Microcredential and Digital Badge - Faculty and Staff Resources
Yavapai College’s Micro-Credentials and Digital Badging initiative creates opportunities to offer learners verifiable skills that enhance their academic and professional growth, including YC students, community members, faculty, and staff.
Faculty, staff, and approved community partners can propose new Micro-Credentials for academic credit-bearing courses, internal training, or workforce skill development.
For questions, contact Christina.Goldsmith@yc.edu.
Creating and Using Micro-Credentials
Step 1: Identify the Skill or Knowledge Area
- Think about what specific skill, competency, or area of knowledge (learning outcomes) you want learners to demonstrate and how these align with career growth and enhancement.
- Determine how these specific skills or knowledge areas can align with a course or other learning opportunity.
Note: If the Microcredential will be awarded as part of an academic course or program, then it must be part of an existing course or program. If a new course or program is being developed, then the curriculum must be completely approved before the Microcredential committee will consider the request.
Step 2: Define Clear Earning Criteria
- Frame each competency as a measurable learning outcome using Bloom's Taxonomy Action Verbs.
- Decide on assessments such as assignments, projects, exams, or other evidence that demonstrate mastery of the learning outcomes.
- Determine earning criteria to demonstrate mastery for the desired outcome. For example, a score of 80-85% on a knowledge or rubric-based assessment.
Step 3: Gather Required Proposal Information
- View the PDF of the Micro-Credential Proposal form to ensure that you have all of the necessary information for the proposal. If you need assistance gathering any information, please contact Microcredentials@yc.edu. Proposals will be reviewed using the Proposal Rubric.
Note: A dean, department chair, or director email address will be required to approve the proposal. Please work with them as you develop your proposal.
Step 4: Submit the Proposal Form
- Once you complete the Microcredential Proposal Form, it will be reviewed by the Microcredential Advisory Committee. Proposals are reviewed at monthly meetings of the Microcredential Advisory Committee.
- If your proposal is approved, you will work with an instructional designer to develop the proposed Microcredential and Digital Badge design.
Step 5: Create & Issue Your Badge
- Once your Microcredential is complete, monitor student learning and award Digital Badges as they are earned.
- Set up the awarding process within your course or program, ensuring that students who meet the earning criteria receive their Digital Badges promptly.
- Help learners understand how to claim and showcase their Digital Badges to potential employers.
