Faculty research published in Teaching and Teacher Education journal.

The College of Education’s mCrED team has developed a large platform of micro-credential courses to assist in advancing educator development in an easy-to-pursue format. Researchers in the college recently used surveys and interviews with micro-credential pursuers and developers to examine the quality, benefits and challenges of the micro-credentialing program.

 

What they found: Both micro-credential developers and pursuers rated the program’s quality highly across seven categories.

• Participating in mCrED was beneficial to educators’ overall professional growth.
• The educators who participated in micro-credentials for a reason other than a program requirement (for instance, those who wanted to improve their teaching, advance their careers, learn a new skill or demonstrate competency) reported significantly more benefits to their professional skillsets than those who were required to participate (for reasons such as a certification requirement or school/district requirement).
• Pursuers who completed three or more micro-credentials reported significantly more professional benefits than those who completed only one or two.
• Overall, the program effectively bridges the gap between knowledge and practical application, enhancing teaching practices directly related to the classroom. 

 

Why is it important? The kind of micro-credentials offered through mCrED provide educators with an opportunity to personalize their professional learning and to demonstrate their existing knowledge and experience in an accessible format.

• This degree of personalization and agency are often lacking in educator professional development.
• Findings indicate that micro-credential pursuers are experiencing a great deal of personalization and ownership over their learning through mCrED; this personalized nature of the program was highly valued, allowing educators to select micro-credentials that align with their specific needs and interests in the daily classroom.
• Micro-credentials offered through mCrED can benefit educators and administrators across South Carolina, as they are aligned with statewide professional standards and practices.

 

What they’re saying: "Micro-credentials offered through mCrED can benefit educators and administrators across South Carolina, as they are aligned with statewide professional standards and practices and provide a personalized way for educators to pursue and demonstrate their professional learning and growth.” says Ashlee A. Lewis, Ph.D., research team member

 

For more about the college’s micro-credential platform, visit carolinacred.org.