Not Just a Tech Thing: Interoperability Is Also About Humans
Credential Chats Conversation with Dr. Kim Moore
In the Season 2 premier of AACRAO’s Credential Chats, we were joined by longtime expert and practitioner Dr. Kim Moore from Wichita State University.
Our conversation focused on the need for consistency and clarity in the microcredentials space, and much of Dr. Moore’s sharing was based on her experience as a founding member (along with AACRAO!) of the TrustEd Microcredentials Coalition.
As you might infer from the name, the Coalition was launched to address trust in microcredentials.
To be valuable, credentials need audiences to trust them, while audiences need to know what a credential is credentialing before they can decide if they trust and value it.
“If you have an iFit, and you get a Mountain Climbing Badge, does that mean you can climb a mountain? Or does that just mean that you walked so many steps and they’re rewarding your efforts by giving you a badge?” This rhetorical question underscores the critical need for clarity and consistency in what microcredentials truly represent.
Put another way: To be valuable, credentials need audiences to trust them, while audiences need to know what a credential is credentialing before they can decide if they trust and value it.
One of the TrustED Microcredentials Coalition’s initiatives is a proposed framework that aspires to create a consistent way of describing credentials. Regardless of size, sector and other differentiating factors, the framework’s potential is to harmonize credentialing through shared meaning.
This is an approach to support real-world validity and acceptance through transparency and predictability in how audiences might make sense of any given credential.
During the conversation, Dr. Moore shared her screen and showed off the framework. While the framework looks familiar as an attempt at standardization, what stands out is that the standardization avoids judgement. This isn’t about arbitrating what counts, assigning value or assessing quality. Rather, this is an approach to support real-world validity and acceptance through transparency and predictability in how audiences might make sense of any given credential.
Going back to the Mountain Climbing Badge example, it’s about removing the guess work.
For anyone involved in the creation, issuance, or management of educational records, Dr. Moore’s conversation highlights the transformative potential of well-defined microcredentials. Her insights underline the importance of interoperability across educational and professional institutions and audiences, ensuring that after credentials are issued they go on to be respected and recognized.
Check out our full (15 minute) interview about how strategic framework development is paving the way for a more interconnected and meaningful credentialing ecosystem in AACRAO’s Innovative Credentials community. It is FREE to join after creating an account, and it’s also where you can tune into Credential Chats when they stream live!
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