I’m the founder and CEO of Muzzy Lane. For over 20 years we’ve worked with higher education institutions to help them add simulations and game-based content and assessments to their courses through custom development and authoring tools. Most recently I have led our move into the skill-based learning and assessment market, doing research, concept testing, project management, and sales. We provide self-paced, competency-based durable skills courses that award microcredentials on completion.

Assessment for learning, Best Practices/Lessons Learned, Higher Education, Prior Learning, Professional Learning/Upskilling, Skills/Competencies/Standards, Technology/Standards, Workforce Development

ur products are designed to meet WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards, meeting the standards definition but also attempting to create a good experience for all users. We are also partnered with Education Design Lab on our durable skills work and support their bias review process for the content and assessments.

https://www.kiplinger.com/business/hiring-critical-thinkers-easier-with-microcredentials-platform
https://campustechnology.com/articles/2023/05/22/3-keys-to-making-microcredentials-valid-for-learners-schools-and-employers.aspx
https://medium.com/authority-magazine/edtech-david-mccool-of-muzzy-lane-on-how-their-technology-will-make-an-important-positive-impact-9e2faee3f356

Durable skills training and credentialing, the pedagogy behind using simulations to assess skills.

I'm a diehard Green Bay Packers fan and I'm still not over losing to the 49ers in the playoffs this year (or the 2014 NFC Championship either for that matter).

My expertise is at the epicenter of people and technology. With over 20 years in higher education and implementing small scale change and widespread transformation, I’ve worked in the most innovative universities and education contexts. Most recently, I joined The University of Austin focused on micro-credentialling and supporting the Digital Badging Initiative. Since 2021, UT Austin has supported awarding skills-aligned badges.

Best Practices/Lessons Learned, Credential Transparency, Customer Success/Brand Ambassadors, Ecosystems, Higher Education, Implementation/Change Management, LERs/CLRs/Wallets, Prior Learning, Professional Learning/Upskilling, Provocations, Research, Skills/Competencies/Standards, Stackability/Incremental Crendentials, Trust, Value Propositions, Workforce Development

By approaching learning experiences and acknowledgement of skills and competencies with the student at the center, my work honors the unique needs and abilities of each initiative. I recognize and celebrate the value and importance of diversity in every aspect of my work and professional life.

https://extendededucation.utexas.edu/ut-austin-digital-badging-initiative

digital badges at UT Austin, competencies and skills, operations, efficacy and efficiency, digital transformation, systems thinking

Earn: Navigating complexity Never get Badged in: Only doing one thing at a time

In a past (professional) life, I was a wedding photographer.

I work with campus departments and units on change projects to redesign their institutions for the experience they want to have, not the one they inherited. I also research experiential learning and assessment in higher education. After 20+ years in public sector higher ed, I work with an ed-tech firm to bridge powerful learning experiences with repeatable educational practices. I don't sell. I host a podcast for public scholarship & support EL scholar/practitioners.

Assessment for learning, Evaluation of effectiveness/Quality improvement, Higher Education, Research, Skills/Competencies/Standards, Value Propositions, Experiential Learning at Scale

My work informs technology that positions learners' skills and competencies with their location and interests, blinded by race/ethnicity/gender, for employers. This aims to create efficient recruitment based on credentials that lowers opportunities for bias.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mindset-in-motion-mim/id1569680457

Earn: Scholar/Practitioner research and publishing. Never: Not embarrassing my kids with my dancing.

https://specialolympicsontario.crowdchange.ca/53531/page/173873

Symplicity (https://www.symplicity.com/)

The rise of AI and Deepfakes is posing significant challenges to the credentialing ecosystem, impacting sectors like education, employment, and professional licensing. We're moving to a complete trust-less society so the need to not trust, but verify is only going to increase.

Credential Transparency, Technology/Standards, Trust

As I transitioned from South Africa to the United States, I encountered a challenge: despite possessing a distinguished degree and curriculum, the disparity and complexity of the credential verification process in the U.S. significantly diminished its value.
This experience underscored for me a critical flaw in our current credentialing system—it's outdated and lacks global integration. As the founder of this initiative, I am driven by a vision where no individual's hard-earned achievements are undervalued due to such systemic limitations.

Verifying achievements through blockchain

A badge that is not issued enough, is the appreciation badge (for coaches, mentors... people that brought and individual to that achievement. 1 skill we'd never badge someone, is creation of deepfakes, misuse of AI, anything in the sphere of discrimination.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vRrrfkpIWHq7IAcXMVkhlv77tm-17mzjLSMnwmR9cyy_v2QLPrpMjZ_jbc7XV0fVHu-d5nSW1SEUlNC/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000

Stephen@digitalcredentials.co.uk or LinkedIn: zzbuckley

I was one of the founders of the IBM Badge Programme and if you want large scale change, I got 100k IBMers to complete a skills assessment and write a resume! I have implemented programs across the globe and enjoy the real variety of challenges different cultures give you.

Best Practices/Lessons Learned, Credential Transparency, Ecosystems, Governance/Policy, Implementation/Change Management, Professional Learning/Upskilling, Skills/Competencies/Standards, Workforce Development, Strategic Workforce Planning

When I am designing a badge I always challenge myself to try and make sure that as many people can earn it as possible! But I think this an excellent challenge we should all embrace - are we excluding earners by the way we are designing or implement our badges?

I've been with the MS-EE on Coursera since its soft launch in Fall 2019, specializing in program management, website optimization, data analysis, and marketing. My tech background has fueled my passion for performance-based admissions, offering career-advancing opportunities for individuals with the knowledge and drive to succeed in graduate courses, bypassing traditional barriers to entry.

Credential Transparency, Higher Education, Professional Learning/Upskilling, Skills/Competencies/Standards, Stackability/Incremental Crendentials, Value Propositions, Workforce Development

Equity in my work is integrated through Performance-Based Admissions (PBA), which enhances access to higher education by eliminating traditional barriers such as application forms, transcripts, and recommendation letters. CU on Coursera programs empower students to gain admission based solely on their demonstrated ability, irrespective of their background. By prioritizing measurable outcomes and success in course assessments, we ensure that all students, particularly those historically underserved, have equitable opportunities to succeed.

1. How does performance-based admission work? 2. What are the key outcomes of performance-based admission? 3. What characteristics or attributes contribute to student success in this model? 4. How do we define and measure success within this framework? 5. What is the difference between non-credit and for-credit courses?

University of Colorado Boulder

Interested to connect about the themes of my book "Who Needs College, Anymore?" and my badgesplaining talk Tuesday! on Micro-credentials: How To Get Through the Teenage Years?

Ecosystems, Higher Education, Provocations, Skills/Competencies/Standards, Stackability/Incremental Crendentials, Value Propositions

The Lab and the book I just wrote are dedicated to New Majority Learners, folks for whom college was not designed.

whoneedscollegeanymore.org (book website), eddesignlab.org, EDL website