Credentials Unscripted

What do we really know about the skills and competencies of graduates? Surprisingly, very little. In this episode, we are joined by Amber Garrison Duncan from the Competency Based Education Network, an organization dedicated to true competency — what an individual knows and can do — rather than on proxies for knowledge and skills.

Non-degree credentials are growing rapidly, but what does non-degree credential quality look like? In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Michelle Van Noy, Director of the Education & Employment Research Center at Rutgers University. She shares a framework for non-degree credential quality and highlights the research around outcomes for non-degree credential attainers. 

How does the largest school district in the country set students up for postsecondary success? In this episode, we are joined by Kristen Harris, Executive Director of College & Career Planning at New York City Public Schools. She shares how they navigate postsecondary planning and the impactful practices they've implemented for student success.

Are dually enrolled students more likely to graduate? Are they more likely to enroll in postsecondary? In this episode, we dig into the impacts of dual enrollment on a student's pathway to and through higher education. We are joined by Tatiana Velaso, Senior Research Associate at the Community College Research Center to discuss the latest research into the postsecondary outcomes of dual enrollment students. To read more about the CCRC's research, click here - https://shorturl.at/cpvZt

What is the microcredentialing landscape in Europe? In this episode, we are joined by Anastasia Pouliou, an expert in Vocational Education & Training from Cedefop. She shares the work being done in Europe on microcredentials, how they are aligning to qualifications frameworks, and how microcredentials can impact learning. 

What does it actually mean to create a future-ready workforce? In this episode, we speak with Daphne Dor-Ner, VP of Product Management at Lightcast. She will share labor market information and how it can help institutions of higher education advance strategic priorities. If you are curious about how your institution can ensure you are creating credentials of value for your students, this episode is for you.

IPEDS recently released a trove of data around dual enrollment. In this episode, we sit down with John Fink from the Community College Research Center to discuss what we learned from the data and how it can help dual enrollment practitioners. As discussed in the episode, CCRC built a phenomenal dashboard to dissect the data. View the dashboard here - https://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/easyblog/how-many-students-are-taking-dual-enrollment-courses-in-high-school-new-national-state-and-college-level-data.html

Sometimes the best way to look forward is to look back. In this episode, we speak with Dr. Ethan Hutt, Associate Professor at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, about the history of the student record, the benefits and drawbacks of our system today, and how he would like student records evolve. As we highlight in the episode, be sure to check out Dr. Hutt's book, Off the Mark: How Grades, Ratings and Rankings Undermine Learning (but Don't Have To) - https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674248410

Comprehensive Learner Records are billed as a new way for learners to communicate the totality of their educational experience. But, what goes in a CLR? How are students utilizing it? In this episode, we are joined by one of the early adopters of CLRs, Dr. Rodney Parks, Assistant Vice President & University Registrar at Elon University. Dr. Parks will share how they developed their CLR, the impacts of their work, and how he sees the CLR evolving in the future. 

How do we better connect learners to opportunities? How can states and employers better understand what credentials are being issued? Deb Everhart, Chief Strategy Officer at Credential Engine, joins us to discuss their efforts to improve pathways by investing in credential transparency. Deb shares how Credential Engine's Credential Registry and Credential Transparency Descriptor Language (CTDL) are powering what learners, states, and employers know about the credentialing ecosystem.