[Prior learning assessment and recognition] PLAR is a process that determines what a person knows and can do. It involves the recognition of informal learning acquired through various means: employment, volunteer work, military training, hobbies, personal reading, and other significant life experiences. Two other PLAR applications are credit review of workplace training, and articulation agreements between institutions. In Canada, some jurisdictions consider PLAR as a combination of formal, non-formal and informal learning, in which case they may refer to the process as recognition of prior learning (RPL). The PLAR process is particularly important to immigrants who have gained knowledge and skills in their home country in a variety of ways: in the labour force, at home, through community work, or through independent study. They may have valuable experience in their home countries, but their credentials may not be exactly equivalent to those required in Canada. Many employers rely heavily on the evaluation of foreign credentials to determine an applicant’s suitability for a particular job or professional designation. However, as valuable as credentials are, they do not in themselves attest to an individual's full breadth of knowledge, skills and experience. This manual provides an overview of the five assessment methods commonly associated with PLAR and with competency-based assessment. These methods - self-assessments, written examinations, oral questioning, demonstrations and observations, and portfolios - are used by regulatory and licensing bodies, and by educational and training organizations, across Canada and around the world.
Excerpt from publication.
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