Microdegree

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In higher education a microdegree, also microcredentials and microcourse, is a qualification [1] focused upon a specified professional or career discipline and typically comprises one or more sources of accelerated educational experiences. Microdegrees are a single manifestation of Competency Based Education (CBE) which seeks to tie credentialing to specific skills sets. [2] Micro-credentials may be completed on-site, online or in a blended format. [3]

Microcredentials including microdegrees act as a pointer to the criteria for and demonstration of the skills represented by the microcredential. Because the credentials are presented in a digital format, they can be parsed automatically for verification over the web and allow for a greater level of granularity than a traditional paper transcript. Microdegrees meet the criteria for Open Educational Data defined by the U.S. Department of Education. [4]

Within the hierarchy of educational credentials microdegrees are considered to be "certificates" requiring a lower level of commitment and rigor than a traditional degree program but serving an important role as a vocational credential. [5] [6]

Microcredentials may have a credit value at either undergraduate or postgraduate level, and this may be used towards undergraduate or postgraduate qualifications. [7] or potentially at another university (subject to the agreement of the receiving institution).

The advent of the microdegree is presented by its promoters as a challenge to the existing degree model as it permits students to utilize accelerated, free and low cost programs to earn credentials of direct relevance to their interests and career ambitions. [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]

Microdegrees and other microcredentials are also seen as a system to facilitate and record lifelong learning. [13] A significant percentage of microdegree students are working adults seeking career change or advancement. [14] [15]

Some institutions that offer microdegree programs describe themselves as a "Micro College". [16] [17] [18]

In recent years, MOOC platforms have started expanding their offerings of microcredentials as viable substitutes, going as far as offering a blended education model. Such programs allow graduates of the respective microcredential programs to have a reduced residency period at traditional universities. [19] For example, the MIT admitted in 2018 its first cohort of students in supply chain management at a reduced five-month residency period through their blended learning initiatives on the edX platform with the launch of its MicroMasters program. [20]

See also

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Online learning in higher education</span> Development in distance education that began in the mid-1980s

Online learning involves courses offered by primary institutions that are 100% virtual. Online learning, or virtual classes offered over the internet, is contrasted with traditional courses taken in a brick-and-mortar school building. It is a development in distance education that expanded in the 1990s with the spread of the commercial Internet and the World Wide Web. The learner experience is typically asynchronous but may also incorporate synchronous elements. The vast majority of institutions utilize a learning management system for the administration of online courses. As theories of distance education evolve, digital technologies to support learning and pedagogy continue to transform as well.

Online credentials for learning are digital credentials that are offered in place of traditional paper credentials for a skill or educational achievement. They are directly linked to the accelerated development of internet communication technologies, the development of digital badges, electronic passports and massive open online courses (MOOCs).

Georgia Tech Online Master of Science in Computer Science (OMSCS) is a Master of Science degree offered by the College of Computing at Georgia Tech. The program was launched in 2014 in partnership with Udacity and AT&T and delivered through the massive open online course (MOOC) format. Georgia Tech has received attention for offering an online master's degree program for under $7,000 that gives students from all over the world the opportunity to enroll in a top 10-ranked computer science program. The program has been recognized by the University Professional and Continuing Education Association, Fast Company, and the Reimagine Education Awards for excellence and innovation.

MicroMasters programs are a series of online graduate level courses offered by universities through edX that one can take to develop standalone skills for career advancement or earn graduate level credentials.

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MIT Open Learning is a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) organization, headed by Dimitris Bertsimas, that oversees several MIT educational initiatives, such as MIT Open CourseWare, MITx, MicroMasters, MIT Bootcamps and others.

References

  1. ↑ A3, EAC (2020-12-11). "A European approach to micro-credentials". Education and Training - European Commission. Retrieved 2021-09-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ↑ "MOOCs and Credentialing: A Revolutionary Perspective". EdCircuit.com. Retrieved 2015-04-09.
  3. ↑ A3, EAC (2020-12-11). "A European approach to micro-credentials". Education and Training - European Commission. Retrieved 2021-09-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ↑ DOE, U.S. (2015-04-09). "Open Data". ed.goc. Retrieved 2015-04-09.
  5. ↑ Fain, Paul (2012-06-06). "Certificates are misunderstood credentials that pay off - mostly for men". InsideHigherEd.com. Retrieved 2015-04-09.
  6. ↑ Leonhardt, David (2015-03-05). "Here's What Will Truly Change Higher Education: Online Degrees That Are Seen as Official". New York Times. Retrieved 2015-04-09.
  7. ↑ "WHAT ARE MICROCREDENTIALS?".
  8. ↑ "Traditional college degrees could face 'serious competition' as online 'microdegrees' emerge, website reports". NOLA.com. 2015-02-24. Retrieved 2015-04-09.
  9. ↑ "How Google and Coursera may upend the traditional college degree | Brookings Institution". Brookings.edu. 2015-02-23. Retrieved 2015-04-09.
  10. ↑ "Meet the New, Self-Appointed MOOC Accreditors: Google and Instagram – Wired Campus - Blogs - The Chronicle of Higher Education". Chronicle.com. 2015-02-11. Retrieved 2015-04-09.
  11. ↑ "MOOC Sightings 003: FutureLearn, Microdegrees, 'Open Internet' | Educational Technology and Change Journal". Etcjournal.com. 2015-02-25. Retrieved 2015-04-09.
  12. ↑ "How to Make Micro Credentials Matter | EdSurge News". Edsurge.com. 2 February 2015. Retrieved 2015-04-09.
  13. ↑ "Micro-Credentials: Empowering Lifelong Learners". Edutopia.org. Retrieved 2015-04-09.
  14. ↑ Young, Jeffrey R. (March 9, 2015). "PhD or Microdegree?" . The Chronicle of Higher Education . Retrieved 2015-03-09.
  15. ↑ "Degrees Converting Into Lifelong Learning, in Kaplan A.(2021) Higher Education at the Crossroads of Disruption, The University of the 21st Century". Emerald. Retrieved 2021-04-19.
  16. ↑ "Micro-Colleges and the Pop-Up University". Hastac.org. Retrieved 2015-04-09.
  17. ↑ "Trimming the Fat – Introducing the Lean Micro-College Model". www.futuristspeaker.com. 29 September 2013. Retrieved 2015-04-09.
  18. ↑ "DaVinci Coders given Microdegree-granting authority for its software coding courses". Innovationnews.com. 10 April 2015. Retrieved 2015-04-10.
  19. ↑ Gordon, Adam. "'MicroMasters' Surge As MOOCs Go From Education To Qualification". Forbes. Retrieved 2018-03-09.
  20. ↑ "MIT MicroMasters Begins On-Campus Phase -- Campus Technology". Campus Technology. Retrieved 2018-03-09.
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