Micro-credentials

A Pathway for the Future

Chami Akmeemana, CEO, Trybe.ID chami@trybe.id Chami Akmeemana is the CEO of Convergence.Tech and Trybe.ID. He pursued a PhD in 3D Printing of Bioceramic Engineering at Queen Mary, University of London, until deciding to forgo an academic career in favour of Law Enforcement. In 2002, he joined London’s Metropolitan Police. Chami has had four successful exits over the last 16 years and is passionate about the intersection of technology, business and social good. His experience includes serving as a Fintech Advisor to the Ontario Securities Commission, Managing Director, Fintech and Blockchain at the Global Risk Institute and member of the advisory committee of Supply Chain Canada.

BY CHAMI AKMEEMANA

PARTNER WITH HTS IN DEVELOPING MICRO-CREDENTIALS AND DIGITAL WALLETS FOR STUDENTS

Why micro-credentialing? Why now? In what ways does micro-credentialing serve lifelong learning?

Credentials are a tangible qualification, achievement, quality or aspect of a person’s background, especially when used to indicate their suitability for something. Digital credentials convert paper-based credentials such as a driver’s licence, movie theatre ticket or high school diploma to a digital format. They confer the benefits of being portable, secure, instantly verifiable and easily transferable to third parties such as colleges, universities and employers, and they are highly visual and optimal for sharing on social media.

Micro-credentials are a subset of digital credentials. They represent a certification of assessed learning that is additional or complementary to or a primary component of a formal qualification, and they provide more granular statements of learning achievements (e.g., certifications in active listening, program design, critical thinking). Traditional credentialing approaches are based on classroom time, testing results and credit hours that culminate in a high school diploma earned for 12 years of work, or a diploma or degree for completing a two- to four-year college or university program. They do not account for the non-traditional ways people gain learning experiences.

Yet, the internet has expanded the many ways in which we find and access information. Individuals are engaging in short-form education through online courses and content offerings such as massive open online courses (MOOCs), to enhance their knowledge in areas of interest or to plug skills gaps. However, the learnings gained from these extracurricular engagements, or from independent skill development (learning to code) or even recreational activities (playing in sports leagues, volunteering), are not supported by any formal stamp of recognition. This is where micro-credentials step in to fill this gap and enable learning outside the classroom, in all aspects of life, to be captured, formally acknowledged and leveraged to support additional opportunities as needed.

The adoption of digital credential technology has accelerated in recent years in many sectors, primarily amongst employers, by virtue of digital transformation projects, cybersecurity concerns, employee engagement initiatives, and upskilling and reskilling strategies. A recent LinkedIn survey found that 57 per cent of employer respondents indicated a shift in emphasis towards non-traditional credentials. Furthermore, 60 per cent predicted hiring would be based on candidate ability instead of degree type. The rapid pace at which the digital world and the nature of work is changing demands individuals to continuously grow and reinvent their personal and professional brand in order to be relevant. Learning has increasingly become continuous and lifelong, and micro-credentials are designed to support this need for fast upskilling and learning, enabling an alternative pathway to traditional learning and opportunity.

The Peer Mentorship Micro-credential is the first-ever HTS micro-credential that is student-created and led by Christina Iliopoulos ’21. These badges were created by Summer Xu ’21 and awarded to students who complete the levels of the micro-credential. Convergence.Tech is collaborating with HTS to save these badges to a digital wallet for all students who complete the course work.

In the journey to successfully implement skill-based learning programs, while the immediate benefit would be to students and learners, the greatest transformation would come from the educational institutions themselves. Schools would have to measure how any learning outside class time is captured and how micro-credentials would disrupt the way teachers view curriculum.

Surprisingly, the concept of micro-credentials is foreign to most students, even at the post-secondary level. Educators have some familiarity with digital badges that may recognize a person’s spirit and willingness to engage but do not confirm learning outcomes. Helen Pereira-Raso, Head of School, believes that “to increase awareness, teachers and students need more stories of how they can curate a pathway for students to acquire a micro-credential and then apply it in the real world.” These include highlighting paths to new opportunities, branding, mobility, self-sovereignty and better alignment and positioning for success. In creating microcredentials, however, schools must be mindful to design them to capture and hone skills that are transferable in all sectors and not simply issue micro-credentials for things students have to do every day.

Ultimately, Helen Pereira-Raso believes that micro-credentials should recognize and build a path towards skills that are complex and have a logical sequence of progression and a continuum of proficiency that leads individuals to depth and mastery. Micro-credentials will invariably reinvent schools, colleges and universities in a multitude of ways. Instead of catering only to the traditional educational settings, these institutions can now offer comprehensive short-cycle courses to anyone looking to build particular skills and competencies, at any stage in their lives, at accessible and affordable rates. More importantly, these offerings will help provide pathways to a variety of career opportunities as employers shift their focus towards non-traditional credentials and prioritize candidate abilities. Accessibility to learning is a major disruption, and if schools in local neighbourhoods can facilitate upskilling a mid-career individual, educational institutions could truly be revolutionary in removing barriers to lifelong learning within the community.

Schools have an obligation to honour learners in their full capacity. Students acquire skills every day on their own, both within and outside the classroom. The internet alone has expanded the many ways in which people can find and access information and the sources from which they learn, and yet nowhere are they recognized for their initiative, nor is it immediately visible to others. Digital credentialing creates a space and a vehicle to ensure the success of not only educational institutions, but ultimately of the students they serve.

For more information on digital credential applications and Trybe.ID, or to read our paper The Potential for Micro-credentials in Education, please visit https://trybe.id.

Horn, Michael. “Will Alternative Credentials Replace College Degrees?” January 20, 2017. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/alternative-credentials-replace-college-degrees-michael-horn/

Olivia Raso

Grade 12 How does HTS help you grow as a person and as a learner?

Since coming to HTS in Grade 9, I’ve found the experience here has been nothing but welcoming. The HTS community is filled with people who create a space where every student feels like they belong. HTS has shaped me from a quiet girl into someone who is confident in her voice and someone who loves to share her ideas and thoughts. HTS continues to challenge me and push me to think beyond the walls of the school.

The staff are some of the most supportive teachers I have learned from. Teachers build connections with students and support them in personalized ways. HTS and its community have forever changed me. It has impacted the way I think – I think bigger, better and smarter with each thing I do. I am forever grateful to be a part of a community that encouraged me to grow this way.

Michka Mancini

HTS Parent Michka Mancini is Head of Industry at Google Canada, partnering with Canada’s top marketers to help drive their business growth. She is an accomplished sales executive with 20+ years of experience leading media organizations through digital transformation, including Rogers Media, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and Global TV.

How has the global pandemic accelerated transformation in your industry?

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen five years’ worth of digital transformation take place within a period of nine months. Consumers shifted and adapted their day-to-day lives through the use of digital tools, and infrastructure has been at the forefront of this transformation. People are turning to digital channels to work, communicate, shop and participate in the broader economy. This shift in behaviour has forced brands and marketers to reimagine how they connect and engage with consumers. They are adopting agile marketing practices so that they can rapidly change focus, reprioritize and remain resilient during this unprecedented time. They are investing in omnichannel communication, recognizing the importance of being available to serve customers across all channels whether that is in the physical store, through a call centre, online or within a mobile app. And more than ever before, marketers are investing in and prioritizing digital channels and e-commerce to meet the emerging media and shopping habits. The successful businesses of tomorrow will embrace this disruption with a willingness to change, adapt and invest in long-term technologies to shape their future.