Earning Criteria

• Learners present or co-present their original research project or study at a professional conference or co-author a scholarly work with a faculty member.
• Learners contribute to an original research project or study within a faculty or staff member’s scholarly expertise, including creation of original content, presentations, publications, and other creative scholarship. The nature of the contribution depends on the academic discipline of the supervising faculty or staff member as well as the modes of inquiry of the relevant field of study.
• Learners complete a Portfolio that describes such contributions as presentations, publications and creative scholarship, and highlights skills and knowledge gained. The Portfolio also includes a letter from the supervising faculty or staff member which describes the ways in which the student has earned the Level IV badge.
• Learners demonstrate self-regulation, a strong work ethic and competency in working autonomously, the ability to make sound decisions, and the curiosity to explore the world intellectually.
• Learners demonstrate the process of inquiry that is common to all academic disciplines. They identify problems in a range of contexts and develop effective solutions; examine complex issues logically from a range of perspectives; analyze complex situations where clear and unambiguous solutions may not be available; contextualize complex concepts; and work to unlearn previous convictions as part of becoming an independent thinker.
• Learners find, critically evaluate, and analyze information from diverse sources efficiently and logically; analyze written and visual texts; consider multiple possible explanations and interrogate alternative explanations with critical evidence; and synthesize, integrate, and adapt across general and specialized contexts. The study includes a review of literature but must also include original research.
• Learners make sense of patterns and anomalies in evidence and data; distinguish between core and peripheral information; recognize, use, and demonstrate appreciation for the multiplicity of methods; evaluate and construct evidence-based arguments; and apply acquired knowledge and skills to new contexts and problems independently.
• Assessment of completion of micro-credential requirements is completed by a jury evaluation. The micro-credential is not associated with Academic Credit derived from an instructor-driven class.