustainable Development “brings new relevance, quality, meaning and purpose to education and training systems…it involves formal, non-formal and informal education contexts, and all sectors of society in a lifelong learning process.” Wasting the skills and abilities of Canadians is not a sustainable practice and represents a paradox in countries where there are skills shortages. Ignoring or undervaluing learning achievements — informal, non formal or formal — represents a barrier to lifelong learning where the knowledge economy is rapidly changing. Sustainable development is a cross-cutting theme that impacts all people, organizations, communities and countries. We have come to understand that throwing something away rather than recycling it is not environmentally friendly. We appreciate the need to re-think the way we do things in light of constant change. We are becoming more aware of climate change and the impact of wasting food, water and electricity. We know how important it is to do our part to reduce, reuse and recycle. How can the same principles be applied to our social environments? If sustainability requires people and organizations to change their behaviour in a meaningful way, what must we do to make education, training, human resource management, labour market, regulatory and career development systems more sustainable?
Pre-Conference Workshops
Pre-Conference Workshops
Sunday November 7 from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm. Pre-conference A Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Primer Presenter: Ann Pedersen, Reframed Learning Concepts This hands-on workshop is designed for participants who wish to learn the basic principles and practices of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL/PLAR) and portfolio development. The relationship of RPL and portfolios to standards and competencies within regulatory bodies will also be explored. - RPL/PLAR Framework
- RPL/PLAR Terminology
- Assessment models and tools
- Approaches and applications for portfolio development and portfolio assessment
- Principles of best practice and benchmarks for RPL/PLAR practitioners
- Examples of unique RPL initiatives
- RPL resources for both learner & practitioner
Participants will be encouraged to share experiences and perspectives, and to ask questions on RPL/PLAR, portfolio development, and competency assessment. Individual and small group work will provide an opportunity for participants to explore their own experiential learning as a vehicle to gaining deeper appreciation for experiential learning, self-assessment, and transferable skills, as well as an understanding of the value to individuals, communities and organizations. Pre-conference B The Mature Worker and RPL Presenters: John Atherton, HRSDC; Don Presant, Learning Agents; Michael Stewart, Manitoba Chambers of Commerce - Third Quarter; Barbara Jaworski, Workplace Institute; Gord Evans, Workforce Development Board; Sharon Davison, Northern Lights Canada; Patrick Cummins, CEP Consulting Inc. – ESPORT; Denyce Diakun, Algonquin College - Experienced Worker Centre; Anne Ramsay, Spotlight on Change: An Essential Skills Program for Women Over 40; Maitland MacIssac, Passport to Employment This pre-conference will bring together those who have an interest in the current prior learning assessment and recognition thinking and innovative practice developed with the older worker in mind. In the morning, several organizations who have PLAR programs and services designed for the older worker will share their present activities and lessons learned in areas such as job search, career change, formal assessment and recognition of prior learning and/or verification of talents, skills and competencies. Participant experiences, along with questions and answers will complete the morning. After lunch, the employer perspective will be explored from the perspective of a return on investment (ROI) for hiring experienced older workers. PLAR assessment tools that currently exist, as well as those that could be modified or developed, will be examined. Outcomes which bring the needs of the employer and the skills of the older worker closer together will be the subject of breakout sessions. Relevance to HRSDC’s Targeted Initiative for Older Workers will be a priority. Resources used by employment and career counselors will also be shared. Pre-conference C Canada’s Colleges – RPL, Learner Mobility and Pathways – Now and in the Future Presentation: ACCC Transfer, Articulation and Pathways Initiative – Michèle Clarke, ACCC, Director of Government Relations and Policy Research; Catherine MacLean, Vice President People and Planning, Nova Scotia Community College · Presentation: Canadian Forces Colleges Opportunities Program – Major Mark Russell, Canadian Defence Academy; Paul Toupin, ACCC-Manager of Canadian Partnerships · Presentation Panel: RPL Practices in Canada’s Colleges – A Snapshot – Amanda Roberts, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology; Frank Vandenburg, New Brunswick Community College and College communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick; Michelle Pugh, Niagara College; Shirley Amichand, Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology; Deb Blower, Red River College of Applied Arts, Science and Technology This pre-conference day will showcase some of the notable transfer, articulation and pathways initiatives and RPL practices currently in place at Canada’s colleges and institutes. Facilitated by the Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC) Recognition of Learning (ROL) Affinity Group Coordinating Committee, this pre-conference workshop will explore the work of ACCC and its Transfer, Articulation and Pathways (TAP) Committee. The Committee is helping guide ACCC’s work in this regard and exploring ways and opportunities to move the mobility agenda forward in a positive direction for learners, institutions, partnerships and for Canada. A panel of RPL practitioners will share some of the exemplary RPL practices in Canadian colleges. Participants will be invited to share practices and challenges related to increased learner mobility and pathways including RPL across Canada. Join us and be a part of shaping the future direction of the ACCC ROL Affinity Group.
Registration
How To Register
To register online click here. The deadline for the Early Bird registration is October 4, 2010. You are not registered until payment is received in full. Space is limited – register early.
CAPLA Membership Renewal
 Join CAPLA now and save on conference registration fees. It's easy to join: Click here to join online or click the image at right for a downloadable membership application. Methods of payment include Visa, MasterCard, money order and cheque (payable to CAPLA.)  |  |  | | | The application form is available here as a PDF document. You can view and print PDFs with the free Adobe Reader. |
Contact Us
Questions or special requests can be directed to:
Recognizing Learning Secretariat
Agenda Managers Inc.
2979 Oxford Street
Halifax, Nova Scotia B3L 2W3
Phone: (902) 422-1886 or 1-877-731-1333
Fax: (902) 422-2535
Email: capla@agendamanagers.com
Events
International PLA Network Webcast
IPLAN Panel Presentation: Sustainability through National and International Sharing Free International Prior Learning Assessment Network was webcast on Tuesday, November 9, 2010.
2010 Forum of the Adult Learning Network (ALN)
November 7, 2010 · Ottawa Marriott Hotel, Ottawa Lifelong Learning Matters: Taking Steps Forward The first national Forum of the Adult Learning Network is focused on the theme of shaping a vision of lifelong learning in Canada, taking a leadership approach. The goal of the Lifelong Learning Matters: Taking Steps Forward Forum is to provide a venue where Anglophone, Francophone and Aboriginal learning communities will join to share promising practices, discuss new research and be informed of the progress made following CONFINTEA VI on the international and national levels. It provides an opportunity to present the Canadian Commission for UNESCO’s Draft Charter for Adult Learning in Canada and make suggestions on activities related to the International Adult Learners’ Week 2011. The strategy to implement a Canadian Lifelong Learning Network will be discussed with a view to establishing and promoting a culture of lifelong learning. The future of lifelong learning in Canada lies in building networks, developing exchange opportunities and creating synergy. The next steps forward identified by Forum participants are crucial to the development of lifelong learning in this country. For more information visit, aln-raa.ca/forum/2010forum/
Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition: Emergence of a Canadian Community of Scholars
Saturday, November 6 · 1:30 pm – 5:30 pm Sunday, November 7 · 8:30 am - 4:30 pm Ottawa Marriott Hotel (Participation by invitation only) A research workshop hosted by Thompson Rivers University (TRU) – Open Learning with financial support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) The objectives of this session are: - To map the territory of PLAR research currently being undertaken in Canada, including research by graduate students
- To identify future directions for Canadian PLAR research and the contribution this research might make to the international research agenda developed by the Prior Learning International Research Centre (TRU)
- To identify possible inter-provincial and/or cross disciplinary and/or international research projects that Canadian PLAR scholars could undertake
An edited collection of papers presented by Canadian and international scholars will be prepared and posted electronically. *There are a limited number of ‘observer’ seats available for PLAR academic scholars or PLAR practitioners. To find out more, contact Christine Wihak.
ACCC’s Recognition of Learning (ROL) Affinity Group Networking Dinner
Monday, November 8 at 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm Carmello’s Italian Restaurant (one minute walk from the hotel) The ACCC Co-ordinating Committee for the Recognition of Learning Affinity Group invites all Recognizing Learning - Recognizing Skills, Innovative Assessment Practices to Support Sustainable Development participants to come to an informal networking dinner at Carmello’s Italian Restaurant (one minute walk from the hotel) at 7:30 pm (at your own expense). Hear about what others are doing and share what’s happening with PLAR at your institution/organization! Registration for this event will take place, on site, at the registration desk at the conference.
2010 Canadian Recognition of Prior Learning Awards
In recognition of outstanding achievement in the field of prior learning assessment and qualification recognition, three (3) Recognizing Learning Awards will be presented for distinguished work in the field. Award Criteria: - The three categories for nominations include
- a person
- a program (public policy/special initiatives) or
- institution/organization
- The nominees must be Canadian, an immigrant to Canada, a Canadian program or institution
- The achievement/contributions must reflect activities that occurred between the years 2008 – 2010.
- The Award Selection Committee will consider
- how the nominee demonstrated commitment to and promotion of RPL
- the results achieved and the developmental nature of the work
- whether the achievement has had or may have some lasting benefit within the field of practice.
- Nominations must be submitted by Thursday, September 30, 2010
The Award Selection Committee, comprised of members of the CAPLA Board of Directors, will review all nominations by October 4, 2010. All Nominees will receive a ‘certificate of achievement’ for their contribution to the field of prior learning assessment and qualification recognition, and will be encouraged to attend the conference. The Award winner in each of the three categories will be given the opportunity to make a few short remarks at the presentation ceremony. Early bird registration rates will be extended to Award winners wishing to register for the conference who have not already done so.
CAPLA Annual General Meeting
Monday, November ??? from 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm.
All CAPLA members are encouraged to attend.
Program and Schedule
Program and Schedule
Sunday, November 7  |  |  |  |  | | 8:30 am – 9:00 am | Registration/Information Desk Open for Pre-Conference | Foyer | | | 9:00 am – 4:00 pm | Pre-Conference Workshops | | | 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm | Registration/Information Desk Open | Sussex Salon Foyer | | | 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm | Welcome Reception | 27th Floor | |  | Monday, November 8  |  |  |  |  | | | Simultaneous interpretation will be provided at the Opening Session & Keynote Address and all workshops in Victoria Ballroom. | | | 8:00 am – 6:00 pm | Registration/Information Desk Open | Victoria Foyer | | | 8:00 am – 8:45 am | Continental Breakfast | Victoria Foyer | | | 8:45 am – 9:30 am | Opening Session & Keynote Address | Victoria | | | | Education for All and the Role of UNESCO: Going Beyond the Millennium Development Goals David A. Walden, Secretary-General of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO • Canadian Recognition for Prior Learning Awards Presentation • Tribute to Lenore Burton | | | 9:30 am – 10:30 pm | Concurrent Workshops | Various Rooms | |  |
Click a title to see more about the workshop.
| | ‘New Bloom’ – Updating Bloom’s Taxonomy in the context of Occupational Standards and Quality Frameworks more... |  | | | Update on Canada’s Adult Learning Network (ALN) more... |  | | | The PLAR & Portfolio Development Project at Nunavut Arctic College – Sustainability and Holistic Well Being through the Integration of Traditional Knowledge, Principles of Adult Learning, and Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) more... |  |  |  | The PLAR & Portfolio Development Project at Nunavut Arctic College – Sustainability and Holistic Well Being through the Integration of Traditional Knowledge, Principles of Adult Learning, and Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) |  |  |  | Presenter: Jennifer Archer, Nunavut Arctic College Council |  |  |  | The PLAR & Portfolio Development Project at Nunavut Arctic College, working on a 3-year research grant from HRSDC, has proven that holistic portfolio development is effective in helping adult learners across Nunavut to identify their strengths, increase their self-esteem and overall wellbeing, and connect meaningfully to education and work. Sustainability is the capacity to endure. In biology, sustainable systems remain diverse and productive over time. In human terms, sustainability is the potential for long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions. We will share the story of how we achieved sustainability for PLAR, how portfolio development is practiced at Arctic College and the research results regarding its affect on course participants, facilitators, and institutional policies and practices. We will also share how this participant-directed process of valuing the whole person is being adapted for personal and community development in other areas in Nunavut, including secondary schools and social services. |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  Download the Jennifer Archer presentation |  |  |  | | | Nova Scotia Boat Builder Competency Driven PLAR Model more... |  | | | Diversified Evaluation and Learning Methods Within a Personalised Customer Approach: a Winning Formula in the Capitale-Nationale Region more... |  | | | | | 10:45 am – 11:00 am | Nutrition Break | Victoria Foyer | | | 11:00 am – 12:00 pm | Concurrent Workshops | Various Rooms | |  |
Click a title to see more about the workshop.
| | PLAR: Moving Beyond ‘Discourses of Righteousness’ more... |  |  | |  | The Legacy of Alan Thomas : A Champion of Learning, a Pioneer of PLAR and a Friend of CAPLA more... |  |  |  | The Legacy of Alan Thomas : A Champion of Learning, a Pioneer of PLAR and a Friend of CAPLA |  |  |  | Presenter: Arpi Hamalian, Department of Education, Concordia University; & The Carold Institute for the Advancement of Citizenship in Social Change |  |  |  | In 1952 Alan Thomas took a long journey around the United States and kept a journal entitled “American Journal.” The journal concludes as follows: “. . . and where was it I had been? That remained to be seen and felt and thought about . . .” I will tell a few stories about Alan Thomas and his work and legacy. I am hopeful that this session will open up the flood gates to new stories, leading to many new learning circles to remember him with and renew our resolve to carry forward the torch of his legacy about learning and PLAR. |  |  | | | Valorizing Immigrants’ Non-Canadian Work Experience more... |  | |  | This is Not Your Grandmother’s PLAR: BC Prior Learning Action Network Takes Action more... |  |  |  | This is Not Your Grandmother’s PLAR: BC Prior Learning Action Network Takes Action |  |  |  | Presenters: Clifford Bell, Immigrant Services Society BC (ISSBC), BC PLAN Board; Heather Dickson, Advanced Education & Labour Market Development (ALMD), British Columbia; Patrick Donahoe, Capilano University, BC PLAN Board; Sandy Steward, Industry Training Authority British Columbia (ITABC); Norma Strachan, ASPECT (BC’s Community Based Employment Training Association); Wendy Watson, University of the Fraser Valley, BC PLAN Co-Chair |  |  |  | Vancouver, April 2010: PLA stakeholders from across BC comprised of public, private and not-for-profit sectors attend BCPLAN’s inaugural summit, “Charting a Pathway, Building a Network.” The summit is the result of planning by a grassroots steering committee which understands the need for PLA stakeholders to communicate and work together. As a result of a mandate from summit participants, BCPLAN has formalized as a non-profit society, and is entering into a Labour Market Partnership (LMP) agreement with the BC Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development. A panel of BC stakeholders will present and answer questions on BCPLAN’s journey to this point and where the map will take players next. |  |  |  | | | Models for the Delivery of PLAR as a Learner Pathway to a High School Diploma more... |  | | | Completing the Recognition of Prior Learning Process – Acquiring Missing Skills more... |  |  | | | | | 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm | Lunch | Victoria | | | | Speaker: Dr. Peter Smith, Senior Vice President, Academic Strategies and Development, Kaplan Higher Education Don’t miss the opportunity to get your signed copy of Harnessing America’s Wasted Talent - A New Ecology of Learning (2010) by author and CAPLA guest speaker Peter Smith. Books are available for sale at the registration desk. Dr. Smith will be available at lunch to sign his book. | | | 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm | Concurrent Workshops | Various Rooms | |  |
Click a title to see more about the workshop.
| | Reuse, Recycle Learning and Reduce Time to Degree: Council on Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) PLA Research Study Findings more... |  | | | Trends in Public Support for Prior Learning Recognition: Basic National Survey Findings, 1998-2010 more... |  | | | My Record / Record of Education and Experience (REE) and the My Record Report for Employers more... |  | | | Slipping the Chains more... |  | | | Continuing Care Assistant (CCA) RPL Process in Nova Scotia more... |  | | | The Validation of Acquired Knowledge and Experience at the University of Strasbourg as a Validation of Acquired Knowledge Tool for Sustainable Personal Development – The NDPC Sheet: From an Administrative Document to a University Evaluation and Validation Transformation Tool more... |  |  | | | | | 2:30 pm – 3:00 pm | Nutrition Break | Victoria Foyer | | | 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm | Concurrent Workshops | Various Rooms | |  |
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| | Efficiency and Effectiveness in Quality RPL Practice more... |  | |  | National Adult Literacy Database (NALD): A Newly Redesigned Gateway to All the Tools and Resources Practitioners Need to Help Learners in the Field of Literacy and Essential Skills more... |  |  |  | National Adult Literacy Database (NALD): A Newly Redesigned Gateway to All the Tools and Resources Practitioners Need to Help Learners in the Field of Literacy and Essential Skills |  |  |  | Presenters: Katherine d’Entremont, National Adult Literacy Database (NALD); Rick Hutchins, NALD |  |  |  | Workshop participants will come away with a wealth of information about NALD/NALD@Work: an important resource in the field of workplace learning and essential skills located at www.nald.ca. Topics include: Searching NALD’s Online Library, Connecting Research and Practice, Online Learning, Workplace Literacy and Essential Skills. A live tour of the NALD@Work website will focus on prior learning assessment and recognition. |  |  | | | NBPLAR Action Group-Find Out How New Brunswick is Working to Increase PLAR Coordination and Delivery more... |  | | | The 3 R’s Within a Career Portfolio Planning Framework more... |  | | | How the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS) Uses an Evidence-Based Approach to Foster Policy Decisions for the Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) Program for Medical Laboratory Technologists in Canada more... |  |  | | | The Role of Argumentative Strategies in the Validation of Acquired Knowledge and Experience (VAKE) more... |  | | | | | 4:15 pm – 5:15 pm | Concurrent Workshops | Various Rooms | |  |
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|  | Pan-Canadian Quality Standards in International Credential Evaluation more... |  |  |  | Pan-Canadian Quality Standards in International Credential Evaluation |  |  |  | Presenter: Yves E Beaudin, Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials (CICIC), a unit of the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC) |  |  |  | The Canadian Informational Centre for International Credentials and the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC) are currently coordinating a project on pan-Canadian quality standards in international academic credential evaluation. The project is funded by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC). After the first phase, initiated in 2007, the project’s second phase aims at improving the consistency and portability of academic assessments in Canada, and facilitating the integration of skilled, internationally educated immigrants into the workforce. A pan-Canadian quality assurance framework and an extensive terminology guide are being developed. Other activities include the development of a competency profile for international academic credential evaluators and of a university program for international academic credential assessors. The session will explain the project and how its various activities will address inefficiencies in the field of academic credential assessment. The intent is to promote these initiatives to organizations responsible for evaluating formal, non-formal and informal learning acquired abroad. |  |  |  | | | Web-Based Competency Self-Assessment Tools in Financial, Tourism and Information and Communications Technology Sectors‚ a Model for Development and Deployment of Online Self-Assessment Process for Prior Learning and Experience more... |  |  | | | Research Project: The Effects of Early Learning on the Adult Student more... |  | | | Multiple Assessment Pathways Project more... |  |  | | | Implementing a Hybrid Self-Assessment and Career Planning Workshop for Internationally Educated Professionals (IEPs) in a Large Urban Teaching Hospital more... |  |  | | | NBCC Recognition of Prior Learning Initiatives more... |  | | | | | 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm | CAPLA Annual General Meeting | Wellington | | | 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm | ACCC’s ROL Dinner | Carmello’s Restaurant | | | | Association of Canadian Community College’s Recognition of Learning (ROL) Affinity Group Networking Dinner (optional and at your own expense). Carmello’s Italian Restaurant is a one minute walk from the hotel | |  | Tuesday, November 9  |  |  |  |  | | | Simultaneous interpretation will be provided at the Opening Session & Keynote Address and all workshops in Victoria Ballroom. | | | 8:30 am – 5:00 pm | Registration/Information Desk Open | Victoria Foyer | | | 8:00 am – 9:00 am | Continental Breakfast | Victoria Foyer | | | 8:00 am – 9:00 am | Informal Networking Breakfast of the Quebec Affinity Group | Victoria | | | 9:00 am – 10:00 am | Concurrent Workshops | Various Rooms | |  |
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| | Nursing Country Profiles : An Innovative Approach for Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) more... |  | | | Prior Learning Assessment and the Coffee Industry: Using PLAR Tools to Promote Sustainable Development of Fair Trade Coffee Farmers more... |  | |  | Learning Forum London 2010: Current Trends in International ePortfolio Practice more... |  | | | Pilot to Socrates: Institutions Share the Results of Pilot Projects Using the Socrates Online Self-Assessment Tool more... |  | | | IPLAN Panel Presentation: Sustainability through National and International Sharing more... |  |  |  | IPLAN Panel Presentation: Sustainability through National and International Sharing |  |  |  | Presenters: Margaret Cameron, Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework Partnership; Gail Hall, IPLAN (International Prior Learning Assessment Network); Madhu Singh, UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning; Nigel Lloyd, Cambridge Professional Development (CamProf) |  |  |  | Reduce, reuse, recycle . . . a sustainability motto that looks at efficiencies. We often talk about ‘not re-inventing the wheel’, but how good are we at putting this into practice with RPL/PLAR? On one hand, are we willing to share? On the other hand, how much are we willing to recycle (and adapt) what others have done in RPL? The International Prior Learning Assessment Network (IPLAN) has been set up to share expertise and resources on a global basis. This session will present some resources and sharing practices, and will look at how IPLAN can support exchange and discussion in global sharing and recognition. ••• This workshop will be webcast. |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  Download the Margaret Cameron presentation |  |  |  | | | Assessing Skills Developed Through Work Experience: Labour Mobility Challenges and Issues Faced by Professional Bodies more... |  | | | | | 10:00 am – 10:15 am | Nutrition Break | Victoria Foyer | | | 10:15 am – 11:15 am | Concurrent Workshops | Various Rooms | |  |
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| | How Recognition of Prior Learning Practices is Part of an International Effort for a Sustainable Adult Learning System more... |  |  |  | How Recognition of Prior Learning Practices is Part of an International Effort for a Sustainable Adult Learning System |  |  |  | Presenters: Elisabeth Barot, Canadian Commission for UNESCO; Madhu Singh, UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, Hamburg, Germany |  |  |  | International organizations like UNESCO regularly organize international meetings of Ministers of Education to debate key issues that have been identified in national reports. The International Conference on Adult Education (known by the French-language acronym CONFINTEA) is one such meeting. The most recent edition—CONFINTEA VI—took place in Belem, Brazil in December 2009. In the field of adult education, the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning in Hamburg, Germany, plays a key role in the preparation of summaries and synthesis of national reports such as the Global Report on Adult Education and Learning (GRALE), organization of Conferences, and follow-up to their recommendations. The Canadian Commission for UNESCO is proposing to hold a workshop to inform you, the practitioners of recognition of prior learning (RPL), of the results of CONFINTEA VI and the Belem Framework of Action, and to explore possibilities for follow up in Canada. International Adult Learners Week provides an opportunity to give a voice to learners and to reach-out to disenfranchised learners. A group of Canadian non-governmental organizations has developed a common set of principles for adult learning that we will share at the workshop and seek input and advice from the participants. |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  Download the Madhu Singh presentation |  |  |  | | | A RPLS Information and Awareness Regional Tour for Stakeholders Working with Immigrants more... |  |  | | | Transforming Systems and Creating Change in Manitoba more... |  | | | An Accelerated Learning Pathway for Workers: The NB Workplace Essential Skills Program more... |  |  | | | Foreign Qualification Recognition Framework Overview more... |  | | | | | 11:30 am – 12:30 am | Conversation Café | Victoria | | | | This session will be an opportunity to hear about many different activities, research studies, new publications, projects and courses in the field of adult learning, assessment and recognition. Every 15 minutes, participants will move to another presentation to meet the expert and to network with others. Be prepared for some lively discussion. Participating organizations include: Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science, Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC), AXIS Career Services - Association for New Canadians, Human Resource Systems Group Ltd. (HRSG), Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers, Post-Secondary Training, Education and Labour Government of New Brunswick, Centre for Workplace Skills and RecognitionForLearning (RFL) | | | 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm | Lunch (on your own) | | | 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm | Concurrent Workshops | Various Rooms | |  |
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| | The Association of Canadian Community Colleges’ Transfer, Articulation and Pathways – An Overview more... |  | |  | University PLAR Liaison: Sharing our Experience in the University Sector more... |  |  |  | University PLAR Liaison: Sharing our Experience in the University Sector |  |  |  | Presenters: Martha Ireland, Ryerson University; Barb Read, University of Winnipeg |  |  |  | This workshop is a roundtable discussion among universities to share information and increase awareness about PLAR/RPL activity. It will be an opportunity to network with your colleagues. |  |  | | | Sustainability – A Role for Everyone more... |  |  | | | RPL in Europe: The Construction Sector Gives a Lead more... |  |  |  | RPL in Europe: The Construction Sector Gives a Lead |  |  |  | Presenter: Nigel Lloyd, Cambridge Professional Development (CamProf) |  |  |  | In September 2010, the Assessment of Prior Learning – Bud (APL –Bud) project, held a conference, Building Competence for Europe in the European capital (Brussels), focused on RPL for the construction industry. Nigel Lloyd will provide highlights of the event, and report on the two year project (www.apl-bud.eu funded by the European Commission), including the context of current European RPL developments. APL-Bud has piloted (with brick layers, roofers, plumbers): Poles in Poland, Poles outside Poland and nonPoles wanting to work in Poland. “Pilots in Poland” showed there is a demand for APL and created a reliable, cost-effective APL-Bud assessment process. “Foreign pilots” used existing APL systems in four other countries to assess the competence of Polish migrant workers and identify barriers. APL-Bud also made Case Studies from eight countries, and international comparisons of qualifications. |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  Download the Nigel Lloyd presentation |  |  |  | |  | Knowledge at Work/Le Savoir au Travail: An overview of the current work of the Centre for Workplace Skills more... |  |  |  | Knowledge at Work/Le Savoir au Travail: An overview of the current work of the Centre for Workplace Skills |  |  |  | Presenters: Alex Stephens, Centre for Workplace Skills; John Hugh Edward, Canadian Labour Congress; Christian Durand, Centre for Workplace Skills |  |  |  | The Centre for Workplace Skills is a partnership between the Canadian Labour Congress and Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters with funding support from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada. The Centre brings together business, labour and other stakeholders to promote the importance of workplace skills in enhancing Canada’s productivity and standard of living. The Centre focuses on gathering and sharing knowledge of exemplary practices in the field of workplace learning. This workshop session will explore the current work of the Centre, including a series of workplace focused projects and the recently launched Roundtable on Workforce Skills. |  |  | | | Expertest, A Business and Corporate Workplace Assessment Breakthrough more... |  |  |  | Expertest, A Business and Corporate Workplace Assessment Breakthrough |  |  |  | Presenter: Yves Groulx, Société GRICS (QC) |  |  |  | The department responsible for educational and assessment services at GRICS has been developing, over the past few years, assessment products and services for a new clientele. Specifically they are targeting local and international businesses and corporations. Even if assessment practices are different between schools and businesses, basic assessment concepts are relatively the same. Like schools, organizations must qualify, certify and evaluate individuals. They must therefore have the proper tools to carry out these tasks. The impact that assessment tools may have on an organization’s credibility and an individual’s future are quite great. During this workshop, we will quickly run through the products and services offered by the department responsible for educational and assessment services to organizations other than school boards. Then, we will glance at how this new service operated during the last three years. Finally, we will discuss the questions and challenges that await us in this new and growing market. ••• This presentation will be presented in French. |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  Download the Yves Groulx presentation |  |  |  | | | | | 3:15 pm – 4:15 pm | Concurrent Workshops | Various Rooms | |  |
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|  | The “Nos compétences fortes” Initiative: Recognizing the Generic Skills of Adults more... |  | | | A Learning Partnership: The Life and Times of the Competency Portfolio Community Alliance more... |  |  |  | A Learning Partnership: The Life and Times of the Competency Portfolio Community Alliance |  |  |  | Presenters: Sharon Davison, Northern Lights Canada; Terri Geerinck, Sir Sandford Fleming College; Bonnie Kennedy, Canadian Association for Prior Learning Assessment |  |  |  | Almost a year ago, a group of interested stakeholders in the City of Kawartha Lakes (employment service agencies, the college, a literacy group, community based trainers, the training board) and surrounding area came together to explore the idea of a multi-use competency-based portfolio. They built an employment counseling framework in which a competency portfolio was embedded. Next, they shared resources and discussed strategies that would help any interested partner deliver the program. Later they had a Feedback from Employers meeting to share their ideas with small, medium and large employers to get input on the model and to adjust the content and approach where needed. One of the community partners involved with the Targeted Initiative for Older Workers program in Ontario has begun delivering the competency portfolio and will be able to share the results of her experience. You will hear presentations from Northern Lights Canada, Fleming College and CAPLA as they reflect on their interest in the work, the community’s response, employer feedback and the variety of applications the competency portfolio might bring to this learning partnership. |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  Download the Bonnie Kennedy presentation |  |  |  | |  | Environmental Scan of RPL Activities in the Province of Nova Scotia more... |  |  |  | Environmental Scan of RPL Activities in the Province of Nova Scotia |  |  |  | Presenters: Nancy Anningson, Prior Learning Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia; Joy Van Kleef, Canadian Institute for Recognizing Learning (CIRL); Mary Morrissey, Prior Learning Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia |  |  |  | As the first action item in the new RPL Policy Framework, the Environmental Scan is a comprehensive description of RPL activity throughout the Province of NS. As such it acts as an essential starting point for evaluating and enhancing learning recognition programs and services and identifies the foundational elements and leverage points for effective human resource planning across all sectors. It also reveals gaps and limitations. In this session we will discuss the methodology and strategy behind the research, share some overall findings and exemplary practices, and outline the emergence of a vision toward a more integrated system of learning and development. |  |  | | | Fair Assessment Practices: The Road to Sustainability for Internaional and Canadian Professionals more... |  | | | Integrating the Use of Technology for the Recognition of Acquired Competencies Process more... |  | | | Proficient Even Without a Diploma! The Recognition of Informal Skills as a Means to Sustainable Employment more... |  | | | | | 4:30 pm – 5:15 pm | Closing Plenary | Victoria | |  |  | | Dr. Michael Bloom more... |  | | | |  |
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