Changing Higher Ed The Value of Micro-Credentials for Higher Education Institutions
Higher ed can be better positioned to meet, enroll, retain, and help future generations of students successfully maneuver the ever-changing business world by embracing micro-credentials appropriately and programmatically.
Micro-credentials are also money-making opportunities for colleges and universities that can help address deficits and fund other pursuits. Additionally, with digital credential platforms such as Credly reporting the issuance of industry and workforce credentials being up 83% since the pandemic, now is the time for higher ed presidents and decision-makers to begin thinking about micro-credentials seriously.
In his latest podcast episode, Dr. Drumm McNaughton discusses how higher ed can benefit from micro-credentialing and where to start with Matt Frank, director of technology evangelism and product marketing at Salesforce apps provider Blackthorn.io. In addition to breaking down what a micro-credential is, Matt discusses how micro-credentials meet where today’s and future generations are, how to identify the worth of micro-credentials, and the importance of perception when adopting micro-credentials that might not be aligned with what your institution is known for.
Highlights
- Micro-credentials are non-diploma programs that give learners practical knowledge and skills while providing progressive value as an individual in the labor market. They can be sponsored by associations, professional organizations, public and private industry partnerships, and even traditional universities.
- Micro-credentials enable learners to acquire specific skills or knowledge efficiently that professional organizations can use to retain or rescale employees. Micro-credentials can align with new technologies and help describe a partnership between, for example, a university and an industry at large. They allow students to take the learning journey they want and to design and manage what services they can provide through technology.
- Higher ed and employers can trust micro-credentials backed by professional organizations like the American Medical Association or the American Psychological Association that create standards of professionalism for their industries. But conversely, micro-credentials should be questioned if they come from an organization without industry trust or buy-in or that is purely motivated by profit.
- If the micro-credential is part of a public-private partnership, look at where their partnership started. The more time that was taken to incorporate the multiple voices of the university community and design the program, gives more value to the micro-credential. A program designed with the university's deans, faculty, and community engagement managers is also more valuable. It should have been a collaborative process without one body or another having the power to veto the final product. Also, question the value of a micreocredential if an external private organization dictated how to design it for the university.
- It’s worth the experimentation for a school to invest in at least a small part of a micro-credentialing program that they feel speaks to their strengths. Institutions that consider the external reviews from publications like the Chronicle of Higher Education that identify what specific colleges or universities are known for as opposed to what the institution feels they're known for can become more self-aware and invest in the areas where they see their core strength.
About Our Podcast Guest
Matthew Frank, a Denver resident and avid music enthusiast, has one goal: to empower organizations with apps that delight and, simply put, ‘just work.’
After years of working for nonprofits and in higher education, Matthew became frustrated with the many disconnected legacy services that dominated those industries and fell backward into the world of SaaS technology. This led him to the Salesforce ecosystem, where he worked for multiple award-winning ISV partners focused on nonprofits, NGOs, associations, and higher ed.
After working in the US ecosystem, Matthew moved to the UK, where he continued to serve NGOs & EDUs in EMEA and ANZ before returning to the US in 2020. He is currently with Blackthorn.io, an award-winning Salesforce.org Partner that has seen exponential growth and success since its founding in 2015.
About the Host
Dr. Drumm McNaughton, host and consultant to higher ed institutions. To learn more about his services and other thought leadership pieces, visit his firm’s website, https://changinghighered.com/.
The Change Leader’s Social Media Links
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdrumm/
- Twitter: @thechangeldr
- Email: podcast@changinghighered.com
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