How to Design Micro-credential Courses With Dr. Luke Dowden

In today’s show, we’re diving into the world of noncredit courses. The World Economic Forum highlighted the growing gap between the curriculum taught in traditional degree programs and the skills needed to work in today’s digital world. At the same time, enrollment in full-time degree courses continues to decline. Much has been said about micro-credentials and alternate pathways being the solution to both institutional enrollment challenges and closing the skills gap, but designing and sustaining these programs requires a different type of strategy and leadership. How can universities and colleges create noncredit courses that truly meet the practical needs of learners and employers? To discuss this topic further, we welcomed Dr. Luke Dowden, Chief Online Learning Officer at the Alamo Colleges District. Dr. Dowden and Dr. Ford discussed why institutes and organizations should design noncredit courses with validated personas in mind, why credit for prior learning as an enrollment strategy is so important, the Alamo Colleges micro-credentials briefs and the three key questions organizations should be asking with regards to creating sustainable micro pathway programs.For more information and show notes, click here. Thank you to our curious educators like you for listening. Remember to follow us on social media. Find us on LinkedIn or Facebook @D2L and check out our YouTube channel @Desire2LearnInc for the video version of this podcast and so much more.Please check out D2L's Learning by Association podcast dedicated to helping associations stay a step ahead with learning and The Skill Shift podcast for learning organizations that want to future-proof their teams.To learn more about how D2L is transforming the way the world learns, visit our website at D2L.com.  Class dismissed. Visit the Teaching & Learning Studio for more content for educators, by educators. Sign up for our newsletter today.