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Digital Promise Micro-credential Platform

Product or Programme · All products and programmes
Evidence · 2 claims (2 for) · 1 study (1 review), q2 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 2 claims rest on one study

Description

A competency-based micro-credential platform developed and operated by Digital Promise through which K–12 educators select credentials, submit implementation evidence, and receive expert-reviewed competency recognition.

Components

  • Digital Promise system of educator micro-credentials for recognizing teacher competencies: The article describes a system Digital Promise is building "to provide professional educators a new way to identify competencies they are developing and gain recognition for the skills they learn throughout their careers." It addresses the gap that teachers "often don't have the opportunity to demonstrate the full breadth of what they have learned, including in informal contexts." The system moves professional learning toward a competency-based model with multiple ways to learn, demonstrations of competence, and desired outcomes, and is supported by a platform for earning the credentials. (Developing a System of Micro-credentials: Supporting Deeper Learning in the Classroom (2014))
  • Micro-credentials as digital credentials verifying competence in a skill or set of skills: Digital Promise defines a micro-credential as "a digital credential that verifies an individual's competence in a skill or set of skills." The framework centers on demonstrated competence rather than seat time, and credentials can serve licensure, recertification, or verification of professional learning application. The organization has scaled this model from 40 educator micro-credentials in 2014 to over 600 active micro-credentials and 21k+ awarded. (Rita Fennelly-Atkinson et al. (2023))
  • Three engagement scales for micro-credential partnerships: small, mid, and large: Digital Promise organizes its global partnerships into engagement scales: small-scale engagement where organizations "use of our existing catalog of micro-credentials" for faster, more economical implementation; mid-scale engagement using collaborative design to produce micro-credentials specific to partner needs; and large-scale engagement adding piloting, researching, and evaluation for long-term sustainability and scalability. Specialized add-on services include professional learning development, translation, and localization/adaptation. (Rita Fennelly-Atkinson et al. (2023))
  • Estructura de tres componentes de una micro-credencial de Digital Promise: Cada micro-credencial de Digital Promise se desarrolla sobre el mismo marco con tres componentes principales. Según el eBook, "El primer componente está formado por tres partes: la Competencia, el Método Clave y los Componentes del Método", que ofrecen una visión general de las destrezas y cómo se demuestra la competencia. El segundo componente incluye la Investigación y los Recursos, con enlaces a estudios que respaldan la competencia y ayudas como publicaciones, vídeos y plantillas. El tercer componente comprende los Criterios de Presentación y las Rúbricas de Puntuación, que indican al estudiante qué responder y qué evidencia presentar, y sirven de guía anticipada y para los evaluadores. (Galindo et al. (2024))
  • Plataforma de Micro-credenciales de Digital Promise: La Digital Promise Micro-credential Platform es descrita como la biblioteca de micro-credenciales más completa y la mayor plataforma pública al servicio del ámbito educativo. Desde su lanzamiento en 2015, enfocada primero en educadores K-12, ha ofrecido más de 800 micro-credenciales basadas en competencias, desarrolladas con más de 100 socios proveedores; tiene más de 40,000 usuarios registrados y ha otorgado más de 24,000 micro-credenciales, con casi el 40% de los receptores habiendo obtenido 11 o más insignias. Las micro-credenciales se emiten como insignias digitales con metadatos seguros adheridos al estándar 1EdTech Open Badges. (Galindo et al. (2024))
  • Digital Promise micro-credential ecosystem on the BloomBoard platform: The Digital Promise micro-credentialing ecosystem is "currently housed on a platform powered by the ed tech startup BloomBoard." Micro-credentials are described as mini-certifications in which K-12 educators "present evidence of their ability to demonstrate competency in teaching or leading school improvement and receive quick feedback from trained reviewers." As of June 2017, DP and its 40 content partners had developed over 300 micro-credentials, and the platform hosted more than 5,000 submissions from educators in approximately 550 districts. The report also describes platform functions: navigation from selection to submission, assignment of submissions, reviewer notes, data gathering, an (Center for Teaching Quality (CTQ) et al. (2017))
  • Digital Promise micro-credential template structuring competency, method, research rationale, and submission criteria: Issuers draft micro-credentials using a Digital Promise template with fields for Title, Competency, Key Method, Method Components, Supporting Rationale and Research, Resources, and Submission Guidelines and Criteria covering overview questions, work examples/artifacts/evidence with a scoring guide, and optional reflection. The Refugee Educator Academy's Julie Kasper called it "constraining in a good way—and really rigorous," forcing clarity in language and openly available research citations. (Dan Brown (2019))
  • Training Benchmarks Database of expert-scored submissions: For each micro-credential, the issuer creates a library of expert-scored submissions—a Benchmarks Database—comprising submission examples reflecting each score option. At least two experts independently score each submission using the rubric, inter-rater reliability is calculated as a check, and conflicts are resolved in conference so one final score serves as ground truth for reviewer training and maintenance. The minimum database size is set by a formula based on scoring options and expected reviewer attempts. (Michelle Riconscente et al. (2016))
  • Five-step issuer workflow for scaling micro-credential review from creation through long-term maintenance: The article lays out a workflow covering the micro-credential trajectory from creation through long-term maintenance at scale. Step 1 creates and validates the micro-credential; Steps 2-3 build a Benchmarks Database and certify reviewers; Step 4 issues at scale; Step 5 maintains the reviewer pool. The stated aim is a review process 'capable of handling large numbers of submissions in a timely fashion, while maintaining a high level of reliability and validity of the evaluation process.' (Michelle Riconscente et al. (2016))
  • Three-player micro-credential ecosystem: The report models a micro-credential ecosystem, 'a network of school districts, organizations, and educators across the country,' comprising three players: Issuing Organizations that develop micro-credential content in collaboration with Digital Promise, Earners who engage with and seek to earn micro-credentials, and Recognizing Entities — 'The school, district, and state agencies that define the various ways micro-credentials provide value in an educator's professional career.' The report presents two issuers (Friday Institute, MTLC) and two recognizers (BCPS, KMSD) as case studies of this ecosystem. (Micro-credentials: Igniting Impact in the Ecosystem (2016))

Claims

Key Sources

  • Galindo, M., Fennelly-Atkinson, R., Franklin, K., Luna, C. (2024, August). The Role of Micro-Credentials in Lifelong Learning and Development: Empowering Learners, Empowering Organizations. Digital Promise. https://doi org/10 51388/20 500 12265/225
  • Developing a System of Micro-credentials: Supporting Deeper Learning in the Classroom. (2014). Digital Promise. https://www.digitalpromise.org/microcredentials
  • Rita Fennelly-Atkinson and April Williamson (Digital Promise). (2023). Certifying Competencies and Skills with Micro-credentials in a Global Context. Digital Promise presentation. https://digitalpromise.org/microcredentials
  • Galindo, M., Fennelly-Atkinson, R., Franklin, K., Luna, C. (2024). El Rol de las Micro-credenciales en el Aprendizaje y el Desarrollo a lo Largo de la Vida: Empoderando Estudiantes, Empoderando Organizaciones. Digital Promise. https://doi.org/10.51388/20.500.12265/233
  • Center for Teaching Quality (CTQ) and Digital Promise. (2017). Continuing the educator micro-credential movement. https://digitalpromise.org/microcredentials
  • Dan Brown. (2019). Research and Educator Micro-credentials. Digital Promise. https://digitalpromise.dspacedirect.org/items/6a538240-80bc-442b-a60d-7f537cbc3bec
  • Michelle Riconscente, Designs for Learning, Inc. (2016). Designing a Process for Micro-credentials at Scale. Digital Promise. https://digitalpromise.dspacedirect.org/items/ddd022c9-a271-4548-9667-38dbfe9bf9c6
  • Micro-credentials: Igniting Impact in the Ecosystem. (2016). Digital Promise. https://digitalpromise.dspacedirect.org/items/bd6ad6c4-3903-4870-a911-6ee05ba0ae8e
Page metadata
Field Value
type product
id digital-promise-micro-credential-platform
title Digital Promise Micro-credential Platform
description A competency-based micro-credential platform developed and operated by Digital Promise through which K–12 educators select credentials, submit implementation evidence, and receive expert-reviewed competency recognition.
status review
moved_from element/digital-promise-bloomboard-micro-credential-ecosystem, element/digital-promise-micro-credential-template, element/micro-credential-training-benchmarks-database, theory/five-step-issuer-workflow-micro-credential-review-scaling, theory/micro-credential-ecosystem-three-players
product_kind software
generated by process:settle-candidates on 2026-10-09
trust unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content
sources 4 — center-for-teaching-quality-ctq-and-digital-promise-2017, dan-brown-2019, michelle-riconscente-2016, micro-credentials-igniting-impact-in-the-ecosystem-2016

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