Fredrickson, RebeccaTrujillo-Jenks, Laura2024-06-102024-052024-05May 2024https://hdl.handle.net/11274/16241This study examined the multifaceted influences on the prior learning assessment (PLA) landscape in Texas. Drawing from legislative changes, higher education policies, economic factors, technological advances, demographic shifts, and public awareness, it evaluated how these forces shaped PLA practices in institutions of higher learning. Legislative amendments affected institutional accountability, while policy governed PLA practices in public colleges and universities. Economic conditions drove demand for PLA as individuals sought expedited degree completion and career advancement. Technological advancements influenced PLA delivery methods and assessment tools. Demographic changes necessitated institutional responses to diverse student populations. Moreover, public awareness and perception played a role in enhancing PLA program participation among students and employers. This analysis sheds light on the dynamic interplay of forces shaping the PLA ecosystem in Texas through a qualitative case study of two Texas public institutions of higher learning. Through conduction of this research, modern practices emerged which informed today’s leaders about innovative ways to meet the unique needs of learners. The study results indicated that Texas institutions utilized PLA as a strategy to engage with adult learners offering them flexibility to acquire, evaluate, and validate knowledge according to their own schedules and preferences. Modern PLA methods in Texas institutions of higher learning included competency-based education (CBE) and the arcane PLA portfolio method.application/pdfEnglishEducation, HigherCompetency based educationPrior learning assessmentThesis2024-06-10