TESU portfolio tips

[tesu-acct-student]

So is there anyone who has recently submitted (and had accepted for credit) non-business related TESU Portfolios who would like to share an example here or in a PM to me?

I took the Kaplan courses over a year ago (but never turned in Portfolio to Kaplan) and am all for submitting my TESU Portfolios without retaking PLA-200 since it appears from what has been repeatedly posted that I wouldn't *have* to retake it at TESU (which would save me $1100 at the $520/cr + online course $60 fee).

However I would greatly appreciate seeing a successful example of an approved recent Portfolio to make sure I have a solid idea of what TESU wants the Portfolio to look like & include, since it is now apparently different from what Kaplan suggests.

Three of mine are business but one is English. Once I get feedback I'll post it here.

[sanantone]

I don't see how it's incorrect. I see it as a true statement in this format: if this then that. If bio then $200 per credit for micro.

It's implying causation where there is none.

[jsd]

You two are going in circles and I don't think you're going to convince each other. For what it's worth, sanantone seems to have a pretty solid explanation for the process. It's always the same price, the class doesn't give you a discount, but it is a requirement. I'm not sure why further circling around the topic is necessary... but I guess what business is it of mine, I can't stop you.

[Mamasaphire]

Three of mine are business but one is English. Once I get feedback I'll post it here.

That would be great! What I am especially looking for is an example from social science types of courses, but English would be helpful too.

[tesu-acct-student]

That would be great! What I am especially looking for is an example from social science types of courses, but English would be helpful too.

Based on my past experience, and PLA-200, it seems that portfolio structures are similar even though the subjects might be different. They are similar in these ways:

• They all have a narrative.
  
• They all have a resume.
  
• They all have evidence.
  

Where they may have significant differences is in the types of evidence. As one example, in my PLA-200 course last November, one student was preparing a video to use as evidence in a music course. MOOCs and other non-credit coures are also evidence as are letters of recommendation from supervisors. So the evidence can take different forms. I think it's OK to get creative about the evidence about the prior learning as long as it is truly evidence.

Do you have some idea about the kinds of evidence you want to use?

[tesu-acct-student]

OK so I dug through my old emails and discovered that, at least back in Sept. 2013, there indeed WAS a "per credit" option for portfolio credit. It applied only in the very narrow circumstance of somebody who had already completed a portfolio at TESU:

Thank you for your note. Welcome back! The PLA-100 and PLA-200 courses will benefit you in several ways. You will reflect on your accomplishments and pull them all together in one file or one location for your review. You will learn how to analyze these accomplishments and determine what credit might be earned as a result. You will be able to develop portfolios for potential credit review, as well as developing a professional portfolio for perhaps future career opportunities. Finally, the 3 credits will unquestionably apply to your BA, as General Education elective credits.

That being said, because you have previously completed portfolios you would not be required to take the two PLA courses. You would be able to continue doing PLAs the same way you did them previously, which we now refer to as “single course, 12-week PLAs.” In these courses, you work with a mentor submitting several drafts of a portfolio, each one reviewed before you submit the final portfolio for review and determination of credit. If you utilize that process, your cost is $213 per credit.

However, if you opt to take the PLA-100 and PLA-200 courses, you can then submit final portfolios for final review of credit, and the cost is dramatically less - $350 for the first 12 credits you submit.

This is your choice. This is not offered to all students but given you’ve already been successful with the PLA process we can offer this to you. Please let me know if you have additional questions.

Having said that, I retract what I said previously about being "made" to take PLA100/200. It was not true. I see now that they didn't "make" me, that I took it so that I could get the discounted rate. I had/have been frustrated with PLA-200 (long story there as to why--it started in 2013), and I let my emotions spill over without going back to refresh my memory as to what actually happened. I apologize to TESU for misrepresenting them. It wasn't intentional but I still need to clarify the record.

[tesu-acct-student]

UPDATE ON MY RECOMMENDATION REGARDING USING LEARNING OUTCOMES AS OUTLINE FOR NARRATIVE

One of my weaknesses is to overthink things, so I may be overthinking things right now. But I want to relay something that I discovered last night while going through some of my emails from TESC from 2011-2013. At first I was worried that it was a significant development, but upon further review I am less worried. I share it here for your consideration.

The first time I did this, with two portfolios back in 2011-12, TESC required students to first create an outline for the narrative, and have it approved. This is what I had forgotten while working on my most recent portfolios. It was actually a really good step because the outline became the skeleton for the narrative. Once the outline is set and approved, you just fill it in with the appropriate number of words drawing on your experiences. Eazy peazy if you've actually worked in that particular field for a long time.

This last go-round (with the four portfolios), I wrote all of the essays using the LOs (Learning Outcomes) from the CDs (Course Descriptions) as the outline. This just made sense to me at the time, because I had forgotten about how TESC used to made students get their outlines pre-approved. Plus the CDs are very clear about how the students "will demonstrate" that they can address those outcomes. That's an imperative--it must be done.

Here is what I became worried about (overthinking probably starts here!): is the evaluator expecting to pre-approve the outlines? I had assumed that the evaluator would be giving zero instruction on how create an outline -- TESU wants students to take PLA100/200 and that is one of the things you learn there. But since it was an integral and very helpful part of the process pre-PLA100/200, I wondered if it was still part of the formal process, and if so, where does it appear in that process? Last night I sent TESU an email asking about how the process works at this particular juncture so I'll let you know what they say. However, I believe my question was answered this morning, when I re-read the email I posted here last night. In it, TESC said:

... if you opt to take the PLA-100 and PLA-200 courses, you can then submit final portfolios for final review of credit, and the cost is dramatically less - $350 for the first 12 credits you submit.

So I do not believe that getting the outlines pre-approved by TESU is part of the process any longer. Final portfolios in the TESU format is what the evaluator will be expecting. This probably explains why the price is so much cheaper then regular courses. The evaluator is not expecting to give instructions for how to create a portfolio. If that is the case, then this is valuable information for someone who has not taken TESU's PLA100/200 but who has taken equivalent courses elsewhere and is considering submitting portfolios.

**whew** I just DO NOT want to lead anybody astray. I really do want to be helpful and so that's why I give all the details. I want to be completely transparent about what I know of this process because I believe in it. I'm still trying to fully understand it now that PLA100/200 are part of it.

Once my portfolios are evaluated I will update here with how it went and whether or not using the LOs for the narrative's outline was a good idea.

[davewill]

I did not go through any sort of approval process. I had help from the mentor during the PLA-200 course, but it was not any sort of approval process. He did not review my final narratives, in fact, much of the content was written after I had left the class for the first, and the entire second one was written afterward. I simply wrote my narratives and uploaded them with all of the other parts and the SME made his decision. In my case, I received no feedback, I only knew I had succeeded when I saw the credit appear on my informal transcript. It is possible that the SME could come back and make suggestions, or ask for clarification, it just didn't happen in my case.

I used a roughly chronological organization, with some emphasis on different knowledge bases in the different projects and study situations I covered. The learning outcomes were more apparent in my PLA resume where I listed the knowledge I had acquired and how I had acquired it. I treated the narrative more as a way to tie the dry information in the PLA resume into a coherent story.

[tesu-acct-student]

I did not go through any sort of approval process. I had help from the mentor during the PLA-200 course, but it was not any sort of approval process. He did not review my final narratives, in fact, much of the content was written after I had left the class for the first, and the entire second one was written afterward. I simply wrote my narratives and uploaded them with all of the other parts and the SME made his decision. In my case, I received no feedback, I only knew I had succeeded when I saw the credit appear on my informal transcript. It is possible that the SME could come back and make suggestions, or ask for clarification, it just didn't happen in my case.

I used a roughly chronological organization, with some emphasis on different knowledge bases in the different projects and study situations I covered. The learning outcomes were more apparent in my PLA resume where I listed the knowledge I had acquired and how I had acquired it. I treated the narrative more as a way to tie the dry information in the PLA resume into a coherent story.

Good info. Thanks for the confirmation. How long did it take between the time you uploaded the portfolios and when you saw the credit on your transcript?

[tesu-acct-student]

Regarding taking a PLA preparatory course at an institution besides TESU

I emailed TESU over the weekend seeking clarification regarding their PLA-200. I first asked about PLA prep courses taken elsewhere being used as the pre-req for portfolio evaluation at TESU. This is what I was told:

We accept the [PLA prep course equivalent] credit in transfer. We require that OUR PLA-200 be taken in order to submit portfolios to us.

When I responded to ask about portfolios completed elsewhere (such as Learning Counts) and whether or not these portfolio credits made a student eligible for portfolio evaluation at TESU, this is what I was told:

Basically the same question, same answer. Learning Counts teaches THEIR approach. PLA-200 teaches our approach.

If it was me, and I was considering taking the Kaplan PLA prep course (or PLA prep elsewhere) in order to satisfy the pre-req for portfolio evaluation at TESU, I would seek confirmation from TESU first.