Searching for "credentialing"

alternative credentials

Alternative Credentials on the Rise

Interest is growing in short-term, online credentials amid the pandemic. Will they become viable alternative pathways to well-paying jobs?

Paul Fain August 27, 2020

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/08/27/interest-spikes-short-term-online-credentials-will-it-be-sustained

A growing body of evidence has found strong consumer interest in recent months in skills-based, online credentials that are clearly tied to careers, particularly among adult learners from diverse and lower-income backgrounds, whom four-year colleges often have struggled to attract and graduate.

For years the demographics of higher education have been shifting away from traditional-age, full-paying college students while online education has become more sophisticated and accepted.

That has amplified interest in recent months among employers, students, workers and policy makers in online certificates, industry certifications, apprenticeships, microcredentials, boot camps and even lower-cost online master’s degrees.

Moody’s, the credit ratings firm, on Wednesday said online and nondegree programs are growing at a rapid pace.

Google will fund 100,000 need-based scholarships for the certificates, and said it will consider them the “equivalent of a four-year degree” for related roles.

Google isn’t alone in this push. IBMFacebookSalesforce and Microsoft are creating their own short-term, skills-based credentials. Several tech companies also are dropping degree requirements for some jobs, as is the federal government, while the White House, employers and some higher education groups have collaborated on an Ad Council campaign to tout alternatives to the college degree.

One of the most consistent findings in a nationally representative poll conducted by the Strada Education Network’s Center for Consumer Insights over the last five months has been a preference for nondegree and skills training options.

Despite growing skepticism about the value of a college degree, it remains the best ticket to a well-paying job and career. And data have shown that college degrees have been a cushion amid the pandemic and recession.

Experts had long speculated that employer interest in alternative credential pathways would wither when low employment rates went away,….  Yet some big employers, including Amazon, are paying to retrain workers for jobs outside the company as it restructures.

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more on badges, microcredentialing in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=microcredential

Library Instruction Chem 151

Library Instruction delivered by Plamen Miltenoff, pmiltenoff@stcloudstate.edu

Dr. Kannan Sivaprakasam,
CHEM 151. Feb 10, 8-8:50PM.
Link to this tutorial in PDF format: library instruction tutorial

Short link to this tutorial: http://bit.ly/chem151

QR code

  1. Badges for library instruction

Link to the video tutorial regarding microcredentials (badges)

My name is Plamen Miltenoff (https://web.stcloudstate.edu/pmiltenoff/faculty/)  and I am the InforMedia Specialist with the SCSU Library (https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/free-tech-instruction/).

Dr. Sivaprakasam and I are developing a microcredentialing system for your class.

The “library” part has several components:

  • One badge for your ability to use the databases and find reliable scientific information in your field (required)
    submit your results in the respective D2L assignment folder. A badge will be issued to you after the assignment is graded
  • One badge for completing the quiz based on the information from this library instruction (required)
    a badge will be issued to you automatically after successful completion of the quizz
  • One badge for your ability to use social media for a serious, reliable, scientific research (required)
    submit your results in the respective D2L assignment folder. A badge will be issued to you after the assignment is graded
  • One badge for using the D2L “embedded librarian” widget to contact the librarian with questions regarding your class research (one of two optional)
    A badge will be issued to you after your post with your email or any other contact information is submitted
  • One badge for helping class peer with his research (one of two optional)
    submit your results in the respective D2L assignment folder. A badge will be issued to you after the assignment is graded

Collecting two of the required and one of the optional badges let you earn the superbadge “Mastery of Library Instruction.”

The superbadge brings points toward your final grade.

Master of Library Instruction badge

 

how to collect badges

 

 

 

 

Once you acquire the badges, Dr. Sivaprakasam will reflect your achievement in D2L Grades.

If you are building a LinkedIn portfolio, here are directions to upload your badges in your LinkedIn account using Badgr:

https://community.brightspace.com/s/article/Sharing-Badges-in-Brightspace

chem 151 Social Media accounts

Please do remember we are still developing the system and we will appreciate your questions and feedback; do not hesitate to contact us, if any…

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LIBRARY INSTRUCTION – Information, Digital and Media Literacy

  1. How (where from) do you receive your news? Do you think you are able to distinguish real news from fake news?
    1. Last year, researchers at Oxford Universityfound that 70 countries had political disinformation campaigns over two years.
      https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2020/01/20/bots-and-disinformation/
    2. according to Pew Research Center, 68 percent of American adults get their news from social media—platforms where opinion is often presented as fact.
      results of the international test revealed that only 14 percent of U.S. students were able to reliably distinguish between fact and opinion.

https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2020/01/16/fake-news-prevention/

News and Media Literacy (and the lack of) is not very different from Information Literacy

An “information literate” student is able to “locate, evaluate, and effectively use information from diverse sources.” See more About Information Literacy.

How does information literacy help me?

Every day we have questions that need answers. Where do we go? Whom can we trust? How can we find information to help ourselves? How can we help our family and friends? How can we learn about the world and be a better citizen? How can we make our voice heard?

The content of the tutorial is based on the Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education as approved by the Board of Directors of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL).

The standards are:

Standard 1. The information literate student determines the nature and extent of the
information needed

Standard 2. The information literate student accesses needed information effectively
and efficiently

Standard 3. The information literate student evaluates information and its sources
critically and incorporates selected information into his or her knowledge
base and value system

Standard 4. The information literate student, individually or as a member of a group,
uses information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose

Standard 5. The information literate student understands many of the economic, legal,
and social issues surrounding the use of information and accesses and uses
information ethically and legally

Project Information Literacy
A national, longitudinal research study based in the University of Washington’s iSchool, compiling data on how college students seek and use information.

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  1. Developing Your Research Topic/Question

Research always starts with a question.  But the success of your research also depends on how you formulate that question.  If your topic is too broad or too narrow, you may have trouble finding information when you search. When developing your question/topic, consider the following:

  • Is my question one that is likely to have been researched and for which data have been published?  Believe it or not, not every topic has been researched and/or published in the literature.
  • Be flexible.  Consider broadening or narrowing the topic if you are getting a limited number or an overwhelming number of results when you search. In nursing it can be helpful to narrow by thinking about a specific population (gender, age, disease or condition, etc.), intervention, or outcome.
  • Discuss your topic with your professor and be willing to alter your topic according to the guidance you receive.

  1. Getting Ready for Research
    Library Resources vs. the Internet
    How (where from) do you receive information about your professional interests?
    Advantages/disadvantages of using Web Resources

chem 151 databases

Evaluating Web Resources

  1. Google or similar; Yahoo, Bing
  2. Google Scholar
  3. Reddit, Digg, Quora
  4. Wikipedia
  5. Become a member of professional organizations and use their online information
  6. Use the SCSU library page to online databases
  1. Building Your List of Keywords
    1. Why Keyword Searching?
      Why not just type in a phrase or sentence like you do in Google or Yahoo!?

      1. Because most electronic databases store and retrieve information differently than Internet search engines.
      2. A databases searches fields within a collection of records. These fields include the information commonly found in a citation plus an abstract (if available) and subject headings.  Search engines search web content which is typically the full text of sources.
    1. The bottom line: you get better results in a database by using effective keyword search strategies.
    2. To develop an effective search strategy, you need to:
      1. determine the key concepts in your topic and
      2. develop a good list of keyword synonyms.
    1. Why use synonyms?
      Because there is more than one way to express a concept or idea.  You don’t know if the article you’re looking for uses the same expression for a key concept that you are using.
    2. Consider: Will an author use:
      1. Hypertension or High Blood Pressure?
      2. Teach or Instruct?
      3. Therapy or Treatment?

Don’t get “keyword lock!”  Be willing to try a different term as a keyword. If you are having trouble thinking of synonyms, check a thesaurus, dictionary, or reference book for ideas.

Keyword worksheet

  1. Library Resources

chem 151 results libsearch
How to find the SCSU Library Website
SCSU online databases

    1. SCSU Library Web page

lib web page

  1. Basic Research Skills

Locating and Defining a Database
Database Searching Overview:
You can search using the SCSU library online dbases by choosing:
Simple search
Advanced search

Simple vs Advanced Search

  1. Identifying a Scholarly Source

scholarly sources

  1. Boolean operators

  1. Databases:
    CINAHL, MEDLINE, PubMed, Health Source: Consumer Edition, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition

Psychology:
PsychINFO

General Science
ScienceDirect
Arts & Humanities Citation Index

  1. How do you evaluate a source of information to determine if it is appropriate for academic/scholarly use.  There is no set “checklist” to complete but below are some criteria to consider when you are evaluating a source.
    1. ACCURACY
      1. Does the author cite reliable sources?
      2. How does the information compare with that in other works on the topic?
      3. Can you determine if the information has gone through peer-review?
      4. Are there factual, spelling, typographical, or grammatical errors?
    2.  AUDIENCE
      1. Who do you think the authors are trying to reach?
      2. Is the language, vocabulary, style and tone appropriate for intended audience?
      3. What are the audience demographics? (age, educational level, etc.)
      4. Are the authors targeting a particular group or segment of society?
    3.  AUTHORITY
      1. Who wrote the information found in the article or on the site?
      2. What are the author’s credentials/qualifications for this particular topic?
      3. Is the author affiliated with a particular organization or institution?
      4. What does that affiliation suggest about the author?
    1. CURRENCY
      1. Is the content current?
      2. Does the date of the information directly affect the accuracy or usefulness of the information?
    1. OBJECTIVITY/BIAS
      1. What is the author’s or website’s point of view?
      2. Is the point of view subtle or explicit?
      3. Is the information presented as fact or opinion?
      4. If opinion, is the opinion supported by credible data or informed argument?
      5. Is the information one-sided?
      6. Are alternate views represented?
      7. Does the point of view affect how you view the information?
    1. PURPOSE
      1. What is the author’s purpose or objective, to explain, provide new information or news, entertain, persuade or sell?
      2. Does the purpose affect how you view the information presented?
  1. InterLibrary Loan

  1. Copyright and Fair Use
    Author Rights and Publishing & Finding Author Instructions for Publishing in Scholarly Journals

    1. Plagiarism, academic honesty
  2. Writing Tips
  3. Dissemination of Research

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Plamen Miltenoff, Ph.D., MLIS
Professor
320-308-3072
pmiltenoff@stcloudstate.edu
http://web.stcloudstate.edu/pmiltenoff/faculty/
schedule a meeting: https://doodle.com/digitalliteracy
find my office: https://youtu.be/QAng6b_FJqs

 

Mastery of Library Instruction badge

Greetings all,

From your embedded librarian.

My name is Plamen Miltenoff (https://web.stcloudstate.edu/pmiltenoff/faculty/)  and I am InforMedia Specialist with the SCSU Library (https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/free-tech-instruction/)

Dr. Sivaprakasam and I are developing a microcredentialing system for your class.

The “library” part has several components:

  • One badge for your ability to use the databases and find reliable scientific information in your field (required)
  • One badge for your ability to use social media for a serious, reliable, scientific research (required)
  • One badge for using the D2L “embedded librarian” widget to contact the librarian with questions regarding your class research (optional)
  • One badge for helping class peer with his research (optional)

Collecting two of the required and one of the optional badges let you earn the superbadge “Mastery of Library Instruction.”

The superbadge brings points toward your final grade.

paper handouts workshops Fall 2019 IMS instructional sessions

Mastery in Lib Instruciton badge

instruction

For the remaining of the class, please collect the superbadge                         by:

–       Provide at least 5 peer-reviewed articles regarding your research
to earn the “database” badge 
databases badge
–       Provide proof of participation at least in one LinkedIn professional group from your field

 

–       Either contact the embedded librarian with questions
regarding your research
or-       Provide proof of helping a class peer with their research
or

Link to MS Word document:
https://mnscu-my.sharepoint.com/:w:/r/personal/yg5734wd_minnstate_edu/Documents/conferences%20grants/grants/sharktank/CHEm%20491%20students%20instruction%20lib%20instruction%20badge.docx?d=w3b4c527fe9994b96809d7657017973a3&csf=1&e=RoNggi

microcredentials in education

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2019-07-12-microcredentials-could-be-a-game-changer-for-educators-but-hard-questions-remain

According to the authors of a newly published reportat least 10 state education agencies—Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Washington—have launched official microcredential pilots. And another five states—Illinois, Maryland, Montana, New York, and Wyoming—are experimenting with microcredentials in some way.

sponsored by the non-profit Digital Promise, the report argues that we’ve reached a kind of tipping point in the evolution of the “emerging micro-credentialing ecosystem,”

Reports from early adopters (among them, the NEA, the country’s largest teachers’ union) have been promising, and the potential market for such programs is potentially huge. According to Digital Promise, nearly three out of four U.S. teachers are currently engaged in some type of informal professional development or learning.

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more on microcredentials in this IMS blog:
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=microcredent

microcredentials and graduate education

https://www.edsurge.com/research/guides/a-lifetime-of-back-to-school-microcredentials-in-higher-education

Microcredentials, or short-form online learning programs, is the latest buzzword that higher education providers are latching onto. They come with diminutive names such as Micromasters (by several universities working with edX) and nanodegrees (by Udacity). But they have the potential to shake up graduate education, potentially reducing demand for longer, more-traditional professional programs. At the core of the trend is the idea that professionals will go “back to school” repeatedly over their lifetimes, rather than carving out years at a time for an MBA or technical degree.

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EdX Quietly Developing ‘MicroBachelors’ Program

By Jeffrey R. Young     Jan 25, 2018

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2018-01-25-edx-quietly-developing-microbachelors-program

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In Evolving World of Microcredentials, Students, Colleges and Employers Want Different Things

By Jeffrey R. Young     Jan 23, 2018

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2018-01-23-in-evolving-world-of-microcredentials-students-colleges-and-employers-want-different-things

Why New Jersey Is Banking on a Credential Registry to Boost Its Middle Class

By Sydney Johnson     Dec 7, 2017

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2017-12-07-why-new-jersey-is-banking-on-a-credential-registry-to-boost-its-middle-class

Credential Engine, a nonprofit funded by the Lumina Foundation, Microsoft and JPMorgan Chase, today launched its Credential Registry, a digital platform where institutions can upload degrees and credentials so prospective students can search for and compare credentials side-by-side.

Also: https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2019/01/14/promoting-credential-transparency/

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More Colleges Are Offering Microcredentials—And Developing Them The Way Businesses Make New Products

By Jeffrey R. Young     Oct 5, 2017

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2017-10-05-more-colleges-are-offering-microcredentials-and-developing-them-the-way-businesses-make-new-products

EdX, the nonprofit founded by Harvard University and MIT to offer MOOCs, now lists 40 “MicroMasters” programs from 24 colleges and universities around the world.

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In the Era of Microcredentials, Institutions Look to Blockchain to Verify Learning

By Sydney Johnson     Oct 31, 2017

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2017-10-31-in-the-era-of-microcredentials-institutions-look-to-blockchain-to-verify-learning

Also: https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2017/09/27/blockchain-credentialing-in-higher-ed/

https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2018/07/12/blockchain-and-higher-ed/

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Why Udacity and EdX Want to Trademark the Degrees of the Future—and What’s at Stake for Students

By Jeffrey R. Young     Nov 3, 2016

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2016-11-03-why-udacity-and-edx-want-to-trademark-the-degrees-of-the-future-and-what-s-at-stake-for-students

No one owns the term “master’s degree.”

Udacity won a trademark for Nanodegree last year. And in April, the nonprofit edX, founded by MIT and Harvard University to deliver online courses by a consortium of colleges, applied for a trademark on the word MicroMasters. And MicroDegree? Yep, that’s trademarked too, by yet another company.

Sean Gallagher, chief strategy officer at Northeastern University’s Global Network,  wrote the book on “ The Future of University Credentials.BOok is available online: https://mnpals-scs.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/fulldisplay?docid=gale_ofa542844867&context=PC&vid=01MNPALS_SCS:SCS&search_scope=MyInst_and_CI&tab=Everything&lang=en

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As Corporate World Moves Toward Curated ‘Microlearning,’ Higher Ed Must Adapt

By Sean Gallagher (Columnist)     Nov 6, 2017

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2017-11-06-as-corporate-world-moves-toward-curated-microlearning-higher-ed-must-adapt

U.S. employers spent nearly $71 billion on training in 2016

Pluralsight—an online IT training provider—has scaled to become an edtech “unicorn,” with a valuation over $1 billion. Similarly, LinkedIn’s $1.5 billion acquisition of Lynda.com in 2015—and LinkedIn’s subsequent acquisition by Microsoft in 2016 for $26 billion—are connected to the new business models in the provision of corporate learning.

“learning experience platforms”—such as Degreed and EdCast.

SAP’s Shelly Holt describes the movement toward a curation model… The curation approach and microlearning philosophy also provides a level of personalization that individuals have come to expect.

it may be reducing demand for executive education offerings, and even for degree programs like the traditional MBA.

colleges and universities that seek to meet corporate needs must move beyond monolithic programs and think in terms of competencies, unbundling curriculum, modularizing and “microlearning.” Many institutions are already pioneering efforts in this direction, from the certificate- and badge-oriented University of Learning Store (led by the Universities of Wisconsin, California, Washington and others) to Harvard Business School’s HBX, and the new “iCert” that we developed at Northeastern University. These types of shorter-form, competency-oriented programs can better fit corporate demands for targeted and applied learning.

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more on microcredentialing in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=microcred

 

Alternative Credentials

Alternative Credentials: How Can Higher Education Organizations Leverage Open Badges?

By Stefanie Panke for AACE Review, 

https://www.aace.org/review/alternative-credentials-how-can-higher-education-organizations-leverage-open-badges/

Badges are a mechanism to award ‘micro-credits’ online. They are awarded by an organization for an individual user, and can be either internal to a website or online community, or use open standards and shared repositories.

In open online learning settings, badges are used to provide incentives for individuals to use our resources and to participate in discussion threads.

The IBM skills gateway is an example of how open badges can be leveraged to document professional development. EDUCAUSE microcredentialing program offers 108 digital badges in five categories (community service, expertise development, presentation and facilitation, leadership development, awards).

Open Badge Initiative and “Digital Badges for Lifelong Learning” became the theme of the fourth Digital Meaning & Learning competition, in which over 30 innovative badge systems and 10 research studies received over $5 million in funding between 2012 and 2013.

Standardization is the key to creating transferability and recognition across contexts

In 2018, the new Open Badges 2.0 standard was released under the stewardship of IMS Global Learning Consortium.

badges awarded for participation are valued less meaningful than skill-based badges. For skill-based badges, evidence of mastery must be associated with the badge along with the evaluation criteria. Having a clear purpose, ensuring transferability, and specifying learning objectives were noted by the interviewees as the top priorities when implementing badge offerings in higher education contexts.

Sheryl Grant is a senior researcher on user experience at OpenWorks Group, a company that focuses on supporting educational web applications and mobile tools, including credentialing services. Prior to her current position, Dr. Grant was Director of Alternative Credentialing and Badge Research at HASTAC. She was part of the team that organized the ‘Badges for Lifelong Learning Competition’.

advice o offer for the design and implementation of digital badges. She stressed that badge systems need to be designed in a participatory manner together with the target audience who is supposed to receive them. This will allow for fair, realistic and transparent criteria. Another crucial aspect is the assessment portion: Who will make verify that the badge credentials are issued correctly? While badges can offer additional motivation, they can also diminish motivation and create a ‘race to the bottom’ if they are obtained too easily. Specifically, Dr. Grant advised to use badges to reward exceptional activities, and acknowledge students who want to go above and beyond. She also gave guidelines on when to avoid issuing badges, i.e., activities that are already graded and activities that are required.

All current UNC badging pilots used the platform cred.ly for issuing badges. An alternative is the Mozilla Open Badge backpack follow-up Badgr. The European platform Badgecraft is another repository with a fairly broad user base. The badge wiki project offers a comprehensive list with implementation details for each platform: Badge Platforms (Badge Wiki). (23 platforms)

Designing Effective Digital Badges (https://www.amazon.com/Designing-Effective-Digital-Badges-Applications/dp/1138306134) is a hands-on guide to the principles, implementation, and assessment of digital badging systems. Informed by the fundamental concepts and research-based characteristics of effective badge design, this book uses real-world examples to convey the advantages and challenges of badging and showcases its application across a variety of contexts.

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more on microcred in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=microcredentialing

hire without college degree

Google, Apple ditch college degree requirements

Aug 20, 2018, https://www.axios.com/google-apple-college-degree-hiring-a290bca8-65a7-4de2-8fa9-d93b4c30457a.html

More than a dozen companies, including Google, Apple and IBM, are no longer requiring applicants to have college degrees, CNBC reports.

 

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more on microcredentialing in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=microcredentialing

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