Microcredentials

Microcredential Description: Earners of this microcredential can develop an evaluation strategy for a learning program or course using Kirkpatrick's Model of Evaluation.

Course Name: Evaluating Learning

Length: 3 weeks

Delivery: Online - Self-paced

Skills: Analysis, Assessment, Evaluation, Planning

Earning Criteria: Earners of this microcredential developed an evaluation strategy using the Kirkpatrick Evaluation Template that incorporated four levels of learning (impact, transfer, learning, and reaction) and included data, sources, methods, and timing for each level. This was evaluated by an instructor using a rubric.

Microcredential Description: Earners of this Microcredential can develop an online training strategy to address a teaching challenge that utilizes UDL principles and multiple online tools.

Course Name: Designing and Teaching Online

Length: 2 weeks

Delivery Method: Online - Self-paced

Skills: Communication, Facilitation, Teaching

Earning Criteria: Earners of this Microcredential identified a teaching challenge in an online learning environment and developed a training strategy to address it. The training strategy incorporated a minimum of two UDL principles and two online tools. The strategy was assessed by an instructor using a rubric.

Microcredential Description: Earners can identify various strategies for fostering inclusivity in teaching & learning. This follows self-reflection and analysis of one's own bias, privilege, and barriers.

Course Name: Understanding Diversity and Inclusion

Course Length: 3 weeks

Delivery Method: Blended (scheduled & self-paced)

Skills: Adult Education, Diversity and Inclusion, Inclusive Teaching

Earning Criteria: Earners of this microcredential have demonstrated the ability to draft a plan which identifies effective and inclusive teaching and learning practices. This is assessed by an instructor for its clarity, choice of techniques, and the rationale of their choices.

Microcredential Description: Earners can identify instructional methods appropriate for a given situation with adult learners. Participants have extensive knowledge of a variety of instructional methods appropriate for adult instruction.

Course Name: Instructional Methods

Length: 3 weeks

Delivery Method: Blended (scheduled & self-paced)

Skills: Activities, Adult Education, Facilitation, Instruction, Instructional Methods

Earning Criteria: Earners of this microcredential can identify an appropriate instructional methodology for a given scenario. They have submitted a written assignment outlining: the methodology selected, rationale for their choice, and the appropriate timings for the instruction.

Microcredential Description: Earners can identify and assess their own intercultural competence and develop strategies to be more successful as an intercultural communicator in a specific higher education context.

Course Name: Intercultural Communication in a Higher Education Context

Length: 12 hours

Delivery Method: Self-paced

Skills: Intercultural Communication, Planning, Self Assessment

Earning Criteria: Earners developed a plan to enhance their own intercultural communication competence. They engaged with a series of intercultural scenarios set in an academic setting and identified the differences between specific cultural dimensions. They created a public portfolio that included a personal intercultural skills inventory (with examples from their work & life experiences) and a plan to improve their own competence as an intercultural communicator within their current role in higher education.

Microcredential Description: Earners have demonstrated the ability to plan strategies to mitigate challenging behaviors that may occur during facilitation with a group of adults before disruptions happen.

Course Name: Effective Facilitation

Length: 3 weeks

Delivery Method: Blended (scheduled & self-paced)

Skills: Facilitation, Group Dynamics, Group Formation, Teaching, Training

Earning Criteria: Earners of this microcredential have submitted a plan that outlines strategies for mitigating challenging behaviours that may arise during a facilitation with adults.

Microcredential Description: Earners have the ability to explain and employ the various steps and stages of program design for adult learning contexts. Earners can design effective workshops in both workplace and educational contexts. 

Course Name: Program Design

Length: 3 weeks

Delivery Method: Blended (scheduled & self-paced)

Skills: Assessment, Evaluation, Needs Assessment, Program Design

Earning Criteria: Earners of this microcredential have demonstrated the ability to design a basic workshop or program that might be needed in their workplace context. Earners have outlined: a needs assessment strategy, learning outcomes, and an assessment plan.

Microcredential Description: Earners can identify ways to embed reconciliation inot their personal and professional lives. 

Course Name: Indigenous Teaching and Learning Perspectives

Length: 3 weeks

Delivery Method: Blended (scheduled & self-paced)

Skills: Reflective Practice, Cultural Literacy, Indigenous Ways of Knowing, Indigenous Practices, Allyship, Critical Thinking 

Earning Criteria: Earners of this microcredential can identify ways to embed reconciliation inot their personal and professional lives. 

Microcredential Description: Through the Faculty of Agriculture, earners have conducted a site and water analysis in a fish research facility, analysed data, and made recommendations to improve water quality, operation, and maintenance of the site for better fish health.

Course Name: Fish Care and Husbandry in Research Facilities - Module 3

Length: 2 week module/ part of a 6 week course

Delivery Method: In-person

Skills: Critical Analysis of LSS, Data Analysis, Facility Audit, Water Qualiy Analysis

Earning Criteria: Earners of this microcredential evaluated the physical structure & building components of a fish research facility & made recommendations to improve the operation & maintenance of the site. Earners demonstrated an understanding of tank flows, oxygen balance & waste removal of a fish holding tank. They analysed water quality measurements taken over time, provided a breakdown of the issues, & suggested mitigation strategies. Evidence provided: a checklist, water analysis summary, & recommendations.

(Contact openlearning@dal.ca for more information)

Microcredential Description: Through the Faculty of Agriculture, earners are competent in operating a tractor with an attached implement on Nova Scotia roads. The earner can conduct pre-operation checks, attach front and rear-mounted implements, and safely operate a tractor and implement with a combined weight of 14,000 kg or less.

Course Name: Tractor Safety

Length: 2 days

Delivery Method: In-person

Skills: Attach Implements, Haul Implements, Road Safety, Safe Operation

Earning Criteria: Score grade of at least 70% on final written assessment. 

Earners of this microcredential have scored 70% or higher on two practical driving assessments. They have demonstrated their ability to safely attach an implement, start tractor, drive forward, drive a full course route, stop on a hill, back up with implement attached, park, unhitch and stop tractor.

Standards:
NS Motor Vehicle Act
Forthcoming NS Traffic Safety Act

Microcredential Description: Earners have demonstrated the ability to present a business case/rationale for fostering diverse teams in the workplace (as opposed to focusing on homogeneous teams). The case is supported with course readings, personal/professional experiences, and external research.

Course Name: Optimizing Diverse Team Performance  

Length: 3 weeks

Delivery Method: Blended (scheduled & self-paced)

Skills: Business Case, Diversity, Team And Organization Development

Earning Criteria: Earners of this microcredential have submitted a business case outlining the need to foster diverse teams in the workplace. The earner has highlighted the benefits, opportunities, and role of leadership in fostering these inclusive teams. Feedback and evaluations were provided by the instructor - a subject matter expert.

Microcredential Description: Earners can prepare an objective-based marketing plan.

Course Name: Marketing Essentials for Business

Length: 12 weeks

Delivery Method: Blended (scheduled & self-paced)

Skills: Market Assessment, Marketing Planning, Product Development

Earning Criteria: Earners of this microcredential developed a detailed objective-based marketing plan that included a situational analysis, product/service strategy, distribution strategy, and implementation and control strategy. This report was assessed by an instructor using a rubric.

Microcredential Description: Earners have demonstrated that they can analyze a basic set of financial statements to support organizational decision making.

Course Name: Finance Essentials for Public Sector Leaders

Length: 4 weeks

Delivery Method: Blended (scheduled & self-paced)

Skills: Accounting Literacy, Financial Analysis, Financial Literacy

Earning Criteria: Earners of this microcredential reviewed year-over-year financial statements to identify potential trends and the most critical issues for an organization based on a real scenario. Earners shared their findings in a report which was evaluated by an instructor using a rubric.

Microcredential Description: Earners of the Risk Management Microcredential can conduct an end-to-end risk management exercise to prioritize and mitigate risks in a workplace context.

Course Name: Risk Assessment and Management

Length: 12 weeks

Delivery Method: Blended (scheduled & self-paced)

Skills: Critical Thinking, Risk Assessment, Risk Mitigation

Earning Criteria: The earner has conducted a risk management review in a workplace related to: technology, finance, operations, reputational risk, and continuity. The earner has identified and documented risks, prioritized their importance, and developed strategies to mitigate these risks. The earner presented their findings in a video presentation, which was assessed by an instructor using a rubric.

Microcredential Description: Earners can identify the regulatory and operational requirements to safely work with biohazardous materials, including choosing appropriate personal protective equipment, safe operation of essential biosafety equipment, effective decontamination procedures, incident reporting and response procedures, and identifying good biosecurity practices.

Course Name: Biosafety

Skills: Biohazard Skill Clean-Up, Biosafety Equipment Operation, Laboratory Decontamination, PPE Selection

Earning Criteria: Earners of this microcredential engaged with a series of scenarios identifying how they would proceed to conduct activities with biohazardous materials, including determining regulatory oversight, selecting and using appropriate personal protective equipment, safely operating essential biosafety equipment, performing effective laboratory decontamination, incident reporting, and identifying good biosecurity practices. Earners had to achieve 100% in each of these scenarios.

(Contact openlearning@dal.ca for more information)

Microcredential Description: Earners have demonstrated adherence to safety procedures at all times while inside the metal lab area. They can identify, and operate under, any specific safety requirements while using each tool.

Course Name: Lab Safety Initiative

Length: 2 days

Delivery Method: In-person

Cost: Free

Skills: Safe Tool Handling, Shop Safety, Shop Skills

Earning Criteria: Earners of this Microcredential demonstrated safe handling and use of metal fabrication tools found in a lab or shop. Earners scored 85% or higher on an online theory of shop and tool safety quiz. Earners demonstrated safe handling and use (in-person) which was verified by an instructor or lab supervisor.

(Contact openlearning@dal.ca for more information)

Microcredential Description: Earners have demonstrated that they can successfully design a microcredential that aligns to specific criteria set out by Dalhousie University.

Course Name: Microcedentials Training Workshop

Length: 2 days

Delivery Method: Scheduled 

Cost: Free

Skills: Assessment Design, Competency Assessment, Microcredential Design

Earning Criteria: Earners of this badge designed a microcredential that met the strongest criteria (Group A) set out in the Dal Microcredential Approval Rubric. They identified & adequately described a skill/competency that aligns with labour market needs & developed a competency-based assessment strategy. They designed sequential steps that lead to an overall skill/competency. They submitted the design using the Dal Microcredential application, which was assessed through the Dal Microcredential Approval Process.

(Contact openlearning@dal.ca for more information)

Microcredential Description: Through the Faculty of Engineering, earners have demonstrated Python basic programming skills including converting data types, string manipulation, for & while loops, lambda function, range functions, and generating random integer lists using normal, exponential, and uniform distributions. Earners have demonstrated how to import libraries and use library functions to simplify their Python code. Earners have also demonstrated the ability to clean, modify, and merge data into one uniform data frame.

Course Name: Python Programming Bootcamp 

Length: 2 days

Delivery Method: In-person

Cost: Free

Skills: Data Analysis, Data Wrangling, Math, Object-oriented Programming, Python

Earning Criteria: Earners of the Python Foundational Bootcamp microcredential have successfully submitted portfolio evidence of properly formatted Python code, using markdown text and comments, in Jupyter Notebook. The earner created a list of integers, performed a mathematical operation on each integer and assigned integers to a new list.

Earners of the Python Foundational Bootcamp Microcredential have successfully submitted portfolio evidence of properly formatted Python code in a Jupyter notebook that imported built-in modules to combine files of different formats, eliminated duplicates, and wrote a single CSV file sorted alphabetically by country.

(Contact openlearning@dal.ca for more information)

Microcredential Description: Through the Faculty of Agriculture, earners have demonstrated knowledge of how to adhere to safety procedures at all times while inside the woodworking lab area. They can identify, and operate under, any specific safety requirements while using each tool.

Course Name: Lab Safety Initiative

Length: 2 days

Delivery Method: In-person

Cost: Free

Skills: Safe Tool Handling, Shop Safety, Shop Skills

Earning Criteria: Earners of this Wood Lab Safety Microcredential demonstrated safe handling and use of woodworking tools found in a lab or shop. Earners scored 85% or higher on an online theory of shop and tool safety quiz. Earners demonstrated safe handling and use (in-person) which was verified by an instructor or lab supervisor.

(Contact openlearning@dal.ca for more information)

Microcredential Description: Earners have demonstrated their ability to plan and compose a complete, original academic article—or an article section— appropriate for a specific, learner-identified professional media venue.

Course Name: Writing for Academic Publication

Length: 2 days

Delivery Method: TBD

Cost: Free

Skills: Academic Writing Skills, Editing Skills, Genre Analysis

Earning Criteria: Earners of this microcredential planned, composed, revised, and edited an original academic article or article section appropriate for a specific, learner-identified professional media venue. The final version of the article or article section was assessed by a writing and editing professional using a rubric and achieved a B grade or higher on the Dalhousie Grade Scale. Earners achieved a grade of 75% or higher in this course overall.

(Contact openlearning@dal.ca for more information)

Microcredential Description: Earners have demonstrated the ability to analyze a particular EDIA strategy that can be implemented in the workplace. This analysis is supported by course materials, academic literature, and personal experience.

Course Name: Strategies for Implementing EDI Initiatives

Length: 3 weeks

Delivery Method: Blended (scheduled & self-paced)

Skills: Analysis, Inclusive Strategies, Strategies, Strategy Implementation

Earning Criteria: Earners of this microcredential have written an analysis detailing: their chosen EDIA strategy, expected outcomes, possible challenges, interventions to handle resistance to the strategy. The analysis is supported with course content, academic literature, and lived experience. Feedback and evaluation is provided by the instructor - a subject matter expert.

Microcredential Description: Earners have demonstrated the ability to analyze both effective and non-effective strategies for inclusive communications, reflecting on the elements that make successful communication possible.

Course Name: Inclusive Communications in the Workplace

Course Length: 3 weeks

Delivery Method: Blended (scheduled & self-paced)

Skills: Analysis, Communication, Inclusion

Earning Criteria: Earners of this microcredential submit a written analysis of communication strategies they have witnessed in the workplace, determining their effectiveness in facilitating inclusivity amongst coworkers. Earners identify the necessary elements for inclusive communication strategies. Feedback and evaluations are provided by the instructor - a subject matter expert.

Microcredential Description: In collaboration with The Idea Practice, earners have demonstrated the ability to select the most appropriate strategy for supporting inclusive communications, given a series of connected scenarios. While the context is workplace communication, this skill is transferable to all other communication settings.

Course Name: Foundations of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace 

Course Length: 8 hours

Delivery Method: Self-paced

Skills: Communication, Inclusion and Belonging, Inclusive Communication

Earning Criteria: Earners of the microcredential engage with a series of scenarios that describe inclusive communication issues in a workplace setting. Earners identify the most appropriate strategy to implement in each scenario in order to foster an environment that supports inclusive communication. Feedback and rationale are provided throughout each asynchronous scenario activity.

Microcredential Description: Earners have demonstrated the ability to recommend strategies that could be used by leaders to foster inclusion in their organizations. They are required to provide rationale for those recommendations.

Course Name: Understanding EDI: An Organization Imperative

Course Length: 3 weeks

Delivery Method: Blended (scheduled & self-paced)

Skills: Inclusion, Rationale, Strategies

Earning Criteria: Earners of this microcredential submit a written recommendation detailing strategies for fostering inclusive workplaces, and provide a rationale for those choices. Feedback and evaluation is provided by an instructor who is a subject matter expert.

Microcredential Description: Earners can identify ways to embed reconciliation practices ino their personal and professional lives. 

Course Name: Indigenous Teaching and Learning Perspectives

Length: 3 weeks

Delivery Method: Blended (scheduled & self-paced)

Skills: Allyship, Critical Thinking, Cultural Literacy, Cultural Literacy, Identification of Colonial Practices, Indigenous Pratcies, Indigenous Ways of Knowing, Reflective Practice

Earning Criteria: Earners of this microcredential completed a capstone project. They identified opportunities and processes to embed reconciliation into their personal and professional lives and prepared a commitment statement to the reconciliation process. These were presented in a 1000-word report which was assessed by an instructor using a rubric. A minimum grade of 80% was achieved.

Microcredential Description: Earners can design an investigation unit and an investigation strategy for a financial institution related to money laundering and other financial crimes. 

Course: Financial Crime Investigation

Length: 180 days to complete the course

Delivery Method: Self-paced

Skill: Presentation, Written Communication, Verbal Communication, Critical-Thinking

Earning Criteria: Earners designed an investigation unit for a financial institution that incorporate strategies to uncover money laundering, other financial crimes, and considers the ability to both reactively and proactively investigate such occurrences. They prepared a 5-10 minute recorded presentation as if presenting to senior level decision makers, as well as a 3000 word report. The report outlined roles within the proposed unit and included strategies to uncover the various types of financial crime. This was evaluated by an instructor using a rubric. A grade of 70% was achieved.

Microcredential Description: Earners of the Responsible Gaming and Player Protection Microcredential can critically assess the state of responsible gaming and player protection in their organization and identify potential improvements.

Course name: Responsible Gaming and Player Protection

Length: 12 hours

Delivery: Online - Self-paced

Skills: Critical Thinking, Decision Making, Problem Solving

Earning Criteria: Earners critically assessed the provision of responsible gaming within their organization. They identified opportunities to strengthen player protection and responsible gaming practices related to player behaviour, tools, player education, technology, marketing, employee training, community engagement, global activity, and the role of stakeholders. Earners presented their findings in a report (500 words), which was assessed by an instructor using a rubric.

Microcredential Description: Earners can identify organizational design challenges and assess the impact on individual and team performance.

Course Name: Organizational Behaviour

Length: 12 weeks

Delivery Method: Blended (scheduled & self-paced)

Skills: Critical Analysis, Impact Assessment, Team Dynamics

Earning Criteria: Earners of the Organizational Design microcredential can identify organizational design challenges and assess the impact on individual and team performance.

Microcredential Description: Earners are competent in developing a coaching plan to improve individual performance.

Course Name: Coaching Skills for Leaders

Length: 12 weeks

Delivery Method: Blended (scheduled & self-paced)

Skills: Goal Setting, Planning, Skill Development, Skill Recognition

Earning Criteria: Earners of the Performance Coaching microcredential developed a coaching plan to advance the skills of an employee through a given scenario. The earner identified and/or demonstrated all components of the coaching process which included: performance goal(s), an achievement plan, and measures for success. The plan was evaluated by an instructor using a rubric.

Microcredential Description: Earners are able to develop an action plan with strengths-based strategies to influence positive change in a workplace setting.

Course Name: Adaptation of Positive Psychology Principles in Organizations and Teams

Length: 5 weeks

Delivery Method: Scheduled

Skills: Change Management, Positive Culture Planning, Positive Leadership, Problem-Solving, Strengths Building

Earning Criteria: Earners of this microcredential applied the four dimensions of an appreciative inquiry model to develop an action plan that includes a minimum of 2 interventions for their workplace to improve their team or organizational culture. Earners were required to provide three external references to support their observations and conclusions. The action plan was evaluated by an instructor using a rubric.

Microcredential Description: Earners have the ability to think strategically about public communications on behalf of an organization. The earner can devise effective public communications for an organization, including addressing specific public communication needs and utilizing communication tactics to reach that audience.

Course Name: Strategic Communications

Length: 12 weeks

Delivery Method: Blended (scheduled & self-paced)

Skills: Communications Goal Setting

Earning Critera: The earner has authored a public communications plan for an organization about a project, initiative, or issue. This process involves documenting what needs to be communicated, what publics need to be reached, and the strategy for delivering that information. Completion of the assessment requires outlining strategic considerations, setting communication goals, and measuring the communication efforts to ensure success.

Microcredential Description: Earners can prepare an organization's recruitment strategy.

Course: Human Resource Management

Length: 12 weeks

Delivery Method: Blended (scheduled & self-paced)

Skill: Labour Analysis, Relationship Management, Strategic Sourcing

Earning Criteria: Earners of this microcredential developed a 6-layer recruitment strategy for customer service positions based on a scenario provided. Earners addressed external issues that impact recruitment, the organizational brand, the recruiter/hiring manager relationship, and defined the search parameters, including how they would conduct and evaluate the search. A recruitment strategy was presented through a report, video, or presentation that was evaluated by the instructor using a rubric.

Microcredential Description: Earners of the Design Thinking Microcredential can use the 5-step design thinking process to address a workplace challenge. They are able to define a problem, apply design thinking methodologies (ideate, prototype, and refine), and utilize iterative user feedback to establish possible solutions.

Course Name: Design Thinking

Length: 12 weeks

Skills: Critical Thinking, Facilitation, Problem Solving

Earning Criteria: Earners of this Microcredential implemented the 5-step design thinking process to address a real world problem within a workplace/sector. They used empathy activities to define a challenge from the user’s perspective, ideation activities to identify one idea that would have an impact on the challenge, developed a prototype to address the challenge, and engaged in testing activities to refine their idea. Earners captured their process in a report which an instructor evaluated using a rubric.

Microcredential Description: Earners can identify and introduce new leadership concepts and strategies into a professional workplace environment.

Course Name: Leadership Dynamics

Length: 12 weeks

Delivery Method: Blended (scheduled & self-paced)

Skills: Leadership, Leadership Analysis, Strategic Engagement

Earning Criteria: Earners of this Effective Leadership Microcredential identified and incorporated a new leadership concept into a workplace context. The earner authored an in-depth report, which included their strategy, challenges, and success factors. This report was evaluated by an instructor using a rubric.

Microcredential Description: Earners can apply ethical decision-making practices to ethical dilemmas in a professional leadership context.

Course Name: Ethics in Action

Length: 12 weeks

Delivery Method: Blended (scheduled & self-paced)

Skills: Critical Thinking, Ethical Decision-Making, Reasoning

Earning Criteria: Earners of this microcredential identified and applied an ethical decision-making model and critical aspects of confidentiality, privacy, and informed consent policies/guidelines to a dilemma in a case study. The earners presented their findings in a report that was evaluated by an instructor using a rubric.

Microcredential Description: Earners are able to develop an action plan with strengths-based strategies to influence positive change in a workplace setting.

Course Name: Adaptation of Positive Psychology Principles in Organizations and Teams

Length: 5 weeks

Delivery Method: Blended (scheduled & self-paced)

Skllls: Change Management, Positive Culture Planning, Positive Leadership, Problem-Solving, Strengths Building

Earning Criteria: Earners of this microcredential applied the four dimensions of an appreciative inquiry model to develop an action plan that includes a minimum of 2 interventions for their workplace to improve their team or organizational culture. Earners were required to provide three external references to support their observations and conclusions. The action plan was evaluated by an instructor using a rubric.

Microcredential Description: Earners are competent in developing strategies to resolve workplace challenges and/or dilemmas.

Course Name: Mastering Strategy

Course Length: 12 weeks

Delivery Method: Blended (scheduled & self-paced)

Skills: Problem Management, Strategic Analysis, Strategic Execution, Strategic Planning

Earning Criteria: Earners of this microcredential identified and applied an ethical decision-making model and critical aspects of confidentiality, privacy, and informed consent policies/guidelines to a dilemma in a case study. The earners presented their findings in a report that was evaluated by an instructor using a rubric.

Microcredential Description: Earners can identify how to use creative style types (integration, splitting, figure-ground reversal, and distal) for personal growth and team development.

Course Name: Creativity and Innovation for Leaders

Length: 12 weeks

Delivery Method: Blended (scheduled & self-paced)

Skills: Adaptability, Collaboration, Critical Reflection, Problem Solving, Teamwork

Earning Criteria: Earners identified their personal creative style, how it manifests in a workplace, and how it impedes innovation within teams. They participated in 6 live sessions and submitted 12 reflections that examined biases and fears related to personal growth and team development. These were assessed by an instructor and scored a level 4 or higher on a rubric with an overall grade of 80% or higher.

Microcredential Description: Earners are able to take the necessary measures to safely operate a laser or laser system, particularly a Class 3B or 4 laser. The earner can confidently assess key elements of the laser such as wavelength, classification and power; identify potential beam and non-beam hazards; and implement the appropriate control measures to protect themselves and others.

Course Name:  Laser Safety

Length: 2 days

Delivery Method: Self-paced

Cost: Free

Skills: Laser Classification, Laser Hazard Control, Laser Safety

Earning Criteria: Earners of this microcredential engaged with a series of scenarios to safely operate a laser or laser system as a user in a research setting. Earners identified the most appropriate strategy to achieve a safe environment while operating a laser in each scenario. Feedback and rationale were provided throughout each asynchronous scenario activity.

Microcredential Description: Earners can identify how to use communication, personal, and collaborative awareness as a leadership practice incorporating the 3 pillars of sustainability (social, environmental, and economic). 

Course Name: RBC Sustainability Leadership Certificate

Length: 20 weeks

Delivery Method: In-person

Skills: Active Listening, Interviewing Skills, Reflective Practice, Self Assessment

Earning Criteria: Earners attended 5 sessions. They self-assessed their personal & collaborative leadership style, reflected on past experience and presented examples to identify their strengths & weaknesses through 2 written reflections (personal & collaborative awareness). They conducted interviews with 4 leaders in the field & assessed how they used communication, personal, and collaborative awareness to implement the 3 pillars of sustainability in their practice. These were assessed across 4 requirements.

Microcredential Description: Earners can develop an innovative public sector solution to an issue impacting a specific population using data that reflects current and relevant economic, social trends and considers the financial sustainability of local government. 

Course Name: Local Government 

Length: 6 weeks

Delivery Method: Blended (scheduled & self-paced)

Skills: Critical Thinking, Data Analysis, Financial Analysis, Problem Solving

Earning Criteria: Earners of this microcredential developed a financially viable and innovative solution for local government to address an issue impacting a specific population group. They used economic and social trends data from the past 5 years to identify the issue and the impact on a specific subset of the population. They proposed a new approach to resolve the issue, including a rationale explaining the unique nature of their solution. This report (2000 words) was assessed by an instructor using a rubric.

Microcredential Description: Earners can professionally participate and lead formal local government meetings using the basics of Robert's Rule of Order.

Course Name: Parliamentary Governance, Management & Procedure

Length: 6 weeks

Delivery Method: Blended (scheduled & self-paced)

Skills: Communication, Conflict Management, Leadership, Presentation

Earning Criteria: Earners of this microcredential developed a written code of conduct outlining the purpose, organizational council values, and the expected and prohibited behaviours for a formal local government meeting.  Each Earner led a mock meeting for 5 minutes, and also played the role of a staff member using real life scenarios. They demonstrated leadership and participation strategies and techniques by deploying Robert’s Rules of Order including the use of appropriate language and terminology, procedures to open the meeting and address members, and managing conflict. As the Chair of the meeting, each earner demonstrated their ability to call the meeting to order, navigate the debate, announce the vote, and demonstrate a strategy to resolve a conflict. As the participant, they demonstrated their ability to present a topic, request the opportunity to speak, move a motion, second a motion, and vote on a motion. Earners were evaluated by an instructor using a checklist during the scenarios. They had to achieve a grade of 70% on their written code of conduct evaluated using a rubric, and they achieved 70% overall in the course.

Microcredential Description: Earners can evaluate the effectiveness of property tax and assessment reform initiatives for municipalities within Nova Scotia using a structured socio-economic framework to make practical, inclusive, and achievable recommendations and communication messaging that considers fiscal and social impacts.

Course Name: Property Taxation and Assessment

Length: 6 weeks

Delivery Method: Blended (scheduled & self-paced)

Skills: Financial Management, Assessment, Analysis, Written Communication, Municipal Governance, Critical Thinking

Earning Criteria: Earners completed a capstone project where they used a socio-economic lens to evaluate three property tax and assessment reforms for a hypothetical Nova Scotia municipality. Scenarios mirrored real-world complexities within municipal settings. Using an assessment standard that considered fiscal sustainability and equity, earners analyzed each reform's potential impact, including unintended consequences, and provided targeted, practical, and achievable recommendations for the proposed municipal council, as well as transparent and inclusive communication messaging that council could use to inform the general public. These were captured in a 3000-word report which was evaluated by an instructor using a rubric.

Microcredential Description: Earners are competent in establishing comprehensive wildfire management strategies for governments to prevent and mitigate wildfires triggered by climate change.

Course Name: Wildire and Climate Change Adaptation Management

Length: 6 weeks

Delivery Method: Blended (scheduled & self-paced)

Skills: Critical Thinking, Leadership Development, Problem-Solving

Earning Criteria: Earners of this microcredential engaged with a series of real-life case studies to analyse and identify comprehensive prevention and risk mitigation strategies for wildfires triggered by climate change. They established strategic recommendations for three types of audiences: a consortium of local, provincial and national government agencies, a municipal council, and a city manager. Recommendations specific to each audience considered the financial and human resource impact and future needs of communities in mitigating wildfires associated with climate change. Feedback from peers and the instructor were incorporated into each strategy which was submitted as a presentation or written report. These were assessed by an instructor using rubrics. Earners had to achieve a minimum grade of 70%.

Microcredential Description: Earners can prepare an Impact of Race and Culture Assessment (IRCA) with clinical recommendations that consider cultural and intercultural competence and personal, familial, and cultural histories of a client that is suitable for use as a mitigating tool for sentencing in court.

Course Name:  ANSJI Impact of Race and Culture Assessment Training

Skills: Comprehensive Analysis, Effective Communication, Effective Writing, Presentation Skills

Earning Criteria: Earners of this microcredential prepared a sample report suitable for use by the courts to inform sentencing. Earners used case studies and other resources to assess a client’s psychosocial development and made clinical recommendations that considered the role of anti-Black racism in their involvement with the criminal justice system, as well as the implications across their life trajectory. Earners were assessed by an instructor using a rubric and achieved level 3 or higher across 9 criteria.

(Reach out to openlearning@dal.ca for more information)

Microcredential Description: The earner demonstrated foundational elements of listening and speaking, from a business communications perspective, in a professional setting. These skills include: collaboration, interpersonal relations, and communicating core business practices and models.

Course Name: Lab2Market Discover

Length: 3 days 

Delivery Method: Scheduled

Cost: Free

Skills: Business Communications, Interpersonal Skills, Presentations

Earning Criteria: Earners of this microcredential demonstrated written and verbal communication skills to a group of individuals throughout a workshop. They received feedback from an instructor on their ability to: pitch their idea in under one minute; communicate their value proposition; and summarize the problem they are solving.

Microcredential Description: The earner can create a business model canvas for their proposed commercial product, based on their laboratory research. Through conducting customer interviews over the 2-month program, participants will build out their business model canvas and use their interview findings to validate and/or invalidate their value propositions.

Course Name: Lab2Market Validate

Length: 16 weeks

Delivery Method: Scheduled 

Cost: Free (Teams awarded a $15,000 stipend)

Skills: Business Model Canvas (BMC), Business Modelling, Lean Startup

Earning Criteria: Earners of this microcredential present, and receive feedback on, their business model canvas on a weekly basis. Earners also synthesize a "pivot or persevere" decision on their commercial idea, based on their primary market research and current business model canvas.

Microcredential Description: The earners demonstrate foundational elements of primary market research by conducting up to 100 interviews with potential customers or stakeholders. As learners explore the commercial potential of their research, they develop skills around interviewing, interpretation and analysis, and decision-making with value propositions.

Course Name: Lab2Market Validate

Length: 16 weeks

Delivery Method: Scheduled 

Cost: Free (Teams awarded a $15,000 stipend)

Skills: Interviewing, Primary Market Research, Qualitative Research

Earning Criteria: Earners of this microcredential present weekly on interview findings, summarize these findings, and synthesize their decision around a commercial idea. This involves: interview skills (asking questions clearly, active listening, summarizing key thoughts), interpretation of qualitative data (identifying themes), and decision-making based on the data. Instructors provide feedback.

Microcredential Description: Earners work or have worked as an On the Job Training Instructor, and have demonstrated the ability to develop components of a training plan. These components include: a sample lesson plan, a feedback document, and an evaluation plan.

Course Name: Train the Trainer (customized for Canadian Coast Guard)

Length: 2 days

Delivery Method: In-person

Skills: Evaluation Planning, Feedback For Learning, Lesson Plan Development

Earning Criteria: Earners of this microcredential have demonstrated the ability to draft a lesson plan for their On the Job Training Instructor position, complete with content, activities, and an assessment.

Earners of this microcredential have demonstrated the ability to provide constructive feedback to peers on practice facilitation sessions in a written document outlining the strengths and areas for improvement.

Earners of this microcredential have demonstrated the ability to draft an evaluation plan to use with their trainees. This plan identifies the evaluation strategy(ies) used and rationale behind this choice.

(Reach out to openlearning@dal.ca for more information)

Microcredential Description: Earners successfully employ both receptive (reading and listening) and productive (writing and speaking) communicative English language skills at the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) level of A2 or above. They are able to identify key information from selected texts; conduct a cultural survey and analyze data; revise, edit, and deliver a formal academic presentation to their peers; and prepare and compose an original academic or professional text.

Course Name: English Language Communication

Length: 60 hours

Skills: Communication, Presentation, Writing

Earning Criteria: Earners prepared and delivered a formal academic presentation—as well as planned, composed, revised, and edited an original academic or professional text. The final version of both the presentation and the composition were assessed by a language professional using a set rubric based on the appropriate CEFR level, and these assessments achieved a “B” grade or higher on the Dalhousie Grade Scale. Earners achieved a grade of 75% or higher in this course overall.

Standards: Common European Framework for References of Languages (CEFR)

(Contact openlearning@dal.ca for more information)

Microcredential Description: Earners can successfully employ both receptive (reading and listening) and productive (writing and speaking) communicative English language skills at the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) level of  B1 or above. They are able to identify key information from selected texts; conduct a cultural survey and analyze data; revise, edit, and deliver a formal academic presentation to their peers; and prepare and compose an original academic or professional text.

Course Name: English Language Communication

Length: 60 hours

Skills: Communication, Presentation, Writing

Earning Criteria: Earners prepared and delivered a formal academic presentation—as well as planned, composed, revised, and edited an original academic or professional text. The final version of both the presentation and the composition were assessed by a language professional using a set rubric based on the appropriate CEFR level, and these assessments achieved a “B” grade or higher on the Dalhousie Grade Scale. Earners achieved a grade of 75% or higher in this course overall.

Standards: Common European Framework for References of Languages (CEFR)

(Contact openlearning@dal.ca for more information)

Microcredential Description: Earners can successfully employ both receptive (reading and listening) and productive (writing and speaking) communicative English language skills at the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) level of B2 or above. They are able to identify key information from selected texts; conduct a cultural survey and analyze data; revise, edit, and deliver a formal academic presentation to their peers; and prepare and compose an original academic or professional text.

Course Name: English Language Communication

Length: 60 hours

Skills: Communication, Presentation, Writing

Earning Criteria: Earners prepared and delivered a formal academic presentation—as well as planned, composed, revised, and edited an original academic or professional text. The final version of both the presentation and the composition were assessed by a language professional using a set rubric based on the appropriate CEFR level, and these assessments achieved a “B” grade or higher on the Dalhousie Grade Scale. Earners achieved a grade of 75% or higher in this course overall.

Standards: Common European Framework for References of Languages (CEFR)

(Contact openlearning@dal.ca for more information)

Microcredential Description: Earners can successfully employ both receptive (reading and listening) and productive (writing and speaking) communicative English language skills at the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) level of  C1 or above. They are able to identify key information from selected texts; conduct a cultural survey and analyze data; revise, edit, and deliver a formal academic presentation to their peers; and prepare and compose an original academic or professional text.

Course Name: English Language Communication

Length: 60 hours

Skills: Communication, Presentation, Writing

Earning Criteria: Earners prepared and delivered a formal academic presentation—as well as planned, composed, revised, and edited an original academic or professional text. The final version of both the presentation and the composition were assessed by a language professional using a set rubric based on the appropriate CEFR level, and these assessments achieved a “B” grade or higher on the Dalhousie Grade Scale. Earners achieved a grade of 75% or higher in this course overall.

Standards: Common European Framework for References of Languages (CEFR)

(Contact openlearning@dal.ca for more information)

Microcredential Description: Earners can assess and apply key concepts, principles, and practices of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (EDIA) and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to their language teaching practice. 

Course Name: Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Access in Language Education

Length: 20 hours

Skills: EDIA Strategy Application, Inclusive Language Education, UDL Implementation

Earning Criteria: Earners of this microcredential prepared a diversity statement to inform their teaching and learning practice that incorporated key concepts, principles, and practices of EDIA and UDL for language education. They applied the knowledge and relevance of EDIA and UDL frameworks and strategies to a detailed lesson plan. These were assessed by a subject matter expert using rubrics. Earners achieved a grade of B or higher (on the Dalhousie Grade Scale) and a grade of 75% or higher in the course.

Standards: UDL Guidelines

(Contact openlearning@dal.ca for more information)

Microcredential Description: Earners can apply key concepts and frameworks for using technology in language education to teach a lesson using one or more digital tools.

Course Name: Technology in Language Education 

Length: 20 hours

Skills: Applying UDL, Backward Design, Language Instruction, Teaching with Technology

Earning Criteria: Following the Backward Design process and UDL guidelines, earners planned and delivered a language lesson using one or more digital tools or resources. The recorded lesson was assessed by a subject matter expert using a TPACK-informed rubric, and achieved a B grade or higher on the Dalhousie Grade Scale. Earners achieved a grade of 75% or higher in this course overall.

Standards: TPACK Framework

(Contact openlearning@dal.ca for more information)

Microcredential Description: Earners can critically assess different approaches, trends, ethical issues, and their own professional context to develop strategies to internationalize the curriculum for specific contexts within higher education.

Course Name: Implementation and Leadership of the Internationalization of Cirriculum Initiatives

Length: 16 hours

Skills: Critical Contextual Analysis, Presentation Skills, Strategy Application

Earning Criteria: Earners of this microcredential used key concepts, frameworks, and trends to critically analyze their own professional context and identify opportunities for the application of IoC strategies. Earners submitted a video presentation to communicate an IoC initiative grounded in the strategies outlined in this course and considered relevant and appropriate to their professional context. This was assessed by a subject matter expert using a rubric. Earners achieved a grade of 75% or higher.

(Contact openlearning@dal.ca for more information)

Microcredential Description: Earners are able to conduct long form mentor sessions for entrepreneurs and support a mentee in a high intensity/pressure situation. They are able to utilize principles of equity, diversity and inclusion in their approach, establish a foundation of trust and psychological safety, demonstrate active listening and questioning techniques, deliver and receive constructive feedback, and identify and categorize mentee goals.

Course Name: MindFrame Connect Advanced Principles of Mentorship

Length: 5 weeks

Delivery Method: In-person

Skills: Active Listening, Delivering Feedback, Effective Questioning, Mentoring in Crisis

Earning Criteria: Earners demonstrated their ability to support a mentee through case studies & role play. Earners were evaluated through 20 minute mentor sessions that included high pressure situations. Earners demonstrated active listening & effective questioning. They delivered constructive feedback & identified goals from most pressing to least pressing. A mastery-based learning approach to evaluation was used & minimum standards (based on MindFrame Connect Principles of Mentorship) were met using a rubric.

(Contact openlearning@dal.ca for more information)