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The advantage of microdegrees/nanodegrees are: •Programs can be completed in a few months instead of years.  •Conveniently offered online and are self-paced.                              •Inexpensive, condensed curriculum.                                     •Curriculum is directly provided by employers, so students pay and focus on specialized courses for specific jobs. 

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The advantage of microdegrees/nanodegrees are: •Programs can be completed in a few months instead of years.  •Conveniently offered online and are self-paced.                              •Inexpensive, condensed curriculum.                                     •Curriculum is directly provided by employers, so students pay and focus on specialized courses for specific jobs. 

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Higher education innovator.

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Udacity students are a community of global learners united in a shared goal of uplift and transformation. Our unique learning model enables an unprecedented degree of engagement with our students, and we are with them through every step of their learning journey-from the first moment a marketing team member might answer a question on Facebook, to the penultimate moment when a career team member receives word that a graduate has gotten a new job.

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Microdegrees, such as Udacity's nanodegrees, appear to be here to stay. The reason is simple. Increasingly, what people learn during college holds little or no relevance to what they end up doing on the job. This isn't because what they are learning is necessarily irrelevant at the time but rather because job roles and workplaces continue to change at a rapid pace and retraining is now a lifelong process regardless of one's profession. But microdegrees may also solve another major educational problem.

Across generations, some people have been unable to attend college due to cost. After all, for some people, taking four years out of the workforce to pursue a degree that may or may not offer a strong return on investment over time is simply too expensive and risky. Microdegrees offer a way for people, even those who can't afford to attend college on a full-time basis, with the means to train for high-paying positions in in-demand industries.

Blackboard recently teamed up with the University Professional and Continuing Education Association to produce a report exploring generational shifts in education. One of the report's most striking findings is that 30% of respondents indicated that they don't draw on knowledge from their university degree in their current job and 23% indicated that their degree is only somewhat relevant. However, when asked, "How interested are you in earning an educational, professional, or skill-based certificate or badge in the future?," the response was overwhelmingly positive. Among Generation Z and younger Millennial employees, 36% to 37% indicated that that are eager to acquire additional credentials. Moreover, even more than a quarter of Generation X employees, many who are now in their 50s, shared their younger coworkers' enthusiasm to acquire additional credentials on the job.

In the Blackboard/University Professional and Continuing Education Association report, people's stated reasons for not attending college were relatively predictable. Cost is cited as the number one reason why people don't attend college. Since college costs have risen 260% since 1980 (other goods and services have only reason 120% on average), this is no surprise. Other reasons for nonattendance include responsibilities (e.g., raising children), lack of financial aid, and in some cases, already having a job with which one is content. Similarly, when asked what is the most important factor when choosing a college, affordability is by far the most important factor. Other factors include course offerings, convenience, and reputation.

In response to the report's findings, Blackboard in collaboration with the University Professional and Continuing Education Association make a series of broad recommendation, including the following recommendation: "Universities should include a variety of learning options such as non-credit and microcredit offerings, online classes, and asynchronous lectures allowing students to choose their own schedules, and provide flexibility."

The advantages of microdegrees are obvious. On the one hand, these degrees, which can be offered online and even delivered in short modules, are faster to complete and can be accessed at a lower cost. This makes them ideal for busy, working adults who can't spend four or five days a week on campus sitting in three-hour lectures or completing long labs. On the other hand, these degrees are good for employers. They enable employers to identify key skills and work with education technology companies to provide critical skills at the right moment rather than years after they are initially needed.

Of course, so far, Udacity, not Blackboard, has proven to be a leader in microdegrees. Since starting its program just a few years ago, more than 20,000 students have been a part of its Nanodegree program, which focuses on emerging tech skills from deep learning and VR development to robotics. As Udacity's founder, Sabastian Thrum, has emphasized in past interviews, Udacity's program is "a blueprint for anyone in higher education." Whether or not Blackboard can catch up to Udacity and also position itself as a leader in microdegree offerrings is yet to be seen. What is clear is that the need and market for such degrees is bound to continue growing in the future.

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The Future of Education is the Microdegree | eLearningInside News

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Microdegrees, such as Udacity's nanodegrees, appear to be here to stay. The reason is simple. Increasingly, what people learn during college holds little or no relevance to what they end up doing on the job.

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Here's how to talk to kids about the election
As the name suggests, micro-credentials quailfy individuals to execute specific skills, often in the math, science and technology fields. They're earned in far less time than traditional degrees - and for a fraction of the cost. Think of them as the next generation of MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses), only more comprehensive, and with a credential at the finish line.

Haven't heard of micro-credentials? Then take note, because these bite-sized degrees are gaining traction. In 2015, The Brookings Institute released a paper proporting that abbreviated online degree programs are upending education and giving traditional programs stiff competition.

This is particuarly true in the tech sector, where "skills-based certifications already have a long track record," said Alex Halavais, Director of the MA in Social Technologies at Arizona State University.

"Certain parts of the tech sector have traditionally valued practical skills over broader education," explained Halavais in an email. "In some ways, it is less a profession than a trade."

But is a microdgree worth it in the long run - and in the short-term, can one get you a job?
Microdegrees and job partnerships
Two of the largest micro-credential providers, Udacity and Coursea, sell their programs not just on course offerings, but on the promise of a well-paying job.

Udacity, one of the largest o nline education providers with 11,000 students enrolled wordwide, offers its excluisve nanodegree courses for $200/month. Salwa Muhammad, vice president for student services at Udacity, s aid that the program is "about bridging the gap and bringing education and jobs to everyone, regardless of where you are in the world or what situation you're in."

Udacity educators partner with tech companies (Intel, Google, and AT&T, for instance) to create project-based curriculums for nanodegrees like front-end web developer, Android basics (one of its most popular) and - coming soon - a self-driving car engineer program. Students develop a portfolio over the course of the program, which they complete at their own pace (it generally takes six to nine months). Then they can then show off their portfolios to those very same companies that collaborated on their curriculum - and hopefully get hired.

"They're doing this either because they're entering a new career and they don't want to get a four year college degree and start their career so late, or they're leveling up with their current job," explained Muhammad, who noted that the majority of Udacity students have college degrees and are working professionals.

Udacity's tuition includes all course materials and one-on-one coaching sessions with instructors over Google chat or hangouts. Students in New York, San Francisco or Los Angeles have the option of meeting with instructors face-to-face at an Udacity center.
Employment prospects
The collaboration between online education providers and prominent tech companies with jobs to fill is part of what makes micro-credentials like Udacity's nanodegree so appealing. And for students who want greater employment assurance, Udacity offersNanodegree Plus, which promises a full tuition refund if graduates aren't hired within six months of completing their degree.

Thoughit's yet clear how marketable micro-credentials are to employers outside of these partnerships (they're still relatively new),they do level the playing field by making training more accessible to a wider range of people .

"Udacity's nanodegrees, and programs like them, are providing an exciting and effective alternative to training programs that were often ineffective and expensive for students," said Halavais.

That being said, Halavais noted that it's important not to confuse training with an education - and the problem-solving, critical analysis, leadership and team-building skills it so often cultivates.

"There is no question that the traditional bachelors degree, from a reputable institution, remains the gold standard across industries. A microdegree can help differentiate a candidate whether or not they have a traditional 4-year degree -but it's no substitute."

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Are micro-degrees the future of higher education?

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Here's how to talk to kids about the election As the name suggests, micro-credentials quailfy individuals to execute specific skills, often in the math, science and technology fields. They're earned in far less time than traditional degrees - and for a fraction of the cost.