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Bond UniversityResearch Repository
A Critical Evaluation of Micro-Credentialing and Stacking in Legal EducationJames, Nickolas
Published: 27/10/2018
Document Version:Peer reviewed version
Link to publication in Bond University research repository.
Recommended citation(APA):James, N. (2018). A Critical Evaluation of Micro-Credentialing and Stacking in Legal Education. Sino-AustralianLaw Deans Conference, Wuhan, China.
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Download date: 16 May 2020
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Thelinebetweencontinuingprofessionaldevelopmentandpostgraduatestudyisbeingblurredbytheemergenceof‘micro-credentials’andtheabilityto‘stack’themtoearncredittowardsatraditionalpostgraduatequalification.
Thispaperexamineshowmicro-credentialingandstackingworkwithinthecontextoflegaleducation,andcriticallyevaluatestheemergenceofthistrendbyidentifyingthesignificantbenefitsandchallenges.
Whilethereisreasontobeconcernedabouttheongoingcommodificationandvocationalisation ofhighereducation,theconclusionisreachedthatthedevelopmentisonbalanceapositiveone.
For mostlegalprofessionals,theirjourneyoflifelonglearning‘splits’followingadmissionintotwopathways,continuingprofessionaldevelopmentandpostgraduatestudy,withlittleornointeractionbetweenthetwo.
Continuingprofessionaldevelopment(CPD)maybemandatedorvoluntary,andistypicallycomprisedoflearningexperiencesthatare:• Relativelyshortinduration– fromaonehourseminartoaconferenceacross3or
4days• Practicefocused• Deliveredonlineorface-to-face• Notassessed
Postgraduatestudy(PS)isusuallyvoluntary(althoughnotetheemergingexpectationofPGstudyinsomeEuropeanfirms)andistypicallycomprisedoflearningexperiencesthatare:• Longerinduration – fromaonesemestergraduatecertificatethrougha2to4
semesterMasterstoa3-6yearPhD• Scholarlyandtheoretical• Deliveredonlineorface-to-face• Assessed
MICRO-CREDENTIALLINGANDSTACKING havethepotentialtobridgethegapbetweenCPDandPS.
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1. Whataremicro-credentialingandstacking?2. Whoismicro-credentialingandstacking?3. Whatarethebenefits?4. Whatarethechallenges?
Amicro-credential isa‘mini-qualification’thatdemonstratesthatapersonhasacquiredspecificskills,knowledge,and/orexperienceinagivensubjectarea.Micro-credentials tendtocovermorethanasingleshortcoursebutlessthanatraditionalqualificationlikeadiplomaoradegree.
Micro-credentialscansometimesbestacked intocredittowardsatraditionalqualification.
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The‘stacking’ofCPDshortcoursesintomicro-credentials,andmicro-credentialsintopostgraduatestudyintheformofagraduatecertificateoraMasters,lookssomethinglikethis …
This developmentiscontributingtothe‘unbundling’and‘rebundling’ofthelifelonglearningjourney,andablurringoftheboundariesbetweenprofessionaldevelopmentand postgraduatestudy.
Micro-credentials are rising inpopularityamonghighereducationinstitutions.Onceconsideredleading-edge,micro-credentialingisbecomingmorecommonplacedespitesomecautiousskepticism:https://evolllution.com/programming/credentials/microcredentials-on-the-outside-looking-in/
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Thefollowingaresomeoftheconceptsassociatedwithmicro-credentialingandstacking:
• Nano-degrees andmicro-masters:These are typesofmicro-credentials.Theyareshortprogramscomprisedofaseriesofundergraduateorpostgraduatelevelshortcourses,typicallydeliveredonline, andoftenentitlingthelearnertocredittowardsafulluniversitydegree.
• Bootcamps:Bootcamp-stylecoursesareshort, intensivecoursesthatusuallyfocusonasingletopicorskill.Theobjectiveisforthestudenttolearntheexactknowledgeorskilltheyneedintheshortesttimepossible,sotheycanquicklyapplywhattheyhavelearned.
• Verifiedcertificates:A verifiedcertificate certifiesthattheidentityofalearnerwhohascompletedanonlineshortcoursehasbeenverifiedusingawebcamandphotoID. Afeemaybepayablebythelearner. (Ifcompletion ofashortcourseisgoingtoentitlethelearnertocredittowardsauniversitydegreetheremustbeassurancethatthepersonenrollingisthepersonwhocompletedthecourse.)
• Digitalbadges:Adigitalbadgeisavalidatedindicatorofaccomplishment,skill,quality,orinterest.Itisusuallydelivered automaticallybyanonlineplatformuponcompletionofashortcourse,andcanberetainedanddisplayedbythelearnerinadigitalportfolio.
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Digitalbadgesareanelementofthegamification ofeducation.
Gamificationistheincorporationintoanynon-gamecontextofsomeoftheelementsofgameswiththeobjectiveofmotivating‘players’tocontinue‘playing’.Ithasbeenhappeningforalongtime:allocatingmarks,promotingcompetition,andawardingprizes are allexamplesofthegamificationofeducation.Ifaninstructorhasincorporatedintotheircourseopportunitiesforstudentchoice;orprovidesopportunitiesforimmediatefeedback,socialconnection,orcollaborativeproblemsolving;orsetschallengesforstudentsandoffersrewardsforcompletingthem,theyhavegamifiedtheirteaching.Byincorporatingtheseelements,theyareinfluencingstudentbehaviourandstudentlearningusinggamingstrategies.
Awardingdigitalbadgesuponcompletionofonlinetasks,modules,coursesandprogramsaresimplyanew,andsuccessful,wayofgamifyingthelearningprocess.Considertheappealofleaderboardsandtrophiesinonlinegamingandyouwillunderstandwhydigitalbadgesareseenasaviablewaytomotivatelearnersandenhancetheirengagementwithacourse.
Aswithanypedagogy,gamificationdoesnotautomaticallypromotestudentengagement,andgamificationhasits critics,butthereisanincreasingliteratureinsupportofitseffectivenessasatooltopromotestudentlearning.
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Theleadingindependentproviders ofmicro-credentialsareCoursera,edX,Udacity,FutureLearn andKadenze.Somemicro-credentialsleadtocredittowardsuniversityprograms,othersdonot.(Thisisareflectionofthefactthatapathwaytopostgraduatestudyisimportantforsomelearnersbutnotforothers.)
Source:https://www.class-central.com/report/moocs-microcredentials-analysis-2018/:1. CourseraSpecialization - Somepotentialtoreceiveuniversitycreditforprogramsassociatedwith
particulardegreeprograms(e.g.theiMBA fromtheUniversityofIllinois)2. edXXSeries - Nofor-creditoptions3. FutureLearn Program - Someincludeoptionstoearnuniversitycredit4. edXProfessionalCertificate - Atleast2offersomeoptionforprofessionalsofacertain
backgroundtoearncredit5. Kadenze Program - Someincludeoptionstoearnuniversitycredit6. UdacityNanodegree - Nofor-creditoptions7. edXMicroMasters - AlmostallMicroMasters includeoptionstoearncredit(orbecomeeligiblefor
acceleratedcompletion)towardsparticularmaster’sdegreeprograms8. CourseraMasterTrack - AllMasterTrack programsincludeanoptiontoearncredittowardsa
particulardegreeprogram9. CourseraProfessionalCertificate - TwoofthethreeProfessionalCertificateprogramscurrently
availableofferoptionstoearn credittowardsadegree10. FutureLearn GraduateCertificateandGraduateDiploma- Bothofthesemicrocredentials are“for-
credit”intheAustraliansystemofpostgraduatecredentials
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Some universitiesarethemselvesmovingintothisspace.
A2016reportbyPearsonandUPCEA, DemographicShiftsinEducationalDemandandtheRiseofAlternativeCredentials,indicatedthat64percentofthe UShighereducationinstitutionssurveyedseealternatecredentialingasafuturestrategyandrevenue-generatingopportunity,withoneinfiveinstitutionssurveyedalreadyofferingsomeformofalternativecredentialing.Somehighereducationinstitutionsarepartneringwiththird-partyproviderswhileothershavechosentogoitalonewithalternativecredentialinginitiatives.
InAustralia,universitiesnowofferingtheirownMicroMasters programsincludetheUniversityofQueensland,DeakinUniversity,CurtinUniversityandtheUniversityofAdelaide.
Whataboutthesmallerprovidersofprofessionaldevelopmentprogramsandcourses?
There isgoingtobeincreasingpressure forthemtopartnerwithlargerprovidersanduniversitiestocreatepathwaysfromtheircoursesintopostgraduatestudy.
Overtime,therearegoingtobeefforts…totrytoorganizemoreofthesenon-institution-deliveredcredentialsystemsinwaysthatintegrateandconnectwithexistingsystems.Inotherwords,we’refindingwaysfornon-institutionaleducationproviderstobetterlinkcertifications,certificate,degrees,industry-drivenqualificationsandneweffortslikebadgesandothertypesofcredentialing,withtheexistingcredentialecosystem.– ‘Movingfrom“AlternativeCredentials”toanIntegratedCredentialEcosystem’, https://evolllution.com/uncategorized/moving-from-alternative-credentials-to-an-integrated-credential-ecosystem/.
Thebenefitsofmicro-credentialingandstackingforlearnersinclude:• enhancedcoherenceintheirlifelonglearningjourney;• improvedaccesstohighereducation;• maximisationofoutcomesfromtheirparticipationinCPD;• enhancementoftheiremployabilityandpromotionprospectsbyprovidingevidenceoftheir
masteryofspecificskills;and• formalrecognitionandrewardingofawiderrangeoflearningexperiences.
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Thebenefitsofmicro-credentialingandstackingforCPDprovidersinclude:• enhancementoftheircredibilityandrigour;and• accesstonewmarkets.
Thebenefitsofmicro-credentialingandstackingforuniversitiesinclude:• theunlockingofinstitutionalexpertisebymakingitavailableinsmaller‘chunks’;• enhancementoftheirrelevance,authenticityandabilitytoaddresscurrentskillgaps;and• thecreationofnewpathwaystopostgraduateeducation.
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Thesignificantchallengesassociatedwithmicro-credentialingandstackinginclude:• thecostofdigitalbadgingandverificationplatforms;• inconsistenciesbetweenmicro-credentialingplatformsandpathwayarrangements;• thenegotiationofagreementsbetweenCPDprovidersanduniversities;• difficultiesdemonstratingthatCPDisdeliveredandassessedappropriately;• thecostdifferentialbetweenCPDcoursesandpostgraduateprograms;• ensuringgenuinecohesivenessandconsistencyinthelifelonglearningjourney;• maintainingbothacademicrigourandtheperceptionofacademicrigour.
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Thisfinalchallengeisasignificantone, andonethatinfactincreasesasmicro-credentialingandstackingbecomesmorewidespread.
Micro-credentialing andstackingislikelytobecriticisedasleadingtothecommodificationandvocationalisation ofhighereducation.
BythisImeanthetransformationofeducationalexperiencesinto(1)productstobeconsumed,and(2)experiencesthatfocusprimarilyifnotentirelyuponenhancementofthelearner’semployabilityandabilitytoengageinproductivework.Enhancingemployabilityisofcourseanimportantobjectiveofengaginginlearningbutitisnottheonlyobjective(contrarytowhatsomecontemporarypublicdiscussionoftheroleofuniversitiesmightsuggest).Teachingandlearningisacentralelementoftheendeavourtopreserve,enhanceandtransmithumanknowledgefromonegenerationtothenext.Itsgoalsincludenotonlyhelpingthelearnertogetajobbutalsohelpingthelearnercontributetothepublicgoodandfacilitatingapositivetransformationoftheself.
Postgraduatestudyhastraditionallybeencharacterisedbyaprolongedandimmersiveengagementwithafieldofknowledge.Ifmoreandmorepostgraduatestudyiscomprisedof‘bootcamp’stylelearningexperiences,i.e.short,intensivecoursesthatfocusuponthedevelopmentofpracticalskillsandthefastacquisitionofcurrentknowledge,thereisadangerthatsomethingofvaluetoourcommunitywillbelost.
Ofcourse,thisassumesthatallpostgraduatestudywillbesubsumedbymicro-credentialingandstacking,andthisisunlikely.Therewillstillbelearnerswhoprefertoengageinpostgraduatestudyinthetraditionalway,andmanyofthelearnerswhochoosetoearnapostgraduatequalificationviamicro-credentialingandstackingarelesslikelytobeoneswhowouldotherwisehaveenrolledinanLLMorPhDandmorelikelytobelearnerswhowouldneverhaveundertakenpostgraduatestudyatall.
Andthat,inmyview,makesthisdevelopmentapositiveone.
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