This edited volume offers a foundational exploration of the STEM microcredential landscape. Bringing together educators, researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders, the chapters in this volume demonstrate the flexibility and targeted nature of STEM microcredentials, meeting the demands of a rapidly evolving job market through competency-based learning. It examines the intricate relationships between learners, higher education institutions, and the workforce through sections focused on an overview, frameworks, and topic studies. By delving into the foundational theories and current practices, this volume sets the stage for the practical case studies and future-oriented discussions presented in Volume II, providing a comprehensive look at the STEM microcredential landscape.
Part
1. Overview.-
1. Badge Summit: Micro-History of Micro-Credentials
through the Lens of a Community Retrospective (Noah Geisel).-
2. Building a
Framework for Institutional and Industry Collaboration in STEM
Microcredential Development (Justin Louder).-
3. Taxonomy (Rob Moore).- Part
2. Frameworks.-
4. The Universal Micro-credential Framework: Creating an
Accessible, Usable, and Effective Micro-Credentialing Approach within the
Traditional Education System (Rupert Ward).-
5. Building a Provincial
Micro-credential Framework in Alberta, Canada A Case Study (Vis Naidoo).-
6. Designing Competency-Based Frameworks for STEM Micro-credentials (Marilys
Galindo).-
7. An Illustrative Framework for Microcredentials in STEM: The
Kennesaw State University Model (Ashley Doehling).-
8. AI-Enhanced
Skill-Based Learning Pathways: Leveraging ESCO for Admissions and Transfers
(Wendy Linn Cook).-
9. Achievements in a Digital Learning Environment for
STEM Education: A Framework for Using Microcredentials to Reflect Acquired
Knowledge (David Bednorz).-
10. Beyond Engineering: Applying a Learning
Sciences Framework to the Design, Teaching, and Evaluation of Penn State
Engineering Certified Microcredentials (Andrea Gregg).-
11. The Trust Factor:
Skills Validation as a Cornerstone of STEM microcredentials (Tara Laughlin).-
Part 3.- Topic Studies.-
12. Exploring Policymakers Perspectives on
Micro-credentials in K-12 Teacher Professional Development (Madeline
Stallard).-
13. Literacy Microcredentials to Complement STEM Microcredentials
and Enhance STEM Learning: A Review of Research and Suggestions for
Strengthening STEM Education Effectiveness (Stephanie
Hammerschmidt-Snidarich).-
14. Empowering Rural K-12 STEM Education:
Opportunities and Innovation through Microcredentials (Giovanna Morara).-
15.
Breaking Barriers With Micro-Credentials in STEM Prerequisites for the Health
Professions (Susan Hibbard).-
16. Collaborative Opportunities Abound in a
Global World of STEM Microcredentials (Pamela Wimbush).-
17. The Future of
STEM: Aligning Academic Experiences with Workforce Demands through
Competency-Based Learning and Micro-Credentialing (Brian Gant).
Rob Moore is an Assistant Professor of Educational Technology in the School of Teaching and Learning at the University of Florida, USA and the director of the Investigating Digital Ecologies to Advance Transformative Education (IDEATE) Research Lab in the Institute for Advanced Learning Technologies, University of Florida, USA. His research focuses on how processes and structures affect learner experiences in digital environments, with a particular interest in microcredentials as transformative pathways for education and careers. He investigates the impact of technology integration on learner experiences and outcomes.
Kent Crippen is a Professor of STEM Education in the School of Teaching and Learning at the University of Florida, USA. His research program embraces the grand challenge of providing an inclusive and robust science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce through designing and evaluating learning environments that offer authentic experiences through networked learning technologies. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Science Education and Technology.
