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The Ticker

Breaking news from all corners of academe.

Prior-Learning Assessment Confers a Semester’s Worth of Credits, Study Finds

By Dan Berrett September 7, 2011

Students who earned academic credit based on assessments of prior learning outside of college received an average of 17.6 credits, according to a

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Students who earned academic credit based on assessments of prior learning outside of college received an average of 17.6 credits, according to a research brief released on Wednesday by the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning. The brief, which draws on data for 62,475 adult students at 48 colleges and universities, described students who received credits for prior learning as being 2½ times as likely to graduate as those who did not earn such credits. Students typically earn prior-learning-assessment credits for on-the-job training, as well as work, volunteer, and military experience.

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About the Author
Dan Berrett
Dan Berrett is a senior editor for The Chronicle of Higher Education. He joined The Chronicle in 2011 as a reporter covering teaching and learning. Follow him on Twitter @danberrett, or write to him at dan.berrett@chronicle.com.
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