The Challenge
Ed Farm’s fellowship program prepares instructional coaches and teachers as leaders of tech-infused, engaged instruction in three diverse districts in the southeastern United States. Early data suggested that the fellowship was effective, but Ed Farm wanted scalable, credible ways to verify fellows’ expertise and have it recognized for credit by their districts.
The Response
Ed Farm decided to develop micro-credentials that could more formally structure the competency-based nature of the fellowship and provide evidence of how fellows’ skills were applied to instructional practice. While their team had technical capacity to develop a platform, they called on Mira Education to help construct high-quality micro-credentials.
Together, Ed Farm and Mira Education designed a system that integrated micro-credentials fully with the fellowship experience and built their knowledge of best practices in micro-credential development. Mira Education facilitated a micro-credential development process and served as an external reviewer to ensure quality. Mira Education also provided training for assessors, and advised the staff on functional requirements and design for the micro-credential platform Ed Farm launched in spring 2023.
The Impact
Ed Farm launched 30 micro-credentials that align with district requirements and ISTE standards. Fellows in two pilot programs are on the path to receive district professional development credits – with regional scaling in the near future. As these micro-credentials are placed on a customized platform connected with Ed Farm’s existing online learning site, competency-based learning and assessment experiences are seamless for the fellows and the program.