National Best Practices Workshop On Building Community Capacity to Recognize
Learning October 23-24, 2002 · Morell · Prince Edward Island
Chapter Selection:
Agenda
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23RD
4 pm - 9 pm
Registration Desk
Crowbush Foyer
7 pm - 9 pm
Opening Reception Hosted by the Province of Prince Edward Island
Crowbush Foyer
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24TH
7:30 am - 8:45 am
Continental Breakfast
Crowbush Foyer
MORNING SESSION
Lakeside Room
9 am - 10 am
Moderator:
Bonnie Kennedy, A/Executive Director, Canadian Association for Prior
Learning Assessment (CAPLA)
Welcome and Introduction of
Premier Patrick George Binns Introduction of Keynote Speaker
Ginette Lamarre, Chairperson, Board of Directors
Keynote Speaker
Maryantonett Flumian, Associate Deputy Minister and Vice-chairperson, Human Resources Development Canada
10 - 10:15 am
Break
10:15 - 11:15 am
Introductions
Morning Plenary:
Best Assessment Practices
Delta Community Living Society Doug Woollard (Multi-Lateral Task Force on Training)
Aboriginal Learning and PLA Diane Hill (First Nations Technical Institute)
PLAR in Universities Angie Wong (University of Saskatchewan)
Building the Professional Capacity of the Community of Career Development Practitioners Lynne Bezanson (Canadian Career Development Foundation)
11:15 - 12:15 pm
Round Table Discussions
12:15 - 1:15 pm
Lunch
Crowbush Foyer
AFTERNOON SESSION
Lakeside Room
1:15 - 2:15 pm
Introductions
First Afternoon Plenary:
Best Initiatives across Canada
PLAR Policy and Local Initiatives in Prince Edward Island Shauna Sullivan Curley (Deputy Minister, Education), Barbara Mcnutt (Workplace Education PEI) and Gaelyne MacAulay (Workplace Education PEI)
Manitoba's Commitment to PLAR Sandi Howell (Department of Education, Training & Youth)
PLA Centre, Halifax Douglas Myers (PLA Centre)
Program Review, Department of National Defence Major Monique Goyette (Department of National Defence)
2:15 - 3:15 pm
Round Table Discussions
3:15 - 3:30 pm
Break
3:30 - 4:30 pm
Introductions
Final Afternoon Plenary:
Best Standards, Research, Innovation
Fulfilling the Promise Naomi Alboim (Queen's University)
PLAR on-line Sandra Aarts (S.K. Aarts & Associates) Deb Blower (Red River College)
A Framework for PLAR in the Boilermaker Trade Rosemary Sparks (R.J. Sparks Consulting Inc.)
4:30 - 4:45 pm
Speaker Appreciation Presentations
Lenore Burton, A/ Director General, Human Resources Development Canada
4:45 - 5:30 pm
Round Table Discussions
6 - 7 pm
Reception
Crowbush Foyer
7 - 9 pm
Dinner
Lakeside Room
Plenary De-briefing & Workshop Summary
Closing Remarks The Honourable Jane Stewart, Minister of Human Resources Development Canada
Workshop Presentations
1
Delta Community Living Society
(PDF: 277 K)
2
Aboriginal Learning and PLA
(PDF: 1 MB)
3
PLAR in Universities
(PDF: 338 K)
4
Building the Professional Capacity of the Community of Career Development Practitioners
(PDF: 149 K)
5
PLAR Policy and Local Initiatives in Prince Edward Island
(PDF: 824 K)
6
Manitoba's Commitment to PLAR
(PDF: 675 K)
7
PLA Centre, Halifax
(PDF: 97 K)
8
Program Review, Department of National Defence
(PDF: 477 K)
9
Fulfilling the Promise
(PDF: 385 K)
10
PLAR Benchmarks & Alliance Standards:
a. Example of Common Standards Approach: Alliance of Credential Evaluation Services of Canada
(PDF: 518 K)
b. Best Standards, Research and Innovation
(PDF: 328 K)
11
PLAR on-line:
a. Online Community of Practice for Prior Learning Assessment
(PDF: 498 K)
b. PLAR Training: Onsite and Online 2002
(PDF: 845 K)
12
A Framework for PLAR in the Boilermaker Trade
(PDF: 3 MB)
Round Table Discussion Questions
The participants were asked to take the time to discuss various questions
relating to the proceedings and report their thoughts and suggestions.
Best Assessment Practices
1 In what context(s) does assessment
currently take place within your community? Does one sector do more than
another?
2 What methods of recognition and
assessment are used and which practices are the most effective? (From
perspective of the learner, employer, institution) Who is responsible
for determining assessment methods and practices?
3 Is assessment
expertise available in your community? If so, by who? If not, from whom
do you think PLAR support should be offered?
4 How can the participation of adults
in the learning system be increased? What are the three most important
factors that need to be in place to achieve this goal?
5 Is the recognition of prior learning
a necessary component to labour force development? Why/why not?
6 Who is responsible for making
Canadians aware of PLAR?
7 What would it take to get Canadians
to be attracted to the recognition and learning systems in their communities?
8 If you were in a position to influence
public policy as it related to PLAR in communities, what would be the
three most important principles that the policy statement would contain?
What would be the three specific actions that you would implement, as
a result of the policy being established?
9 If you were a marketing expert
and were asked to create a slogan that would capture the interest of the
local community in PLAR, what would it say?
10 How are PLAR champions≠ currently
created, sustained and nurtured? What suggestions do you have for the
future development of existing and prospective PLAR champions?
11 In order to build community capacity
to recognize learning, what actions need to be taken to connect learning
to the social and economic growth of the community?
Best Initiatives across Canada
1 How can the participation of adults
in the learning system be increased? What are the three most important
factors that need to be in place to achieve this goal?
2 Is the recognition of prior learning
a necessary component to labour force development? Why/why not?
3 Who is responsible for making
Canadians aware of PLAR?
4 What would it take to get Canadians
to be attracted to the recognition and learning systems in their communities?
5 If you were in a position to influence
public policy as it related to PLAR in communities, what would be the
three most important principles that the policy statement would contain? What
would be the three specific actions that you would implement, as a result
of the policy being established?
6 If you were a marketing expert
and were asked to create a slogan that would capture the interest of the
local community in PLAR, what would it say?
7 How are PLAR champions≠ currently
created, sustained and nurtured? What suggestions do you have for the
future development of existing and prospective PLAR champions?
8 In order to build community capacity
to recognize learning, what actions need to be taken to connect learning
to the social and economic growth of the community?
9 If you were in a position to influence
public policy as it related to PLAR in communities, what would be the
three most important principles that the policy statement would contain?
What would be the three specific actions that you would implement, as
a result of the policy being established?
10 If you were a marketing expert
and were asked to create a slogan that would capture the interest of the
local community in PLAR, what would it say?
11 How are PLAR ‘champions≠ currently
created, sustained and nurtured? What suggestions do you have for the
future development of existing and prospective PLAR champions?
12 In order to build community capacity
to recognize learning, what actions need to be taken to connect learning
to the social and economic growth of the community?
13 Is there local support for and
active involvement in PLAR initiatives within your community? If so, from
whom? If not, what would it take to obtain support?
14 Does your community participate
in any local, provincial or national PLAR programs/activities? How did
you hear about them and from whom did they originate?
15 Is the development of the labour
force through the recognition of prior learning something that is widely
understood in your community/through your practice? If not, why not? If
so, who provided the leadership that led to a greater understanding?
Best Standards, Research, Innovation
1 If you were in a position to influence
public policy as it related to PLAR in communities, what would be the
three most important principles that the policy statement would contain?
What would be the three specific actions that you would implement, as
a result of the policy being established?
2 If you were a marketing expert
and were asked to create a slogan that would capture the interest of the
local community in PLAR, what would it say? ® How are PLAR champions≠
currently created, sustained and nurtured? What suggestions do you have
for the future development of existing and prospective PLAR champions?
3 In order to build community capacity
to recognize learning, what actions need to be taken to connect learning
to the social and economic growth of the community?
4 What particular innovative best
practices should be shared? How do people find out about them? Could these
practices be applied more broadly and therefore have an impact on a larger
number of Canadians?
5 How can research findings influence
the learning recognition system?
6 In light of recent research findings
on recognition and assessment practices, are there specific systems and
service providers that must be involved? Who are the people and what systems
need to integrate PLAR into their day-to-day- operations?
7 How can the participation of adults
in the learning system be increased? What are the three most important
factors that need to be in place to achieve this goal?
8 Is the recognition of prior learning
a necessary component to labour force development? Why/why not?
9 Who is responsible for making
Canadians aware of PLAR?
10 What would it take to get Canadians
to be attracted to the recognition and learning systems in their communities?
Executive Summary
This Best Practices Workshop was one of many events taking place across
Canada as part of the Government of Canada‚s consultations on the Innovation
Agenda. Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC) sponsored the one-day
workshop in partnership with the Canadian Association for Prior Learning
Assessment (CAPLA). The focus of this event was on building community
capacity to recognize learning. Over 100 participants and presenters came
together to discuss best practices in the field and to provide input,
ideas and advice for the future of prior learning assessment and recognition
(PLAR) in Canada. The Province of Prince Edward Island hosted an opening
reception on the evening preceding the workshop. Following the workshop,
a number of participants took advantage of a special CAPLA training session
on National Benchmarks for Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition Practitioners.
Key Workshop Themes
Best practices presentations in the field of PLAR concentrated on three
broad themes, which provided the contextual framework for the day. Specific
examples in Canada were used to illustrate particular assessment applications.
Best Assessment Practices – examples of how PLAR can
be used as a self-assessment tool for those who want to be certified
in the career development and social services fields using standards
and competencies; assessment considerations within aboriginal communities
and the university sector
Best Initiatives Across Canada – local and provincial
PLAR initiatives from government policy frameworks to projects and implementation,
including local workplace initiatives, PLA centres, adult learning centres
and block credit evaluation for large homogeneous workforces
Best Standards, Research & Innovation – PLAR models
for immigrants; standards that guide the practice of credential evaluation
and assessment of experiential learning; application of PLAR in the
trades; on-line PLAR practitioner training and the Community Learning
Network‚s on-line community of practice
Following the three plenary presentations, fourteen facilitated table
teams answered a number of prepared questions so that their insights into
specific and general ideas/actions, as well as suggestions for a preferred
future could be compiled and recorded.
Challenges
Participants believed that in order to create, sustain and support a
knowledgeable and highly skilled workforce, the learning of all Canadians
and immigrants to Canada must count. Formal, informal and non-formal learning
opportunities that occur throughout our lives contribute to our human
resource potential as a nation of lifelong learners. Learning environments
must be defined broadly so that knowledge and skills acquired in a variety
of venues can be viewed holistically and recognized through new or improved
learning recognition systems. Connections between work and learning must
be more clearly articulated so that Canadians can see the direct benefit
of Œreturning to learning‚ within an environment that acknowledges their
existing knowledge and skills.
Despite the extraordinary prior learning assessment and recognition (PLAR)
work that is going on in selected areas around the country, the following
inhibitors were identified by participants:
lack of clearly articulated public policies at federal and provincial/territorial levels that support the recognition of prior learning and the subsequent programming/funding for implementation
lack of PLAR awareness, advising, expertise, information and practitioner training
lack of affordable PLAR practices, assessment tools and understanding of such processes as portfolio development for self-empowerment and career planning
a milieu of Œpilot projects‚ where the impact is limited or local, where the long-term benefits, culture shift and/or systemic implementation cannot be realized due to lack of sustained funding
lack of Œadult friendly‚ education and training systems
Feedback
Participants felt that PLAR could attract new individuals into the education
and training system who were not regular users, provided that welcoming
and responsive adult learning systems could be developed and sustained.
Collaborative community networks of informed stakeholders, advisors, assessors
and practitioners are needed to make this happen through:
public awareness campaigns describing the benefits of PLAR for individual users, labour market partners, workplaces, occupational bodies, community organizations, and education & training institutions
changes in the delivery and funding of educational programs, enabling working Canadians to have easier and more affordable access
availability of quality PLAR practitioners (advisors, assessors, facilitators), resources, expertise and training at the local level and financial incentives to incorporate PLAR into current practices
continued support for and development of PLAR Œchampions‚ who can grow a comprehensive and fully integrated PLAR system in Canada
Recommendations for Action
The prior learning assessment and recognition (PLAR) community has been
aware of many of these issues for some time, but appreciated the opportunity
to come together to synthesize and clarify their collective vision for
the Government of Canada‚s Innovation Strategy. In particular, participants
wanted the federal government to
take responsibility for heightened public awareness of PLAR through a dedicated cross-sectoral campaign on the benefits of PLAR;
establish a central coordinating body to gather and disseminate PLAR information on best practices, research and training;
lead by example by integrating PLAR into federal government HR practices and programs; and,
provide financial support for ongoing PLAR implementation and research
There is also a role for provincial/territorial governments in developing
their PLAR policies and funding priorities, thereby ensuring coordination
at all levels, so that the learning recognition systems in local communities
throughout Canada can be supported and maintained. Participants recommended
that provincial/territorial governments should:
review funding policies on PLAR with a view to providing secure funding;
publicly announce support for and commitment to PLAR as an integral part of provincial education and labour force development (as per the examples of Manitoba and Prince Edward Island); and,
initiate and/or continue to financially support PLAR development projects in the educational sector and collaborative initiatives with workplaces, occupations and community agencies.
In addition, educational institutions should be responsible
for promoting and improving PLAR service and program delivery activities
to ensure ready access for adult learners.
Everyone has a responsibility to promote PLAR so that the promise
of lifelong learning will become a reality.
Final Report
This report is available here
as a 98 K PDF document. You can view
and print PDFs with Adobe Reader.
Copyright by Canadian Association for Prior Learning Assessment.
