Mindset in Motion (MIM)

In this episode of Mindset in Motion (M.I.M) our Director of Mindset, Dr. Bill Heinrich, invites you to listen in on his weekly gathering of the (self-named) The Powerful Learning Group.
The Powerful Learning Group is composed of Bill’s colleagues from James Madison University and Michigan State University, each member of the group focuses on interdisciplinary and project-based learning experiences in a course.

 An interdisciplinary approach to learning requires a deep understanding of the patterns and themes that connect various disciplines, it seeks to understand the “what” and “how” and relate learning to the real world. In asking the right questions and gaining insights from thoughtful people, The Powerful Learning Group enhances the infrastructure that supports students to think critically and define how what’s learned aligns with their individual experiences and personal hopes for their career and life paths.

Says, Patrice, “I’m a faculty member in the biology department at James Madison, and I found this crew because I kept trying to answer questions that were not available for answering by just the discipline of biology. So, I knew my discipline pretty well but I needed engineers, and I needed people with communications skills, and I needed nursing faculty members to help me answer the questions that I had.” 

Listening to this lively conversation amongst peers in post-secondary education makes you feel a part of something that is truly powerful, and will remind you what can be done when we combine our mindsets to build and improve upon the foundations of tomorrow.

In this episode, Bill and Jeni speak with Mark Slomp, Executive Director of Student Services, Kathleen Massey, Associate Vice President of Student Affairs, and Kyra Gillert, Student Engagement Officer, from the University of Lethbridge, to discuss the design, vision, and launch of the University’s MyExperience Transcript. 

Reflecting on the traction the record is gaining on campus, our guests speak about their progress realigning units to create stronger services for students and how the inclusive category of co-curricular is yielding new conversations about student learning across academic and student affairs. Above all,  you’ll hear about how the Student Experience Transcript and tools for student reflection empower learners to personally answer their truest callings - the reason(s) they get up in the morning - supporting students and graduates with deeper and clearer pathways, through higher education, toward fulfillment.

Our team at Orbis is grateful to Mark, Kathleen, and Kyra for joining us and sharing their insights and best practices for implementing Outcome and using it to deliver and enhance experiential learning that empowers students and graduates.

Congratulations to The University of Lethbridge on the launch of your MyExperience Transcript!  We can’t wait to hear more from you as the impact of your work extends across campus and beyond.

In this episode of M.I.M, we speak with Sarah Schultz, director of Michigan State University's co-curricular record named "My Spartan Story," and Rose Lin, student life coordinator at the University of Toronto. Tune in to hear Sarah and Rose discuss the successful adoption, recognition, and implementation of an experiential record and how data insights can inform decision-making and learning pathways that add value for all users. By the end of this podcast, you'll have a deeper understanding of how to build your own experiential record and uncover data stories that give meaning to your university or college's unique career-readiness framework.

In this episode, Orbis's Director of Mindset, Bill Heinrich, explores the contrasts between learning outcomes and competencies. Tune in to learn the significance of credentialing learning gains and how formal recognition helps students benefit from general learning and deeper competencies. By the end of this episode, you'll know more about the fundamental principles and driving forces that support digital credentialing and how it can apply to student career readiness.

As we know, higher education has always been about far more than the content of academic coursework. Peers, professors, staff, and alumni provide valuable social capital. Athletics, research, social clubs, internships, study abroad programs, and other high-value learning experiences are essential elements of an educational experience. Such experiences offer students critical opportunities to develop in-demand employability skills. Communication, growth mindset, emotional intelligence, creativity, decision-making, leadership, and cultural intelligence set a point of differentiation for graduates in today’s workforce. Long-term student livelihood is contingent on the next generation of leaderships’ ability to lead effectively.

In this episode of Mindset in Motion (MIM) Cameron McCoy, Vice President & Vice Provost of Strategic Initiatives at Lehigh University, and Mary Strain, Business Development, at Hyland Credentials, discuss answers to some of today’s most pressing questions critical to shaping the future of higher learning and student career readiness. Questions, like:

• How are academic institutions creating opportunities to recognize and create value for all of these learning experiences?
• How are those experiences aligned to existing paradigms of value outside of the issuing institution?
• How can stakeholders verify such credentials?
• How are students empowered with the agency over their records of accomplishments?

We all know that the world of higher education, reflective of the practice of lifelong learning, is constantly evolving. Today, the way that a diploma or degree adds value to each student or graduate has changed. Without question, a university or college degree remains invaluable and empowering when entering the workforce. However, the employment landscape is rapidly changing. The question on most employer’s minds has moved away from solely, “What school did you graduate from?” toward, “What skills can you immediately contribute to my organization to lead progress and gains?” or, “What experience do you have that will help us be better?”

As a higher education community committed to shaping career-ready students, understanding and developing technological and educational practices that nurture long-term success requires a commitment to constant learning. It takes the right Mindset, one that’s evolving - always in motion.

In this episode, your hosts Bill Heinrich and Jeni Riddell kick-start our learning journey together. Enjoy!