Credentialing Lessons Learned: Avoiding Pitfalls and Driving Impact

[Helen_Wilson_]

No doubt, you’ve learned a lot as you’ve implemented your digital credentialing program.  I hope you’ve taken a moment to celebrate those successes (and I’m sure there are many!)  I also know you’ve experienced some challenges too, and you might be wondering how to make the next iteration of your program even better. 

If you're in the planning stages of your program, you're looking ahead to see if you can avoid any potential issues down the road.  You may be looking for some guidance as you figure out how your rollout can best proceed.  

Regardless of where you’re at in your credentialing journey,  I hope this post can offer a little wisdom on what to avoid - or what to do next time. 

1. Avoid Digital Stickers

You want your institution to be the solution.  You want to be that premier provider of educational experiences that carry weight and have tangible value in the workplace. Your students’ earned credentials must attest to substantial effort, knowledge and skills gained. 

For your context, that means avoiding the “digital stickers” approach.

Digital stickers are not verifiable.  They are not directly linked to the organization, issuer, or evidence of accomplishment.  Many digital stickers are placed behind a login, so It is difficult, if not impossible, for an external organization or institution to check the badge assertion. Additionally, digital stickers are not stackable.  The stickers are not linked in an overall taxonomy.  They are not regulated, so the badges are not supported by a governing system. 

Are you offering digital stickers?  If the answer’s yes (it happens!) here are some tips on how to fix that. 

• Make your institution, or a group within your institution,  the issuer.  (In other words, individuals should not be issuing institutional Credentials.)  
• Leverage your branding and marketing guidelines to give a uniform look and feel to your Credentials. 
• Publish your badge, Pathway and issuer pages.  Make sure your public pages are thoughtfully written.  Your published Pathways can make your taxonomy very clear. 

You’ll also want to look at the next two sections for some more guidance on avoiding the digital sticker trap. 

2. Check Your Badge Taxonomy 

Badge taxonomy simply means organizing your Credentials into groups, tiers or levels.  Some badge types may have more weight than others, but the weightier badges will also have more rigorous assessment tied to them. 

A level 1 “Participation” badge may be awarded for attending a webinar.  A level 2 “Knowledge” badge can be awarded for a certain grade achieved on a Canvas quiz.  A level 3 “Competency” badge can be earned for the submission of an extensive portfolio or performance, graded on a rubric.  

Take a look at the current Credentials you offer and see if there’s room to define and describe a few tiers in your system. 

Make it very clear what the taxonomic group is for each badge, and describe what assessments must be completed to earn it.  Badge appearance should reflect that taxonomy.  A participation badge can have a very simple look.  A competency badge or micro-credential should have an elaborate look that makes the level of required effort visible, right away.

State the learning objectives and competencies in the badge description.  If desired, you can even describe the course(s) or experience(s) that go into the earning of that badge.  

3. Check Your Badge Governance

A strong set of badge criteria is part of a strong badge governance policy.  A governance policy outlines how your institution will administer your Credentials.   Like your badges and issuers, your governance policy is a public document that lets everyone know the ins and outs of your system.  It offers transparency and guidance for future members of your organization.  

If you’re looking to start a governance policy, begin with basics.  Define some essential terms:  What is a badge?  What is an issuer?  What is Canvas Credentials? 

Take this as an opportunity to let your community know why digital credentialing is important to your institution.  How will digital credentialing fit into your academic community? 

Then, dig in! Consider some W’s:  who is part of your governance committee?  What are the criteria may be for getting a new credential, pathway, or issuer. Here are some key questions you can consider

• Who is part of your governance committee?  What are their roles and responsibilities in this context? 
• How will badges be submitted and approved? 
• What is the process for applying for issuers? Who will create issuers? 
• Who will create the Credential or Pathway after it's approved?  
• What will the badges look like at each taxonomic level?
• What sections will be in the badge description?  
• What assessment types will be part of each taxonomic level?
• Will you have aligned skills in your badge descriptions? 
• How will you handle badge revocation or badge award disputes?

Reflect and Analyze

These three areas for growth are important considerations in the development of any credentialing program. By reflecting and acting on these key areas, your digital credentials become more meaningful, valuable, and aligned with the goals of your institution. 

Above all,  as with anything worthwhile, remember that digital credentialing is an ongoing process.  Continuous improvement will ensure your continued success.