Micro-credentials incorporate prominent features of effective professional development: they are content-focused, job-embedded, and incorporate active learning¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · review r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2019 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Micro-credentials are content-focused and job-embedded and incorporate active learning, features the brief identifies as prominent in effective professional development. → Berry 2019

Evidence¶

Berry 2019¶

Berry, B., & Byrd, P. A. (2019). Micro-credentials and Education Policy in the United States: Recognizing Learning and Leadership for Our Nation's Teachers. Digital Promise. https://digitalpromise.dspacedirect.org/items/65a7d0ed-66b1-4d5b-ac51-6bcf25285dd3 doi:10.51388/20.500.12265/104

q2 · i? · review · r2

The brief asserts, citing effective-PD research, that micro-credentials carry the features it lists: "content-focused and job-embedded" with active learning. No empirical test of micro-credential effectiveness is reported in the document.

"Micro-credentials are content-focused and job-embedded, and they incorporate active learning—prominent features of effective professional development."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• State certification directors are cautious yet hopeful about micro-credentials, citing quality control and compensation-system fit as concerns — related
• At least ten state education agencies have launched official micro-credential pilots, with Tennessee's pilot reaching almost 800 educators — related
• A district micro-credential pilot was followed by organically emerging professional learning community behavior among teachers — related
• Districts and universities increasingly attach concrete incentives to earning Digital Promise micro-credentials — related
• Most teachers participate in informal professional development activities, which generate more satisfaction than formal in-service days — related
• About 31 percent of surveyed teachers report being extremely or very likely to try micro-credentials once introduced to the idea, with another 34 percent somewhat interested — related
• American public education spends $18 billion annually on professional development, yet only 29 percent of teachers are highly satisfied with formal learning opportunities — related
• Kettle Moraine School District's year-long micro-credential implementation, with base-pay increases per credential earned, was followed by greater collaboration and collegiality — related
• The Friday Institute used micro-credential stacks to close the implementation gap left by MOOC-Ed content at scale — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Pilot participants earned micro-credentials aligned to their coaching challenges, and a school leader described micro-credentials as a strategy for increasing teachers' professional development — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Successful educator-context micro-credential use combines rigorous competency evidence, educator autonomy, incentives, and formal recognition — related
• Effective professional development is content focused, active, collaborative, modeled, coached, feedback-rich, and sustained over time — a broader claim this one bears on
• Active learning was incorporated in 34 of 35 reviewed effective PD studies — related
• Content-focused, job-embedded PD linked to student gains: 31 of 35 reviewed studies featured a specific content focus — related
• Teachers participating in the micro-credential collaborative reported positive receptivity, with 84 percent agreeing micro-credentials were significant to their computational thinking learning — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Coaching is more effective when it is job-embedded with frequent face-to-face interaction between coach and teacher — related
• States broadened measures for identifying struggling schools while more districts reported improvement activities, particularly teacher professional development — related