Assessing and Enhancing Prior Learning

Baker Lawley, Clinical Instructor of Experiential Learning Opportunities
COAS and Extended Studies

About the project

Various studies have found that adult students who return to college tend to see much more success if they have earned prior learning credit (PLA). This credit may be from another institution or may have been gained through life experiences. Mr. Lawley’s goal for this project is to evaluate the importance of PLA for students engaging in online courses in the BAS/IPS program and how it makes a difference in their continued enrollment and total credit count. This will be accomplished by developing intensive courses designed to help students translate life experiences to college credits and evaluating the results for the students in years to come.

About the author

Baker Lawley has been teaching in higher education for two decades, with a passion for helping students tell their stories and share their work with the world. He earned his B.A. in English from Millsaps College and his M.F.A. in creative writing from the University of Alabama. Prior to joining Boise State, he taught at Gustavus Adolphus College for thirteen years as Associate Professor of English, where he also served as department Co-Chair, directed the Writing Center, and oversaw internships and two student-run literary magazines. In the BAS/IPS program, Baker focuses on experiential learning opportunities, helping students integrate real-world experience with their degree, and translating their experiences into academic credit for specific courses. Experience, past or present, matters, and helping students integrate those experiences with their overall educational life at Boise State will help them better tell their stories and design their futures.

Collaborators

COAS and Extended Studies: Michelle Bennett, Clinical Instructor; Michelle Mahoney, Ph.D., Lecturer; Margaret Sass, J.D., Ph.D., Lecturer;  Josh Taufalele, Student Success Coach; John Schneider, Director; Rebecca Morgan; Alexis Kenyon, Associate Director