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I think this is an interesting idea. It can definitely offer a lot of help for students who have had much work experience and are coming to get their degree. I think it is great to have the option for programs like Flex, it gives another option. It can be one track on a multi-track system to make higher education more accessible and for more types of people. The only problem I see with the Flex program is how they are measuring and testing the work experience. Just because someone has work experience does not mean it will translate well into testing and scores. I think one of the limits of higher education is all of the testing and how SAT and ACT give an advantage to those who have access to the correct prep. materials.

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I like the idea of this, but I don't know if I'd like to see the state of Washington (or any state for that matter) completely shifting to this system and getting rid of the current one. I agree that adults have this abundance of experience and if they are able to earn credits for demonstrating their abilities, then that will be a win-win situation while at the same time, making higher education more affordable and accessible. However, traditional college is still valuable in the sense that they provide a holistic learning experience. I guess overall this could be a good alternative that provides more options and flexibility to learners, but it might take a while for it to become the new standard.

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I am supportive of this concept and believe it makes sense for the non-traditional college student. As demand for skills continues to change in our economy and people are displaced from jobs, flex programs offer an opportunity for retraining or expanding skills without having to wait for a semester or quarter to begin. I see drawbacks in that a university's values and philosophy may be diluted if students are able to bypass classes by receiving credit for work or life experience. For example, there is a risk that the social justice message that is woven into the curriculum at Seattle U would be diluted for students who bypass certain courses. On the flip side, my brother in law never finished his degree but is still paying on his student loans. He would like to finish but is hesitant about which credits would transfer, how many years it would take him to complete a degree and the cost. Flex programs definitely meet students where they are and make learning very accessible.

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I think that this concept is a positive step in a direction toward making higher education more accessible. It's a concept that hits close to home for me in regard to the work I do with prospective transfer students. Two specific populations I often hear concern from regarding frustration they have for taking classes that they have more than enough experience with are Veterans and Nursing students (two populations discussed in the video). By acknowledging the ways their past experiences gave them the insight as a learner, educators will most likely have the opportunity to see a more robust and holistic learning environment take form. One question I have is the metric of standardization, and how exactly the measure of prior experience will be formulated. Lack of consistency for academic measures (i.e. discrepancies with GPAs, grade weighting, test scores, etc.) is battle most Admissions Offices face as they review an applicant pool, and I could see this bringing up some difficulties when trying to formulate the way in which we are measuring experience, and comparing the measure with other prospective students' experiences.

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You all really did a good job of capturing the tension of accessibility/affordability versus holistic-- and to some degree, humanistic-- education.  Several of you also pointed out the challenge of implementing and standardizing such a program.

In my experience these are the right questions!  When I taught at Texas State we offered PLA as part of our Bachelors degree program. Our program specifically targeted "non-traditional" students who had started, but not finished, an undergraduate degree. Offering credit for experience helped many of them achieve the important BA credential while working full time for relatively low cost of time and money.  Many of my students stated that without this option, they would not have returned to school.

However, the process of allotting credit for their experience was neither simple nor straight-forward.  Students spent the equivalent of a three credit course cataloguing their experience using a complicated narrative process.  These essays were then scored against a rubric by faculty and credits awarded.  The whole process was not transparent for the student and there was so much variability.  Some students received 3 credits and others up to 30, sometimes reflecting experience, other time reflecting writing skill and care on the written reflection.  While I believe in the premise, I don't think we are not quite there in making this process fair and transparent for students.

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To be honest, I feel like I'm having a hard time pinpointing how I feel about this idea, and I feel that it comes down whether or not you perceive education as attaining specific standards through objectives or if you look as education as a means to achieving a well-rounded education. I think about how there were college courses that I already had the skills to succeed in from the first day of class, but continuing in the class gave me opportunities to grow in ways that were both unexpected and not on the list of "objectives and standards." I think that this is an interesting move to address the fact that some students may already have experience with the very specific and technical skills of specific classes, so students don't want to have to waste time or money, but it can also devalue to process of review and considering how specific skills can be attained or reinforced in different ways or through different perspectives. I think this argument comes down to whether you look at education as a way to attaining a means to an end or as a process of reevaluating and challenging your perspective, but I would assume that argument also comes down to intended skills and majors as well.

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I think this is such a great idea and really affirms the experiences that learners bring when they continue their education. I feel like we learn so much outside of school in our work, volunteering, and other professional opportunities. I do however wonder who and how they will decide what the standard is to be met for these assessments that tell whether you should get credit or not. I feel like that is so hard to gauge when it might be an experience that isn't necessarily a hard skill like math or science.

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Overall, I think this is a great idea. College expenses have gotten out of control and this can be a great way for students to save money. The student loan debt in the United States is a major concern. Universities need to do more to keep costs in line. However, as an edcator, I see the value in taking general classes that some consider unnecessary. Taking these courses makes for a well-rounded education and more rounded students. I don't want to see these classes eliminated entirely. I do think that if the student has experience that they should be able to get credit for the class. This could save lots of time and money for everyone involved. This will take a balanced approach but I think it will work out well and we'll be seeing this approach more.

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I think it's funny that we are discussing this topic, because I was researching doctoral programs this week, and stumbled upon The Ohio State University's page, and they offer a very similar program! It's called a "degree with flex," I think, and I remember being like, "What is this?" This video and the discussion has helped me answer that question!
For me, I think this is a great idea. One of the biggest concerns for students are the number of "unnecessary" courses they are forced to take, which they may already have competency in. Of course, I understand "educating the whole person," but if there is a way we can avoid using up more of student money and cut down on the amount of loans required by backing off the number of courses undertaken, I think this could be a great solution to that. Plus, students who may come from various backgrounds could bring with them an assortment of wealth and knowledge that could bolster them through the higher education academy!