CertSpring launches first micro-certification platform

Are you ready to certify a piece at a time?

Dec, 18, 2014, CertSpring.com — If you are in the world of training or certification, then chances are that you have heard the rumblings about the topic of Micro-Learning.

In case you haven't, micro-learning is the process of learning in smaller segments and pieces over a short period of time. Micro-learning activities include short-term lessons, projects, or assignments with smaller amounts of information. Usually course material is broken into smaller lessons or modules, rather than teaching a broad topic all at once. 

Most experts agree that micro-learning is the way of the future, because the increasing supply of available content, coupled with ever-diminishing attention spans, means that students will want and need to have their content delivered to them in smaller pieces. Experts also agree that an increased supply of content means that knowledge verification will be more important than ever.  

This is where a new online learning startup, Certspring, saw an opportunity to create a platform that makes it easy to accommodate this industry trend . By offering a "Micro-Certification" platform,companies have the ability to deliver certifications around niche skill sets. In fact, Certspring has trademarked the name and says it is looking to dominate in this space.

"We believe that most testing and certification mechasims are slow to adapt and make it difficult for the average organization to implement a certification," says Duane Wells, one of Certspring's founders. "Research and history has taught us that one of the biggest obstacles to creating a certification program is putting the content together, and our platform addresses this concern head on." 

Using a micro-learning platform, companies can leverage content they already have, such as manuals, videos and product/service documentation, to create and deliver a micro-learning experience without the hassle of creating new content, or managing complex software.

Axelos, which runs the international standards for ITIL (IT Infrastructure Library) Certification, one of the most well known international IT certifications, is working with Certspring on a proof of concept to use micro-learning as a part of its new CPD program.

"In the future, everyone will be a content publisher. By providing a mechanism to test and certify around content that lives anywhere, we can create more opportunities for learning" Wells says.

Certspring's platform acts as an aggregation point for content that resides anywhere on the internet. This means that you can easily grab a YouTube video, a blog article, a white paper and a web page, and string it all together to create an intuitive testing or certification program. 

"At the end of the day, certification is about knowledge verification," Wells says. "We see more and more companies looking for a less complicated way to verify that vendors, employees, partners and customers have been properly acclimated to the their services or the way they do business."

Interested parties can get a free account at www.certspring.com and experiment with the software at no charge