@techreport { title = {The complex universe of alternative postsecondary credentials and pathways}, year = {2017}, month = {/2017}, author = {Brown, Jessie and Kurzweil, Martin}, keywords = {policy recommendations, MOOC, micro-credentials}, address = {Cambridge, Mass}, publisher = {American Academy of Arts & Sciences}, pages = {1-56}, isbn = {0-87724-113-9}, abstract = {Policy Recommendations In light of these themes, the paper offers three, high-level policy recommendations for policy-makers, funders, and the higher education community: • Adjust quality assurance processes to allow for accurate and comparable evaluation of alternative programs, robustly enforce quality standards for all providers, and accelerate the process of integrating quality alternative pathways and credentials into the federal financial aid system. • Invest in a more comprehensive data system that captures longitudinal, student-record data on students’ experiences across the full array of postsecondary pathways, as well as information about providers and their programs and credentials. • Support rigorous research on the efficacy and return on investment of existing and emerging alternative pathways and the value of alternative credentials.}, refereed = {does not apply}, url = {https://www.amacad.org/multimedia/pdfs/publications/researchpapersmonographs/CFUE_Alternative-Pathways/CFUE_Alternative-Pathways.pdf}, attachments = {CFUE_Alternative-Pathways.pdf}, }