In addition to Indiana, eight other states
already have formal agreements with Credential Engine and are working
to publish data about credentials issued by their public institutions.
The organization is expanding further, with sector initiatives already
underway in retail and hospitality as well as with the military.
Credential Engine's goal is to publish 50,000
credentials by the end of 2018, and at least 100,000 by the end of
2019. Through this work, the organization looks forward to partnering
with institutions, organizations, and states to map the credential
marketplace, increase credential literacy, and empower everyone to make
more informed decisions about credentials and their value.
ACE Member Spotlight: Elon University
Elon University has also developed a close
partnership with Credential Engine and is the first postsecondary
institution to post all of its credentials (94 in total) to the
registry.
Rodney Parks, Elon’s registrar, noticed the
value of Credential Engine’s vision since before its public launch and
supports a transparent and standard credentialing marketplace. Such a
marketplace empowers students to seek pathways motivated by market and
empirical data rather than speculation and advertising. When all
credentials are accessible through a common credentialing language,
learners, education providers, and employers can compare credentials and
make informed decisions on knowledge acquisition and pathways toward
personal and professional advancement.
While Credential Engine continues to expand,
Parks is optimistic that Credential Engine will continue to adapt to
meet the new and evolving issues in the ever-changing workplace. Data
from the registry can help institutions develop enrollment management
strategies to promote regional economic development and
institution-employer partnerships. This data can be used as an open
resource for institutions to compare and align learning outcomes and
competencies attained from peer institutions. The registry also can
support the articulation of advanced standing agreements between
institutions.
A Digital Innovation to Expand Flexible Completion Pathways
ACE’s College Credit Recommendation Service (CREDIT®) also is focused on creating transparency in the marketplace.
ACE’s work centers on transcripts and making
the credentials attached to them more relevant. ACE will be working with
the organization Credly over the next year to develop a digital credential
with on-demand access to an academic transcript for every individual
who completes alternative credit courses or workforce training
recommended for college credit through ACE.
Any student who completes an ACE
credit-recommended course will receive a digital badge from the provider
that is endorsed by ACE. This badge will contain useful information for
the recipient, including competencies and skills the learner acquired
from the provider. A second benefit from this new transcript, is that
they will display in a format that adheres to the Postsecondary
Electronic Standards Council XML transcription standards. Meeting these
standards ensures the student achievements portability,
interoperability, and transferability to other platforms.
The efforts of ACE and Credential Engine are
mutually aligned in their efforts to create a more transparent and
interoperable environment for credentials. Credential Engine’s work will
help create a more equitable marketplace by making available valuable
credential information for students. ACE’s work will champion the equity
piece by helping students share their transcript in a format that is
simpler and easier to use.
ACE’s work will also focus on completion. The
use of standard metrics increases the likelihood that credits will be
accepted and, in turn, help students graduate in a shorter time. Both
efforts will continue to adapt to the needs of the students to expand
flexible completion pathways and provide a more transparent credential
marketplace.