Final Version May 5 07

80
According to Bertrand (2003), colleges have been reluctant to embrace the practice. “The
lack of clarity and agreement about remunerations for conducting assessments has a
negative effect on faculty support for PLAR and is a disincentive to its active and
enthusiastic support” (p. 157). Institutional infrastructure support for PLAR requires
additional expenditure which may not be recovered through PLAR fees (Bertrand, 2003).
The quality of PLAR practices depends upon the skills and abilities of the
assessors and the infrastructure support to the PLAR candidate. “Many institutions have
reduced the resources available for PLAR development” (Bertrand, 2003, p. 157). The
inherent delivery structure of the college requires a holistic approach to PLAR credit.
Bertrand also found that “[p]rogram curricula are typically organized into courses that
cover a number of overlapping learning outcomes, making it difficult to grant PLAR
credits based on an assessment of those outcomes.” How credits are recorded on a
transcript may affect the mobility of learner to transfer to other postsecondary program.
Bertrand also states “If PLAR credits cannot be used to access further education or
training opportunities, their value as bridging informal and formal learning is
compromised.”
Another strategy suggested by Doherty (2003a) involves distance education as a
means to increase access to training. Distance education is the delivery of instruction
where the faculty and the students are separated by distance. It permits learners who are
geographically distant from the training site or who have situational barriers such as work
and family commitments to access pre-service training and professional development
(Doherty, 2003a). College finances and infrastructure are also issues that impact the
availability of distance early childhood education training.