SCDE Micro-credentials

Micro-credentials represent demonstrated competency in a particular skill. They enable professional learners to engage in personalized learning aligned with their interests and needs, while also meeting the agency's objective of customizing training for SCDE staff and documenting evidence of learning within a competency-based system. Instead of requiring learners to complete a certain amount of face-to-face or screen time learning, the learner submits proof of learning for a specifically defined competency as defined in a micro-credential. 

Educators of adult learners should act as facilitators rather than authoritarian leaders because adult learners are internally motivated and self-directed. Andragogy, the art and science of helping adults learn (Kearsley, 2010), is different from pedagogy. There are a great many generalizations about how adults learn, their expectations, and how educators should approach them (Knowles, Holton, & Swanson, 2005). Adult learners are goal and relevancy oriented and expect a fully knowledgeable instructor with effective delivery.  They bring experience from their personal and working lives and a good instructor will use these experiences as a resource to help students relate to the subject. Because of these experiences and other learned habits and routines, adult learners may not be as flexible as younger students. Before they accept a different way of doing something, they want to understand the advantages of doing so.

SCDE Micro-credentials and stacks have been developed with all these things in mind.  Grouped sets of micro-credentials, called stacks, focus on sets of skills important to different roles and functions within the agency. Support content like screencasts, tip sheets, and documents has been created for each micro-credential, but going through this supporting content is not required. If an employee reads over the micro-credential and is ready to submit the required proof of learning, he or she may do so – no seat or screen time required. Just enroll in the specific class, then submit and pass a proof of learning in order to earn the desired micro-credential. When this is done, the learner will see a "Print your eCertificate" button. Upon completing and passing all the micro-credentials in a stack, the learner will be awarded a framed "Stack Certificate" signed by the Superintendent of Education. 

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