Lightning Talk Series— “A Collaborative Approach to Preparing Learners with Digital Skills for the 21st Century Workforce”
IMS Global Digital Credentials Summit 2021
Presenters
Senior Director for Digital Innovation @ Bowdoin / USM Consultant
Bowdoin College
March 3, 2021 @ 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM EST
Description
Lightning Talks are short, targeted presentations that provide insight into best practices, challenges, and successes in assessment. Listen in as some of the greatest minds and thought leaders share authentic assessment processes, continuous improvement stories, and innovative approaches toward lifelong learning and student success.
This presentation focuses on the collaboration between the Greater Washington Partnership, a civic alliance of employers and higher education institutions in the Capital Region, from Baltimore to Richmond. One of the higher education institutions in the Partnership is the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. They are collaborating to address the talent gaps in the region by preparing learners with the digital skills needed by the 21st Century Workforce. Listen in to their strategic approach to providing learners with programs and stackable credentials yielding skills aligned to those essential to employers.
Key Takeaways
1. Determine a blueprint for designing a skills-based curriculum
2. Apply best practices in curriculum mapping leading to a Comprehensive Learner Record which is shareable with employers
3. Identify strategies to partner with employers in your region
4. Discuss the deliberate approach this collaboration has toward engaging a diverse set of learners
Presenters
Dr. Sherri Braxton, Senior Director for Digital Innovation @ Bowdoin / USM Consultant, Bowdoin College
Dr. Sherri Braxton currently serves as the Senior Director for Digital Innovation at Bowdoin College. In this role, she is responsible for supporting the ongoing Bowdoin Online Learning and Teaching (BOLT) operational vision and strategy and providing day-to-day guidance and support across the overall effort. She regularly partners with stakeholders throughout the college while leading efforts to identify, prioritize, and pursue other opportunities for digital innovation. She also leads efforts to partner and collaborate with peers and other institutions on these digital learning initiatives. Dr. Braxton also currently serves as a consultant for the University System of Maryland under the direction of the Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation. In that role, she supports strategic programs in the areas of alternative credentialing, online learning and other areas as needed. Dr. Braxton previously served as the Senior Director of Instructional Technology at UMBC where she was responsible for leading the Division of Information Technology’s (DoIT) strategy for end-user support of instructional technologies including online, hybrid, and traditional “face-to-face” technologies as well as the alternative credentialing initiatives.
Deborah Hodge, Director of Programs, Greater Washington Partnership
Deb brings almost 20 years of higher education experience to her role. As Capital CoLAB’s Director of Programs, she works closely with post-secondary education partners as they implement the Digital Tech Credential Program. In previous roles at Excelsior College and SUNY Empire State College, she designed and implemented degree programs with faculty that centered around non-traditional learners. Through Deb’s higher education experience and her previous role as CIO at the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, she sees improving interoperability as a necessity to better connect learner outcomes to employment opportunities. She is passionate about the retention and persistence of learners at all stages of their educational journey and believes awarding credit for both formal and experiential learning provides a more efficient path to degree attainment and economic mobility. Deb holds a Master of Science in Higher Education Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Sociology from the University at Albany.
Event Info & On-Demand Recording
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Attendees
Lightning Talk Series— “A Collaborative Approach to Preparing Learners with Digital Skills for the 21st Century Workforce” Discussion