TEL-lingit like IT is

So, a bridge is being built across informal learning and micro-credentialing, and formal education frameworks. The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) recently held a consultation on recognising micro-credentials , based on a consultation paper . NZQA also reports on three pilot studies that completed in June 2018. Recognising micro-credentials is not without its challenges , so work in this space is very timely. This is a remarkably forward-thinking move, with admirable motivation: These pilots are a stepping stone to NZQA developing a full micro-credential system, so that employers and learners can access the skills they need throughout their lifetime. This is becoming even more important as the nature of work continues to change. The outcome is a new system for recognising micro-credentials , now in place. It's important to note that the new scheme does not seek to recognise all individual MOOCs or even collections of MOOC completions (perhaps these will come l...

In a logical turn of events, Udacity, the online educational service founded by artificial intelligence guru and ex-Googler Sebastian Thrun, is offering a new set of tech degrees that guarantee a job in six months or your money back. ( ElecCafe.com ,  Code School Udacity Promises Refunds if You Don’t Get a Job ).  Now this is very, very good news. It demonstrates how achieving career qualifications can finally overcome the unsustainable and, let's face it, unjustifiable debt that characterises higher education worldwide. Education is clearly in need of a "gale of creative destruction", to quote Schumpeter . There is much to applaud here. However, philosophically there is also much to be concerned about. The same article exposes the underlying assumptions around the approach taken by Udacity's Sebastian Thrum: “The ultimate objective of education is to find people a job” Hmmm. Finding a job is a great outcome, and in purely economic cost/benefit analysis it...