Posts Tagged ‘Microcredentials’
microcredentials and higher ed
Canada has reflected that global interest, with major government investment over the last two years: $59.5 million announced by the Ontario government in late 2020 to fund microcredential development and related student loans; $9 million announced by British Columbia’s government since 2020, with federal support; and $5.6 million announced by Alberta’s government last August for microcredential pilot projects after the Business Council of Alberta (BCA) issued a report in 2020 urging the provincial and federal governments to expand microcredential opportunities. Ontario’s government-backed digital learning organization, eCampus Ontario, has been working in this area since 2017. Microcredential development is included in the strategic plans of the University of New Brunswick and Dalhousie University. As far back as 2015, the University of British Columbia promoted the use of “open badges” to recognize discrete skills that students had acquired within for-credit courses. It started running several non-credit microcredentials in 2021, thanks to provincial funding.
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What Are Micro-Credentials And Why Are So Many Universities Talking About Them?
https://www.suitable.co/knowledge-center/blog/what-are-micro-credentials
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more on microcredentials in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=microcredential
higher ed predictors for 2022
14 Predictions for Higher Education in 2022
https://campustechnology.com/articles/2022/01/04/14-predictions-for-higher-education-in-2022.aspx
Forget Hyflex
our faculty will discover that effectively teaching in a hyflex environment without adequate support is extremely difficult and truly exhausting.
Adapt Hyflex — and Be Ready for Anything (security)
Move Beyond Zoom into the Metaverse
Reap the Rewards of 2 Years of Strategic Decision-Making
campus leaders who have intentionally put students at the center of organization and system design will reap a great reward.
Expect More Disruption and More Innovation
look for movement in the augmented and virtual reality space.
Online Ed Becomes the Norm
online education will become the norm rather than the step-sister of “traditional” education
Build Off the Threads that Are Here to Stay
Alternatives Will Continue Gaining Ground
The cultures within institutions may prevent these significant changes from occurring. If that occurs, alternatives will continue to build momentum.
Emphasize Choice and Support
Alumni will be looking for upskilling opportunities via microcredentials, to navigate growth and career change during the “Great Resignation.” Recent high school grads will expect a variety of online, hybrid and in-person courses to choose from, many bringing with them years of experience with virtual learning.
Students Need Faster Routes to Completion
Climate Change Ed Gets Embedded
Hybrid Learning Tech Will Step Up
many lecture theaters might come to look like professional TV studios, to meet growing quality and usability expectations. Also, technologies will likely be expected to make classrooms environments more “peer-learning friendly” and inclusive
Blockchain Will Gain Ed Pickup
The (Arizon State) university announced that in 2022 it would release Pocket, a digital wallet for students as a comprehensive learner record.
stackable credentials
As a prelude to earning degrees, students are completing stackable credentials they can use to demonstrate mastery of a particular area of knowledge to potential employers.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, a stackable credential is “part of a sequence of credentials that can be accumulated over time to build up an individual’s qualifications and help them to move along a career pathway or up a career ladder to different and potentially higher-paying jobs.” In general, stackable credentials are shorter-term programs that can lead to higher-level credentials.
The traditional system of higher education puts students’ focus on earning, at minimum, a four-year degree. The traditional student is fresh out of high school and entering college or university with the intent of completing those four years consecutively and graduating with a degree in hand. That traditional student, however, is no longer typical. Statistics show that more than 47 percent of people entering college are over 25 years old, and 40 percent of those are over 35.
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more on stackable credentials in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=stackable
online education is the future
Colorado State U. Global’s provost says online education is the future
In the U.S., the percentage of undergraduate students taking at least one course online grew from 15% in 2004 to 43% in 2016, a 2018 study from the National Center for Education Statistics found.
CSU Global last week launched Direct Path Education, a new program centered on industry-specific education that allows students to transfer their credits toward a degree or earn certificates and professional certifications. The six-week courses add to a growing trend in the U.S. as many workers who lost their jobs following the pandemic search for new opportunities.
My note: this article in conjunction with the “global upskilling”: https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2021/02/11/global-upskilling-and-universities/
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more on online ed in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=online+education
Library Instruction Chem 151
Library Instruction delivered by Plamen Miltenoff, pmiltenoff@stcloudstate.eduDr. Kannan Sivaprakasam, |
Short link to this tutorial: http://bit.ly/chem151 |
- 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.
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
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
- How (where from) do you receive your news? Do you think you are able to distinguish real news from fake news?
- 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/ - 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.
- Last year, researchers at Oxford Universityfound that 70 countries had political disinformation campaigns over two years.
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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- 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.
- 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
Evaluating Web Resources
- Google or similar; Yahoo, Bing
- Google Scholar
- Reddit, Digg, Quora
- Wikipedia
- Become a member of professional organizations and use their online information
- Use the SCSU library page to online databases
- Building Your List of Keywords
- Why Keyword Searching?
Why not just type in a phrase or sentence like you do in Google or Yahoo!?- Because most electronic databases store and retrieve information differently than Internet search engines.
- 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.
- Why Keyword Searching?
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- The bottom line: you get better results in a database by using effective keyword search strategies.
- To develop an effective search strategy, you need to:
- determine the key concepts in your topic and
- develop a good list of keyword synonyms.
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- 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. - Consider: Will an author use:
- Hypertension or High Blood Pressure?
- Teach or Instruct?
- Therapy or Treatment?
- Why use synonyms?
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
- Library Resources
How to find the SCSU Library Website
SCSU online databases
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- SCSU Library Web page
- 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
- Identifying a Scholarly Source
- Boolean operators
- Databases:
CINAHL, MEDLINE, PubMed, Health Source: Consumer Edition, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition
Psychology:
PsychINFO
General Science
ScienceDirect
Arts & Humanities Citation Index
- 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.
- ACCURACY
- Does the author cite reliable sources?
- How does the information compare with that in other works on the topic?
- Can you determine if the information has gone through peer-review?
- Are there factual, spelling, typographical, or grammatical errors?
- AUDIENCE
- Who do you think the authors are trying to reach?
- Is the language, vocabulary, style and tone appropriate for intended audience?
- What are the audience demographics? (age, educational level, etc.)
- Are the authors targeting a particular group or segment of society?
- AUTHORITY
- Who wrote the information found in the article or on the site?
- What are the author’s credentials/qualifications for this particular topic?
- Is the author affiliated with a particular organization or institution?
- What does that affiliation suggest about the author?
- ACCURACY
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- CURRENCY
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- Is the content current?
- Does the date of the information directly affect the accuracy or usefulness of the information?
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- OBJECTIVITY/BIAS
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- What is the author’s or website’s point of view?
- Is the point of view subtle or explicit?
- Is the information presented as fact or opinion?
- If opinion, is the opinion supported by credible data or informed argument?
- Is the information one-sided?
- Are alternate views represented?
- Does the point of view affect how you view the information?
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- PURPOSE
- What is the author’s purpose or objective, to explain, provide new information or news, entertain, persuade or sell?
- Does the purpose affect how you view the information presented?
- PURPOSE
- InterLibrary Loan
- Copyright and Fair Use
Author Rights and Publishing & Finding Author Instructions for Publishing in Scholarly Journals- Plagiarism, academic honesty
- Writing Tips
- 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
microcredentialing
Looking to connect with an educator who is doing micro-credentialing with students. Anyone? Bueller? #edtech #edumatch @foss_j12 @Rdene915 @AggieSalterITS @mrmatera @JaimeDonally @tishrich @jonathanspike @mr_isaacs pic.twitter.com/tov3GDsVTl
— Mandy Froehlich (@froehlichm) December 13, 2019
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more on microcredenialing in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=microcredentialing
Shark Tank grant badge comparison
According to the this Colorado Community College System comprehensive white paper: https://www.cccs.edu/wp-content/uploads/documents/CCCS-Digital-Badging-Taskforce-Whitepaper-11.12.14.pdf
Acclaim, Badger, Badge List, Credly, CSULogics, and Red Critter
Acclaim and Credly merged. CSULogics seems CCCS native; pls advise if I need to contact them nevertheless. Badgr is now with Canvas, but I still think we need to explore the options with other LMS, such as D2L.
Meeting with Pete from Credly: https://zoom.us/recording/share/gh-NPaJf-3No3mRE6lj_Ulq7qFfRjW0GRjUb27YRsX6wIumekTziMw
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contacted April 25, 2019.
From: Hank from Badge List <hank.holiday@badge-list.intercom-mail.com>
Reply-To: Hank from Badge List <hank.holiday@badge-list.intercom-mail.com>
Date: Friday, April 26, 2019 at 4:53 PM
To: Plamen Miltenoff <pmiltenoff@stcloudstate.edu>
Subject: Re: Discuss a setup of microcredentialing system
Hi Plamen! The pricing is is available here: https://www.badgelist.com/pricing
Please look that over and we can help you via email if you have any questions. Cheers, |
From: Ben from Badge List <ben.roome@badge-list.intercom-mail.com>
Reply-To: Ben from Badge List <ben.roome@badge-list.intercom-mail.com>
Date: Monday, April 29, 2019 at 5:30 PM
To: Plamen Miltenoff <pmiltenoff@stcloudstate.edu>
Subject: Re: Discuss a setup of microcredentialing system
Hi Plamen,
We’d love to get on a call but unfortunately we can’t spend those time resources on accounts that generate below $4,950 per year. Does your budget meet those requirements? If so we’d be happy to schedule a conversation.
Benfrom Badge List
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email sent March 26.
respond on March 29: https://www.badgelist.com/pricing
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https://www.redcritterteacher.com/
email sent March 26. submission #28545
Zoom meeting https://zoom.us/j/7796063558 with Dan Hoffman on March 26, Tues, 3PM
Zoom meeting recording https://zoom.us/recording/share/gmCYai1IkMUFH3r2x-yxGciY977Beok5fgay5Czja_CwIumekTziMw with Dan Hoffman of April 30, 2019
http://redcritterconnecter.com/pricing
http://redcritterconnecter.com/APIReference.aspx to make easy integrate. http://redcritterconnecter.com/APIReference.aspx?apiid=14
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Suitable
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https://support.suitable.co/hc/en-us
https://support.suitable.co/hc/en-us/articles/115000780372-Achievements-Badges-
mostly working with undergrads.
the emphasis (strong side) is the streamlining of the different offices and activities on campus
levels of proficiency is very much geared toward undergrads
aspects of gamification, but no peer support credit/badge
U of Pittsburgh – OCC outside the class curriculum
Monclair U (NJ second largest):
U of Wyoming: after level 3, career coach does storytelling appointment.
pilot is $5K and institutional can vary between $10-15K
segmenting capabilities.
microcredentials concerns
As students flock to credentials other than degrees, quality-control concerns grow
Policymakers try to bring consistency to what “microcredentials” actually mean
As students flock to credentials other than degrees, quality-control concerns grow
Degro took the course and earned the badge that turned out to be a way to list his new skill in an online resume with a digital graphic that looks like an emoji.
Such non-degree credentials have been growing in popularity.
“We do have a little bit of a Wild West situation right now with alternative credentials,” said Alana Dunagan, a senior research fellow at the nonprofit Clayton Christensen Institute, which researches education innovation. The U.S. higher education system “doesn’t do a good job of separating the wheat from the chaff.”
Thousands of credentials classes aimed at improving specific skills have cropped up outside of traditional colleges. Some classes are boot camps, including those popular with computer coders. Others are even more narrowly focused, such as courses on factory automation and breastfeeding. Colleges and universities have responded by adding non-degree programs of their own.
some 4,000 colleges and other providers issue industry certifications, according to the Lumina Foundation, but fewer than one in 10 are reviewed by a regulatory body or accreditor.
That companies need trained employees is uncontested: More than three-quarters of U.S. manufacturers told the National Association of Manufacturers this year that they had trouble finding and keeping skilled workers.
Despite those hiring and retention concerns, industry appears reluctant to discuss the topic of policing new credentials. The National Association of Manufacturers declined to answer questions.
“If an organization wants to grant a badge, there’s nothing stopping them from doing that,” Richardson said. “It’s important for consumers to do their due diligence.”
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more on microcredentials in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=microcredentialing
Microcredentials and Digital Badges in Higher Ed
Microcredentials and Digital Badges in Higher Education
November 27 – 29, 2018 Savannah, GA
https://www.academicimpressions.com/microcredentials-and-digital-badges-in-higher-education
Badging programs are rapidly gaining momentum in higher education – join us to learn how to get your badging efforts off the ground.
During this session, you will learn how to ask the right questions and evaluate if badges are a good fit within your unique institutional context, including determining ROI on badging efforts. You’ll also learn how to assess the competencies behind digital badges.
This session will allow for greater understanding of Open Badges standards, the variety of technology software and platforms, and the portability of badges. We will also explore emerging trends in the digital badging space and discuss campus considerations.
During this hour, we will take a closer look at answering key financial questions surrounding badges:
- What does the business model look like behind existing institutional badging initiatives?
- Are these money-makers for an institution? Is there revenue potential?
- Where does funding for these efforts come from?
Badging can be a catalyst for partnerships between higher education and industry. In this session, you will have the opportunity to learn more about strategies for collaborating with industry in the development of badges and how badges align with employer expectations.
Now that we have a better idea of the “why” and “what” of badges, how do we market their value to external and internal stakeholders? You’ll see examples of how other institutions are designing and marketing their badges.
Alongside your peers and our expert instructors, you will have the opportunity to brainstorm ideas, get feedback, ask questions, and get answers.
Most institutions are getting into the badging game, and we’ll talk about the far-reaching considerations in the world of badging. We’ll use this time to engage in forward-thinking and discuss the future of badging and what future trends in badging might be.
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more on microcredentialing in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=microcredentialing