NBCC’s Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) pilot program aims to provide everyone with a pathway to formal recognition for their learned life, work, and non-formal training experience.
The pilot will focus on first-year courses in two NBCC programs in the IT sector between now and the Fall of 2022.
Beyond these programs, the pilot will establish goals and recommendations for future expansion to other sectors. NBCC will implement innovative solutions to efficient assessment processes and help students develop individual skills portfolios.
This NBCC pilot is open to all potential students with experiential or non-formal learning relevant to the following Information Technology programs: (1) Programmer-Analyst, and (2) Web & Mobile App Development. If the applicant has learning that is equivalent to some or all first-year courses within these programs, they may be a good candidate for Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition. After a self-assessment, approved applicants must be prepared to provide evidence of their prior learning, using a variety of accepted methods (dependent on subject matter). This body of evidence may include written or oral explanations, video demonstrations, samples of work, and more. Together, these pieces will form a portfolio of learning that can be assessed for credit.
To inquire about this initiative, please contact plar@nbcc.ca.
Applicants must keep in mind that Prior Learning Assessment may affect their status as a full-time student. Students are required to obtain a minimum of 25 percent of their program credits from NBCC courses to receive an NBCC Certificate or Diploma.
For the 2021-22 school year, NBCC is piloting new innovations in the field of Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR), with a focus on IT programs. Applicants can have their experiential learning assessed for formal credit in first-year courses of selected programs.
Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) is a process used by learning institutions to assess and assign credit for learning that a person accomplished through their life and work experience. As a learner, PLAR can provide you with opportunities to demonstrate skills learned through work or independent study and have them assessed for formal credit.
Once accepted for PLAR, you will need to prepare evidence of your learning and demonstrate how it relates to the content of the course(s) you’ve chosen. A learner can attempt to gain recognition for a single course or for multiple courses at once. Applicants can do this preparation remotely on their own time using provided software tools to upload their samples, written reflections, video demonstrations, or anything else that might help show their learning. An appointed assessor then reviews the evidence and decides if the demonstrated learning qualifies for course credit (i.e., being accepted for PLAR is not a guarantee of credit). As a participant, you will have access to a list of all learning objectives that assessors will be expecting to see represented in your work and the PLAR team will be available to provide guidance. After assessment, the courses you have demonstrated adequate prior learning for will appear on your formal transcript.
The pilot team seeks participants with Information Technology experience that can be applied to courses in the programs: (1) Programmer-Analyst and (2) Web and Mobile Application Development. Participants in the pilot cannot be current NBCC students, and learners must be aware that they will not be able to begin taking the remaining courses for their chosen program until their assessment process is complete. Applicants should keep in mind that Prior Learning Assessment may affect their future status as a full-time student. Additionally, students are required to obtain a minimum of 25 per cent of their program credits from NBCC courses to receive an NBCC Certificate or Diploma.
For more information or to participate in this pilot, please contact plar@nbcc.ca
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