Outline for Building Life Experience Assessment Portfolio

The Assessment Portfolio arranges one’s life history for credit evaluation. Documentation is the key element to verify the educational value of prior experiential learning. The assessment of the portfolio measures this learning and helps recognize and demonstrate competence. The focus is on self assessment and attainment of these competencies.
NOTE: Assessment is a process that leads to the evaluation of experiential learning for college credit. Evaluation estimates and assigns college credit.

The assessment portfolio is central to your planning. Your strategy for achieving degree credit hinges upon how well you prepare your experiences in portfolio for review by your evaluator.

You may begin building your portfolio, using the following outline:

1. Preface
   State your educational goals. State your immediate short‐range and long‐range educational and personal goals. Summarize your strengths. What have you been doing that was a learning experience? Complete a task analysis. What are your weaknesses? What do you need to improve?
2. Introduction
   Write a narrative resume (much like a job resume) or an autobiography. Where have you been? Where are you now? Where are you going? Describe significant competencies for which you will request college‐level credit.
3. Credit requested
   Complete a “Catalog Search.” Identify each course listed in the Hudson Valley Community College catalog that teaches knowledge equivalent to what you have learned. Then, request credits equal to each course description.
4. Justification
   Describe the knowledge you gained through learning experiences. You must justify the credits requested. What? Where? When? How? With Whom? Describe the conditions under which your learning took place. Write a narrative description for each course requested. Each narrative must approximate or exceed knowledge described in the course identified in the catalog search. Are your learning experiences of the same quality as college teaching? Justification guarantees the quality of your learning.
5. Documentation
   Provide certificates, diplomas and third‐party letters from employers and/or other qualified persons who know and can confirm your experiences.