digiLEARN: Digital Learning Institute
Project Title
For a final grant to the Partnership of the States project on teacher micro-credentials
Date
Jun. 03, 2021
Duration
24 months
Description
Micro-credentials (MCs) continue to emerge as a high-potential vehicle for delivering effective teacher professional learning and developing, recognizing, and retaining strong teachers. Done well, MCs provide teachers with the opportunity to learn, demonstrate competencies, and earn recognition for their skills. Yet, for the potential of MCs to be realized, they must be integrated within a high-quality system of teacher professional learning and operate within consistent standards and policies. Additional support from the Corporation will allow digiLEARN to build on their successful North Carolina Partnership for Micro-Credentials to create an expanded partnership of two to three additional states working together to (a) develop consistent standards for high-quality MCs and (b) provide effective models for state-recognized systems of competency-based MCs to share with other states.
Project Title
For a project to develop micro-credential standards and model policies for North Carolina and other states
Date
Mar. 05, 2020
Duration
16 months
Description
Teachers must develop and master new skills throughout their career in order to stay current and improve their teaching. Traditionally, the primary means of certifying this process has been through the accrual of continuing education units (CEUs) when teachers attend a workshop or participate in a training. This system often lacks mechanisms to measure whether teachers actually learned the content or, more importantly, whether they built the skills needed in order to actually change how they teach in the classroom. Micro-credentials have emerged over the past several years as a way to move from certifying the time teachers spend on professional development to providing credentials as teachers demonstrate mastery of specific skills or competencies. However, while there are multiple organizations offering micro-credentials, there is a lack of clarity regarding their level of rigor, the market value for teachers, and their impact on student achievement. digiLEARN, a non-profit organization founded by former Governor Bev Perdue, proposes developing a partnership to ensure model micro-credential standards, criteria for credentialing agencies, and model policy in North Carolina.
Project Title
For general support
Date
Dec. 07, 2017
Duration
24 months
Description
Technology holds great promise to deliver on the potential of personalized learning for all students, yet systemic policy barriers inhibit the realization of this potential. The Digital Learning Institute (digiLEARN) was founded by former North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue to build on that state’s success in engendering bipartisan stakeholder support for digital learning, and to create enabling conditions for personalized learning across the southeastern United States. Prior Corporation support helped to launch digiLEARN in 2014, to grow the organization into an important convener of state policymakers, and to undertake a case study to establish a model for developing sustainable and bipartisan policy in individual states. With general support from the Corporation, digiLEARN will: 1) Convene a network of state-level stakeholder teams to support policy innovation; 2) Build teacher capacity to implement personalized learning through the Digital Scholars Initiative; and 3) Develop and implement a communications strategy in support of these efforts.
Project Title
For a case study to establish a model for developing sustainable and bipartisan policy in individual states and nationwide
Date
Jun. 01, 2017
Duration
4 months
Description
Personalized, rigorous learning opportunities must be available to all students, a goal which can be supported by education technology but is often impeded by state policy. The Digital Learning Institute (digiLEARN) is a non-profit organization dedicated to accelerating digital learning for learners of all ages with a goal of expanding personalized instructional opportunities for teachers and students. digiLEARN has experienced success in garnering bipartisan support and advancing state policy to enable digital learning in North Carolina, and now proposes to develop a case study of the North Carolina example to establish a model for developing sustainable and bipartisan policy that can be used in other states and nationwide. With Corporation support, digiLEARN will contract with an experienced partner to assist in researching, writing, and distributing a case study that establishes a model for policymakers in other states and the nation.
Project Title
For general support and convenings related to digital learning
Date
Sep. 17, 2015
Duration
23 months
Project Title
For development of Digital Learning Institute
Date
Jun. 06, 2013
Duration
16 months