CREDIT® Check

Welcome!

A quarterly newsletter of ACE’s College Credit Recommendation Service

Inside

Welcome back! We hope you are enjoying the American Council on Education’s College Credit Recommendation Service (ACE CREDIT®) newsletter, CREDIT® Check.

In this issue we explore some areas of the CREDIT® program, such as the criteria to determine eligibility to participate, virtual reviews, and the new College and University Partnerships (CUP) Affiliate Initiative, and share new tools and resources.

If you have ideas about what you would like to see included in future issues of our newsletter, please send your suggestions to creditinfo@acenet.edu.

We hope you enjoy this third edi-tion.

www.acenet.edu/credit WINTER 2014 VOL. 1, NO. 3

Welcome to CREDIT®! 2

Getting Started with CREDIT®!

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Success Stories 3

CREDIT® Tips & Advice 4

Upcoming Events 4

CREDIT® Trivia 5

Welcome to CREDITCREDIT® welcomes the following new orga-nizations to its growing list of participating organizations:• Defense Information School• Rockwell Collins• JumpCourse

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Criteria to Determine Eligibility to ParticipateNot all organizations are eligible to participate in the CREDIT program. As a participating organization in the CREDIT® program, your organization has joined an elite group of employers and training providers that have demonstrated that their organization and their training programs meet the rigor of the ACE CREDIT® evaluation process. Learn more about the criteria to participate.

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CREDIT® Tips and AdviceWe answer FAQs about the hows and whys of ACE CREDIT®.This issue:"Are Virtual Reviews Right for my Organiza-tion?”

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Join us for the ACE CREDIT® webi-nar series for organizationsThis webinar series will cover everything you need to know to about the review process.

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http://www.acenet.edu/events/Pages/ACE-CREDIT-Virtual-Workshops-for-Employ-ers-and-Training-Providers-1.aspx

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Welcome to CREDIT®!CREDIT® welcomes the following new organizations to its growing list of participating organizations:

Defense Information School The Defense Information School (MD) has a long-standing tradition of producing outstanding public affairs and visual information personnel for the U.S. Department of Defense. Its mission is to grow and sustain a corps of professional organizational communicators who fulfill the communi-cation needs of the military and government leaders and audiences. The Defense Information School is a recognized national asset for organizational communication success.

The Defense Information School recently obtained ACE col-lege credit recommendations for some of its adaptive online courses in public affairs, visual information, and organiza-tional communication.

Check out their courses on the National Guide to College Credit for Workforce Training and learn more about the Defense Information School at http://www.dinfos.dma.mil.

JumpCourseJumpCourse delivers personalized online college courses designed to motivate and engage students. The company pro-vides affordable online courses that prepare students to earn college credit through examination credits or by proctored courses at thousands of colleges and universities nationwide.

The courses are built on an adaptive learning platform devel-oped by Adapt Courseware, and the college-level courses are taught via professionally produced videos, engaging e-books, and interactive quizzes. The multimedia courses adapt the speed of instruction to the student's pace of learning and feature responsive, state-of-the-art lessons to improve reten-tion and increase success at passing courses. The proprietary platform delivers a personalized learning experience for each student, individualized tracking, and a subject matter course coach for even more instruction and encouragement.

JumpCourse and Adapt Courseware have been recognized by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for adaptive learn-ing, and have won four prestigious Telly Awards for superior video content. JumpCourse is also a finalist for the Robin Hood College Success Prize, which is focused on improving student retention and graduation. The company's adap-tive courses have resulted in measurable improvements in learning outcomes, increased student retention, and higher student satisfaction.

JumpCourse recently obtained ACE college credit rec-ommendations for some of its adaptive online courses in psychology, sociology, and business.

Check out its courses on the National Guide to College Credit for Workforce Training and learn more about Jump-Course at JumpCourse.com.

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Getting Started with CREDIT®Criteria to Determine Eligibility to Participate As a participant in the CREDIT® program, your organization has joined an elite group of employers and training providers that have demonstrated that their organization and their training programs meet the rigor of the ACE CREDIT® evaluation process.

All participating organizations (including providers of courses, examinations, or certifica-tions and organizations holding authorized test provider or authorized instructional site sta-tus) must demonstrate that they continue to meet the eligibility criteria in order to maintain participation in the CREDIT® program.

The criteria address five components of an organization’s training program and administra-tive practices.

1. The OrganizationThe general purpose of the organization and of its training program must be to pro-mote and increase adult learner access to postsecondary education.

The organization must be a properly licensed organization with a demonstrated history of bona fide operations and be able to demonstrate that it has been fully engaged in enrolling learners and delivering courses and programs for at least two years. From time to time, the Center for Education Attainment and Innovation may conduct pilot evaluations of emerging innovative education programs for which this requirement may be waived.

2. Learning Outcomes and Evaluation ToolsThe learning outcomes of the training programs being delivered must align with post-secondary programs of study. Program objectives must be clearly defined and simply stated. The character, nature, quality, value, source of instruction, and training services indicate the benefits of participation to reasonably diligent learners.

Training programs must include the assessment of the stated learning outcomes. The methods of assessment must adequately measure each participant’s achievement of the stated learning objectives.

3. Instructional and Training Development PersonnelAnyone involved in the development or delivery of programs—including instructors, teaching facilitators, curriculum developers, and training development staff—must hold appropriate qualifications and experience in their positions and roles. Instructors need to be regularly evaluated to determine evidence of teaching effectiveness.

4. Academic RecordsThe integrity of data is critical to the ACE CREDIT® review process. Organizations are required to ensure that all records are accurate, confidentiality is ensured, and access is appropriate. This includes not only learner records, but also instructional and training development staff.

5. The Learning EnvironmentThe learning environment, whether it is a brick-and-mortar classroom or an online community, must support and enhance the attainment of necessary knowledge and skills. Additionally, the environment must provide learners with a complete learning experience that meets their needs, including opportunities for effective interaction with instructional and administrative staff.

The staff at ACE CREDIT® would be delighted to answer any questions that you may have about the criteria. Please contact us at (202) 939-9494 or please send an email to creditinfo@acenet.edu if you would like to receive a copy of the criteria.

Success Stories

You could be our next success story! Contact us at creditinfo@acenet.edu if you have an exciting story to share about how CREDIT® has benefited your train-ing program and your course participants. We look forward to hearing from you.

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CREDIT® Tips & Advice

What is the Difference Between Objectives and Learning Outcomes?

When helping an organization prepare for a review, we often field questions about the difference between objectives and outcomes. While both use similar language, the statements have a different level of specificity.

Course Objective: This is a detailed statement that explains the behaviors that students will be able to perform at the conclusion of the course, as well as the conditions and criteria that determine the acceptable level of performance. Objectives are intended results or consequences of instruction, curricula, programs, or activities.

Learning Outcomes: These are statements that specify what learners will know or be able to do as a result of a learning activity. Outcomes can be demonstrated at the end of a course and are measurable. Outcomes are results or consequences of what was learned and evidence that learning took place.

Are Virtual Reviews Right for My Organization?

Isn’t technology wonderful? From remote employees to online courses, technol-ogy allows us to work and learn from locations across the country. The same is now true for a CREDIT® Review. In 2013, approximately 70 percent of the course reviews completed by CREDIT® Evaluations were done so in our Virtual Review Portal. Hosted in SharePoint, the faculty review team accesses course materials via your organization’s Learning Management System, converses over WebEx, collaborates on a discussion board, and comes to consensus about the content, scope, and rigor of the courses and assessments just as they do during an onsite review.

While this is an innovative option, virtual reviews are not for every organization, course, or examination. Based on the feedback we have received from faculty and participating partners, courses with the following components are still best suited for an onsite review:

• On-the-job training• Materials under high-security

measures• Practicum component• Lab component

• Credit by examination• Materials that are paper-based only• No learning management system

available

College and University Partnerships (CUP) College Affiliate Initiative

College and University Partnerships launched the CUP College Affiliate Initiative with a September 19 meeting in Washington, DC. The CUP Affiliate members include Colorado State University–Global Campus, Eastern Illinois University, Ivy Tech Community College (IN), Miami Dade College, the State University of New York (SUNY)–Empire State College, the University of Memphis, and the Uni-versity System of Georgia. These institutions have demonstrated a long-standing commitment to adult learners, recognizing workforce training in order to accel-erate degree completion. As CUP affiliates, they will reach out to other institu-tions and organizations to advance effective practices in credit for prior learning, including the application of ACE CREDIT® recommendations.

Upcoming Events

Webinars

ACE CREDIT® Webinar Series for OrganizationsThis webinar series will cover every-thing you need to know to about the review process. Get detailed informa-tion on the criteria for eligibility to par-ticipate in the program, find out what documents are needed to get started, understand the pre-review process, learn how to prepare for the review, discover what happens after your review is completed, and more.

Attend all four, or just pick the ones you need. This webinar is ideal for organizations or staff new to the CREDIT® review process, or for par-ticipating organizations that need a refresher.

For more information contact us at creditinfo@acenet.edu.

February–April ACE CREDIT® Webinar Series1. Getting Started with CREDIT®,

February 42. The Course Evaluation, February 253. ACE CREDIT® Services, March 184. College and University Partnerships,

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Are you connected? Follow CREDIT® on LinkedIn!The ACE CREDIT® LinkedIn page provides information about program updates and events. The page also will share information and resources on CREDIT® programs and services, including review information, transcript services, marketing guidelines, and much more. We look forward to connecting with you!

Follow ACE CREDIT® on LinkedIn

Happy holidays from all of us at the American Council on Education, the Center for Education Attainment and Innova-tion, and CREDIT®.

We thank you for your continued participation in our program. We wish you and your organization continued success in 2015 and beyond.

CREDIT® TriviaIn what year did CREDIT® begin The Registry of Credit Recommendations, now the ACE CREDIT® Registry and Transcript System, which provides student records for ACE credit recommendations?

a. 1975 b. 1978 c. 2001 d. 1999Submit your answers to creditinfo@acenet.edu. Winners will be featured in the next issue of CREDIT® Check.

Rockwell CollinsAs a market-leading global company, Rockwell Collins is com-mitted to delivering innovative solutions that help its custom-ers succeed. Rockwell Collins’s aviation electronics products and systems are installed in the flight decks of nearly every airline in the world, and its airborne and ground-based com-munication systems transmit nearly 70 percent of all U.S. and allied military communication. Customers look to Rockwell Collins to advance their industry by developing and delivering innovative communication and aviation electronics solutions. It has consistently stood by its clients, and continues to play a critical role in many of its industry’s milestones, from the early days of flight to the exploration of space to the transformation of communications on the battlefield and advancements in commercial aerospace.

With more than 20 years of information management experi-ence, Rockwell Collins provides airlines, crews, and passengers with the tools required to thrive in today's information-driven world. Its broad portfolio of information management products

are being used in the flight decks and cabins of commercial aircraft throughout the world. In addition, its ground-routing system has enhanced the everyday business efficiency of more than 30 airlines. Rockwell Collins accomplishes this through its advanced communication, navigation surveillance systems, enhanced ground routing capabilities, on-the-fly maintenance monitoring, en-route email, in-flight entertainment options, and moving map products.

Whether developing new technology to enable network-centric operations for the military, delivering integrated solutions for a new commercial aircraft, or providing a level of service and support that increases reliability and lowers costs for aircraft operators throughout the world, Rockwell Collins delivers on its commitments. Pilots rely on Rockwell Collins to help them safely reach their destinations. Soldiers count on Rockwell Collins to help them see their way through the fog of war. Busi-ness travelers depend on it to help them stay in touch.

Check out Rockwell Collins’s courses on the National Guide to College Credit for Workforce Training and learn more about Rockwell Collins at www.rockwellcollins.com.

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