Differentiating the Value of Micro-credentials and Digital Badges through the lens of KSOAs
In today's rapidly evolving job market, showcasing one's unique KSOAs (knowledge, skills, and other abilities) to potential employers is becoming increasingly important. While micro-credentials are a great way to validate an individual's knowledge and skills, there's still room for recognizing the "other abilities" people bring.
Let’s unify the value proposition offered by micro-credentials and digital badges through the lens of the KSOA model.
Why use the KSOA model?
The KSOA model is a powerful framework for demonstrating the value of micro-credentials and digital badges in the hiring process (recognizers aka consumers of digital awards).
By recognizing the full spectrum of a person's abilities, including their knowledge, skills, and other innate talents, digital awards can provide a more comprehensive view of a candidate's potential. This holistic approach can help employers identify top talent more easily and make informed hiring decisions, while individuals can showcase their unique abilities and stand out in a competitive job market.
Micro-Credentials: A Valuable Way to Showcase Knowledge and Skills
Micro-credentials, are a way to validate an individual's specific knowledge and skills. They're typically earned through online courses, workshops, and other forms of professional development.
What’s in it for learners? (earners of micro-credentials)
By earning micro-credentials, learners can showcase their abilities to potential employers, making them stand out in a crowded job market.
What’s in it for employers? (recognizers of micro-credentials)
For employers, recognizing micro-credentials can help identify top talent more easily, as they can look for specific badges that indicate a candidate has the skills and knowledge needed for a particular job.
Examples of Micro-credentials that recognize Knowledge and Skills
Here are some examples of micro-credentials currently in the market or will soon be available. They span three specific use cases (higher education, K12, and Professional development), illustrating their value, flexibility, and diversity.
Digital Badges: Recognizing a Person's Passions and Interests
While micro-credentials are a great way to validate knowledge and skills, they may not capture a person's unique experiences, interests, and passions that fall outside of career-oriented or academically-focused areas.
This is where digital badges come in.
Digital badges recognize a person's achievements and interests in specific areas, providing a more holistic view of their abilities. They can demonstrate the learner's interest in a particular area and their dedication to making a difference in their community.
Examples of Digital Badges That Recognize "Other Abilities"
Digital badges can complement micro-credentials by recognizing a person's passions and interests.
For example, a learner who is passionate about citizen science might earn a digital badge from an organization like SciStarter while engaging with openly-available citizen science projects. This digital badge can demonstrate the learner's interest in STEM and their dedication to making a difference in their community.
Additionally, digital badges can be particularly valuable for learners who may not have access to traditional educational or career-oriented opportunities.
The Value of Recognizing "Other Abilities" with Digital Badges
While micro-credentials are a valuable way to recognize an individual's knowledge and skills, digital badges can complement them by recognizing their passions and interests. Understanding that both types of digital awards play an important role in holistically recognizing an individual throughout their lifelong learning journey is the key to engaging stakeholders necessary to push this emerging technology through - from early adopters to critical mass.
Micro-credential and Digital Badge ecosystem references:
Digital Promise Educator Micro-credentials
https://microcredentials.digitalpromise.org/exploreAlamo Colleges Micro-credentials
https://www.alamo.edu/microcredentials-briefs/Skyepack Micro-credentials
https://www.skyepack.com/post/micro-credentialsSciStarter Digital Badges
https://scistarter.org/training
