1. Alternative Credentialing in Higher Education
Joe Shelley • Mary Bold • Cathy Bates •
Donna Liss • Veronica Diaz • Donna Petherbridge

2. Panel Information
Donna Petherbridge, AVP, NC State University (moderator)
Joe Shelley, AVC & Mary Bold, CIO at Washington Bothell
Cathy Bates, CIO, Appalachian State University
Donna Liss, CIO, Truman State University
Veronica Diaz, Director, Online Programs, AD, ELI, EDUCAUSE

3. * Learn about microcredentialing and digital badging as valid records of learning
* Compare and contrast microcredentialing with a traditional credit
* Discuss the impact of alternative credentialing on higher education

4. Definitions Certificates Microcredentialing Digital Badge Nanodegree
Comfortable, familiar. Typically issued by institutions for programs of student that do not culminate in a degree.
Microcredentialing
Granular, digitally presented certifications offering evidence an individual has mastered a skill or specific area of knowledge.
Digital Badge
“a visual way of displaying both curricular and cocurricular experiences and achievements” (Fain, 2016)
offered via Credly (and others)
Nanodegree
Online certification training in a very specific skillset; example: Udacity’s technical nanodegrees in areas such as “Android App Development”
Infographic (Pearson & UPCEA)
Upon completion, students receive a nanodegree, a credential that may not mean much to traditional academia but is increasingly recognized by technology companies looking for programmers and other skilled workers — particularly those companies that partner with Udacity to create the coursework. AT&T, for instance, has pledged to reserve 100 paid internships for Udacity nanodegree program graduates, and Google has invited top nanodegree graduates to visit its Silicon Valley campus.

5. Discussion Questions
What are you doing at your institution to provide opportunities for recognizable, alternative credentialing beyond the traditional transcript?
Who are you partnering with (Vendors? Other institutions? Partners?)
How do you get your faculty and employers to view this as valid? Who really is the audience (stakeholders) for these?
How does this impact what you are doing now (impacts on current services?)
What are all the potential impacts that may occur in higher ed to our services (transcripts, learning, etc.)? How should we prepare for that? How do digital credentials affect who we think of as our “students” over the short/long terms?
Who are others using this in the room that would be willing to share what you are doing?
(Cathy) What are you doing at your institution to provide opportunities for recognizable, alternative credentialing beyond the traditional transcript? [Joe & Mary]
(Veronica) Who are you partnering with (vendors? Other institutions? partners?) [Donna L] [Cathy - vendors - integration/resources]
(Donna L) How do you get your faculty and employers to view this as valid? Who really is the audience (stakeholders) for these? [Veronica - bring up pilots/lighter lift stuff - Cathy - faculty]
(Joe & Mary) How does this impact what you are doing now (impacts on current services?)
(all) What are all the potential impacts that may occur in higher ed to our services (transcripts, learning, etc.)? How should we prepare for that? How do digital credentials affect who we think of as our “students” over the short/long terms? [national trends - Veronica - things that surprise us about adult professional learning]]
Who are others using this in the room that would be willing to share what you are doing?
Examples/Notes:
Goes way beyond a transcript, is a way of recognizing a lifelong learner/T shaped grad. Transcripts will have to evolve or others will find a way to communicate accomplishments digitally.
Mary: spremise - does your university view as internal - or extended

6. Resources to Explore General resources to consider:
Dillow, C. (2016, June 20). Want a high-paying job? Get a 'nanodegree' Retrieved September 16, 2016, from
Fain, P. (2016, August 9). Digital, Verified and Less Open. Retrieved September 16, 2016, from
UPCAE & Pearson Education. (Eds.). (2016). Demographic Shifts in Educational Demand and the Rise of Alternative Credentials. Retrieved September 16, 2016, from
Also see the EDUCAUSE Library resources:
And national initiative info:
Connecting Credentials: over 100 co-sponsors working on a national dialogue and creating resources for a standardized learning-based credentialing system
Credential Transparency Initiative: aligning workforce needs to corporate and higher education models, testing one database model

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