The Beta Credentials Framework Guidebook: A Universal Credentials Translator

Executive Summary

Introduction

What is the Beta Credentials Framework?

The Framework uses competencies – what the learner knows and is able to do – as common reference points to help understand and compare the levels and types of knowledge and skills that underlie degrees, certificates, industry certifications, licenses, apprenticeships, badges and other credentials. The Framework is intended to connect the dots among diverse credentials by using a common language to describe what recipients of each credential should know and be able to do. The Framework covers every type of credential including industry certifications, micro-credentials and badges, college certificates, and apprenticeship, as well as post-secondary and doctoral degrees.

What’s the Framework’s Value?

Use of the Framework is intended to make it easier to compare credentials, and make it possible to translate the learning gained from one credential toward securing another. By connecting credentials on a common platform, the Framework is designed to help create clear and multiple pathways for students and employers. By illustrating the connections between and across multiple credentials, use of the Framework is intended to help make it easier to understand the competencies associated with any credential and help stakeholders compare the value of various credentials.

Who Can Use the Framework and for What Purpose?

Program developers, educators, workforce development professionals, credential providers, human resource managers and professional organizations can use the Guidebook to identify applications for the beta Connecting Credentials Framework. The Guidebook provides step-by-step processes and tools to:

Translate credentialing program expectations into competencies;
Identify competencies within existing credentials;
Develop credentials;
Compare credentials (course to course, program to program, within and across professions);
Align credentials with work functions and tasks;
Produce related formative assessments;
Improve credential quality and value by identifying strengths and gaps.

The Beta Connecting Credentials Framework

The Framework is a structured tool that helps the user make judgments about the underlying competencies (existing or in development) represented in a credential.

The Framework matrix is organized around two learning domains and eight levels. The two learning domains are 1) Knowledge and 2) Skills (specialized, personal, and social). The eight levels indicate relative knowledge and skill complexity, breadth, and/or depth. This structure provides the ability to translate any credential and to place it on a common reference platform for analysis.

Figure 1 – Snapshot of the Connecting Credentials Framework Matrix

Important Terms

What’s A Credential?

A credential signals a defined and expected set of competencies for multiple purposes – employment, progression in educational attainment, the right to practice a profession, and others. The Connecting Credentials Framework can help profile educational degrees and certificates, professional and industry certifications, apprenticeship certificates, digital badges and other micro-credentials.

A Competency?

A “competency” is defined here by what a person knows and is able to do. Some other terms for “competency” in the credentialing world are “learning or student outcomes”, “instructional objectives or terminal/enabling objectives,” and “performance objectives”. Regardless of the terminology, knowledge and skills are the components of competencies that can be identified, measured and applied within educational and business and industry settings.

A Profile?

The Beta Connecting Credentials Framework can be used in multiple applications. Whether comparing or aligning existing credentials or developing new ones, each application begins with the profiling process. Any credential can be profiled using the Framework. A profile is a summary of competency levels within the credential across knowledge, and learning and skill domains. Profiles are the foundation for all Beta Connecting Credentials Framework applications.

Using the Framework: Examples of Applications

The Beta Connecting Credentials Framework applications can be used by business, industry and education to support critical development activities. Examples include:

Profile an Instructional Module, Course, Educational or Training Program

The Profiling Application can be used to define and design an instructional module, course, or program of study. A profile provides an explicit statement of learner outcomes. It also provides insights to determine whether or not modules or courses are in the right sequence or learning pathway to achieve intended learning outcomes.

Profile Credentials

A Credential Profile articulates the actual proficiency levels represented by a specific credential. Understanding proficiency levels helps define and validate the competencies in the credential. This process can be used to describe individual skills and align them to verify a desired level of proficiency.

Compare Courses, Programs and/or Credentials

Comparing profiles of multiple credentials provides an understanding of differences between courses and/or credentials. It helps differentiate the content and outcomes between similar courses and credentials and provides the basis for a comparative analysis.

Create an Aggregate Credential Profile

Aggregate profiling provides a descriptive summary of a credential profile. This summary approach, which is based on a mean score for each domain, can be used when an exact representation of competencies might not be necessary, for instance when developing policy or creating a searchable database.

Stack Credentials or Sequence Courses

The Stacking Credentials Application uses comparative profiling to understand an array of credentials or potential credentials in a career or learning pathway. It identifies overlaps in related courses and credentials and helps show relationships in order to establish, link and optimize learning and career pathways.

Define Course Competencies

The Connecting Credentials Framework Profile helps developers think through what a learner needs to know and be able to do, and how to assess achievement. It helps turn broad outcomes into more granular competencies which, when profiled, help determine the proficiency level of a course providing a reference point to describe the credential more effectively.

Develop New Course or Credential

Use an existing profile to identify and design learning resources and assessment protocol for a course or program of study. This requires determining and articulating competencies before developing or organizing selected learning content and program scope. This application helps select essential student resources and learning activities to support attainment of competencies and outcomes.

Aligning Job Descriptions (Tasks) to Credentials

Competencies associated with certifications, short-term certificates, certifications, licenses, and many micro-credentials focus on their relationship to actual work tasks and application. This type of profile helps align a credential with work place requirements.

Using Applications

Before beginning an application, there are three things to do.

Define goals and objectives.

Review the purpose of all applications and choose the appropriate application or combination of applications to meet your goals and objectives. Completing a profile or profiles is required for all applications.

Determine who will implement the process.

Application processes can be conducted by an individual with sufficient knowledge of the actual subject matter represented in the course or credential being profiled. Or the process can be conducted by a team. The team approach can be valuable to increase stakeholder engagement and reduce individual bias. Having multiple scorers that have normed their understanding of competencies increases the validity of the outcome(s). Compiling and comparing profile results from three or more individuals will increase confidence in information. The more important the profiling purpose, the more the team process should be considered.

Review and become familiar with the Connecting Credentials Framework.

Examples of Profiling or Application Teams:

A higher education team might be comprised of instructional designers, subject matter experts, faculty members, competency-based educational specialists or employers.

A professional association team might be comprised of professionals in the association, job developers, employers, human resource specialists, instructional designers and trainers.

A credential development team might consist of instructional designers, industrial psychologists, subject matter experts, and others.

In-depth instructions on how to utilize the various applications will be available in the complete Beta Credentials Framework Guidebook, along with all necessary forms, which will be released in January 2016.

Connecting Credentials: A Beta Credentials Framework

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Beta Credentials Framework?

The Framework uses competencies – what the learner knows and is able to do – as common reference points to help understand and compare the levels and types of knowledge and skills that underlie degrees, certificates, industry certifications, licenses, apprenticeships, badges and other credentials. The Framework is intended to connect the dots among diverse credentials by using the common language of competencies to describe what recipients of each credential should know and be able to do.

How is the Beta Credential Framework Organized?

The Framework is a structured tool that can help the user make judgments about the underlying competencies represented in a credential. The Framework matrix is organized around two learning domains and eight levels. The two learning domains are 1) Knowledge and 2) Skills (specialized, personal, and social). The eight levels indicate relative knowledge and skill complexity, breadth, and/or depth. The framework provides a common reference platform for analysis and comparison of any credentials.

Snapshot of the Beta Credentials Framework

What’s the Framework’s Value?

Use of the Framework is intended to make it easier to compare credentials, and make it possible to translate the learning gained from one credential toward securing another. By connecting credentials on a common platform, the Framework is designed to help create clear and multiple pathways for students and employers. By illustrating the connections between and across multiple credentials, the use of the Framework is intended to help make it easier to understand the competencies associated with any credential and help stakeholders compare the value of various credentials.

Who Can Use the Framework and for What Purpose?

Program developers, educators, workforce development professionals, credential providers, human resource managers and professional organizations can use the Framework to accomplish a variety of tasks such as:

Translate credentialing program expectations into competencies;
Identify competencies within existing credentials;
Develop credentials;
Compare credentials (course to course, program to program, within and across professions);
Align credentials with work functions and tasks;
Produce related formative assessments;
Improve credential quality and value by identifying strengths and gaps.

Who Developed the Framework?

With support from Lumina Foundation, the beta version of the Connecting Credentials Framework was developed by a team led by Corporation for a Skilled Workforce (CSW) and the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP). In addition, dozens of experts from colleges, industry, certification/accreditation agencies and policy organizations gave input. Four industry panels of educators and industry representatives were convened to explore credentialing in each selected industry and to “map” dozens of specific educational certificates, degrees and industry certifications against the initial draft of the Framework to test its workability.

How does the Beta Credentials Framework Relate to Other Frameworks?

The Beta Credentials Framework developers closely examined many other frameworks being developed and used in the U.S. The Framework is designed to align with key U.S.-based tools including Lumina Foundation’s Degree Qualifications Profile (DQP) and Tuning initiative, the Employability Skills Framework developed by the National Network of Business and Industry Associations (NNBIA) and the Department of Labor (DOL) Competency Models. The Beta Credentials Framework draws on language and concepts found in each of those sources and attempts to use language that can be understood and related to equally well by business, learners, and educators.

How does the Framework Connect to International Frameworks?

Development of the Framework is part of an international movement to use outcome-based measures as a catalytic tool for increasing the connectivity between academic and occupational credentials. The Framework’s design was informed by a variety of frameworks being used in other countries, many of which are based on the European Qualifications Framework. Countries and regions of particular value included Australia, Germany, Ontario (Canada) and the United Kingdom (Wales in particular).

What are Some Key Terms?

A credential signals a defined and expected set of competencies. Different kinds of credentials serve different purposes – employment, progression in educational attainment, the right to practice a profession, and others. The Connecting Credentials Framework can help profile educational degrees and certificates, professional and industry certifications, apprenticeship certificates, licenses, digital badges and other micro-credentials

A competency is defined by what a person knows and is able to do. Some other terms for “competency” in the credentialing world are “learning or student outcomes”, “instructional objectives or terminal/enabling objectives,” and “performance objectives.” Regardless of the terminology, knowledge and skills are the components of competencies that can be identified, measured and applied within educational, civic, community, family , business and industry settings.

A profile is “snapshot” of proficiency levels for a given credential across knowledge and skill domains. For example, a foundational credential might “profile” at levels 2 and 3, while an occupationally specific competency might “profile” at levels 4 through 7. Profiles are the foundation for all Beta Connecting Credentials Framework applications. Whether comparing or aligning existing credentials or developing new ones, each application begins with the profiling process. Any credential can be profiled using the Framework.

How Can the Beta Credentials Framework be Used?

The Beta Connecting Credentials Framework applications can be used by business, industry and education to support critical development activities. Examples include:

Profile an Instructional Module, Course, Educational or Training Program

Profile Credentials

Compare Courses, Programs and/or Credentials

Create an Aggregate Credential Profile

Stack Credentials or Sequence Courses

Define Course Competencies

Develop New Course or Credential

Aligning Job Descriptions (Tasks) to Credentials

How is the Beta Credential Framework being Field Tested?

Several organizations that are co-sponsors of the Connecting Credentials initiative have volunteered to conduct field tests” to assess the value of the Framework to their enterprises. Pilots address using the Framework to support: development of competency-based transcripts and “stackable” credentials; alignment of industry certification requirements with learner outcomes based on knowledge and skill “levels” development of new models of integrating credentials across community college programs, connecting badges to the larger credentialing environment; and leveling credit evaluations for Advanced Manufacturing certifications. The results of these initial structured pilots are expected in spring, 2016, and will help inform quality improvements to the Framework document and application processes. All findings will be posted on the Connecting Credentials website.

How Can You and Your Organization Begin to Use the Framework?

Click on the Framework tab of the Connecting Credentials website https://connectingcredentials.org/framework/ and click through the interactive levels, or download a pdf. All types of experimentation with the Framework are encouraged. It is important, however, to follow the field testing process as outlined in the Beta Credentials Framework Guidebook, which will be posted in January, so accurate information can be gathered about the types of independent tests being conducted and lessons learned.

Will the Framework be Static or Is It a Living Document?

Based on feedback from both the structured and independent field tests, the Beta version of the Credential Framework will be revised, initially in the summer of 2016 and thereafter as more is learned about how to improve it. Case studies of field tests will be posted continuously as they occur, so the credentialing community can learn about applications developed by various stakeholders.

What is the Credential Transparency Initiative and How is it Related to the Beta Credential Framework?

The Credential Transparency Initiative aims to improve the U.S. credentialing marketplace by 1) developing common terms for describing the key features of various workforce credentials; 2) creating a voluntary, web-based “registry” for sharing the resulting comparable information; and 3) testing some practical “apps” designed to serve the needs of employers, students, educators and others. Under a grant from Lumina Foundation, this initiative is being carried out by the George Washington University Institute of Public Policy, Workcred — an affiliate of the American National Standards Institute, and Southern Illinois University’s Center for Workforce Development. For more information about the Credential Transparency Initiative visit www.credentialtransparencyinitiative.org. Both initiatives are funded by Lumina and are designed to address different, but related, aspects of our currently fragmented, confusing and inefficient credentialing system.

Is There a Cost for Using the Credential Framework?

No, the Framework is available at no cost. Hard copies of the beta Connecting Credentials Framework can be ordered by emailing credentials@skilledwork.org or you can download the PDF version at https://connectingcredentials.org/framework/.