Credentialing

Morgan State Adopting New Comprehensive Learner Record in Move to Competency Model

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 10/28/21

A Baltimore university will be introducing a digital record and wallet to its transcript system, enabling students to collect and share their competencies. The move by Morgan State University, an historically Black university, is intended to be part of the institution's broader effort to transition to a competency-based education model. The work will involve adopting a "comprehensive learner record" (CLR), which will reflect educational experiences and other achievements and that can be shared through the digital wallet with prospective employers.

Morgan State is working with Territorium, a provider of products for delivering, testing, measuring and recording learning and skills acquisition, on the program.

The database that will host academic and other achievements of students is expected to go live in April 2022 and be integrated with the university's Canvas learning management system for all students.

In a July blog post, Solomon Alao, assistant vice president for Outcome Assessment and Operations at the university, wrote that courses across numerous disciplines were being redesigned to work within a competency model, facilitating the use of badges, certificates and micro-credentials.

"We believe the CLR is a game changer in its ability to tell the full story of a student," said Alao in a press release. "Our goal at Morgan State is to capture students' social, academic and emotional well-being into a standards- and evidence-based record. It takes a village, or several villages, to help a student succeed in and out of the classroom. Territorium's CLR will help us develop complete, lifelong learners that are ready to take charge of their futures."