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Thanks for sharing this interesting report Junjie. I like that part which encourages more dialogue between employers and education providers. However, I don't think they addressed the possible problem that could arise from that dialogue which is, employers are asking for solutions to their problems, and these problems may not be the main issues of the time when the students graduate.

Matthew, I agree that the skill sets the job market asks from future employees are in constant change. So probably the education providers should try to equip those potential employees with the capacity to transfer old skills into new ones so as to meet the ever-changing demand, though it is indeed very difficult to train the transfer-skills.

3 distinct groups of employers and  7 distinct youth segments (well positioned, driven, struggling, disheartened, disengaged, too cool, too poor) - they are "identified with different outcomes and motivations", requires "a different set of interventions". also concentration and mix of these segments also varies by country. executive summary is short and TIE relevant. 

The idea of "showing what you know" and earning badges instead of degrees? In this economic downswing, could something like this become the new emergent way of learning and of assessing? Thoughts?

Sounds like the digital badge is more lke a digital portfolio- which I would more likely support. I find it interesting that our education system (which strives and struggles to provide consistent, high quality education from coast to coast) is seen as deficient but this badge proposal will be the answer? It's like the flood of support for home-schooling after a home-schooler wins a national competition but no one knows about the tens of homescholers I had to remediate in rural NH. Standardization is the key for any system to be integrated into another system. The variety of education models we have in our country makes it difficult for employers to integrate employees. If this digital badge concept relies on a variety of models, they will have the same problem.

The prospect of digital badges to show what you know is both exciting with its potential affordances and worrisome with some of its limitations and ambiguity. It'd be great if the ideal came to pass that digital badges would allow valid demonstration of super-specific skills and knowledge over a greater range of fields and topics than what having a B.A. or B.S. currently does. Digital badges could represent the most particular concepts or skills at a granular level even-- those that are essential in the real-world (whether that be desired by employers or otherwise). If the task or test or challenge, or whatever else would be the means of assessment for earning a badge, was carefully designed and evaluated to be a truly valid measure of proficiency, then earning a badge for something would be a clear indication that you know something. But like Allison said, standardization would be key. What would these assessments/ badge challenges be- so that they would be truly valid indicators of proficiency? Who would be the purveyors or authorities to determine the assessments or challenges to accomplish a badge? Given the medium (completing badge assessments on one's own computer or mobile device - from any site they're at potentially) - what's to stop a user from going "open book" or "opening another tab" in order to look up answers to questions or tutorials on how to do a task, in order to complete the assessment? Doing this would allow a user to ace the assessment and earn the badge- but would defeat any value of the badge in truly demonstrating knowledge or skill. By imagining if digital badges did reach mass-acceptance and use in the real world, and we were to ultimately find them all over the internet like we're now finding social media widgets, it made me realize that the "prove proficiency anywhere I am in any way I want" won't work. I changed fields and career paths from what I studied in college, so I definitely appreciate the value in being able to truly show e

Summer Davos happened this week. A quick highlight from there that is related to our field. Nothing much new in the article itself but WEF is connecting the importance of improving current education with youth employment issue. the word AR is also used within this article. 

speculates about how employers will view participation in MOOCs

Helpful list for getting to know the edtech space (and possible future employers!) 

thanks for posting....amazing how many of these I do not know!

MOOCs unanswered questions: How can they offer secure and reliable assessment over the internet? Will employers accept their qualifications? How do you assess courses in the humanities which are not suited to multiple-choice testing marked by computer?

Wow, pretty interesting that Coursera is getting into this game. I always thought that was a strong suit of Udacity and one possible way for them to get sustainable revenue.

"Coursera announced its employee-matching service, called Coursera Career Services. Some high-profile tech companies have already signed up-including Facebook and Twitter"

How a MOOC might help you!

This was posted by a classmate at the MIT Media Lab and I wanted to get other educator's feedback on this premise. Almost laughable...

As with nature, learners who are skilled, motivated, and talented will find a way. Unfortunately, it's the rare employer who will hire someone just because she is smart and knows a lot. The degree is the necessary but insufficient condition if you're after a job. If you're not, you've probably already figured out the strategies in this book. I am totally using this site to fund the writing of my next novel.

I think Kiki has a naive and idealistic view of how one "educates oneself" -- yes, it's possible to figure out the "tricks" but that is no replacement for the engagement and learning that occurs in a learning community.

First non-university course on edX! Will be interesting to see what else they will add...

Tried to post in reponse to Ryan's article. Any thoughts about the implementation or potential success of this project? Will this degree program impress employers or carry the same clout that Georgia Tech's in person master's programs in comp. sci. do?