The "Other Trio": Student Veterans, Prior Learning and STEM

1. The "Other Trio": Student Veterans, Prior Learning and STEM Kent Seaver Director of Learning Resources, North Lake College (Irving, TX)kentseaver@dcccd.edu

2. What EXACTLY Is Prior Learning? “Prior learning isn’t just giving students credit for life experience. Colleges that choose to offer the credit measure what students know, review how that corresponds with courses they are required to take and determine whether their knowledge merits college credit.” Trish Paterson, Executive Director for College Access Initiatives University System of Georgia Knowledge learned through independent study, on-the job training, or experiential learning and translates that learning into college credit that is commonly recognized. Underlying premise of prior learning is college level learning can occur outside traditional classroom.

4. Military Coursework

5. Military Coursework/Experience • Military Experience - Allergy Clinician • Civilian Skill - Aseptic and Sterilization Techniques • Infectious Diseases (Doctor/Physician) • Medication Administration (Doctor/Physician) • Patient Assessment (Doctor/Physician) • Patient Care (Doctor/Physician) • Treatment Evaluation (Doctor/Physician) • Treatment Planning (Doctor/Physician) Source: Military.com Veteran Employment Center, 2015

7. http://www.wiu.edu/distance_learning/bachelor_of_arts_in_general_studies/prospective_students/portfolio.phphttp://www.wiu.edu/distance_learning/bachelor_of_arts_in_general_studies/prospective_students/portfolio.php

8. Course Challenge Exam

9. DANTES/DSST Exams • DSST (formerly DANTES Subject Standardized Tests) are credit-by-examination tests originated by the United States Department of Defense's Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) program. • Over 2,000 colleges and universities recognize the DSST program and award college credit for passing scores. • The test fee to take a DSST is as low as $80. Administering institutions may charge a test administration fee according to their school policy. • The American Council on Education’s College Credit Recommendation Service (ACE CREDIT) has evaluated and recommended college credit for all 30+ DSST exams.

10. DANTES/DSST Exams

11. What Is CLEP? • Over 1,800 colleges administer CLEP exams • 177,000 exams administered in 2014–15, including57,594 administered to military service members • Approximately 3000 schools accept CLEP scores • Exam fee = $80.00 (Colleges charge administrative fees that will vary to administer CLEP) • The average college course = $700* *The College Board, August, 2015

12. 33 CLEP Examinations Composition and Literature American Literature Analyzing and Interpreting Literature College Composition College Composition Modular English Literature Humanities History and Social Sciences American Government History of the United States I History of the United States II Human Growth and Development Introduction to Educational Psychology Principles of Macroeconomics Principles of Microeconomics Introductory Psychology Introductory Sociology Social Sciences and History Western Civilization I Western Civilization II • Science and Mathematics • Calculus • College Algebra • Precalculus • College Mathematics • Biology • Chemistry • Natural Sciences • Business • Information Systems and Computer Applications • Principles of Management • Financial Accounting • Introductory Business Law • Principles of Marketing • Foreign Languages • French Language • German Language • Spanish Language

13. Who Takes CLEP? • First year students looking to accelerate their college path • Adults returning to college • Transfer students • Students struggling to finance their educations • Home-schooled students • International students who need to translate their overseas credit • Students who are fluent in Spanish, French or German • Juniors or seniors who have not met lower-division requirements • Veterans – Depending on benefits, exam fees can be reimbursed.

14. CLEP Test Development Jeffrey Lineman, Ph.D.Professor of ManagementNorthwest Nazarene Univ.

15. CLEP Services for Students and Colleges • CLEP website for professionals: www.collegeboard.com/clep • Information on test development, administering CLEP exams, advising students, self-paced CLEP 101 tutorials • CLEP website for students: www.collegeboard.com/clep • Exam descriptions, test prep information, test center search, transcript request forms • Order form for free publications for students: www.collegeboard.com/clepresources

16. Recent Research Validates PLA • Study of 48 institutions about prior learning assessment (2001-2008; 25 and above) • Persistence: • Completed 80 or more credits within 7 years • PLA Student: 56% • Non-PLA Student: 22% • Time to degree (PLA vs. Non-PLA) • Bachelor’s Degree: Saved 2.5 to 10.1 months to attain degree • Assoc. Degree: Saved 1.5 to 4.5 months to attain degree • Degree Attainment within 7 years • PLA Student: 56% (43% Bachelors; 13% Assoc.) • Non-PLA Student: 21% (15% Bachelors; 6% Assoc)

17. CLEP & Your Institution “ CLEP is an important recruitment tool for our institution. When students hear that we give credit for CLEP exams, they are interested in exploring studying here.” Elinor AzenbergDirector, Reentry Programs New York University

18. CLEP & Your Institution • CLEP/DSST as a Recruiting Tool • Test Centers can bring in examinees who are not currently students at your institution. By providing them with an opportunity to get to know your campus and your staff on a personal, helpful level, you are reaching out to them. • According to a recent survey of CLEP candidates, 62% of students not currently enrolled say that the CLEP policies of the institutions they were considering would affect their decision to enroll.

19. Prior Learning in the Classroom “Many people come to higher education with college-level learning that has taken place outside of the traditional higher education structure. Think of all the learning that takes place at employer training facilities, in the military, or other means. Some of that experiential learning is equivalent to what takes place in the classroom, and the learning outcomes are measurable. That’s important to remember: this is not simply giving credit for experience, but for the learning outcome”. • Amy Sherman, • Associate Vice President for Policy and Strategic Alliance Alliances • Council for Adult and Experiential Learning

20. Prior Learning in the Classroom Montclair State University, NJ • Checklist for Inclusive Teaching in STEM Disciplines • Accurate Problem Definition Clearly identify goals, rationales, starting conditions, appropriate design, and principles of implementation to achieve optimal learning outcomes*. *Reddick, L. A., Jacobson, W., Linse, A., & Yong, D. (2007). An inclusive teaching framework for science, technology, engineering, and math.

21. Prior Learning in the Classroom • Montclair State University, NJ • Accurate Solution • Identifying problem-solving procedures as goals and creating exams that focus on recall of detailed facts. • Establish students’ prior knowledge and skills coming into a course.

22. CLEP & the Military

23. Anthony Dotson Veterans Resource Center Coordinator University of Kentucky

24. CLEP/DSST for Military Personnel

26. CLEP for Military Personnel Veterans can receive reimbursement for CLEP exams and exam administration by completing & submitting the “Application for Reimbursement of National Exam Fee Form 22-0810” http://www.vba.va.gov/pubs/forms/VBA-22-0810-ARE.pdf

27. CLEP for Military Personnel

28. The Need for STEM Dr. Robert S. Lapiner Associate Vice Chancellor for Global Continuing Education New York University

29. Why the Military? • According to the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, preparation is a key ingredient to solving the problem of continued career shortages, particularly those in STEM. • The Non-Traditional Emerging Workforce (i.e. returning Vets) are technically trained and can benefit from additional STEM training through degrees, certificates, and later the workforce.

30. Why the Military? • A great opportunity exists to tap into the veteran population to encourage veterans to utilize their GI Bill benefits to pursue postsecondary degrees in STEM fields and build upon the technical skill sets gained through intensive military training and experience. • Tapping into this skilled and experienced population could prove to be mutually beneficial to both the strength of the U.S. STEM workforce and the post-military success of the targeted veteran population. The Florida State Senate, Committee on Military Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security, September 2011.

31. Military & STEM “Military service has imbued many of these veterans with valuable practical and technical skills and with qualities of focus, discipline, motivation, and maturity often lacking in students with less worldly experience, all of which can translate into STEM success”.* *Veterans’ Education for Engineering and Science, Report of the National Science Foundation Workshop on Enhancing the Post 9/11 Veterans Educational Benefit, April 2009.

32. Meg MitchamDirector, Veterans’ Programs American Council on EducationJune, 2013

33. As a young boy, Nathan Scherrer enjoyed taking things apart and putting them back together. He was fascinated by a cyborg in the "Terminator" movie series. His six-year stint in the U.S. Navy (2002-08), which included anti-piracy and anti-terrorism work on two deployments to the Persian Gulf aboard the USS Milius, whet his appetite for more.

34. *National Science Foundation, May 27, 2013

35. Vets to the Valley Initiative The number of new scientists and engineers graduating from U.S. universities is significantly declining. The coinciding of the current shortage of scientists and engineers in the U.S. and the flux of technically-trained departing servicemen out of the military offers an important opportunity for the Tennessee Valley Corridor.

36. Vets to the Valley Initiative “Due to their maturity, technical training, and hands-on experiences, these individuals separating from the military in the next five years provide an excellent near-term source of potential engineers for the country”.

37. Veterans in Advanced Manufacturing • Partnership between Drexel University and 5 surrounding community colleges in the Philadelphia area • Designed a program that would allow for easy access to education and training options and to create opportunities for veterans to be employed in our regional economy • Lead to increased student veteran enrollment • Created pilot program training in a number of fields that include composite fabrication training for the rotorcraft industry, PV solar technology, welding for shipbuilding and repair, and fiber optic training for engineering

38. Army Corps of Engineers • This trend is a major reason why the Corps promotes STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) outreach nationally at local schools and universities who have a strong student veteran presence. • According to 2012 data from the Organization for Economic and Co-operation and Development, the U.S. ranks 26th in the world in math competency and 21st in the world for science competency among its high school-age students, with no significant change in these performances over time. Army Corps of Engineers, February 21, 2014

39. Army Corps of Engineers • According to 2012 data from the Organization for Economic and Co-operation and Development, the U.S. ranks 26th in the world in math competency and 21st in the world for science competency among its high school-age students, with no significant change in these performances over time. • This trend is a major reason why the Corps promotes STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) outreach nationally at local schools and universities who have a strong student veteran presence. Army Corps of Engineers, February 21, 2014

40. Gen. Richard B. Myers Biomedical Equipment Technology Program at DCCCD • The colleges of DCCCD are partnering with MediSend to offer the Gen. Richard B. Myers Veterans Biomedical Equipment Technology Program. The program will offer veterans a challenging, accelerated training program that prepares you to install, calibrate, operate, maintain and troubleshoot sophisticated medical devices and instrumentation used in health care delivery. • Once you complete the training, you'll be prepared to install and repair medical equipment like: electrocardiographs, defibrillators, patient monitors, ventilators, ultrasound systems and​ clinical laboratory analyzers.

41. Gen. Richard B. Myers Biomedical Equipment Technology Program at DCCCD “We help veterans focus the skills they already have—in electronics, engineering, math—and help them build areas of expertise, so they can make a difference in the world.” –Nick Hallack, President and CEO of MediSend International​​.

42. NLC Student Veteran CLEP/STEM Retention:A Case Study • In the Fall of 2012, 67 NLC student veterans tested via CLEP and were placed into at least one of the following STEM-related classes: • College Algebra 1314 • Precalculus 2412 • Calculus 2413 • Chemistry 1405 • Biology 1406

43. 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 CLEP-VET/STEM NLC/STEM NLC Student Veteran CLEP/STEM and Retention: A Case Study • Fall 2014: “PLA-Vet/CLEP” students retained: 57 (85%) • By contrast, the retention percentage of those 1196 students was roughly 58%.

44. NLC Student Veteran PLA/STEM and Retention: A Case Study • PLA student GPA -3.23 • NLC Student GPA -2.78

45. NLC Student PLA/STEM & RetentionA Case Study • CLEP/STEM student GPA in subsequent STEM-related course - 3.22 • Cohort of 57 • Non CLEP/STEM student GPA in subsequent STEM-related course - 2.83 • Cohort of 439 • Group sampled were classmates of the 47 students spread across 5 classes.

46. Student Success • Students who earn college credit via PLA are more likely to: • persist through college, which creates higher retention rates for your school • have higher GPA’s when they graduate or transfer • save money while pursuing their degree

47. Interesting Articles • Credit for Prior Learning: Why all the Controversy?http://higheredtoday.org/2014/06/17/credit-for-prior-learning-whyallthecontroversy/ • Proactive on Prior Learninghttp://www.insidehighered.207elmp01.blackmesh.com/news/2014/04/15/accept-moocs-credit-florida-international-u-may-set-prior-learning-assessment#sthash.i6WVi26B.dpbs • Change From Withinhttp://www.insidehighered.207elmp01.blackmesh.com/news/2013/03/04/ace-doubles-down-prior-learning-assessment#sthash.unyk2DXe.dpbs

48. Questions?

49. Kent Seaver Director of Learning Resources, North Lake College kentseaver@dcccd.edu