Abstract
Current systems of education, both K12 and postsecondary, are leaving learners unprepared for the future of work. Standardized, compliance-oriented approaches to teaching and learning are inequitable and are not responsive enough to meet individual learner needs. A learner-centered educational paradigm has emerged which seeks to disrupt traditional models of education by centering the individual needs of learners in all learning experiences. At the same time, the alternative educational model of micro-credentialing holds great promise to improve workforce readiness. While the fields of learner-centered education and micro-credentials are simultaneously gaining traction, their possible intersections have yet to be fully explored. Micro-credentials have the potential to ready learners for the future of work while providing a deeply relevant, learner-centered experience. This chapter lays out a vision for exactly what this might look like and why it matters for learners.
TopIntroduction
Current systems of education, both K12 and postsecondary, are contributing to a confluence of conditions which are leaving learners unprepared for the future of work (Achieve, 2014). Standardized approaches to teaching and learning are not responsive enough to meet individual learner needs and overemphasize traditional academics at the expense of other essential skills. This occurs within learning environments that are heavily compliance-oriented, producing learners who are dependent on external guidance, rather than empowered and self-directed. While pockets of innovation exist, these characteristics are systemic, pervasive, and highly inequitable. In response to these issues, a learner-centered educational paradigm has emerged, championed by organizations such as Education Reimagined and the Aurora Institute. A learner-centered approach seeks to disrupt standardized, compliance-oriented education by placing the individual needs, assets, and interests of learners at the center of all educational experiences. At the same time, alternative models of education focused on preparing learners for the rapidly changing world of work are gaining traction (Rossiter & Tynan, 2019). One such model is the micro-credential: a short, inexpensive course or learning experience targeting the development of a particular competency. While learner-centered education and micro-credentials have each been gaining acceptance simultaneously, their potential intersections have yet to be fully explored. With the application of intentional design criteria, micro-credentials have the potential to ready learners for the future of work while providing a deeply relevant, learner-centered experience.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Learner-Centered Education: A philosophy of education, built on constructivism, which places learners and their needs at the center of all educational endeavors. A prominent model, put forward by Education Reimagined, identifies five core, interrelated elements within a learner-centered environment, including learning that is (1) competency-based; (2) personalized, relevant, and contextualized; (3) learner agency; (4) socially embedded; (5) open-walled.
Learner Profile: A tool capturing a breadth of characteristics about a learner, including learning history/transcripts; assessment results; learning goals; learning artifacts; strengths and challenges; aspirations and motivations; passions, interests, and preferences.
Educational Equity: Ensuring every learner has the support they individually need to develop to their full potential.
Standardization: An educational approach providing a common sequence of curriculum, instruction, and assessments to all learners over a predetermined amount of time.
Badge: The visual representation of micro-credentials. Issued to a learner after a micro-credential is earned to signal their competence in a particular skill or set of skills.
Personalized Pathway: A sequence of learning and assessment opportunities which reflects an individual learner’s trajectory toward a particular learning goal. A learner’s pathway is informed by the information within their learner profile.
Prior-Learning Assessment: A way to evaluate and recognize learning gained outside the classroom, through work and life experiences.
Learner Agency: Learners’ ability to make informed choices in the learning process, thereby taking ownership of their learning.
Micro-Credential: A short, inexpensive course or learning experience targeting the development of a particular competency, usually with workforce relevance.
Credential: A qualification earned by an individual, representing a set of competencies. Can include degrees, certificates, certifications, and licenses.
Personalized Learning: An educational approach which tailors the learning experience to learners’ unique characteristics, such as their passions, interests, strengths, goals, needs, and preferences.