The Comprehensive Learner Record: A Game-Changer for Association Management
The higher education sector has long utilized the comprehensive learner record (CLR), a tool that helps track a person’s education and experience at a granular level. But did you know that this concept could have even more value for associations than for colleges?
Academic transcripts and workplace performance records have been tracked for years, but they have limitations and are often difficult to evaluate outside of their original context. With the CLR, individuals have access to more granular records that go beyond simple pass/fail grades. This concept has grown in popularity over the past decade, and it is gradually being adopted by educational institutions worldwide.
Mike Simmons, Ph.D., the associate executive director for business development and strategic partnerships at the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), says that higher education institutions have been taking steps to adjust to this approach for years to match the current state of education. “There were colleges that were adding things to their transcripts like the student went on an internship, or this student did this—things that weren’t grades,” Simmons said. “And that’s sort of the basis of what the comprehensive learner record concept became.”
But why is this relevant to associations? In many ways, associations are well-suited to leverage the CLR for tracking education, especially since they have experience working with certification and credentialing to track education hours for their members. Additionally, the CLR technology can help associations attract a wider segment of the workforce by focusing on skills that members have garnered through education or work experience, rather than focusing solely on the degrees or credentials earned.
Rebecca Busacca, vice president of business development at Territorium, an education technology firm, explains that “CLR technology can help associations attract a wider segment of the workforce by focusing on skills their members have garnered in education or work versus focusing solely on the degrees or credentials earned.”
Unlike traditional education, where not every class a student takes will directly relate to a job, professional development is often conducted with employment and reskilling in mind. The CLR can help associations track the skills that their members have acquired in these contexts, making it easier for them to provide relevant training and education opportunities.
In conclusion, the CLR is a game-changer for association management. With its ability to track education and work experience at a granular level, it can help associations better serve their members and attract a wider segment of the workforce. As more and more associations adopt this technology, we can expect to see a shift in the way education and professional development are approached across various industries.
Keywords: Association management, Association news, Association software, Continuing education software, Certification management.
We encourage you to read the original post this article is based on here: How Comprehensive Learning Records Could Turbocharge Your Educational Offerings.
