TESU one PLA course?

[KenJ]

The free, open-licensed versions allow students to hone their portfolio-making skills at no cost but do not themselves contribute credit toward a degree.

How to use these courses toward the ASBA degree:

use them to get a head start on understanding PLA and creating portfolios before enrolling in the for-credit versions of the courses
use the open courses to prepare portfolios for assessment and forgo the for-credit versions (you can take another Saylor Academy elective to make up the credits)
join with other students in the course discussion forums (PLA-100 and PLA-200), hosted by the Saylor Academy.

From the link given above. Ambiguous, but it looks like you don't have to take them?

[High_Order1]

All I know is, at this point, the person that answers the pla general mailbox, and both of the counselors are in lockstep.

Clearly, I have an email in to the marc person, but it's the weekend.

I will most definitely share what I learn.

Having said that, so far, as a TESU student, and implicitly telling them from the get-go I intended to bring in some credits, and portfolio everything else besides capstone, they have not been receptive to the concept. I won't go into anymore detail until I get the diploma in hand, for what I hope are obvious reasons.

But I will say that I have never been more frustrated on a topic since I began this journey. And, I was told directly by a pla advisor that one portfolio in particular could take three months to prepare and require a video submission of me physically demonstrating a topic. That makes no sense to me, but little of this has.

[jsd]

I've seen multiple people on this forum say Todd was extemely negative about people transferring in a majority of their credits, even hostile about it, which is odd considering that's a big draw of the school and its marketing.

[High_Order1]

say Todd was extemely negative about people transferring in a majority of their credits, even hostile about it,

no comment

[High_Order1]

Did a keyword search to see other's experiences...

The Marc guy is a member here!

03-04-2016, 12:17 PM #14
MSinger Tesc
MSinger Tesc is offline Minor Noble

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Quote Originally Posted by tesu-acct-student View Post
These were done prior to TESU implementing their requirement for PLA100/200, which they made me do even though I had successfully submitted two portfolios. I developed the checklist AFTER those experiences, not during or before.
Just a quick word on this--it's unfortunate that someone told you that you needed to take PLA-100 and PLA-200 if you had already completed portfolios here. PLA-100 was certainly not necessary, as it introduces the concept of prior learning assessment and helps you figure out how to determine whether you have any prior learning that would be college-equivalent, and then which method is the best for you. PLA-200 is really the structure through which you create your portfolios, however many you are doing--it is helpful in making sure that you document everything, that you maximize the number of courses you can get credit for (we want you to use the process, or else why do I have a job?), that you know what learning outcomes are and how to address them effectively--and so we recommend that you take it, but on the other hand, if you have already done this successfully, it's not required.

I'm glad to see the other positive comments about the portfolio process here. Let us know how we can make it better.

Marc Singer, Vice Provost
Center for the Assessment of Learning
Thomas Edison State University

[High_Order1]

I wonder what is meant by learning counts:

http://www.degreeforum.net/excelsior-tho...post174186

Presuming you are at TESC, I would call or email Todd Seben, the TESC PLA coordinator. He could direct you to possible courses in the TESC PLA database that would fit your degree plan. However, once you choose the courses, I would suggest you go through Learning Counts to actually score your PLAs. It's cheaper and their reviewers don't seem to get hung up on where you learned the knowledge, just that you can demonstrate in your narrative that you have it. Todd is pretty adamant that PLA is only for persons who have learned and demonstrated their knowledge with OJT.

[Ideas]

I wonder what is meant by learning counts:

http://www.degreeforum.net/excelsior-tho...post174186

Learningcounts.org is a place that handles PLA. They were popular, but then TESU changed and became more PLA-friendly (I think it was the fees going way down), so everyone was saying go directly through TESU instead. You don't hear much about Learning Counts anymore.

[High_Order1]

I've about had it.

http://www.degreeforum.net/excelsior-tho...post185557

Marc Singer responded to me on a Saturday!

Thanks for contacting me about this. I'm sorry about the confusion. Yes, you can go through the open version of the PLA-100 and PLA-200 courses instead of taking our courses. Here's the problem: the unique thing about PLA-200 is that as you go through the credit-bearing version, you get feedback from the mentor on how to focus your narrative, how to gather evidence, etc. The open versions don't provide any such interaction. The PLA-200 course is intended to make sure that by the time you submit your portfolio, you've learned how to make one, how to make your case, address the learning outcomes, etc. If you do the open version, we can't guarantee that what you submit is the kind of thing that would earn credit. (Not that there are any guaranteed if you take the credit version, of course.)

The Kaplan course can be used in lieu of PLA-100 and PLA-200, yes. Again, though the course is college-level, I cannot vouch for its alignment with our portfolio process. For instance, PLA-200 has an assignment in which you submit a Declaration of Intent form, which allows us to identify the appropriate learning outcomes, and find a subject-matter expert who can evaluate your portfolio. You could do this without PLA-200, but it throws the timing off. There are other issues too--for example, the PLA-200 course also addresses some of the College's administrative policies and technical questions you might have in doing a portfolio. But yes, Kaplan's course does equate to our PLA-100 and PLA-200, and the credit should be the same. As I say, though, I'd recommend PLA-200.

As for the student who wants to have her portfolio in sex trafficking reviewed, we always try to find someone who is a subject matter expert to review any college-level portfolio that a student wants to submit. However, it is not always possible. I don't know whether the Office has exhausted all its options. I will try to find out where things stand. But very occasionally, maybe twice a year, we are unable to find the appropriate person to review a portfolio.

I'm not sure I understand your comment about Empire State. Could you clarify?

I hope this helps.

Regards,
Marc Singer
I also asked him if PLA-100 and PLA-200 would be waived if I earned credits by PLA at ESC. He said yes. This means that you don't need to complete any kind of introductory PLA course if you earned credits by PLA at another school.

P.S. Todd Siben should be fired or demoted, in my opinion.

[dfrecore]

no comment

I've never read a single positive statement about Todd on this forum. EVER.

[High_Order1]

Jennifer liked him...

I also suggest Todd. When you talk to him, don't expect a lot of touchy-feelie-lovie stuff. He's direct and blunt. Both advising apts I had with him, he had me on speaker phone and I could clearly tell he was multi-tasking....so if you need a friend, he's not your guy . Have your stuff ready, your degree plan typed out, email it ahead if you can. Write down your questions so you don't forget or stammer. Have your exact plans ready (or the choices you are thinking about asking him about) and go in with a "just the facts" attitude. That's the best way to get answers out of him. He KNOWS his stuff. I have never, ever, heard of Todd giving the wrong information. It might happen, but it's not been shared on this board, and we talk about stuff like that a lot. In fact, if it comes right down to it, I'd only trust Todd Siben and Gary Keel. I won't name names in a negative light, but I hear other advisors giving absolutely WRONG information time and time again.

Also, if he cautions you against something in your plan, ask point blank "do you mean I HAVE to do this or that...or are you SUGGESTING I do this or that" and find out exactly which advice is advice and which advice is him relaying policy/procedure. (like FEMA which you absolutely CAN take, even if he doesn't like it lol)