As interest in skills-based hiring grows, more companies and states are eliminating degree requirements. In response, some higher education institutions are creating microcredential programs that positively impact student success, but you don’t have to create an entirely new program to demonstrate your institution’s value.
Skills-based credentials are valuable because they list specific skills that the learner has achieved or demonstrated competency with. Digital credentials that adhere to open interoperability standards provide machine- and human-readable ways to demonstrate those skills, making it easy for potential employers to verify those claims. .
Just as microcredentials can represent specific job skills, they can also demonstrate lasting skills that learners can acquire at any learning institution and distinguish themselves from other applicants. Comprehensive learner records (CLRs) and other types of learning and employment records (LERs) help learners package a variety of outcomes in one place that they can share throughout their lives.
Rather than reinventing the way students are taught, two members of the 1EdTech consortium repackaged the way they communicate that learning to bring transparency to the knowledge, skills, and abilities students have already acquired through CLR. I created a program.
The University of Georgia (UGA) CLR is a digital credential that combines students’ academic courses with external activities to highlight accomplishments and abilities and allows students to effectively tell their stories. This is done by mapping courses and activities to organizational competencies (critical thinking, analytical thinking, communication, social awareness and responsibility, creativity and innovation, leadership and collaboration).
“We know that we are already producing graduates with these valuable abilities,” said Marisa Ann Pagnattaro, UGA vice provost for instruction and senior vice provost for academic planning. I am. “However, we wanted to help our students express themselves better. CLR focuses on the lasting skills that students are learning in and out of the classroom while attending the University of Georgia, and this The ultimate digital credential makes it easier to explain your value to potential employers.”
At the University of Central Oklahoma, the Student Transformative Learning Record (STLR) serves as a second transcript, similar to UGA’s CLR, to help students track growth in core areas that are of interest to employers and graduate schools. Helpful. This experience focuses on global and cultural competency, health and wellness, leadership, research, creative and scholarly activities, service learning and civic engagement.
Sonya Watkins, University of Central Oklahoma CIO. “By packaging our services in this way, we help students gain a deeper understanding of their learning journey and what they need to do to achieve the skills they need for the next step. ” “Employers no longer believe that passing a course equates to being ready. Our STLR provides both faculty and students with the ability to make knowledge and experience relevant to the real world. It provides a language for translating in a way.
Communication is essential to creating a successful program. said Camille Farrell, STLR Associate Director at the University of Central Oklahoma. Learning is about achieving abstract results; learning is about preparing for life beyond the school year. Teachers need the tools and methods to do so. STLR provides methods, structures, assessment tools, and resources to more directly provide evidence of student readiness in these core areas. But higher education institutions cannot continue to assume that they know what their employers want and need. We must strive to stay aware of how the world is moving and changing. By partnering with subject matter experts, you can build trust with employers, increase awareness of your program, and help students demonstrate their value in the workplace. ”
Another thing to consider is to ensure that the platform or supplier you use is certified with Open Badges 3.0 and CLR Standard 2.0 to make your digital credentials interoperable. These 1EdTech technology standards align with the W3C’s Verifiable Credentials standard, making it easier to move credentials across platforms, institutions, and industries, and controlling how and with whom credential takers can share their credentials. You have more control over what you want to do. As verifiable credentials, open badges and CLRs can be shared and stored in learner-controlled wallets, giving earners control over their data.
“We have amazing students who are much more than their GPAs and transcripts show,” said Fiona Ryken, vice president for instruction at the University of Georgia. “CLR helps paint that picture, and following interoperability standards makes credentials even more valuable to students.”
1EdTech Consortium members expand the use and value of microcredentials, share real-world examples of how microcredentials work, and develop standards and frameworks to better meet the needs of all stakeholders. We come together throughout the year to improve. You can view all happenings 1EdTech staff will host and participate in annual events and more. 1EdTech Digital Qualification Summityou can learn more. Organizational efforts in digital credentials in 1edtech.org.
