Prior Learning Assessment Reflections of a Former Child Refugee

Abstract

Drawing on her lived experience as a former child refugee from Vietnam and her current work in postsecondary transfer and recognition, Hannah Temple argues that Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) is fundamentally an act of re-humanizing—making visible the knowledge and competencies that displacement often renders “invisible.” Through family vignettes (entrepreneurship, informal workplace learning, language transition, and sponsorship support), she shows how refugees and newcomers carry substantial learning that traditional credential and “Canadian experience” norms frequently overlook. She connects these personal reflections to contemporary higher-education recognition practice, emphasizing that PLA should honor narrative, resilience, and demonstrated capability—not just documents.

Keywords: prior learning assessment; refugees; recognition of prior learning; informal learning; immigrant integration; learner narratives; credential recognition; equity and dignity