UMass Boston

Meet with the designated learning designer from Learning Design Services for a preliminary consultation to begin planning your course with the recommended best practices and to get started with the resources available. 

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Complete the available Canvas LMS training to get equipped with the necessary tools to upload your materials and get acquainted with the communication tools available in the LMS system. While the system that awards the microcredentials is Canvas Credentials, it works in tandem with the Canvas LMS: that’s where learners interact with the content and with the instructor, and it’s Canvas where the learning record is stored and used to trigger the release of the microcredential. Learning designers will provide course design guidance and additional training. 

Use the Course Mapping worksheet and Bloom’s Taxonomy to develop detailed assessment and outcome plans. Lay out the course objectives, define the measurable learning objectives for each learning unit and design the necessary assessments for the microcredential.

Consult other frameworks such as Backwards Design, Design Thinking, and the OSCQR Rubric to ensure a learner-centric experience.

Plan for assessment methods that accurately evaluate mastery of learning outcomes, drawing from authentic assessment, competency-based and performance-based assessment, to match the rigor of the program. Skills and competencies need to be verifiable. Think about using hands-on projects or simulations relevant to real-world scenarios and other problem-solving exercises.

Plan to use rubrics to further outline performance expectations, as well as ensuring fairness and transparency and consistency in the assessment process.

Determine the proficiency level required in the course for the competencies to be achieved and for the microcredential to be awarded. The course grade in Canvas can be used as a trigger for the release of the microcredential. Decide the minimum point or percentage threshold required for the microcredential to be awarded. Other mechanisms may be possible depending on the nature of your program.