TESC's portfolio assessments are now a much better deal than LearningCounts

[defscarlett]

I'm just curious as to how a person does a PLA for say Accounting or something like that...

[sanantone]

I'm just curious as to how a person does a PLA for say Accounting or something like that...

TESC does not accept PLAs for physical education, English Composition, and math (but might make an exception here in rare cases). I think it's easy to do a portfolio in accounting if you have documented work experience; a certificate of completion for non-credit, workforce training; or a certificate of completion for a MOOC. If you just read a textbook or something, then it would be more difficult to prove your learning.

[Photog]

And, it's free! You just have to pay for the transcript. Was it Photog who took this course?

Yes I took the Kaplan course, it was pretty interesting, easy to complete and get the credits to ACE.

I don't know how it will transfer to TESC though or if it is the equivalent of their PLA course. It seemed to me to be geared directly towards completing a portfolio to Kaplan standards, and I don't know if the portfolio requirements are different at TESC. I am doing the Suny/Saylor PLA at the moment, and although some of the ideas from the Kaplan course have helped a little, the Suny portfolio is very different. This makes me think that if you want to do a PLA with TESC then it will be best use the TESC courses to complete the portfolio.

The portfolio cost at Kaplan is $1500, but it is not clear on the number of credits, it does say that up to a year of credits can be awarded, but I think it might be best to confirm before paying. It might be a pretty good deal for someone who has enough experience to get 15+ credits

[ladylearner]

The reason Learning Counts was cheaper is that $125 got you a 3-credit portfolio. At TESC, you had to pay for the credits and the assessment. Is this no longer the case? That would be a dramatic price drop and an answer to my tuition woes.

[sanantone]

The reason Learning Counts was cheaper is that $125 got you a 3-credit portfolio. At TESC, you had to pay for the credits and the assessment. Is this no longer the case? That would be a dramatic price drop and an answer to my tuition woes.

I explained in the OP that TESC is now offering open versions of their PLA courses for free. Even though they don't count for credit, they fulfill the PLA course requirement to submit portfolios for assessment. A TESC employee has also come on this forum to tell us that PLA courses from other schools will be accepted in lieu of theirs.

[ladylearner]

I explained in the OP that TESC is now offering open versions of their PLA courses for free. Even though they don't count for credit, they fulfill the PLA course requirement to submit portfolios for assessment. A TESC employee has also come on this forum to tell us that PLA courses from other schools will be accepted in lieu of theirs.

I understand that the actual PLA courses are free. I completed the self-paced introductory class through Learning Counts for $149 so I didn't need to take the introductory class(es) at TESC. I was referring to the cost per-credit, which is what made the cost of TESC portfolios prohibitive for me.

I do recall an earlier thread in which a TESC staff member clarified some details about the TESC portfolio process, including the cost of each portfolio. As he stated, TESC accepts intro to PLA classes completed elsewhere so there has always been a workaround (of course free is much better)! He also stated that in addition to the portfolio assessment fee, there is a per-credit fee and portfolios do not count as in-residence credits for tuition credits. Has any of this changed?

[sanantone]

I understand the actual PLA courses are free. I completed the self-paced introductory class through Learning Counts for $149 so I didn't need to take the introductory class(es) at TESC.

I was referring to the cost of the actual portfolios and making sure I understood this correctly before I jumped and shouted for joy. Having to pay the cost-per-credit in addition to the portfolio review fee is what made the cost of TESC portfolios prohibitive for me.

Now that I have confirmed on TESC's website, I am officially jumping & shouting because TESC is no longer charging a per-credit fee. I don't have to go through Learning Counts and I can switch my tuition plan.

TESC hasn't charged a per credit fee for awhile. I think it was last year when they switched to a flat rate.

[ladylearner]

I'm just curious as to how a person does a PLA for say Accounting or something like that...

The process for completing an Accounting pla portfolio would be the same as other subjects. The student needs to demonstrate college-level learning in order to receive college credit for Accounting. You find a syllabus for an appropriate Accounting class at a regionally accredited college. You need to demonstrate in your portfolio that you have met the objectives listed in the syllabus. You may find, once you start looking, that you can break this down into more than one Accounting class (for example, managerial accounting/principles of accounting/accounting for non-profits, etc.) or you may find that your knowledge of accounting is more limited and only meets the criteria to satisfy the objectives of one of those classes.
An introductory class in PLA portfolios will help you figure out how best to approach this. Once you do, you will prepare a learning narrative that basically walks the Subject Matter Expert through your learning process (what you learned, how you learned, how you apply what you learned, etc.) and your documentation (certificates of completion of training, organizational membership, conference attendance, verification of employment/work responsibilities, performance reviews, emails thanking you for accounting projects, work samples, etc).

Also, TESC has Accounting classes listed in their PLA Portfolio database.