This Discovery Session will introduce the role of the Office of Micro-Credentials Instructional Design team at Florida International University. Insight will be given into our design and development workflow and intensive quality assurance review process which ensures the high quality of all Micro-Credentials launched.
The Florida International University Office of Micro-Credentials (OMC) was established to facilitate Micro-Credential development and guide units at the university or external to FIU seeking to develop Micro-Credentials. The OMC ensures adherence to the approved policies in place. We are focused on providing opportunities for collaboration across divisions and departments and supporting our learners in their path toward gaining skill and competencies essential for success in the 21st century workforce.
The OMC has constructed a workflow process which ensures the high quality of every Micro-Credential launched. The OMC Instructional Design team is an integral part of ensuring the quality of Micro-Credentials developed in an online or hybrid modality. The Instructional Design Manager is vastly involved in the proposal stage, during which the unit submits their idea and intended structure for their proposed Micro-Credential. The OMC requires all proposals submitted to consider which in-demand skills or competencies are necessary for students or professionals to succeed in the 21st Century. Proposals specify the target audience, enrollment requirements, and the modality in which it will be taught. Units are required to identify Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs), which are intended to focus learners' knowledge and skills expected upon completion of a Micro-Credential, a description of contact hours, the assessments and assignments used to measure learners’ mastery of the SLOs, rubrics to assess each area of the learners’ work, and a specified minimum earning criteria for each assessment and assignment.
The Instructional Design Manager’s task is to ensure alignment of all assignments and assessments to the SLO. The SLO’s are reviewed to ensure that are measurable and specific and that the assignments and assessments are rigorous and measure the learners’ achievement of the SLO. The rubrics submitted are also reviewed to confirm they will accurately measure learners’ performance. The submitted items undergo a process of review which includes extensive feedback from the Instructional Design Manager, revision, and further review by OMC leadership until the excellent quality of the proposal is assured.
Creating an online or hybrid Micro-Credential involves the development and design of content in the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS). The OMC Instructional Design Consultants support and guide the units in development to ensure transparency, accessibility, and alignment of all Micro-Credentials. A pre-created template is applied to every Micro-Credential Canvas shell and includes items such as a description of the Micro-Credential, introduction to the instructor(s), a syllabus which includes all course and institutional policies, and several pages with information related specifically to Micro-Credential earning requirements and how to claim a badge from Credly, the digital badge issuer. The template ensures that all Micro-Credentials will be pre-structured to meet many standards of quality required in an online course. The template includes several samples of module overview and content pages with pedagogically sound and aesthetically pleasing design elements. Learner and Instructor resources are also included in the template to support our learners and Micro-Credential Instructors. Additionally, the OMC has developed a robust resource portal to provide further resources and guidance to units developing Micro-Credentials to enhance their understanding and knowledge of policies and development processes.
Our review and quality assurance process is extensive and guarantees the high quality of all Micro-Credentials. The quality assurance checklist we created, called the Course Evaluation Form, is based closely on the Quality Matters rubric, and is utilized to evaluate each standard that is relevant to ensuring high quality in FIU’s Micro-Credentials. The initial review is completed by the instructor to approve all aspects of the course. Once approved, the Instructional Design Consultant completes the Course Evaluation form which requires them to indicate that all required standards are met and provide evidence of where to verify this. The Instructional Design Manager and Program Manager review the Micro-Credential next, and the final review is completed by the Associate Director and Interim Vice President of Innovative Education and Student Success. Our intensive review process is designed to assure learners that all Micro-Credentials launched by FIU provide them with the highest level of knowledge and quality to prepare them for the 21st Century workforce.