In this blog series, higher ed leaders from five states share insights from their human-centered design experience, which can drive systems change and align the fragmented learn+work ecosystem.
The Education Design Lab’s Community College Growth Engine Fellows Program (“CCGE Fellows”) brought together 13 higher education leaders from five states to explore the opportunities for transformation across state and institutional ecosystems through the Lab’s human-centered micro-pathway design process.
The states include Arkansas, Minnesota, Washington, Oklahoma, and North Carolina.
What are micro-pathways? Co-designed with learners and employers, micro-pathways are two or more stackable credentials, including durable skills micro-credentials, that are flexibly delivered to be achieved in less than a year and result in a job at or above the local median wage while putting learner-earners on the path to associate degree completion.
This insights brief will highlight the transformative power of human-centered design in bridging the gap between education and the workforce in Oklahoma.
About Tulsa Community College
Tulsa Community College (TCC) has been a cornerstone of education and workforce development in northeast Oklahoma since 1970. As the largest two-year college in the state — with four campuses across the Tulsa metro area — TCC serves more than 20,000 students annually, offering over 100 degree and certificate programs designed to support student success, economic growth, and community impact.
Innovative educational design thrives when institutions move beyond rigid structures, embracing flexibility and collaboration to create learner-centered pathways that open new opportunities for learners and meet evolving workforce needs. For Dr. Travis White, Dean of the School of Business and Information Technology at TCC, the Fellows program reinforced the idea that effective program design does not require rigid structures or boundaries. Instead, it provides a flexible framework that allows institutions to explore learning within their unique ecosystems. By shifting away from traditional norms and embracing a more open design space, institutions can create pathways that are responsive to both learner and employer needs, fostering greater adaptability and long-term impact.
Insight No. 1: Flexible design is key to implementing micro-pathways and meeting diverse stakeholder needs.
Oklahoma Fellow Travis White found value in the flexibility of the design process, particularly when engaging with multiple aspects of micro-pathway development. His experience highlights the importance of adaptability in addressing the diverse needs of learners, institutions, and industry partners.
Across higher education, existing structures, policies, and procedures can, at times, limit an institution’s ability to meet stakeholders where they are and guide them toward their goals. However, through the Fellows program, Travis gained exposure to a range of institutional approaches. By observing peer institutions, participating in discussions, and engaging with colleagues in the Community College Growth Engine’s community of practice, he developed a deeper understanding of how other colleges navigate similar challenges. This reinforced the need for a more dynamic and responsive approach to program design.
As he worked through the complexities of institutional systems that can create barriers for learners, ecosystem mapping became a critical tool in identifying key stakeholders and clarifying their roles in learner success. This process has helped advocate for more flexible solutions that align with learners’ needs. Additionally, it expanded his professional network, providing valuable insights from peers across state systems and micro-pathway initiatives. By deepening his understanding of his institution’s ecosystem and engaging diverse stakeholders, Travis built a strong foundation for designing micro-pathways that are both innovative and sustainable.
Insight No. 2: Placing learners and faculty at the heart of the design process is crucial for creating sustainable pathways.
Through the Fellows program, Travis saw firsthand how learner personas could help his team better understand the real needs of learners in the Tulsa metropolitan area. By using these tools, he moved beyond assumptions, gaining insight into learners’ lived experiences. This shift is transforming how Travis and his colleagues approach program design, ensuring that growth, belonging, and agency (from the Lab’s Learner Engagement Framework) are central to every decision. Rather than relying on traditional, top-down curriculum development, they now apply insights from the Fellows program to collaborate directly with learners, shaping programs that align with their goals and challenges. This hands-on approach reinforces the principle that designing with learners, rather than for them, leads to stronger, more effective pathways.
While learner personas are valuable tools, their true power lies in ensuring that learners remain central to the design process and have a voice in shaping their educational journey. However, for this approach to be sustainable, it must also elevate faculty as experts and decision-makers. Engaging faculty early ensures micro-pathways align with both learner needs and institutional capacity, making them more practical and scalable.
At Tulsa Community College, internal stakeholder dialogue has been a key component of establishing a strong foundation for micro-pathways. These conversations bring together faculty from both credit and non-credit programs, along with relevant support departments, to ensure alignment and readiness. Faculty and staff champions play a pivotal role in advancing the initiative, making their early involvement critical to long-term success.
By anchoring the design process in well-developed learner personas and leveraging faculty expertise, TCC is developing micro-pathways that are both innovative and responsive to real-world needs. This intentional, inclusive approach enhances the learner experience while ensuring pathways remain sustainable, adaptable, and impactful.
Insight No. 3: Employer engagement is critical to building effective micro-pathways.
As discussions around skills-based pathways expand to include employer and community stakeholders, Travis has recognized the importance of strategically assessing existing partnerships to avoid redundancy and create a more coordinated approach for employer engagement. For micro-pathways to be successfully implemented at Tulsa Community College, the institution must reflect the breadth and diversity of employers and industries within the selected occupational or employment space. However, given the size of the Tulsa metropolitan area, some high-demand career pathways may lack a fully developed labor market. Drawing from his experiences and models from other colleges, Travis is exploring collaborations with nearby or comparable communities that have more established labor markets in key sectors. These partnerships provide valuable insights and strengthen regional connections.
Through the Fellows program, Travis has also seen the critical role of employer validation and iterative prototyping in the design process. Actively involving employers in the development of skills profiles ensures alignment with evolving labor market demands. Additionally, incorporating journey mapping during the prototype phase enables continuous validation and refinement of micro-pathways. This iterative approach enhances relevance for both learners and employers while establishing a framework for ongoing feedback, ensuring that pathways remain adaptable, effective, and responsive to workforce needs as they progress toward launch.
Conclusion
For Travis White, the fellowship provided not only a framework for understanding micro-pathway design but also a dynamic space to explore innovative approaches tailored to TCC’s unique challenges and opportunities. By engaging with a diverse network of peers and mentors, he gained valuable insights into how other colleges navigate similar barriers, reinforcing the importance of flexibility and collaboration in program development. Now, as he moves forward, Travis is leveraging this experience to foster cross-sector partnerships, refine learner-centered pathways, and advocate for scalable, workforce-aligned solutions that will have a lasting impact on his community.
Hear more from Dr. Travis White during the Community College Growth Engine Fellows Learn+Share Showcase.
This insights brief has been authored by Elizabeth Ham. Elizabeth brings her experience in K-12 education, community college instruction, and design thinking to the Lab as an Education Designer working with the Community College Growth Engine.
This publication was made possible through the generous support of Walmart. The findings, conclusions, and recommendations presented in this publication are those of Education Design Lab alone, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Walmart.
