2012 will see recognition by colleges and universities that
badges and certifications, where they may be created from the
reverse engineering of a degree into courses and then into
specific, measurable learning objectives of the courses, does
not threaten the integrity of a degree, undermine the
contributions of curriculum committees, or devalue the
expertise of faculty. Instead, the ability to measure and
recognize (e.g. badges and certifications) the accomplishment
of learning objectives within courses can be a way to
motivate students, provide for a more flexible path towards
degree attainment, create more revenue opportunities with
stand-alone certificate modules, reinvent the course as a
more cost effective way to attain a degree than the cobbling
together of certificates, and (for all these reasons) better
demonstrate to employers and the public of the worth of a
college degree.
