Research
Domain: Group Two - Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR)
Title of
Project: Prior Learning Assessment in Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and
Technology
Start
Date: April 1, 1997
Academic Co-Investigators: Dr. Howard Doughty (Seneca), Dr. Diane Meaghan
(Seneca)
The purpose of the
researcher project has been to develop a description, analysis and assessment of
PLA policies and practices in the CAATs.
The key research
questions that have been addressed are:
-
What were the
origins and initial aims of PLA?
-
How did the CAATs
implement PLA policies and practices?
-
What degree of
success have the CAATs had in meeting PLA goals?
-
What have been the
pertinent effects of PLA on the labour market?
-
How do CAAT PLA
practices and policies compare with others?
-
How might PLA been
improved in the CAATs?
The methodology
included a review of the professional literature, textual analysis of government
and institutional documents, in-depth personal interviews and quantitative data
analysis.
The principles sources
of information included secondary professional sources, government documents,
CAAT documents, interviews (primarily with government officials, CAAT personnel
and other educators in Canada and the united States) and statistics generated by
CAAT and other institutions.
