GSU’s Microcredential Initiative: Elevating Skills and Credentials for Learner Success

The landscape of higher education is expanding rapidly, and GSU innovatively embraces this expansion while always keeping our learners at the center, providing them with meaningful, verifiable credentials. Charged by Provost Parsons-Pollard in Spring 2024, a working group of representatives from Academic Affairs, The Graduate School, CETLOE, College of Education, Perimeter College, and Robinson College of Business developed a new Microcredential Framework to provide a guide for faculty to help learners document their skills and accomplishments through clear, standardized microcredentials.

Primarily offered as continuing education or professional credits, these microcredentials provide you with a means to help learners showcase demonstrated competencies. This initiative aligns with two pillars of GSU’s strategic plan, Student Success 2.0 and Beyond College to Career, broadening learners’ career pathways, improving outcomes, and enhancing lifelong learning opportunities.

• Visibility and Credibility: Branded credentials allow learners to showcase specific skills and competencies, validated by GSU, in an easily recognizable format.
• Stackability and Pathways: stackable and flexible credentials enable you to help learners build toward more advanced qualifications like certificates or degrees. For example, the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies offers a stackable pathway through this approach.
• Alignment with Workforce Needs: With expanding industry partnerships, GSU’s microcredentials allow learners to demonstrate in-demand, real-world skills that employers value, preparing them for career advancement.

The Microcredential Guide outlines the framework, including definitions (aligned with the University System of Georgia), a structured taxonomy, types of microcredentials, and processes for creating branded badges and microcredentials.

• Microcredential Taxonomy: Adapted from the nationally recognized Kennesaw State University model approved by USG, this taxonomy (see figure below) classifies credentials by activity level, ensuring they represent meaningful accomplishments. Levels include Level I Badges, Level II Badges, and Digital Certificates, each catering to different competency levels from introductory skills to advanced expertise. You’ll have flexibility within this taxonomy, with a central review process that supports consistent interpretation and application.

• Metadata and CPL: GSU’s framework emphasizes embedding metadata to provide context and verification for badges, excluding souvenirs, and specifies badge levels appropriate for Credit for Prior Learning (CPL). This rigor strengthens GSU’s credentials, giving learners recognition that meets both academic standards and employer expectations.
• GSU Branded Badges: Developed by PRMC, communications directors within each school, college, or unit can create or update branded badges using templates in Design Conductor. Badges are submitted for review, and once approved, you can upload them into an open badge system, such as Canvas, to add metadata. This streamlined approach makes badge creation consistent and recognizable. Check out some badge template samples below.

Faculty and subject matter experts from various departments have successfully piloted the framework, demonstrating its flexibility and effectiveness. For instance, Mike Law, Nadine Kabengi, Dori Neptune, Cirleen DeBlaere, and Ashwin Ashok have each applied the taxonomy, leveraging the framework to align their microcredentials with specific learning outcomes and skill sets relevant to the goals of their programs while maintaining GSU’s standards.

While microcredentials meet workforce demands, they may be more relevant in certain fields. As a faculty member or subject matter expert, consider the value of a badged competency to an employer and to your learners before creating one.

School, college, and unit leaders with faculty currently offering, planning to offer microcredentials, or with interest in exploring this framework further are encouraged to reach out to Nancy Byron, Assistant Dean of Academic Innovations, Partnerships, and Marketing, at [email protected] to schedule a faculty workshop. The workshop has already been well received by GSU Library, helping faculty apply the framework to their existing skills-based credentials.

In addition, the Microcredential Guide will soon be available on the GSU website. The Graduate School is working with PRMC and CETLOE to develop the webpage, which will provide more detailed guidance to support you in building your microcredential offerings. Until then, you can request access to the Microcredential Guide and additional information by emailing [email protected].

Special thanks to CETLOE’s Michael Carter, Learning Experience Designer, for his valuable contributions to the faculty workshop and for supporting the creation of accessible training resources, and to Garrett DeHart, Multimedia Designer, for his expertise and ongoing work on multimedia assets. These resources are designed to enhance your ability to apply GSU’s microcredential framework and branded badges through interactive media.