Digital badges, microcredentials and digital credentials… What sets them apart, or are they synonymous? Essentially, these credentials share a few attributes: They are skill-specific and emphasize industry-relevant competencies. Moreover, they possess the valuable quality of being stackable, allowing learners to accumulate multiple credentials over time, systematically enhancing their expertise through a portfolio of competencies.

One of the draws to credentialing programs is that they afford learners unparalleled flexibility while requiring a considerably smaller investment of time than traditional degree programs. Nevertheless, a pressing question remains: Do all credential programs uniformly pave the way to enhanced career opportunities?

The credentialing world has grown significantly in the last few years, resulting in an evolving and sometimes undefined digital education model. Yet, there is clear value in digital credentials within higher education and job-embedded professional learning. Recently, EdSurge spoke with Rob Coyle, a digital credential program manager at 1EdTech, a 25-year strong, members-based standards consortium focused on uniting digital learning systems and standardizing learning credentials. Coyle’s background in instructional design in higher ed has provided him with an important perspective when tackling the drive for interoperability in the credentialing landscape.

EdSurge: How has the concept and practice of microcredentialing evolved over the years?

Rob Coyle
Digital Credential Program Manager at 1EdTech

Coyle: It seems every credentialing organization has its own definition of microcredentials, alternative credentials, digital credentials and badges.… But I think, ultimately, we're often talking about the same thing: a formal expression of a skill that can be demonstrated or knowledge that can be assessed as something that has been mastered.

One of the original concepts of microcredentials came from Mozilla’s drive for open recognition of skills through badges. 1EdTech inherited Open Badges from Mozilla in 2017. This move aimed to partner Mozilla’s established community of badges with the standards-driven body of 1EdTech.

Digital credentialing is an electronic means of transferring data about an individual’s accomplishments, resulting in a PDF, image or other digital learning record. Credentials that adhere to the Open Badges or CLR [Comprehensive Learner Record] standards have a specific way of packaging that data to be both human-readable and machine-readable. That's where the credential value comes in. Not only are you communicating what the data is, but you're doing it in a way that can be used by people and machines, verifying various academic and workplace achievements. Because the credentials are standardized, we can make that flow of information much more seamless across different systems. This adds value to the credential.

What are the advantages for learners to use digital credentialing? How does badge standardization affect employers and higher education institutions?

The Open Badges and the CLR standards help learners express the skills and knowledge they have achieved. Courses don’t always provide such transparency around these competencies. Your history course may not specify that you are gaining skills in research, writing and evaluation logic. Digital credentialing helps unpack and identify each skill. That in itself is valuable to learners: understanding the skills they are gaining and conveying that to others. This is priceless in a job interview. When you have electronically verifiable credentials, you're taking it to a whole new level to empower the learner to maximize their potential.

Digital credentialing helps unpack and identify each skill. That in itself is valuable to learners: understanding the skills they are gaining and conveying that to others.

— Rob Coyle

With digital credentials, learners can showcase skills they have mastered in a smaller package than a degree — before earning a degree. In the context of higher education, students can earn badges for their skills along the way. This means learners can try out different career pathways without having to fully commit to that degree. Or maybe you already have a degree but want to change course. Microcredentials allow learners to respond to market needs faster. Technology certifications change constantly; a digital credential allows learners to continue building on those new skills, allowing them to be agile. That badge gives learners more opportunities in different internships and careers.

The digital credential provides employers with verifiable information about prospective employees. That’s an important advantage for employers. It saves time in the hiring process and brings more confidence in the hiring decision. A partner organization recently told me one of their employers hired someone specifically based on their digital credentials, cutting out two weeks of background research.

And the number of credentials is increasing drastically. There have been over 74 million badges issued worldwide. That growth is just bringing more attention to digital credentials and, ultimately, more value to the employer for badge standardization.

In the higher education setting, a lot goes into the governance structure around creating course content. Our conversation with institutions is that they don’t need to create new content or new programs for badges; there doesn’t have to be this hurdle of creating something new. Instead, start with badging the skills that are in the existing courses. Package those skills in a digital credential. That brings more value to their programs.

I often get email inquiries from faculty about offering Open Badges to students in their courses. We clearly need a systematic approach to implementing digital credential programs at the organizational level. As an edtech organization whose background is in standards and interoperability, 1EdTech is positioned to contribute here. We collaborate with institutions and edtech vendors to help universally define the standards ecosystem and support the mobility of digital credentials through technology solutions, and we offer certification of platforms to ensure they are adhering to the standards as intended.

Recommended Links:

• Wellspring Webpage
• Digital Credentials Workstream
• Open Badges: Cutting Through Chaos With Transparency
• College Presidents Explain the Way To and Reason For Offering Microcredentials
• What Will It Take for Employers to Accept Microcredentials
• Opportunities in a New Age of Hiring
• Wichita State University and Digital Credentials

Now, we’re working on a new framework to increase the value of microcredentials for all stakeholders. Our TrustEd Microcredential Coalition is working on setting a standard for what the information digital credentials need to contain in terms of transparency with respect to skills, knowledge and abilities a learner achieved, and ensuring the credential is interoperable. We hope to have a framework finalized in time for 1EdTech’s Digital Credentials Summit in March.

What is a success story related to the implementation and recognition of microcredentials within educational and employment contexts?

My colleague Kelly Hoyland just shared with me about an institution we are working with that has made it a priority to issue microcredentials focused on transitioning a learner to a family-sustaining wage. This particular institution is in a very impoverished city, so anything we can do to help those learners break through the barriers and increase their salary is a success.

Another success story that comes to mind is from a provider that is partnering with a social justice nonprofit to help give internship opportunities to students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The digital credential program is helping promote equity and social justice, reaching communities beyond the traditional educational pathway.

There are so many examples like these, and that’s what I love about the 1EdTech community, is that we have all of these different people representing different types of industries and learners working together to find standards and solutions that will help everyone be successful.

© Image Credit: Evdokimov Maxim / Shutterstock

In our increasingly digital world, educators recognize the significance of integrating AI tools in the classroom. AI integration can address diverse learning needs, promote data-driven decision-making, and spur class discussion. Leveraging AI in the classroom can enhance teaching while preparing students for a future where AI is integral to the workforce. It is essential for educators to tap into professional development (PD) opportunities to advance their understanding of how to use AI to improve the classroom experience.

ISTE U serves as a digital hub offering top-tier professional learning courses designed to assist educators in developing fundamental skills for teaching and learning in a digital world. Recently, EdSurge spoke with Chelsey McClelland, a third-year social studies teacher at Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis who recently completed the ISTE U course Artificial Intelligence Explorations for Educators.

EdSurge: Why did you decide to take the ISTE U AI course? What were your goals?

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• ISTE U Artificial Intelligence Course
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McClelland: One of the things that piqued my interest in the ISTE U course was that I didn't know much about using AI. I knew of ChatGPT from reading articles online, but I didn't know how it worked. I was just worried that my students would use this to write all their essays! And at first, our school blocked its use. I think all educators grew concerned.

I was at a crossroads; I didn't want students to use it because I didn't want academic dishonesty, but I also knew this technology would not go away. I thought it was really important to take the course because if I don't learn how to use it effectively and I don't learn what it is, then I won't be able to convey that to students. I'm doing them a disservice if I don’t learn about AI.

What elements of the course structure and content were particularly effective in facilitating your learning about AI?

The instructor was really supportive. The course seemed more focused on my outcomes — on my learning and applying the material — rather than meeting a deadline. I loved that the course was asynchronous and self-paced. As much as I love being a part of live PDs and collaborating with other educators across the country, it's really hard to do that weekly.

In the ISTE U course, we could regularly chat with classmates through posts and replies. I could still connect with educators but without having to be on a [video conference call], especially considering different time zones and start dates for school. My school started in early July, so I finished the course during the first few weeks of my school year. I appreciated having the flexibility to say, I'm super swamped this first week back at school and don’t have time in the evenings; I'm just going to sit down and do this on Sunday when I'm doing my lesson planning.

I think of it as levels of taxonomy: AI can give us a basic understanding, but then students need to analyze and create from there.

— Chelsey McClelland

I really loved that every module opened with a fun way that AI can be used — it's not just ChatGPT writing an essay or MagicSchool AI making your lesson plan. One of my favorite activities was giving prompts to different generative art AI bots, resulting in completely different designs. Even the AI tools that are trained using the same information could still give unique results! This later became a great discussion point with my students.

Another great example from the course was a whole lesson on deepfakes, which involve creating audio or video of situations that never actually happened. Being a government teacher and teaching about political elections, I'm really excited to apply what I’ve learned in my classroom. This will help me educate students on spotting deepfakes and discussing the possible implications.

The crux of what I got from the course, which has helped me a lot in approaching AI and how to use it in the classroom, is that there are so many things to learn. As educators, we often think that it’s bad for students to use ChatGPT and that it's going to lead to them not learning anything. But we can't knock students for not knowing how to use it properly if we don't know how to use it properly ourselves; we need to teach them in what context to use AI and how to do it in an academically honest way.

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Watch to learn more about the ISTE U course Artificial Intelligence Explorations for Educators.

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AI can teach kids content, but it doesn’t teach them how to apply it. That’s our job as teachers.

— McClelland

Can you share specific examples of how you integrated AI concepts or tools into your teaching practices as a result of taking this course?

I work in a school with an emerging multilingual population, and AI has been so beneficial in helping me scaffold resources to make them more accessible for my students. Especially in a social studies classroom where I’m working with a lot of primary sources, sometimes it's hard to figure out how to break down that language so that English learners are still accessing the same content but not losing the academic vocabulary.

In government class the other day, we used AI to gather background information on past political parties. Once students understood the basic points, we then discussed how those parties may have merged into modern political parties.

I have also held class discussions about how AI works and how it is trained with information from the internet. This leads to conversations around what problems could arise. I ask students, “Could AI be trained on bad information? What can we do about that?” We discuss how we can’t blindly trust AI; rather, we can use it as a baseline to build knowledge. I think of it as levels of taxonomy: AI can give us a basic understanding, but then students need to analyze and create from there.

What advice can you offer other educators looking to learn more about integrating AI in their classrooms?

If we as educators are trying to prepare students for the world of college and careers, we must train them to use AI tools responsibly.

— McClelland

Don’t be afraid of AI. It seems like there exists this fear that AI will replace teachers. AI can teach kids content, but it doesn’t teach them how to apply it. That’s our job as teachers. Our role is changing a bit, but for the better. Now, we don’t necessarily need to spend as much time teaching the baseline information. Instead, we can do more projects, engage in more class discussions, and help students apply that information.

I encourage teachers to find their online communities. I follow several edtech accounts that offer ideas on using AI in the classroom, and I adjust the ideas to my different classes. This doesn’t mean redoing everything in your lessons. Try revising a couple of lessons for each unit by integrating AI tools. You don’t have to totally change what you are doing to expose students to AI.

AI is going to become a more integral part of the workforce. If we as educators are trying to prepare students for the world of college and careers, we must train them to use AI tools responsibly.

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ISTE U’s Artificial Intelligence Explorations for Educators course is offered each spring, summer and fall. Private cohorts are available for cohorts of 20 or more educators. Learn more at iste.org/AIcourse or reach out to isteu@iste.org for more information.

© Image Credit: Drazen Zigic / Shutterstock

Personalized learning is an educational approach that tailors the learning experience to the specific needs and preferences of each student. It recognizes and strives to accommodate differences in students' backgrounds, learning styles and abilities. As a result, each student deserves an education that is tailored to their individual needs and characteristics.

Technology plays a pivotal role in facilitating personalized learning, particularly through the application of data analysis and artificial intelligence (AI). Additionally, interoperability is a fundamental component in the realm of personalized learning, significantly enhancing its effectiveness and practicality. Armed with this holistic perspective, educators can make well-informed decisions about tailoring individualized instruction to effectively address the unique needs of their diverse student population.

Justin Rose
Senior Director of Product Management, Anthology

Recently, EdSurge had the opportunity to speak with Justin Rose, the senior director of product management for data and analytics at Anthology, a provider of AI-enabled learning solutions. Rose shared his excitement about using technology to generate “novel, actionable and timely insights” to improve student learning experiences and operational efficiencies.

What does it mean to personalize learning? Why has it been a challenge for edtech companies to deliver effective solutions?

Rose: Personalized learning goes beyond tailoring the pace and the content of education to individual learners, though that is certainly part of the definition. Perhaps more importantly, it's also about creating an effective, ethical and equitable educational experience for every learner. That involves understanding the learner's cognitive style, their cultural background and even their emotional state or sentiment. It's a multidimensional approach that respects the learner's agency and the unique learning pathways that they may be on. And importantly, it also incorporates ethical considerations, ensuring that the technology used is transparent and data privacy is maintained.

I believe that personalized learning can democratize education, making high-quality learning experiences accessible to diverse populations. It can be even more impactful when it is supported by the kind of real-time, data-informed insights enabled by innovative technologies that institutional leaders can leverage for continuous improvement to the benefit of both learners and educators.

Personalized learning goes beyond tailoring the pace and the content of education to individual learners, though that is certainly part of the definition. Perhaps more importantly, it's also about creating an effective, ethical and equitable educational experience for every learner.

However, the challenges that are inherent to effectively implementing personalized learning, powered and extended by solutions that offer advanced analytics and AI, can be daunting. There are ethical considerations around data privacy, algorithmic transparency and equitable access that are paramount to going about this personalized-learning effort. There's also the challenge of ensuring that technology augments the human element in education rather than replacing it. So I think that involves and necessitates a significant shift in mindset for educators who have to learn to integrate technology into their teaching methods both effectively and ethically, but also a shift for administrators, policymakers, and other campus stakeholders who must reimagine conventional higher education technology ecosystems in their lived institutional contexts.

Another challenge that the sector is witnessing, perhaps more in the pedagogical dimension than the technological, involves the role of the educator, whether in-person, online, hybrid, high-flex or what have you, evolving from exclusively functioning as a lecturer to a facilitator or a coach. When this evolution matures, the result is a reshaped learning environment that operates as a dynamic and interactive space where students are actively engaged in their learning journeys as opposed to just having information shared with them. Shifting from teacher-centric to learner-centric education is a paradigmatic shift that we have known is necessary and that has been engaged along a number of fronts for some time now. However, the pandemic, a rapidly changing labor market, skills-based requirements for the occupations of the near and far future, and the evolving technological landscape have catalyzed and accelerated that shift of pedagogical focus from the teacher to the learner in recent years.

How does AI contribute to creating more personalized learning? How do data and analytics tangibly improve the classroom experience?

The perception of AI often simplifies it as one-size-fits-all, but in reality, AI is a diverse field with various algorithms and applications. In education technology, this diversity offers numerous opportunities to enhance personalized learning, from machine learning to predictive analytics, enriching educational experiences.

Recommended Resource:

• Anthology Illuminate

AI can act as a catalyst for educational innovation by providing insights into the most effective types of content and strategies, guiding continuous improvement. It's not only about making education more engaging; it's also about making it more effective. When students are engaged, they're more likely to retain information and apply it in a practical context, which is the ultimate goal of education.

A data-informed classroom provides another lens through which to view and evaluate student performance, complimenting educators’ own expertise and intuition. This allows educators to address issues before they become problems, allowing for more targeted and effective interventions.

However, it's important to note that data does not replace human judgment. Data can be a tool that can greatly enhance the education experience when used responsibly and ethically. Real-time analytics provides a level of granularity that was previously unattainable, enabling ongoing data-informed adjustments to the curriculum.

It's not just about improving academic performance, though that is an important component. It's about making education more equitable and ethical. By continuously monitoring the effectiveness of various educational strategies, instructors, advisors and other key stakeholders can identify and address issues of inequity and bias and ensure that all students have the opportunity to succeed.

The focus really remains on meaningful human interactions. Educators can use data and insights to guide student interactions, ensuring the technology enhances rather than overshadows the human elements of education.

Learners in a personalized education system are active participants in their educational journeys rather than passive recipients of information. AI should empower them to explore their unique strengths and challenges, set their own goals and monitor their own progress. This increases motivation and engagement by instilling a sense of ownership and agency. These are critically important factors in today’s educational environment. Students’ abilities in this environment, such as adaptability, critical thinking and self-directed learning, are exactly what they will need to navigate the complexities of the 21st century job market.

What is the significance of interoperability and integrated data models in the context of education?

It is really a matter of enabling meaningful, impactful decision-making at every level of the institution. Interoperability, integrated data models, advanced reporting and data exploration tools help to democratize insight and institutional intelligence across the organization. This means administrators, leaders and decision-makers are able to be more effective and move from the intuitive and anecdotal to the data-informed.

We know that the demands on and workloads of university faculty and advisors are significant and growing. Anthology offers a forthcoming advising tool that surfaces crucial learner engagement and performance data and helps educators make timely interventions. For example, one advisor shared about reaching out to a student whom they noticed in the progress tracker was having some difficulty in the course. The student later told that faculty member that if it weren't for that contact that the instructor made — if they hadn't reached out when they did — they wouldn't be enrolled anymore. They wouldn't be at the institution! The use of this technology by a human with the capacity to care and reach out made all the difference in helping the student to retain and persist at their institution and to continue their educational journey.

The focus really remains on meaningful human interactions. Educators can use data and insights to guide student interactions, ensuring the technology enhances rather than overshadows the human elements of education.

© Image Credit: metamorworks / Shutterstock

Beata Mirecka-Jakubowska, M.A.
Founder & CEO, Intercultural Education Consulting

The metaverse, a virtual, interconnected, and immersive digital space where users can interact with each other and digital environments, holds tremendous potential to transform education. It can facilitate immersive learning environments, allowing educators to craft virtual classrooms or historical settings so that students engage in interactive and captivating lessons. Collaborative learning thrives in the metaverse, fostering teamwork and cross-cultural communication as students from different locations collaborate on projects. Experiential learning is enhanced, offering a safe platform for hands-on activities like science experiments. AI-driven avatars and virtual tutors enable personalized learning experiences, catering to individual learning styles. Geographical barriers are dissolved, granting global access to high-quality education for students from diverse backgrounds.

Beata Mirecka-Jakubowska, the founder and CEO of Intercultural Education Consulting Group, has 36 years of international classroom experience. She turned to ViewSonic’s 3D immersive platform UNIVERSE with her online graduate students in Indonesia and later tried it with the Connected Learning project team in Iceland. Mirecka-Jakubowska has a contagious passion for learning and urges educators to embrace this new technology. EdSurge had the opportunity to speak with Mirecka-Jakubowska about her exploration of UNIVERSE, its impact on student engagement, the need for open-mindedness among educators and the exciting potential of the metaverse in education.

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Watch this video to see what teaching and learning in UNIVERSE looks like!

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EdSurge: How did your teaching journey lead you to try UNIVERSE with your college students?

Mirecka-Jakubowska: That’s a very long story that goes back to the 1970s when I attended the United Nations International School in New York. [Laughs]. I learned early to be open to change. I had very good training as a substitute teacher in my first year at TASIS Hellenic International School in Greece. I went to school every morning, and whoever was absent, I replaced that person. So I taught Greek, Arabic, PE, first grade, 12th grade, IB, middle school — anything! How did I teach Arabic when I had no clue what the individual letters even looked like? I tried to be creative, use the resources around me and empower my students. I gave the reins to my students, and they loved it! That got me thinking about student-centered learning — something not well known back then. With that knowledge, when I moved to Jakarta International School in Indonesia, and with the help of several dear colleagues, we began creating student-centered programs.

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• 6 Benefits of Immersive Learning with the Metaverse
• How To Teach Tech-Savvy Students Using Metaverse Avatars

When technology evolved in the late 1990s, first with email and then websites, the school’s IT head said, “Trust me, you want to learn all of this.” So, that’s what I did. I trusted him, and I even learned to code. As technology continued to develop, I often thought, Oh, that’s something my students need to know for their future. Who’s going to teach them? And I realized I’m the one who is going to teach them these skills. I integrated project-based learning and technology in all kinds of ways. I asked my English language learners to create films. I asked them to create websites. I asked them to create blogs to interact through blended learning. Did we have failures? Absolutely. There was always something to improve, something that went wrong. But I would tell my students, We will learn from this. What can we do better next time?

In 2018, I attended a workshop where I talked with a game-app developer. We started talking about gamification and how we could use games in a different way, a more developmental way. I envisioned a classroom with avatars who work on interactive projects together, and students could log in from anywhere. Then, in 2022, I was at the Singapore EDUtech Asia conference, and as I was walking by the booths, I saw my vision had become a reality. I thought, How is it possible that somebody else made my dream come true? I tried UNIVERSE there, and it blew me away. I could walk between student groups and hear all the conversations. I could stop and talk but still hear other groups in the background. It was totally different from [video conferencing]. And I knew I had to use it with students.

How did UNIVERSE help increase student engagement and interactions for learning in a virtual setting?

I noticed during the class that everyone wanted to say something. Even those students who were not usually talkers were super engaged. Those who were normally reluctant to speak seemed to speak up, perhaps because of their fascination with the technology or because they could be avatars. Their shyness was detached; they could try on a different persona and change their interactions in the classroom. They seemed to feel safe speaking among the cacophony of other voices in the background.

The adaptability, flexibility and creativity of the teacher will play a huge role in designing and implementing a lesson in the metaverse to have learning outcomes that surpass those of the traditional classroom.

— Beata Mirecka-Jakubowska

One exercise that worked very well was the interactive Collaboration Board. I placed an image with a question on the board, and all the students responded either with sticky notes or text. That is a great writing and thinking tool. And then there is that fantastic button that the teacher can press, and all of the avatars are seated and muted. I think UNIVERSE has great potential.

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Students are circled around the Collaboration Board to share their thoughts on a discussion topic using sticky notes and texts.

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What challenges did you work through during the implementation process?

The preparation involves designing the classroom. Teachers need to think about how to set up the flow of the room for the best experience. It takes time to navigate everything and learn the technology. It takes time to teach the technology to students. A teacher probably won’t get everything done on the first try. The adaptability, flexibility and creativity of the teacher will play a huge role in designing and implementing a lesson in the metaverse to have learning outcomes that surpass those of the traditional classroom.

For students who logged in from different islands around Indonesia, sometimes their Wi-Fi wasn’t strong enough to carry their voices without breakage. But the drawbacks of the experience were mainly technical. Once we worked through what we could, students completed several tasks and activities in UNIVERSE for about 50 minutes and didn’t want to leave.

Technology is on a course of its own. We must embrace new technology and improve upon it to enhance learning. This is history in the making, and it is exciting to be a part of it!

— Mirecka-Jakubowska

What guidance can you offer educators who are considering incorporating metaverse experiences into their teaching environments?

My advice is to be open-minded. Embrace the changes and embrace the challenges. Some teachers worry about students using Chat GPT, so they say it is forbidden in their classes. That is similar to 10 or 15 years ago when teachers said phones are forbidden in class; put them on the side. And I said, no, bring the phones in. That's your dictionary. That's your resource. Learn to use it wisely and manage distractions. Learning how to use the metaverse wisely is something to bring to the table with that open-mindedness because we are never going to stop technology. Technology is on a course of its own. We must embrace new technology and improve upon it to enhance learning. This is history in the making, and it is exciting to be a part of it!

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To learn more about UNIVERSE by ViewSonic and how it can help support your teaching and learning needs, you can schedule a demo with a solution expert here.