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I like the idea of a flexible degree option. I know several people who do not have a college degree, but have years of experience and certifications in a particular field. They often find contract positions but have difficulty finding full-time positions because they don't have a piece of paper acknowledging their knowledge and skills. My brother has years of experience as a computer technician and has been building computers for friends and family, however, he had a difficult time obtaining a position in that field. Being assessed for the knowledge and experience that you already have is finally giving credit for learning that has occurred outside the classroom. If my state were to offer this option, I would support this if the assessments are constructed by qualified experts in the field. This would be a wonderful opportunity for those who would like to finish their degree and especially since it is more affordable than the traditional college degree.

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I really like the idea of a flexible degree option. As a Air Force veteran I can see a lot of value that this could assist veterans. As of now, I believe that the Air Force is the only branch of military that gives college credit for some mandatory courses. I find this really disturbing especially since the military has to go through extensive training. This would be particularly useful for this population of people. I've known people that are in the military and are basically nurses but because their training is not recognized as equivalent to civilian programs their experience is null and void. That seems insane to me and that you have fully qualified people that could do their job in a war zone but is somehow not equivalent in civilian life. I feel like this would be an amazing opportunity for education reform. I only wonder what would be equivalent or how systems would be in place to judge the quality of training.

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I honestly like the idea of the flexible degree, but it also brings up concerns for the future. For example, students who are to enroll in this program will have to pass an assessment to accelerate their time to graduation. This assessment is a great idea, but it does not mean that they are entirely proficient, but proficient enough to pass the test. This could be through self-study or from working in the field. However, over time, individuals who take this assessment may just notate everything that was on the exam and just pass it onto other individuals who would like to get a quick degree. Additionally, the cost of the courses are cheap - but, I am worried that because this is more of a self-direct learning (SDL) approach, students may encounter much difficulty. In particularly to those who have no been in a formal education setting for years. Overall, I do see the benefits and love the idea. I also think this will be a great direction towards lowering the costs of education in the United States.

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I like the idea of this flexible degree option. However, I am not sure about the actual application of this degree. I think that this degree option is particularly helpful for adult learners and provides them with an accessible and affordable way to attain a degree from the experiences they have already gained. I think that I would support my state moving in this direction. However, I do have a lot of questions and would want to ensure that those putting this degree into place think about how this program would actually work. Some of my questions include: What does the assessment look like? How will the assessment measure one’s competencies? What if a student does not pass the assessment but still has extensive experience in a particular competency? Can students get partial credit? How do they account for learners who do not do well on these types of assessments or exams? I think that this type of degree can really help some students but also hinder others. I think that those who implement this degree need to find a way to account for this and ensure inclusivity among a diverse set of adult learners.

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Hello Everyone,

I apologize about the late post; I didn't know that we have a padlet this week because I usually access the weekly module through the homepage, and from there in the week's 3 module, it only listed two items to complete. Anyway, here is my response for this week's padlet.

My thoughts on this is both good and questioning because it would mean if students could attest their competencies, which is great, that would mean there will be little need for teaching? However, I do see the benefits for those individuals liked Veterans, and even for the international individuals who moved from oversea with skills, but because they are not accredited from an American's institution, they couldn't use/apply their skills in the United States. So, I think I would support our state moving into this direction; it would allow many people to utilize their skills and be able to make the most of it! An example I have is for English learners. I've heard many English learners/students have degrees/the skills to do work in the office as an accountant and such, but because their skills are not transferable here, they have to start from scratch when they probably know so much! I also have an oldest sister who was a nurse in Cambodia and worked in hospitals, but she couldn't use/apply that skills here until her English is proficient. On the other hand, my third sister who had the opportunity to finish high school here, was able to attend and finished her LPN schooling where she currently works with Evergreen Hospital.

Thank you,

Mea

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I think the UW system of the flexible degree option may be a good idea for adult learner that they can earn a degree on their busy schedule. Depends on what it described in the video, it should be more personalized, convenient and affordable to compare with traditional degree programs. People will earn credits base on how well they know the material instead of just hours that learner spend in class. I would support Washington state moving in this direction. To be honest, not only for adult learners, I think this idea can be bring into other groups of students as well. Our school system has not been changed for hundreds of years. Here is a more philosophical thinking: what is the difference between education and school? We go to school for education and we actually learn something getting an education. I think the "flex degree" in UW system let me see the hope of the future evolution of education.

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This is a very novel idea that does put a whole new spin on higher education. This makes me think of friends who have many college credits from many different schools but transferred so much that they do not have the right credentials to have a degree from an institution. From the information provided, I still have a lot of questions, like, what does admissions look like? how will this program be made accessible to various populations? how does equity in education work in this specialized program? will students be receiving the same quality of education as other students? This program could be a saving grace to some students, but could create roadblocks for others who may not pass the "proficiency" exam. How would they control for learners who do not do well on exams? There are just so many questions, it is hard to decide if I would support the state moving in this direction. I do think it is a step in a new direction and veterans should receive credit for their work, but what is the translation between military skill and higher education courses? How is that regulated and assessed? I have many questions that makes it difficult to make a decision if it is the right direction at this time.

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I appreciate this idea as I think it's moving higher education in a more inclusive direction BUT i worry that certain experiences and identities will be valued more than others. I worry that privileged experiences and identities will be prioritized in comparison to those of marginalized identities.  I would want to support my state doing this but making sure the criteria and policies around this new flex degree would be inclusive to all backgrounds, identities and experiences is necessary to doing so. I also question in what ways are they assessing the experiences and knowledge/tools the students already possess? Assessment/testing can be exclusionary to different identity groups so making sure the assessment is also inclusive to determine what knowledge/skills is already possessed by the student.

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I appreciate the idea and think that it certainly does open doors and options for adult learners. In my experiences with adult learners I think that having this option to take a competency test and earn credit for it would be extremely beneficial. I have had adult learners coming from all over the world with experience working in different areas who probably could have earned credit for their knowledge and experiences had they known they could through a program like this one. I think that it allows the opportunity for students who have left school for whatever reason to resume even after being away for years and actually using that experience away from academia to further their education as the video elaborates. This program reminds me of WGU offered here in Washington, the online program that lets you complete programs at your own pace. I think offering 4 year degrees through this method could be very beneficial but I would also have to learn more about what transferring out of this program and trying to enroll in another university would look like, or if that is even possible. I still have some reservations due to limited info, but overall I think that if more institutions adopted similar degree options then more adult learners might have access to attaining higher degrees.

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I find this actually very fascinating as it brings non-traditional/adult students an equal level playing field compare to what a "traditional" four-year university experience would be. This would give so much opportunity for these learners who had to give up their university or college experience due to extenuating life circumstances that may had happened.

I would support Washington state into moving in this direction because it is important to give credit to those who had to have a "pause" in their education. I feel that in my home state in Oregon, this has been implemented even in the high school level where working allows students to receive credits to graduate, if the need to support their family. Although it may anger a lot of adults who have already graduated through the traditional process, explaining what would be necessary for these non-traditional students to succeed would overcome this barrier. I believe that there is more than meets the eye because skills like this for a "flex" degree are happening right now, especially with language majors who already speak the language they are studying being exempt from taking classes in order to be placed in a higher-level language class to save time.  I am totally for this, since there are many close friends and family members that are not "traditionally" oriented in going to school, so that this would allow them to save time and could even motivate them to finish their flex degree fast.

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What a concept UW brings! I agree with the fact that adults with abundant life experience should not need additional courses if they had already obtained the required skills. This because learning in life also counts as knowledge even if it is outside of classroom. As the video claims, as long as the student show the required competency, they can be exempted from taking a specific course on certain subjects.

In my opinion, if one already has a set of skill of something prior to attending college, for example, coding skill, learned from online class out of personal interest. This person might not need to take a coding related course he or she could demonstrate the required proficiency level of the skill set. However, I do question that while it is nice to implement an idea of "Flex Degree", how would the outcome of the students get measured? In other words, how could academic success among students be evaluated in the UW system? I understand it is convenient in a way also smart to implement such idea, but ensuring all students to fulfill their learning goals is important as well.

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I think in theory this is a great idea to provide a greater accessibility to higher education but in practice, I am concerned about what experiences would be accepted for credit. There seemed to be an emphasis on unfinished degrees and those with military backgrounds.

I would love to see a version of this policy in New York that can also include individuals with well-educated backgrounds from other countries. There are definitely many immigrants whose experiences, skills and knowledge are undervalued by higher education. Does migrating to a country where you don't speak the language count for a college degree? It surely indicates resiliency, innovation and determination but are colleges going to accept that?  I don't have the answers to these questions but I do have a whole lot more questions.

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I think this is a great idea! As someone who has had a non-traditional (read--primarily outside of academics) track in my career, this certainly appeals to me. Learning by experience is real learning and it's great that UW is acknowledging that there is more than one way to know how to do a job.

I'm interested to learn more about the Flex program and to see if it is expanded to other areas of study as well. For those of us in education, it seems as though it could be a viable option for someone who has gained teaching experience outside of the higher-ed world.

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Fun fact...this was my local small-town news station growing up.  Thanks for the nostalgia!

This has been popular in my home state and something that many are proud of in the UW system.  I remember this being introduced but haven't heard about how successful it has been or how many have taken advantage of the opportunity.  Like others have said I think it is a viable option that encourages individuals outside of the traditional 4-year degree option to further their education.  I would imagine that the barrier to get a college degree in later years of adulthood can seem extremely daunting, and this program helps to overcome that.

I do wonder how these competencies are assessed.  For someone pursuing a nursing degree, for example, there is obviously a high level of technicality and knowledge needed for the profession.  The nursing profession is also highly regulated at the state level.  Nurses are required to pass the NCLEX exam, so this really takes care of that aspect.  In other degrees there may be more grey area, which puts pressure on the UW system to ensure that these individuals are meeting the requirements.

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As a learner, I love this idea! It seems like it will save time and money for students. My favorite part is that people can work at their own pace (at least, it sounds like there are no deadlines). I think that is a wonderful option for adult learners, who have so many different responsibilities and hectic schedules. It seems unfortunate that state laws only allow prior learning credits at undergraduate level at this time.

Looking at the practical side, however, I wonder if there is a limit to how long someone can take to complete a degree at their own pace. Also, does it really save money? If you demonstrate a competency after a short time, does it cost less than taking a typical term length to accomplish it? As an instructor, the fact that anyone could begin at any time would be frustrating unless they were truly self-guided. I wonder if there is any scaffolded learning, or if it is completely reliant upon books and projects. Planning time aside, instructors will need to grade assessments and papers as they come in, which could be at all stages of mastering a particular subject. I'm not sure my personality would agree with this method as an instructor, but I do think it is a wonderful option for students that takes into account their skills and experience. I think that is what adult learners really want: to be acknowledged as someone who can bring something to the table.

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It is certainly an interesting subject; I like the fact that you can turn your experience into credit for a degree as long as you are able to demonstrate that you have learned the material that needs to be covered and I feel less strongly than some on the padlett who worry about missing out on some vital piece of learning as this would be easy enough to address.

I suppose though, what I question is why we need to be so fixed on a 4 year degree for things anyway? Is our assumption that this is the right route actually devaluing the degree and should we instead be valuing vocational or technical qualifications rather than a degree. After all, my guess is that we can all think of someone who is very clever but who is hopeless in doing anything practical! So, I think it is a good idea, but in an ideal world, feel that it would be better if we could address these issues at the same time.

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I would absolutely support this option in higher education. In the SDA program, we are always talking about access to higher education and the many barriers that people often face to getting a degree. This would be a great way for many people who "fell" into an industry without a degree and have gotten years of hands-on-experience, to get some recognition for what they have learned so far.  The offering of this degree would make the idea of going back to school as an adult much less daunting.

Like many other's have posted, I would be very curious to see how these competencies are being tested. As long as proper assessments are in place, I can't see any harm in offering more ways for people to earn a degree.

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Fascinating! As I watched this, I was wondering to myself what type of degrees this would be an option for - surely not technical degrees, I thought... but the last few seconds proved me wrong. I was surprised to hear that a nursing degree was an option. I think in general this flex-program is a great option - as I truly believe that having multiple options and routes to learning is the best way to draw adult learners and help them achieve their professional goals - but I worry about this type of program for technical degrees that rely heavily on current data and skill-sets. What if a person's real-world experience is not actually up-to-date, and they then miss hearing about current research and recommendations for certain nursing treatments, for example? To play devil's advocate against myself, however, there are very comprehensive and rigid credentialing bodies and tests that regulate nursing licenses - if a student from this flex-degree nursing program is able to pass these credentialing exams and maintain their license, why shouldn't their education be trusted as much as a traditional degree? I guess overall I would be comfortable with Washington moving in this direction, as long as all relevant stakeholders (i.e. state licensing boards, in the nursing example) are included in the curriculum development and validation.

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I think this is a relatively complex topic because there are lots of different ways that life experience translates to college credit. I've seen some institutions offer credit for military training. For example, Thomas Edison State University offers up to 87 semester credits for sailors who have completed the Navy Nuclear Power training pipeline. Old Dominion University offers a Master of Engineering Management (with credit for work experience) to military students who have completed certain engineering programs in the Navy. In those cases, it's just a "counts as credit" sort of situation.

After reviewing the UW Flex website, it looks like what they are doing is based more on competency based education systems. I find that interesting because I don't see a lot of CBE systems in "traditional" universities, although maybe the non-traditional nature of this program speaks to that.

My instinct is that this seems like a great idea for programs that have specific competencies than need to be demonstrated. For example, UW started with a nursing degree, which I imagine has a lot of "be able to do X or Y" involved with the program. It makes a lot of sense to me that somebody who already knows these things can just demonstrate their competency and move forward with the program. Although I've never participated in a program like that, they've always been of interest to me as I feel like a lot of people would be more willing to participate in a degree program if they didn't feel obligated to trudge through material they already know (and can demonstrate).

The important thing (to me) is that this program assesses the participants competencies and doesn't just "waive" things. I find that this is one of my bigger concerns with these sorts of "credit for other experience" programs. If you assume somebody will have done X or Y just because they've worked in the field, you're bound to run into trouble when you base later material on that assumption.

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I think this is a wonderful opportunity, though I echo the concerns of Andrea and Kim. I’m curious about the possible negative effects of testing out of a course. By missing a class, a student would possibly miss out on the latest methodologies or an opportunity to dialogue and either learn from others or offer their input as someone already in the field. And then there’s the question as to how a Flex Degree would be listed on a transcript or resume. Would it appear as the actual Bachelor’s or Certificate, or would the transcript note it as a Flex degree? Like Dana said, when we hire, the first thing we look at on the application and resume is the education history. Regardless of years in the field, if on first read they don’t meet the minimum requirements listed on the job notice, we tend to skim the rest of their information and pay less attention. Even though we know we should look at the overall experience and skills a person has to offer, it’s an automatic response. And given that many HR and employment websites are coded to seek out specific words and information, if those degrees aren’t listed and a human isn’t reviewing them, the automated system will skip the application. Those concerns stated, I am in full support of a flex program. I was recently told that even though I have over 20 years of experience and I competently do the work of a director or, in some colleges, an assistant dean, I will never be considered for a title change or promotion because I don’t have letters after my name. It would be incredible to actually be given formal credit for what I’ve learned over the years.

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I think this has been missing for a very long time in higher education. SO many people have the necessary skills but cannot afford to go back to school due to the time commitment of learning what they already know as well as the cost associated with college.
One piece I think that may end being an issue is how the tests are formulated, are they equitable, are they hands on or just computer based, I ask this because so many people have anxiety about testing. On the flip side you have individuals who can read a book and artificially show comptency and really have no true experience in the field. Outside of me playing devil's advocate, I think this is a huge breakthrough in higer education and hope it can be tweaked out even more to that much more beneficial for adult learners

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On the surface the flex degree looks like a step in the right direction. I'm a bit more interested in the details of how this degree would work. I like the general idea of it because I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels that they took classes in undergrad that were a colossal waste of time. But I also don't necessarily agree with the idea that you can "test" out of these classes. Like we've learned in this class, people learn differently and it's interesting to me that you could place out of classes through assessments. I understand it's the easiest way to do it, but it certainly be frustrating when you draw the short end of the stick through this system. I think this is a step in the right direction though.

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There are many things in our lives that are important.  One of the most valuable is our time. The time it takes to gain life experiences is so important this idea should have happened years ago. Getting college credit for life experience has many possibilities for students. Many men and women have taken classes, earned certifications, and have been promoted within the military. In some professional fields, the professional must renew their certification at different times throughout their career. Teachers must go to professional development classes put on by the school districts or mandated computer classes, or health classes annually. When an adult wants to change professions, these certifications credits don’t follow the students.  Getting college credit for life experience in this program would give value to the student’s time. There would have to be a competency assessment to evaluate the level or number of credit the student would earn for their life experience just like earning wages for the work we do.

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What a wonderful and valuable addition to the University of Wisconsin System! We all know how important experience is to thoroughly understand any field. While I understand that there are probably some cases and specifics that need to be addressed via classes, I would fully support a flex degree. I look at my dad who was 3 quarters away from getting his college business degree 40 years ago and how has now worked at bank for 15 years and more recently in Costco's human resources department for 25 years. Has he not experienced enough to prove his competence in the business field?

I can't help but wonder how many more degrees we would have if even half of the universities implemented this program?

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I like the flex degree and program that Wisconsin has compiled.  I think that experience is undervalued when it comes to the professional realm.  With that being said, I think that experience is only overlooked when there isn't a degree or proper certification attached to it.  Recently at my work we were in the process of hiring a new employee.  The beginning of this process was eye opening because the first thing we looked at were if the person had a master's or J.D.  It seems that having a degree is a very important component in regards to an individuals professional career and devleopment.

I think that this flex program is awesome because it provides the space to formalize individuals experience. I do think that people with extensive experience in certain skills shouldn't be held back because they don't have a degree, but I also think they should have some sort of educational piece of assessing their knowledge and skills. Overall, this program is a great start for adult's to formalize their experiences into a degree that is recognizable and help their professional development.

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I think flex degrees are a great idea for those who already have experience. My dad retired from the Navy several years ago, and he decided to go back to school. Despite have decades of electrical engineering experience under his belt, he found out that he needed to take beginning courses in college. Luckily, he didn't have to pay for classes; however, he also couldn't get a job in his field until he achieved a college degree. Sitting through beginning courses, although he already knew the material, siphoned time and potential money he could be making to support his family. These flex degrees gives someone like him a chance to speed through college with the experience he already had. The only problem I see with this, is if someone puts "flex degree" on their resume. In my current job, I get hear a lot of discussions about potential candidates. The hiring managers do not hide their disdain for online schools or unknown degrees. If a person were to state they had a flex degree on their resume, they may not get hired as promptly as someone goes the traditional route.

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I think the "Flex degree" is a good idea for saving money and time but think that there is value in taking the actual courses themselves. Just as it is helpful to write tasks down by hand in "to-do" lists, the act of doing reinforces and strengthens things we already "know." I would relate this to why musicians continue to practice or athletes continuing to do the same even after they've "retired." There is value in the doing. To acknowledge the other side, however, I do think that the Flex degree has great value in graduate degrees intended to add depth to a career. Many jobs offer to pay for an advanced degree in the field to add skill and value to their employees. In this sense, a flex degree is perfect as the company gets a good idea of what deficiencies actually exist in their employee and can more efficiently fill those gaps through education.

I would support Washington moving towards this as the recent spike in the tech industry locally provides a good opportunity for people seeking advanced degrees and companies willing to fund them. This would seem to be a win-win situation with the local Universities receiving more money and a larger applicant pool and the quality of employee at each company theoretically improving.