Digital Promise Tackles Micro-Credentialing

column |

Digital Promise Tackles Micro-Credentialing

Apr 22, 2014

BADGEWORTHY: The support for teacher badging grows! Yesterday, nonprofit Digital Promise (DP) announced its movement into the world of micro-credentialing with an infographic representation of "competency-based professional development." Co-authored by GettingSmart, the infographic identifies central issues of personalizing PD, and includes a competency-based development system that includes three focal points:

  • A competency map, or what teachers can/should learn;
  • Multiple ways by which teachers learn, or the how;
  • Demonstrations of competency, or recognition that a teacher has learned something.

Later in the infographic, DP identifies the steps by which one gains badges as micro-credentials--including submission and review of artifacts as demonstrations of competency.

Digital Promise Professional Development Manager Krista Moroder explains that the shift to micro-credentialing comes from the recognition that, "it's easier to personalize learning than ever before." She adds: "There are so many different ways to learn now, that it doesn't make sense to only credential on-seat time."

Along with other members of the Badge Alliance (a group that includes Mozilla and the MacArthur Foundation), Digital Promise plans to release a white paper (“Preparing Teachers for Deeper Learning") with more information next Monday, and launch a full-scale micro-credentialing program in a few months, while working with teachers in the interim to refine the micro-credentialing process.

Learn more about EdSurge operations, ethics and policies here. Learn more about EdSurge supporters here.

More from EdSurge

Get our email newsletterSign me up
Keep up to date with our email newsletterSign me up