Welcome to From Florida, a podcast that showcases the scholar success, instructing excellence and groundbreaking analysis happening on the University of Florida.
Micro-credentials have emerged as a really perfect solution to turn out to be proficient in a particular data space. In this episode, Regina Rodriguez, provost fellow for skilled training, explains UF’s method to micro-credentials, notably within the realm of AI. Produced by Nicci Brown, Brooke Adams, James Sullivan and Emma Richards. Original music by Daniel Townsend, a doctoral candidate in music composition within the College of the Arts.
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Nicci Brown: From agriculture to healthcare and manufacturing to finance, synthetic intelligence is reworking the financial system and giving companies a aggressive edge by serving to them enhance their services and products. Many working professionals, in addition to new staff coming into the job market are searching for methods to maintain up with the reshaped financial system whereas additionally gaining a aggressive edge by updating their abilities, which leads us to micro-credentials. They’ve emerged as a really perfect solution to achieve abilities and data in particular areas. Our visitor right this moment is aware of loads about the advantages of micro-credentials, particularly as they relate to the University of Florida’s complete method to AI. Regina Rodriguez is UF provost fellow for skilled training. Welcome, Regina.
Regina Rodriguez: Welcome. Thank you a lot for having me right here.
Nicci Brown: For these of us who might not know, what precisely is a micro-credential?
Regina Rodriguez: So micro-credential, many people do not know what a microcredential is. It is such a brand new type of skilled improvement choice that everyone’s utilizing within the business. So I feel on this particular realm, the primary purpose was to have the ability to supply a few of these similar programs to business professionals. So we’re right here educating our undergrads with these very attention-grabbing, thought-upsetting programs in synthetic intelligence.
So a micro-credential is a brief type of skilled improvement choice that enables people which have time limitations to create a time environment friendly and inexpensive choice to develop an understanding of a brand new talent or persevering with training in a given topic. It actually satisfies the wants for the office to stay aggressive and by guaranteeing workers are persevering with to develop their very own capabilities.
This choice is admittedly nice for employers wanting to supply upskilling alternatives to their workers with out having the worker exit for 2 years to pursue a grasp’s diploma, or for the worker to be sitting at their job and taking a number of three to 4 credit score programs throughout any particular semester. So it turns into a really time-environment friendly manner of getting the educational, particularly if we do not essentially have the background in pc science, for instance.
The actually neat factor about this micro-credential is that it permits any individual that does not have a background in pc science or maybe even in engineering to choose up one thing that they might or will not be interested by. So it permits that pathway for people who might need to pursue and turn out to be consultants on this sooner or later to both pursue a full grasp’s diploma in a while or to pursue even a Ph.D. So relying on which framework they resolve to go down that path.
Nicci Brown: And I’m guessing that as a result of it is provided by the college there may be some uniformity, and that provides employers and workers one thing that they know that they are getting a sure framework there, that that is one thing that has been accredited.
Regina Rodriguez: 100%. So the college has performed loads of work to have the ability to perceive what different packages, different universities on this area, within the micro-credentialing area, and what we name persevering with training credit, CEUs, for instance, how you can package deal them in a manner that learners, what we name learners, as a result of they don’t seem to be college students, they’re business professionals, or school or authorities entities which will need to study a bit of bit extra, how will we give them this solution to showcase?
And one of many actually neat issues about the best way that we’ve packaged these micro-credentials is that there is three quick programs that the learner must take to earn a micro-credential. And the idea for this micro-credential is mimicked in the direction of how a certificates on the University of Florida for undergraduates can be, the place they take a fundamentals course. So these that won’t have any understanding of AI or machine studying or information science can rise up to hurry, perceive the vocabulary and the way they’re going to have the ability to implement it.
They additionally take an ethics course. So these are two foundational programs, Fundamentals of AI and Ethics of AI. And one of many key issues for the University of Florida, as we try to construct this AI college and turn out to be a world, actually exposing the college and its constituents to AI, is doing it on the idea of the ethics half. And many different packages which are instructing machine studying or coding are actually lacking that piece. And I feel that is the place the University of Florida is admittedly on the forefront of this management the place ethics is so necessary and how you can use this information ethically.
The machine that’s quantifying these packages or managing the info haven’t got a human empathetic or a human understanding of what’s proper and what’s unsuitable. So this Ethics of AI course actually begins to create discussions round what is moral and the way the info get interpreted. One of the important thing examples there may be how machine studying is utilized in warfare, and what occurs when an unethical warfare individual begins to make use of this information for detrimental outcomes. So that is necessary too.
The different piece the place ethics is admittedly necessary is within the judicial system. How is information being quantified and the way do you detect a Black male or a white feminine or Hispanic individual when it comes to information imaging? And how do you quantify them into buckets of information? And what do you do with that information then later?
So these are the primary two programs that turn out to be a part of the micro-credential and the foundations to begin to get exterior business professionals to be eager about this.
And then the final course is an purposes course. So that is the third piece of the micro-credential. And that is the place you’ve loads of flexibility. And that is the place this micro-credential actually begins to focus on nearly anyone, anyone from engineering, which might be the place AI folks usually suppose AI is developed and utilized. But then you’ve, such as you began mentioning, agriculture, healthcare, infrastructure, constructing and design, companies. How does provide chain use AI and implement it?
So anyone from any of these curiosity teams that need to combine AI into their lifestyle, into their considering, into having the ability to pivot. For instance, in case you’re at a job and also you’re type of a bit of bit uninterested in what you are doing and also you see this AI transformational Fourth Industrial Revolution, which persons are speaking about, you need to be a part of it.
So you’re taking an AI micro-credential in enterprise, for instance, and that is your purposes course. And we’ve school from each of those faculties that developed these modules and content material for these programs that may be taken asynchronously. So listening to audio or video at your individual time and comfort. Or you’ll be able to select to try this in a hybrid type the place you are participating with school by way of Zoom. And these are the identical school which are instructing undergraduates and graduate college students right here on the college.
So it is a very nice solution to showcase what the college is doing after which create partnerships. I feel the school actually enjoys it. The suggestions from the school has been that they discovered from their learners, their college students. We had one of many quick programs, one of many 15-hour quick programs that ran in early January was the Ethics of AI course. And we’ve school from the philosophy division they usually’re participating with pc scientists within the area which have their doctorate diploma and have been doing information imaging. And these people do not essentially know a lot about philosophy. And the thinker would not know a lot about engineering.
So they’re speaking about cell telephones and what the impression of cell telephones have been of their lives. And so it begins to essentially ponder some philosophical concepts that that pc scientist might have by no means actually thought of as a result of he is information, he is been tasked with a job, and his purpose is to execute. But now he has this little individual behind his ear eager about, hey, I discovered this on this ethics class.
As a part of that ethics class, the ultimate challenge, which was to construct an moral analysis on your firm. So a lot of the learners have been a part of an organization. And one in every of these firms, one of many learners from the corporate, took that moral proposal to their CEO. And that is one of many issues that they wished to additional interact again with the remainder of the crew and that firm to have the ability to construct that moral consciousness. And this is among the main AI leaders within the United States taking a few of these programs and actually constructing their understanding as effectively.
Nicci Brown: So talking of these interactions, which that is one of many issues I feel folks usually discuss with the University of Florida, is it is such a broad providing, however so deep as effectively. And so that you do have these great collisions of individuals bringing data collectively. But when these credentials have been being developed, how a lot enter was there from business? How did we go about forming them?
Regina Rodriguez: Yeah. So from an business perspective, when these programs have been developed, it was on the similar time when school have been creating the programs for the AI certificates that college students can take as undergrads. So on the University of Florida, in case you’re an undergrad scholar from any main, any faculty, you’ll be able to select to have interaction on this certificates. This is along with your bachelor’s diploma. And then you definitely graduate with a 9-credit score certificates.
So the school that we’re constructing programs for that certificates have been tapped and mentioned, “Hey, you are doing research in this arena, and we would like for you to develop a short content of video information.” And then having the ability to have some studying mechanisms. So we labored with educational design groups that mainly work with our UF on-line packages or our prime UF on-line program. Those educational designers have been those that designed these quick programs.
So the school which are conducting analysis in these areas are working with business professionals. So NVIDIA was one in every of them. So inside NVIDIA’s donation, they’ve a really robust instructional purpose and part right here on the college. So they wished to ensure that we had all of that assist. So NVIDIA has been an enormous supporter of that. Companies like L3Harris and IBM, smaller firms like Agreview, right here within the state of Florida which are doing agricultural improvement of robots to take a look at strawberries, for instance, and information imaging.
So a few of these Florida firms are UF grads. One of the businesses down in Tampa, the primary CEO is a UF graduate. And he joined one of many courses and was a visitor lecturer in a few of the content material that was developed. So actually bridging the UF school analysis, which could possibly be to some extent, very scientific-pushed, how you can combine that and implement that and bridge the hole to the precise software right here that persons are engaged on, and one thing that may be commercially viable and commercially used. So these are a few of the actually nice partnerships that we have seen.
Some people which have taken the quick programs, have engaged additional with the school. So we have introduced them onto campus. And a few of them at the moment are funding school analysis, so business-sponsored analysis. And it is a actually nice solution to create that bridge from a analysis perspective. And then serving to school take that analysis that they are doing and making it a commercially viable alternative as effectively.
Nicci Brown: And I ought to word that the college is ranked because the primary public when it comes to translating analysis into {the marketplace}. So this isn’t an uncommon factor for the University of Florida.
Regina Rodriguez: No, no. And I feel it creates one other pathway to teach people who have graduated. Myself, I did my undergrad and Ph.D right here on the University of Florida, however once I did that again in 2009, this program of synthetic intelligence was not current. I did my Ph.D in environmental sciences and air air pollution management, and I beloved information. I’m the type of person who makes selections primarily based off of information and informational processes, and how you can finest perceive potential outcomes. And I want that as I used to be coming by way of my undergrad and Ph.D, I had the chance to do that.
So I feel one of many targets is any individual like me, any individual that has gone into the world and began firms, or is constructing new packages in know-how, coming again and taking this very quick 4-week course, and now being higher educated, and by the college that gave you the diploma, a prime 5 college the place prime college and on-line studying, that is the place it comes actually properly to have the ability to showcase that.
And then it begins to assist you to suppose, okay, now that I’ve taken this class, do I need to study a bit of bit extra? Do I need to turn out to be an additional professional? These quick programs aren’t going to make you an professional in any particular area. It’s going to provide you a very nice breadth of understanding. And then it is as much as you, the way you proceed to take these quick programs and additional interact on the secondary course, the third course and even perhaps be engaged in conducting a grasp’s diploma in AI, or going out and dealing with a particular advisor and incomes a Ph.D. There’s so many college students that come again and get their Ph.D after they have been working within the business for 10 years.
Nicci Brown: Well, let’s discuss a bit of bit extra about these college students who’re taking this. Because you are proper, issues are altering so shortly now. You talked about that AI wasn’t even one thing that was taught while you have been right here doing all of your undergraduate diploma after which shifting by way of to your Ph.D. But who’re a few of the different folks that basically profit from these micro-credentials and who you are seeing curiosity from?
Regina Rodriguez: Yeah. No, that is an amazing query. So like I discussed, usually you’ve college students that have already got a bachelor’s diploma, which are out within the workforce, and maybe their firm is asking them to have interaction in, “Hey, we’re going to be doing this in AI and we want you to be better educated.” Typically, the corporate will make that request. And in the event that they make that request, they’ll doubtless pay for that micro-credential.
There’s additionally the scholars that want to pivot. So they’re on this job they usually’ve been doing it for a while, maybe they’re bored, they need one thing to boost their profession, and AI is a type of that they might make a bit of bit more cash. They might have extra flexibility, probably possibly even to work at home. I do know that is a big factor in addition to you transition from job to job. So possibly it is people who need to study a bit of bit extra and improve their data.
The second piece is these which are already in one thing just like the navy. The navy is admittedly attempting to teach not solely their armed forces, however their civilians. And which may be a extremely excellent place for them to have interaction in one thing that is very quick time. I imply, in case you’re out stationed in a foreign country, you are not going to have the ability to log in for a 7 o’clock class right here. So watching some movies, asynchronously, and being a part of this on-line studying, could also be one of the best suited manner.
We’ve additionally had business leaders, so CEOs of multi-million greenback firms, interact in particularly the ethics course, which permits them to grasp. I imply, as enterprise leaders and you could have a enterprise background, you might not essentially perceive or be comfy to have interaction together with your consultants in your crew to know what selections you make. And a few of these selections could also be pushed very properly by, okay, now we’re not going to be promoting a product, we’ll be promoting a service. Or we’re not solely promoting a service, we’re promoting a lifetime of information assortment.
So that basically modifications the enterprise facet. And they might not perceive that and really feel that they will not be effectively-suited to have interaction with them, or how do you make selections and really feel assured.
So I feel that instructional background might actually assist a few of that C-Suite crew that won’t have gone by way of an engineering background and feels type of like that imposter syndrome. Like, “Oh, I’m running this company, but do I really know what the best outcome is knowing all of the intricacies behind it?”
Nicci Brown: What type of assist does somebody have once they’re taking these microcredentials? Of course, as you talked about, they could possibly be in a foreign country, utterly completely different time zones. So in the event that they see one thing, they’re like, “I just don’t quite get it,” what can they do?
Regina Rodriguez: Yeah. If they’re engaged within the course. So we’re working the programs out of our Canvas website. So any UF scholar can be getting access to a Canvas website the place they’ve further sources, they’ve quizzes or assignments they usually’d have direct entry to the teacher that developed that course. So whether or not it is the hybrid course the place they get to speak to a professor as soon as per week for an hour at a time, and the professor will lecture by way of Zoom they usually can even have workplace hours. So that direct communication with the teacher is current.
We even have a crew on the Office of Professional Development Workforce right here on the University of Florida. And that crew is incredible about having the ability to mentor these learners when it comes to like, “Hey, we have these courses, this is how you would package them. These are the upcoming courses that are coming about.” We usually host webinars and data periods earlier than launching any of the synchronous lectures and synchronous programs so that individuals can have a chance to satisfy the professor and perceive the expectations of the course.
Nicci Brown: It feels like a really sturdy system. How and when did this program get began?
Regina Rodriguez: Well about this time final 12 months.
Nicci Brown: Oh my goodness.
Regina Rodriguez: About this time final 12 months, in all probability early summer season of final 12 months in 2021, the provost felt like this was one of many key lacking items within the AI imaginative and prescient that he had for the college, how you can educate and correctly practice the workforce. And he was eager about the state of Florida. We thought of, effectively, why not the whole world? And that is the place a few of the programs got here in the place you did not have to return to campus, you did not have to return to a particular facility to be educated on these.
So we labored with a school by way of all of final summer season. So we had school right here throughout the summer season creating and constructing the educational design, working with video and audio by way of the COIP Center, which creates the content material for the movies. And then we began delivering the quick programs. The first quick course began in September of final 12 months, so nearly one 12 months from right this moment, we launched the primary quick course. And since then, we’ve in all probability over 3,000 learners up to now.
The manner that the programs are arrange is that we developed every of those seven programs in three completely different modalities. There’s a one-hour, a 4-hour and a 15-hour modality for every of the programs. So say that you just solely wished to achieve a bit of little bit of understanding, type of simply style the palette after which perceive what it was, the one-hour quick course is definitely provided without spending a dime. So that one-hour modality for all seven quick programs, anyone can take.
If you are right here within the state of Florida, in case you’re in Kenya, in case you’re in China. So that one-hour, there’s seven one-hour programs that may be taken for gratis. The focus there was to have interaction as many individuals as doable with this understanding and the best way that the programs have been going to be delivered.
Then there is a 4-hour asynchronous content material you can join as effectively. That’s the place you begin incomes credentials, so persevering with training items. And then the 15-hour course. So the 4 and the 15 hour are for-pay, and anyone can join these at any time limit. There’s no software to turn out to be a UF scholar. There’s no registration. It’s quite simple, and all you need to do is have a bank card and a solution to log in to the web and you’ll shortly achieve entry to the content material.
And when you full the content material, you’ll earn a badge which could have the certification from the University of Florida. And you’ll be able to showcase that badge in your LinkedIn, in your Facebook, any on-line system, on-line resume, digital resume that now have this licensing program that, okay, now you go in your LinkedIn and it has this microcredential or completion for this class that you could have had a background in enterprise, however now you are licensed on this microcredential in AI, so that you not less than have some involvement and an understanding of the place you need to go ahead.
Nicci Brown: Could you give us a way of the place the scholars are coming from? You talked about quite a lot of nations there. Do you’ve any sense of the place our college students are?
Regina Rodriguez: Yeah. No, the vast majority of the scholars, our advertising and marketing effort has been largely right here within the state of Florida and within the Southeast area. So the University of Florida has a partnership with all Southeast, SEC universities. So we have been actually attempting to achieve that Southeast area.
However, a few months in the past in April, we partnered with an organization led by Microsoft. It’s known as Flapmax. And their learners got here from Kenya in Africa. So we had learners enrolled in 5-hour time distinction. And in order that they have been engaged within the agriculture and life sciences quick course, as a result of they have been startup firms in Kenya having the ability to construct and perceive AI frameworks to develop these small alternatives. So that was a extremely attention-grabbing solution to interact with a few of these learners.
Nicci Brown: You talked about the fee. What can college students anticipate to pay?
Regina Rodriguez: Yeah. So once we have been designing what the fee can be, there was loads of market analysis performed at what different universities are doing. So clearly you’ll be able to go on Coursera and tackle a number of programs in AI, information science, and turn out to be that individual. I feel these programs are for people who need to study a bit of bit extra and be engaged. So it has that flexibility of college engagement.
The 4-hour course in which you’ll be able to earn a 0.4 CEUs or persevering with training items is priced at $249. And that is fairly aggressive when it comes to prices per CEU. And the 15-hour course is $1,095. So $1,095 for 1.5 persevering with training items. And the mixture of three 15-hour programs, so for a complete of about $3,500 to $4,000, you’ll be able to earn a micro-credential. And in order that’s fairly aggressive when it comes to what different universities are providing for skilled improvement versus what workforce and small technical programs could also be within the business.
Nicci Brown: Are you seeing progress throughout the panorama when it comes to curiosity in microcredentials?
Regina Rodriguez: Yes. Yes. I feel that there’s a lot of progress. So there’s one fairly massive skilled improvement convention and entity that screens loads of the micro-credentials. And the micro-credentials are utilized in alternative ways. One of the attention-grabbing factor is that there is not a lot regulation. So for instance, in case you achieve a bachelor’s in your undergrad, there may be loads of understanding that one bachelor’s for one college could possibly be comparable to a different college. Perhaps the college rating is completely different.
Here, the micro-credentials are beginning to achieve some uniformity. And that is in all probability going to take a bit of bit extra time. But what the University of Florida is attempting to do is be that forefront on creating the expectations and the usual for what a microcredential is and what programs might lend themselves effectively, and the mixture of programs to get you a microcredential as effectively.
Nicci Brown: And we have talked about AI micro-credentials, however what about different subjects or areas of experience? Are there any plans to develop there as effectively?
Regina Rodriguez: So the University of Florida constructed this AI micro-credential to imitate a micro-credential for a credential builder for engineers out of the College of Engineering. So a number of professors and the administrators for skilled improvement out of engineering constructed this in all probability about three years in the past. The primary purpose was to have interaction with engineers that graduated with an engineering diploma, however had restricted communication and management abilities.
So the primary micro-credential out of this division was a management for engineers micro-credential. And there once more, you did not have to return again to campus to take a full diploma. And you are able to do this asynchronously at your individual time. So that was one of many first ones.
The Office of Workforce and Professional Development additionally affords micro-credentials in variety, fairness and inclusion, and a few in cyber safety. So it is a bit of bit tangential, however I feel that begins to lend manner for a way we begin to supply and construct that consistency in micro-credentialing.
Nicci Brown: Just to shut, are you able to share some tales about notable firms or individuals who have participated in this system? What have you ever heard from the contributors up to now?
Regina Rodriguez: Yeah. We even have a few suggestions from a few of these firms. One of them is a CEO for an AI firm, they usually do loads of information administration for genomics. And he was a previous IBM worker and chief, and felt like one of many ethics of AI course, which was the one which he participated in, was incredible. And he truly has beneficial a number of different enterprise leaders to take the course as effectively.
The different firm may be very extremely engaged on this, and really once they introduced this course to their workers, they have been oversubscribed. So we had 100 folks from this firm attempting to enroll in the identical course. And we usually attempt to restrict the synchronous course, the hybrid course, to not more than 30 folks, as a result of then it turns into a fairly important burden for the teacher.
So this firm may be very enthusiastic about one of many course choices that is coming again up, deep studying for synthetic intelligence. And that one actually focuses on information imaging and the way they’ll implement that.
So I feel general it is beginning to construct momentum. And the primary purpose is to proceed to combine a few of the nice analysis and nice educational design that the school right here on the college are doing.
One of the extra programs that we’re going to be integrating within the subsequent couple of months is AI and drugs, so purposes of AI and drugs. And then individually purposes of AI as they relate to the HiPerGator. And the HiPerGator is one which inside NVIDIA’s donation, we’ve been in a position to develop its accessibility to not solely the University of Florida, however to the junior faculties right here in Florida, and to the Southeastern Conference University. So having the ability to perceive how you can use a HiPerGator, as a result of you could have it in place. So that coaching can also be going to be housed out of this micro-credential, which is admittedly thrilling.
Nicci Brown: And the HiPerGator, in fact, probably the most highly effective supercomputers within the nation. And I feel one in every of actually essentially the most highly effective owned by a college, or totally owned by a college.
Regina Rodriguez: Yeah, no, it is very, very thrilling. It has given school and college students the flexibility to take their analysis as much as the following stage.
Nicci Brown: Regina, thanks a lot for becoming a member of us right this moment. It’s been a real pleasure.
Regina Rodriguez: Yeah. Thank you a lot on your time.
Nicci Brown: Listeners, thanks for becoming a member of us. Our government producer is Brooke Adams. Our technical producer is James Sullivan. And our editorial assistant is Emma Richards. I hope you will tune in subsequent week.