ANU Micro-credentials are being offered now! Some of your colleagues are already providing a range of offerings. “Why” do you ask? Because it gives them the opportunity to strengthen links with industry and increase their profile beyond the University. Distinct from ANU courses, micro-credentials are short-form credentials designed and taught at graduate level for lifelong learning. As you can see on the website , a micro-credential can be presented as an individual offering or in a stack (an option for when the academic expert wants to provide a greater depth and/or breadth of study to the participants). The Centre for Continuing Education (CCE) has already partnered with many colleges in providing hosting and marketing services for Professional Learning short courses. CCE provides an agile hosting (or in other words administration) solution for approved micro-credentials.
Success in 2022 starts now!
Would you too like to take advantage of this opportunity? Contact CCE today to commence the discussion, as the sooner you get started the earlier you may be offering micro-credentials. There are two major phases to the process of offering micro-credentials:
Phase 1 requires colleges to develop and apply for approval to offer a micro-credential. The ANU Micro-credential and MOOCS Committee (MMC) sits each month and is responsible for the approval of all micro-credential proposals. This requires the completion of a micro-credential proposal form. CCE has an administrative role here and is happy to assist in the non-academic parts of the form and throughout the approval process.
Phase 2 commences once you have approval from the MMC. This phase includes meeting with CCE and completing a hosting form. We take it from there to design and deliver your marketing communications package including the CCE webpage, promotional videos and electronic EDM on social media. Use these resources when discussing micro-credentials with your contacts in industry. In addition, CCE will set up the landing pages for your marketing program and track your campaigns and sources. Following approval, they will also host your micro-credential and issue the digital badges. The aim at ANU CCE is to deliver as many interested applicants as possible to ensure you have healthy participant numbers.
What are the defining characteristics of ANU micro-credentials?
Through ANU, working professionals have an opportunity to participate in micro-credentials or professional learning. Distinct from non-award Professional Learning courses, micro-credentials include an assessment component, which – if passed – earns the participant an ANU Micro-credentials digital badge.
Who is taking advantage of this great opportunity through ANU Micro-credentials?
In early 2022, the School of Demography at the ANU College of Arts & Social Sciences will provide a series of demography micro-credentials. Designed by Associate Professor Brian Houle and the School of Demography team, in consultation with public and private industry leaders, these micro-credentials will enable employees “to use demography to enhance [their] understanding of the world.” CCE are already in consultation with Brian, providing marketing expertise to direct interested participants to the website listings and enrolment portal.
Brian’s approach is a great example of taking advantage of the opportunities inherent in micro-credentials. In addition to collaborating with industry leaders, Brian has spent time with CCE to ensure we understand the offerings and his vision for their delivery. This enables CCE to tailor the marketing communications campaign to his sequence of micro-credentials. With the first demography micro-credential on offer in February 2022, we have the necessary time to promote to interested parties and encourage participation. Starting early is essential if we are to get the message out there to potential participants. As confirmed by Brian Cooke, Team Leader of CCE, “establishing a connection with the micro-credentials market takes time, and the opportunity to build robust campaigns is one of the keys to success.”
For further information please contact the CCE team at enquiries.cce@anu.edu.au.
References
ANU 2021 Policy: Micro-credentials, Version 3: ANU Policy Library – Policy – Micro-credentials
November 2021
Dr Leanne Brereton is an Education Support Officer at the Centre for Continuing Education