Behl, Gorsline and McGee present at Minnesota Summit on Learning and Technology

Josh Behl, Denise Gorsline and Pam McGee presented on think tanks and alternative credentials at the Minnesota Summit on Learning and Technology July 31-August 1.

Their first session, “Think Your Way Out of the Problem,” shared about MSUM’s Think Tank Initiative. “Design thinking is a process that unites people around collaborative learning and solves a real problem at the same time. Using these Design Thinking Principles, MSUM launched a Think Tank Initiative to help faculty create collaboratively, solve a problem for the university, and potentially join a growing team of innovators who teach design thinking on campus.”

Their second session, “Badging: Yes or No? Why? How? Future or Fad?” focused on micro-credentialing/badging and the platforms that support it. “The multiple reasons for and results of embarking on an alternative credentials initiative at your school range from enhancing and documenting student career readiness to marketing your programs to a whole new audience. If employers including Amazon and IBM are saying they don’t look for college degrees, understanding alternative ways students are gaining skills is critical.”