CertificationofOLExperiences

__**Certification of Open Learning Experiences**__   **1. Certification**

The online version of the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines //certified//  with the words //genuine// , and //authentic// . Certifications are written or printed statements testifying to a fact, qualification, or promise that goods and services are in fact genuine or authentic. They are also used to testify that a person has met the minimal educational/experience requirements that allow him or her to perform some sort of service.

Traditional forms of certifications include high-school diplomas, college degrees, electrician’s or plumber’s licenses, and teaching certificates. Each guarantees a certain amount of professional proficiency—the individual’s skills are deemed //genuine// , or //authentic// .

Of course, any certification is only as valid as the entity conferring the certificate. People have to trust that the certification itself is generated from a trustworthy source. This is the reason colleges and universities in the United States are themselves credentialed by the six regional accreditation agencies and that certain professionals, such as electricians and teachers, are awarded their licenses or certificates through state agencies.

Today, a degree from an accredited college or university is almost universally accepted as a genuine testament of a person’s knowledge and ability. With the advent and increase of open-learning opportunities, the question arises of how and by whom are these open-learning experiences certified, and who ensures that the certification process is valid. This is an important question for would-be employers, various licensing agencies, and for traditional schools that may want to award credit hours for an individual’s prior open-learning experiences.

We will touch upon traditional educational certification and various forms of open-education certification. We will also discuss the challenges and concerns of open-education certification including universal recognition of open certification and maintenance of open certification.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 150%; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">**2. Purposes of Certification (A Short Historical Perspective)**

The government does not certify the majority of colleges and universities in the U.S., instead they receive their educational accreditation through a voluntary association with a regional nonprofit, accreditation agency. How did this start?

**Standardization**

During the second half of the 19th century, it was becoming apparent that a problem existed with medical training in the United States and with the amount of poor or just plain phony medical degrees. The American Medical Association (AMA), which was founded in 1847, unsuccessfully lobbied for decades for the introduction of standardized medical education for doctors. “In 1904, the AMA created the Council on Medical Education (CME) to promote the restructuring of U.S. medical education” (Beck, 2011). One of the outcomes was the commission of a survey through the Carnegie Foundation of the quality of medical schools in the United Sates.

An educational theorist named Abraham Flexner conducted the survey. He visited all 155 medical schools in the United States. Flexner generated a scathing report on the quality of medical training in the U.S. that resulted in the closing of a large number of schools and eventually the formation of state-run licensing boards of medical schools. Today, these state-run boards ensure the quality and standardization of medical-school training in the United States (Beck, 2011).

**What is a College?**

Before the 19th century, formal, “higher” education was normally reserved for the financially well off, elite, or upper classes. Most universities offered a classical education in the liberal arts. “Curriculum was finite and was expected to serve the learner for life” (Pond, 2002). By the end of the 19th century in the U.S., institutes of higher education had become diverse and were offering many educational avenues and types of curriculum:

This will be in a block quote: **Regional associations grew up at the end of the 19th century when the situation in higher education became quite confused. Contributing to the confusion were the development of new academic disciplines and a new diversity of institutions such as normal schools and other professional schools, junior colleges, universities, and technical colleges; the elective system and the breakdown of the classical curriculum. Great expansion of both secondary and postsecondary education, often with no clear distinction among the types of institutions led to the question “What is a college?” (Harcleroad, 1980)**

There was a lack of standards for admitting people to college and a lack of standards defining exactly what constituted a degree. Regional accreditation agencies began in the late 1800s, starting in New England. By 1895, regional agencies covered most of the United States, and by 1912 specific criteria were established to set strong and explicit academic standards (Fitzpatrick, Sanders, & Worthen, 2011, p. 129) (Harcleroad, 1980)

**What is a College? (21st Century)**

Just as at the end of the 19th century, the question of what criteria constitute a higher education is becoming blurred and confused with a new diversity of academic disciplines and new methods of transferring knowledge: online, distance, distributed, and open. A bigger question, perhaps, is how does society certify that learning has taken place—especially open learning.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 150%; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">**3. Certification Path** ** TraditionalPath **

Educational certificates are awarded to learners whom had successfully completed a series of courses, and had met all academic requirements dictated by the institutes. Traditionally, learners apply for entry to their preferred institute and course by submitting application forms and proof of their achievement thus far. Formal and recognized certificates are often the form of proof for the applicants’ achievement, credibility and suitability. Although there is an underlying issue that individual’s competency cannot be determined merely by the number and types of certificates one holds, it is undeniable that recognized certificates hold the keys to gaining social and economic recognition. In most cases, when an applicant is rejected, it is most likely due to his (or her) previous academic standing. The door is shut if a learner’s learning achievement does not match the institute entry requirement. In addition, traditional education calls for learners’ physical presence in the school compound and substantial amount of money has to be paid upfront for the registered courses. Time, distance and money are additional challenges and barriers of the traditional educational system, especially at the higher educational level.

** Alternative Path **

When one door closes another door opens. For the learners that were “shut out” from the traditional educational system, the pursuit ofdesired knowledge and skills may be granted by alternative educational systems. New educational and training media such as the internet, one and two way video and other electronic media allow delivery of instruction independently of time and distance (Pond, 2002). Alternative education address the challenges caused by the traditional educational system and hence, had created new educational paths for learners to pursue knowledge and skills that support their learning goals and career aspirations.

Open education is the combination of open licensing and web-based social media. It brings some fundamental challenges to the way wethink about higher education and the institutional arrangements in which it is organized (Katz, 2008; Liyoshi & Kumar, 2008). Online distance learning “opens up” higher level education for learners whom were shut out from the traditional education system. The ability to learn at anytime and anywhere eliminate time and distance challenges imposed by traditional education system. Open University ([]) and International Open University ([])are examples of universities that adopted online learning system model, and offer certifications that are recognized by established organizations such as AACSB[1].

Another form of “open education” is through the free and accessible learning objects that are offered online by multiple educationalinstitutes and associations that had come together for the open educationmovement. For example, MERLOT ([])offers free and online courses for any staffs and students of higher level education. Users can select learning material from various disciplines such asarts, business, education and workforce development. MIT ([]) has OpenCourseWare that is readily available for any internet users to download and use for their best interests. Quote from MIT OCW website, “ MITOpenCourseWare is a free publication of MIT course materials that reflects almost all the undergraduate and graduate subjects taught at MIT”. P2PU ([]), similar to MERLOT andMIT OCW, offers free courseware that was developed and contributed from volunteers. Instead of learning through the traditional education system, knowledge can be gained through these open sources learning material. While MERLOT and MIT do not offer any form of certification to the learners, P2PU awards online certificate when learners complete a course. However, at the current stage, theP2PU online certificate is not an official certificate that can be used for any social or economic advantage.

Although doors for higher level education are opening up with the open education movement, certification from “open education” ispretty much aligned to the traditional educational system model - a fixednumber of courses and credits had to be achieved prior to certification.So how about those who chose the informal learning path through the open education resources (OER) such as P2PU and Open Learning Initiatives ([])? How can their learning be recognized for social and economic gain? Providers of the OER must first establish a way to certify the learners’ knowledge (and skills) gained. Schmidt, Geith, Haklev & Thierstein (2009) suggested that a functioning accreditation system needs to have characteristics such as trust, relevance, scalability and transparency. “Trust: The value is determined by the trust thatis placed in the provider. Relevance: Relevant assessment and accreditation mechanisms must be appropriate to evaluate and certify relevant learning and skills. Scalability: The model must scale to the demands of the current education environment. Transparency: The possibility to examine all elements of the accreditation system increases trust and quality.”

[1]AACSB stands for TheAssociation to Advanced Collegiate Schools of Business ([])

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">**4. Concerns and Challenges**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">The current certification process has been in place for 100 years. That kind of momentum is difficult to change. Historically in the U.S., educators themselves spend years in school earning master’s degrees and doctorates giving them knowledge, ability, and credentials not only in their chosen field but also in the arts of communication and education. These instructors and professors do not just proctor examinations: they teach and mentor their students and judge their students’ performance. In most colleges and universities, the instructors and professors belong to a department that, among other things, helps oversee their instruction and helps provide a sort of continuing quality assurance.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">Besides the credentials of their staffs, schools have traditionally been judged on their library holdings (the amount and quality of resources available to students), and the amount of contact time a student can expect from the school’s staff. Much of this has changed with the widespread availability of online and distance learning and with the sheer amount of digital resources available via the Internet: students, instructors, and resources are no longer physically bound to a geographic location, or bound together for that matter.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">**4.1 Open-Source Materials**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">One of the concerns with open learning, or using open-source educational materials is with the quality. There are many materials available free for the taking, and educators would be doing their students and themselves a disservice by not using any of it. However, who discerns the quality of the materials? Who vets it? One of the advantages of using traditional textbooks is that they are normally written by experts, carefully edited, and read (and thus vetted) by hundreds of other experts including the educators who use the textbooks. One of the disadvantages of using textbooks is that many of them are obsolete before they hit the classrooms because of the fast pace of change in today’s technology and society’s response to new technology.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">One of the advantages of open source materials is that much of it is more current than traditional training materials, and much of it is updated frequently, even daily. One disadvantage, is much of the open material is not vetted or vetted properly so it may be flawed or have questionable educational value.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">**4.2 Open Learning**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">One of the concerns and challenges of open learning is who is going to teach, guide, and mentor a student. In universities today, credentialed and experienced instructors and professors fill this role. In an open learning environment, is a student expected to fill these roles him or herself? If a mentor is found online how can he or she be sure of the mentor’s credentials or in-depth knowledge of the subject matter or with the learning process itself? How can the number of “contact” hours be documented, and even if they can be, who judges the “quality” of the contact hours?

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">Another concern is of open learning is who decides on the veracity and quality of the instructional materials. There are huge amounts of good, instructionally sound, educational materials freely available, but there are also many poor quality materials with little instructional value. Who decides what and how much is used? More importantly, who decides what the learning objectives of any particular course of instruction should be and how is mastery of the objectives assessed? These are some of the concerns and challenges concerning certification of open learning.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">**4.3 Global Impact**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">The benefits of OER are several. For a start, they can expand access to learning for everyone, not least for non traditional groups of students-older people for instance, and those from disadvantaged backgrounds-and thus widen participation in higher education. They can be an efficient way of promoting lifelong learning, bridging the divides between non-formal, informal and formal learning. And they can be an asset for expanding education in developing countries too (Hylen & Schuller, 2007).

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">Awarding open education certificate harnesses the benefits that OER offers to the non-traditional groups of students. The gained knowledge, skills and certificate provide the non-traditional students a progression path thatwould be unimagined of in the traditional educational system. Foster, Howardand Reisenberger (1997) mentioned:

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">What links all modes of adult learning, however, andjustifies their place in the system of provision is the need for learners totake away knowledge and a recognition of their own achievements, so that thesecan be carried forward to support them in making progress and meetingchallenges throughout their live. (p. 5)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">Open education certification enhances and sustains learning in developed countries where recognized and relevant traditional education system exists. Open learning should augment, and not conflict with thewell established education system. Learners in the developed countries such as US and UK can explore the alternative paths offered by the OER. Minimal (or no)cost, flexible time and location made happened by OER eases and encourages lifelong learning.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">Unlike learners in the developed countries where thereare multiple educational systems to choose from and OER is an alternative pathtowards education and certification, learners in poorly developed countriesmight not even have a path towards education and certification in the firstplace. The establishment of proper educational system in the developing countriesis challenged mainly by economic factors, in which free and accessible OER may pave the path towards education and certification. The possibility of financing enough buildings, books, technologies and educators to serve millions ofadditional learners is close to unthinkable in less developed countries where qualified instructors and critical resources are often lacking altogether (Larson, 2001, as cited in Oblinger and Lombardi, 2008 ).One point to highlight is that although the learning resources are free, IT equipment such as computers and network infrastructure are needed to support the open education movement. For open education movement to be embraced by thedeveloping countries, the tools and equipment to access the “free” learning resources have to be put in placed first. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #800080; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">**﻿** <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%; text-align: center;">**5.0 Conclusion**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">Certification does matter. Certification is important for would-be employers, various licensing agencies, and for traditional schools that may want to award credit hours for an individual’s prior open-learning experiences. Employers do not want to waste time and money figuring out if a potential employee has the background knowledge and experience to perform or learn how to perform a job. In positions where personal or public safety are an issue an employee’s mistake would most likely result in the loss of a law suit if the proper credentials were not presented. Most people would hesitate to consult professionals such as doctors, lawyers, or homebuilders if they were not properly credentialed.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">According to Pond (2002), the world is going to have to shift paradigms and use open learning as an alternative means of educating, training, and credentialing the millions who do not have access to traditional forms of higher education (that is, accredited universities and colleges). One way to accomplish this is to “accredit the learner or instructor rather than the institution. In other words, if the learner can demonstrate achievement of certain benchmarks of knowledge and skill, the individual would be “certified” rather than the institution providing instruction.” It may just work.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">**References**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">Beck, A. H. (2011). The Flexner Report and theStandardization of American Medical Education. Retrieved 06 4, 2011, from TheJournal of the American Medical Association: []

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">Fitzpatrick, J. L., Sanders, J. R., & Worthen,B. R. (2011). Program Evaluation (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey:Pearson.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">Foster, P., Howard, U. and Reisenberger, A. (1997) Asense of achievement: outcomes of adult learning

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">Harcleroad, F. F. (1980). Accreditation: History,Process, and Problems. Washington: ERIC Clearinghouse on Higher Education.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">Hylen, J. & Schuller, T. (2007) Giving knowledgefor free false. OECD Observer, 267, 21-22.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">Oblinger, D.G. &Lombardi, M.M. (2008). Common knowledge: Openess in higher education. In Iiyoshi T. & Kumar, M.S. Vijay (Eds),Openingup education (pg 389-400). Massachusetts: The MIT Press.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">Pond, W. K. (2002, Summer). Distributed Education inthe 21st Century: Implications for Quality Assurance. Retrieved June 4, 2011,from University of West Georgia: [|http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/summer52/pond52.html]

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">Schmidt, J. P., Geith, C. & Haklev, S. &Thierstein, J. (2009) Peer to peer recognition of learning in open education