projects

XCredit

Validating a learner’s life and working experiences as currency for future opportunities.

XCredit blog: Get the most up-to-date information about XCredit.

Overview

The Education Design Lab developed the concept of an employer-validated “XCredit”, or Experience Credit, which signals to employers the skills attained informally on the job or in life. In the XCredit project, the Lab will design, test and pilot two approaches to assessing and validating these skills:

Skill Assessments:

Experiential assessments that allow an individual to showcase the skills they have gained.

For example, to demonstrate their active listening skills, learners might participate in a virtual reality simulation in which they gather client feedback after an event. The Lab is currently piloting a set of performance-based assessments and digital credentials for six 21st century skills and their corresponding sub-competencies.

Skill Artifacts

Real world evidence of soft skills that can serve as a proxy for more formal credentials.

For example, an Uber driver’s performance score, a waitress’s tip percentage average, or a military cook’s record of success with large machine maintenance can be excellent signals for customer service, oral communication, or project management skills.

Taken together, these two approaches will help learner-earners seeking better job and career outcomes to leverage the skills they already have, giving value and respect to their lived experiences.

Partners

Solutions for Information Design, LLC (SOLID)

From military Service members, families, and spouses, to Veterans and caregivers, SOLID is committed to supporting the military community at every step of their service. With their subject matter expertise and primary body of work, they are creating solutions and tools to help Service members and Veterans transition to the civilian workplace. They are proud to be a part of building better tomorrows for our nation’s Veterans.

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Lab’s Interoperable “Hub”

MATRIX is a learning platform for managing all e-learning activities, whether it’s delivering effective training, evaluating employee performance, facilitating collaboration, or selling online courses.

Take A Tour of the MATRIX Platform

Muzzy Lane

Muzzy Lane helps learners practice skills that lead to better academic performance. Calling it Experience Learning, they work with leading publishers, institutions, and educators to deliver engaging simulations that put learners in the driver’s seat of the subjects they need to master.

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Talespin

The Talespin platform offers skills insights and immersive learning as a guide for individual career paths, and talent development. Based on the concept of skills mobility, or the idea that through agile learning and validated skills people can unlock highly adaptable skill sets, the Talespin platform delivers rapid reskilling and upskilling for individuals, and workforce transformation for organizations.
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Credly

The most-connected network. The top training brands, certification providers, higher education institutions, professional associations, and employers choose Credly as their digital credential network that require enterprise tools to scale global credentialing programs and that meet the most rigorous data standards and security..

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JobPaths

JobPaths is a tech company designed to address the issues facing veteran recruitment and retention. Their online platform connects job seekers with employers in their desired industry. With a focus on diversity and inclusivity, JobPaths provides personalized job recommendations and resources to help military-aligned job seekers find their dream job and employers reach a diverse pool of talented job seekers and streamline their recruitment process.

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Hire Heroes

Hire Heroes is a nonprofit that helps veterans and their spouses transition into civilian careers. By providing career coaching, job search assistance, and networking opportunities, Hire Heroes has helped thousands of veterans successfully transition into the workforce.

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Smart Resume

Smart Resume is a certified talent network that connects job seekers, institutions, and employers using the power of digital credentials. Combining a next-generation resume builder with a talent discovery network, Smart Resume is focused on creating a better experience for job seekers, employers, and institutional credential issuers.

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An “XCredit” is the value given to an individual’s existing skills. The Lab is prototyping next-generation 21st century skills assessments and identifying other “artifacts” people might possess which can serve as credible evidence of skills.

We want to facilitate simple, open and low-cost ways for people, particularly transitioning military members, veterans, and unemployed and underemployed civilians, to validate their skills, earning credentials to signal these skills to prospective employers.

Who is the XCredit Learner-Earner?

Our Civilian Persona

Sandeep Singh

About Sandeep: Sandeep (32) is a delivery dispatcher by day, earning $21 per hour and rideshare driver working mostly in the evenings. He has a high school diploma with some postsecondary coursework and years of varied experience across retail, banking, and building maintenance. He considers customer service to be one of his top skills.

His primary goals and dreams: After 10 years of working at hourly rates, during odd hours, in many frontline industries, Sandeep is interested in making a career change to an “office job,” preferably in IT or customer service. He wants to start a family and have more flexibility on evenings and weekends, with a stable income and retirement options. Sandeep heard that there are many jobs in manufacturing, and is considering that as an alternate career pathway as well.

His challenges and pain points: Sandeep is motivated to make a career shift, he knows his strength lies in customer service, but is struggling to take the next step. He struggles with how to organize his online resume. He does not think employers in an office setting, such as customer service in an IT firm, will see his experience in retail or banking as valuable or transferable. Since most of his work has been hands-on or over the phone, he worries about his lack of digital skills.

Our Military Persona

Andrea Rico

About Andrea: This is Andrea Rico, age 24. She is serving in the Navy and will transition to the civilian workforce in 3 months. She joined the military at age 18, right after high school. She has developed many skills over the past 6 years, notably leadership, problem-solving, and technology skills.

Her primary goals and dreams: Andrea would like to move straight into a decent paying civilian job when she leaves the military, without going back to school to get a degree. She sees herself working in IT and eventually managing a small team. She’d like to start a family but wants to be financially stable first.

Her strengths: Andrea loves facing new challenges and inspiring others to help her tackle those challenges. She also gets excited at the prospect of new technologies as tools to help solve complex problems, something she was very good at during her time in the military.

Where she is in her journey: Andrea is motivated to excel, and to show others she is highly capable. She will choose her next opportunity based on alignment with her skillset, company culture, and salary. She is open to relocating if necessary.

 

To get in touch, contact the XCredit project lead, Dr. Tara Laughlin.

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