In a historic European first and building on ECIU University’s micro-credential journey, the European University Alliance is rolling out centralized, tamper-proof micro-credentials to its learners. E-sealed by the ECIU (European Consortium of Innovative Universities) and issued using the EDC (European Digital Credentials) platform, micro-credentials offer students new opportunities to broaden their horizons and gain practical skills through real-life challenges. ECIU University learning opportunities are about gaining new skills and competencies, connecting with peers or potential employers, and having an impact on the societies where we live and work. These opportunities are also part of the University’s wider micro-credential vision that aims to encourage active citizenship and empower learners.
Monday, November 13, 2023
Sunday, November 12, 2023
Unlocking Skills: What Learners and Employers Need to Know About Microcredentials - Abbie Misha, EdSurge
Digital badges, microcredentials and digital credentials… What sets them apart, or are they synonymous? Essentially, these credentials share a few attributes: They are skill-specific and emphasize industry-relevant competencies. Moreover, they possess the valuable quality of being stackable, allowing learners to accumulate multiple credentials over time, systematically enhancing their expertise through a portfolio of competencies. One of the draws to credentialing programs is that they afford learners unparalleled flexibility while requiring a considerably smaller investment of time than traditional degree programs. Nevertheless, a pressing question remains: Do all credential programs uniformly pave the way to enhanced career opportunities?
Saturday, November 11, 2023
Can Microcredentials Bring Stop-Outs Back to College? - Sara Weissman, Inside Higher Ed
Arecent survey of students who stopped out of college suggests that giving them the opportunity to earn microcredentials and academic credit for prior learning could lure them back to higher ed. The survey of roughly 1,100 former students ages 18 to 64 was conducted in June by StraighterLine, an online course provider, and UPCEA, an association that focuses on professional, online and continuing education. The resulting study, released this week, explored when and why students left college and what factors could prompt them to return.
Friday, November 10, 2023
Fast-Track Your Education: Cheapest - Times News Global
Education is a valuable asset that can open up doors to new opportunities and help you achieve your goals. However, traditional education can be expensive and time-consuming. Thankfully, there are ways to fast-track your education while also keeping it affordable. In this article, we will explore some strategies to help you get the most out of your education without breaking the bank.
Thursday, November 9, 2023
Ask the Professor: Is ChatGPT an issue or a tool? - Maya Dampier, University of Nevada Reno
There is a large spectrum on which students and professors fall on whether or not AI has a place in higher educatio. At the University of Nevada Reno, Kathy Hanselman and Angie Chase are part of a team that has created micro-learning events for faculty breaking down different questions and topics in 12 minutes. Hanselman and Chase are Instructional Designers with the Office of Digital Learning and have conducted these events called “Teach in 12” since the spring semester of 2023. This semester they have focused on technology in teaching, specifically with AI, to try and tackle some of the difficult issues surrounding its use by students.“I don’t think we should be afraid of AI,” Hanselman said. “I think all of us, students and faculty, should be doing our best to understand how best to work with it and realize that we do have a place in guiding AI. I think it’s important to use it responsibly and for us faculty members to teach our students how to do that.”
Wednesday, November 8, 2023
Micro-credentials advance workplace diversity and inclusion - Sean Mitchell, IT Brief
Global learning company D2L emphasises the significant contribution of micro-credentials in augmenting diversity and inclusivity in the commercial landscape while addressing employment issues. More corporations and service providers are acknowledging the impact of genuine workforce diversity not only in boosting problem-solving and decision-making but also in fostering social inclusion. The Diversity Council of Australia's Inclusion@Work Index 2023-2024 indicates that workplace inclusion correlates with improved mental health. Workers within inclusive teams are statistically six times more likely to report that their work positively affects their mental health compared to those in non-inclusive teams. The previous Inclusion@Work Index 2021-2022 reported that employees in inclusive teams are eleven times likelier to be highly productive and four times less likely to quit their jobs within the next year.
Tuesday, November 7, 2023
Moving microcredentials forward: how universities are incubators and early adopters - Joanna Lee & Eric Scott Sembrat, Times Higher Ed
The non-traditional learner is shifting to become the “new traditional learner”, as the era when an undergraduate degree suffices for an entire career recedes rapidly. Many adult learners are not interested in obtaining additional degrees. Instead, amid fast technological change, including the advance of artificial intelligence (AI) and escalating demand for a highly skilled workforce, these new traditional learners are focusing on acquiring a more compact, meticulously curated skill set that will efficiently propel them on to the next stage of their career journey. In this light, microcredentials have emerged as a novel tool to collect and validate a person’s lifelong educational journey. And higher education (HE) can serve dual roles as an incubator and early adopter.
Monday, November 6, 2023
Microcredentials: The Quiet Revolution of Skills Training in Canada - Yahoo! Finance
In the past few years, there has been a major shift in skills training and education upgrading in Canada, which has gone under the radar. Microcredentials, otherwise known as MicroCreds, have ballooned in numbers and popularity, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, and now educational institutions across Canada offer them. A white paper released today by Express Employment Professionals delves into the who, what, where, when, why and how of microcredentials. For years, the Canadian economy has suffered from a skills mismatch—unemployed Canadians do not have the necessary skills for the jobs currently open.
Sunday, November 5, 2023
Microcredentials and Certificates at Oregon State University
In-demand skills. Career-building education.
Employers everywhere need professionals with the knowledge to help their businesses thrive. By earning an Oregon State University microcredential or certificate online, you’ll develop the highly specialized skills you need to boost your career and stand out in the job market. These high-quality offerings give you the ability to study a variety of focused subject areas in less time than a full degree program.
Saturday, November 4, 2023
Microcredentialing, Digital Credentials, Digital Badging, and Digital Certificates at Rutgers University
A Microcredential is a short, competency-based recognition that enables an educator to document a learner's mastery in a particular area. When these are digitally presented to learners, they are known as Digital Credentials. Digital Badges and Digital Certificates (collectively referred to as "Digital Credentials") are shareable electronic documentation of this learning. All Digital Credentials are Microcredentials, and some Microcredentials have Digital Badges or Digital Certificates to document the accomplished learning. Microcredential programs break down learning into smaller components, and may incorporate co-curricular and extracurricular activity, or may be conducted outside of credit-related learning. Digital Badges and Digital Certificates are structured into competencies that may align with the interest of prospective employers and graduate education programs, with verifiable assessments for measuring learning outcomes.
Friday, November 3, 2023
Micro-credentials and Badges - University of Denver
A micro-credential is a small class, workshop, or program that students can enroll in in order to gain relevant skills needed for today’s workforce. A digital badge is the visual representation of having earned a micro-credential and can be shared on various online platforms to showcase the earner’s achievement.
Why enroll in a Micro-credential course?
Choose what skills you want to develop. Micro-credentials differ from a degree, minor, or certificate program in that you only register for the courses offering the skills you wish to learn.
Combine several badges into a larger micro-credential program. Enroll in several related badges to earn a larger, overarching micro-credential.
Thursday, November 2, 2023
Top 5 Ways to Implement Digital Badging on Your Campus - Suitable Knowledge Center
At one time, grades and the promise of a bachelor’s degree were enough to keep college students engaged toward meeting their academic and professional goals. These days, Generation Z – who came of age in a digital world with more distractions than ever before – needs more. This is where micro-credentials and digital badging come into play.
Wednesday, November 1, 2023
Indigenous Policing Micro-Credentials offered at Lethbridge College - Angela Stewart - Bridge City News
A series of Indigenous Policing Micro-Credentials is now being offered at Lethbridge College for public safety professionals. It’s broken up into six mini courses and can be completed online at the individual’s own pace. Trudi Mason, the Dean of the Centre for Justice and Human Services explains how these courses came to be. “A couple years ago, the former chief of police of the Blood Tribe Police Service came to me and asked if I was familiar with the Rolf Inquiry. And I actually was not familiar with the Rolf inquiry. So that day he taught me quite a few things. And one of the things that he showed me was that in the 1991 recommendations included that Lethbridge College would be involved in developing or helping educate police members who are policing on a nation to help them understand the Blackfoot culture and the uniqueness of policing on a Blackfoot nation.” The report also specified that the college should take a leading role in bridging cultural differences. Mason says she then approached Lowell Yellow Horn, the Manager of Indigenous Services at the college, with the idea. Yellow Horn explains the importance behind offering these courses to safety professionals.
Tuesday, October 31, 2023
Education leaders look to university-business partnerships to advance Florida’s workforce - Caden DeLisa, Capitolist
Top education leaders at the Florida Chamber of Commerce’s forum emphasized aligning post-secondary education with industry needs. Valencia College collaborates with local businesses to develop courses based on industry needs. State universities have begun focusing on micro-credentials, offering ‘digital badges’ to students who demonstrate proficiency in specific industry skills. Other institutions are integrating business feedback into curriculum design, emphasizing both industry-specific knowledge and professional “soft” skills.
Monday, October 30, 2023
Success after service: The veteran’s guide to choosing an online certificate program - Teresa Duncan, Cornell Chronicle
Transitioning from active duty to civilian life can lead to a profound sense of fulfillment and significant challenges. Many veterans are equipped with industry-specific service experience, but complex job markets still often present obstacles to employment. Online certificate programs offer veterans opportunities to acquire new skills and knowledge, demonstrate commitment to particular career fields and build networks of like-minded leaders – all essential factors in securing professional roles. However, selecting the right program is key. Here are four questions veterans should consider when determining which online education programs would be most valuable for their future.
Sunday, October 29, 2023
Microcredentials and badges are the future - Lee Maxey, Chief Learning Officer
Microcredentials, defined as “short, competency-based recognition,” offer agile and efficient pathways for corporations that want to train new employees or upskill current ones. “Stacked” microcredentials can be grouped to award badges, which imply a level of competency in a specific area. In some cases, microcredentials could eventually lead to certificates or even more traditional degrees. I can’t emphasize enough how different this paradigm shift is for both corporations and higher education. A few years ago, I attended a panel on self-driving vehicles. The panelists described what we might expect from self-driving cars in the years ahead. They predicted a time of significant transition. When the world moves fully to self-driving vehicles, fewer accidents will occur. However, the in-between phase, when self-driving vehicles share the road with regular vehicles, will be a messy and complicated time.
Saturday, October 28, 2023
Microcredentials For Maximum Impact: Best Practices For Companies - Gregory Crawford, Forbes
Microcredentials have become an international movement; leaders held a global summit in Spain earlier this year. But the fledgling field currently lacks professional standards, best practices or quality control to ensure people who earn badges or certificates have acquired the skills employers expect. Agencies such as UNESCO, the University of Texas system, Colleges and Institutes Canada and the State University of New York are working to develop consistent frameworks. A survey by Coursera found that 88% of U.S. employers believe microcredentials enhance a resume. Nearly 40% have hired someone with a microcredential. Nonetheless, adding microcredentials to some hiring platforms remains a challenge for many employers.
Friday, October 27, 2023
UTA EXPANDS MICROCREDENTIAL PROGRAM TO ALL MAVERICKS - Jeff Carlton, UT Arlington
Students, employees and alumni of The University of Texas at Arlington will have free access to an expanded microcredential program that can prepare them with high-demand training under a new initiative launching immediately through the University. Mavericks can access 40 professional certificates from leading companies such as Google, Salesforce, IBM, Meta and Intuit through the Coursera Career Academy platform. The certificates span 29 different areas and focus on specific skills for careers in cybersecurity, data analytics, IT support, social media marketing, front- and back-end development, career coaching, human resources and more. The credentials are at no cost to all current Maverick students, employees and alumni. Hands-on projects and interactive assessments allow Mavericks to apply their skills in real-world scenarios and practice using workplace tools. Upon completion, they will earn career-focused credentials to enhance their qualifications for the job market.
Thursday, October 26, 2023
Inside HLC’s new effort to vet outside credential providers - Natalie Schwartz, Higher Ed Dive
The accreditor recently launched an initiative called the Credential Lab, which will implement an evaluation model for outside content providers. With a $250,000 grant from the Lumina Foundation to partially support the initiative, HLC’s Credential Lab will develop and implement an evaluation model for vetting the quality of alternative credential providers. “There’s new content providers coming into the picture,” said HLC President Barbara Gellman-Danley. “There’s an overwhelming need to have some group — or multiple groups — say there’s a quality assurance of these particular providers.”
Wednesday, October 25, 2023
Improving Filipinos’ employability with UPOU Micro-credential Courses - Sun Star
A microcredential is proof that attests to a person's knowledge and skills in a particular subject or area. A learner receives a micro-credential after passing an assessment or successfully completing and passing the required assessment in a particular micro-course. As stipulated in the Roadmap, a UPOU microcredential is expected to be relevant, focused, assessment-based, portable, flexible, and quality-assured. UPOU envisions itself as a key player in equipping Filipinos through continuous and flexible learning. With the official launch of the Roadmap to Microcredentials, UP Open University solidifies its commitment to shaping the future of education and supporting learners in their pursuit of excellence and lifelong learning. As microcredentials continue to gain momentum as a valuable tool in education, UPOU's visionary roadmap paves the way for a brighter, more dynamic future of learning and professional development.
Tuesday, October 24, 2023
Employability: An existential crisis for higher education - Simon Marginson, University World News
Recently Dirk Van Damme, former head of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Centre for Educational Research and Innovation, questioned the expansion of participation in higher education in International Higher Education. “There are pressing signs that high levels of university attainment do not have only positive effects on societies and economies,” Van Damme stated, noting “graduate underemployment, overqualification, mismatches and substitution effects”. More promising, he said, is “the rapidly expanding interest in short programmes and non-traditional certifications such as microcredentials”. Shifting to microcredentials would mean that provider status no longer matters. It seems that microcredentials are the new route to equity.
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