The Future of Innovation in Learning

Today’s job market continues to hold some of the greatest opportunities we’ve seen for workers in decades. In this article Prometric, Sponsors of the Lifetime Contribution Award in the 2022 International e-Assessment Awards, discuss the future of Innovation in Learning.

In March 2022 alone, the United States saw the addition of 431,000 jobs, marking the 11th straight month of adding at least 400,000 new roles.ⁱ  However, with growing market demand, 87% of employers are experiencing challenges finding qualified talent.ⁱⁱ This deficit in skills allows candidates, whether newly graduated or job changers, the opportunity to convert passions into careers through enhancing their skillsets. In addition, it’s important to consider how the lack of qualified job candidates is plaguing organizations. Since 2000, 52% of Fortune 500 companies are gone,ⁱⁱⁱ making it clear that innovating with the times is key to sustainable business growth. Failing to adapt to market changes can lead to falling behind a quickly evolving technology-driven landscape and, ultimately, losing out to more innovative, rapidly emerging organizations. This proves the need to keep skills current and relevant, for both personal and business growth, has never been more important. In turn, this leaves credentialing organizations the opportunity to not only provide valued credentials but to help shape the future job market.

Regardless of specific field or industry, this prime opportunity for enhancing candidate skillsets can be greatly accelerated by advances in technology. Innovations in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and robotics have begun to shift the way we develop and deliver examinations to provide a more personalized learning experience for candidates. Advances around Adaptive Learning provide greater opportunity to build tailored learning paths for candidates by presenting the right materials at the right time in a way that can best assimilate learning, garner new skills faster, and retain knowledge longer. While this may seem like the perfect recipe to help close the skills gap and talent shortage, it also means that employers are placing greater emphasis on the value of certifications. Now more than ever, candidates and employers alike are relying on test providers to maintain stringent standards that uphold the value of their credentials. For credentialing organizations, this means it’s time to shine.

While it’s no surprise that maintaining the accuracy and validity of assessments is crucial and a top priority for many organizations, it can also prove to be an ongoing challenge. In order to be a valued resource in these pivotal times, technological advancements and willingness to adapt is a must. AI tools and techniques such as Linear on the Fly Testing (LOFT), facial recognition, keystroke detection, etc., when used correctly, can prove to be valued resources that provide additional layers of exam security. While such tools have been utilized by many programs for some time, ongoing advances in technology, continue to enhance and evolve measures credentialing organizations can implement to stay current and relevant. Evolving capabilities such as eye or head movement detection, identifying changes in lighting on faces or eyeglasses, and prohibited device exposure are just a few of the evolving tactics credentialing organizations can leverage to provide enhanced security measures. By staying ahead of these new and emerging capabilities, testing programs are able to uphold the highest of standards, while proving consistent and credible value to employers and candidates in order to fuel a more qualified workforce.

Here at Prometric, we are proud to leverage our 30+ years of industry experience to empower credentialing organizations and their candidates to reach their full potential. Our mission is to reshape the way we develop, assess, and maintain each assessment program through forward-looking innovations of all types. We also passionately believe in rewarding dedication and commitment from those within the industry who share this common goal, which is why we are proud to sponsor this year’s e-Assessments Lifetime Contribution Award for the second year in a row. The winner of this award demonstrates their dedication to evolving trends that are paving the way for the latest innovations within the assessment industry, proving themselves to be a valuable asset to the industry as a whole during this pivotal period. By keeping an eye on forward-looking innovations, the assessment industry can assist in bridging the skills gap, while impacting the lives of job candidates globally, and helping to drive growth for many organizations looking to innovate for the future.

About Prometric

Prometric is a leading provider of technology-enabled testing and assessment solutions to many of the world’s most recognized licensing and certification organizations, academic institutions, and government agencies.  We support more than 7 million test takers annually at our testing locations in more than 180 countries around the world.

Find out more about Prometric on the Prometric website.

Prometric is the sponsor of the Lifetime Contribution Award in the 2022 International e-Assessment Awards.

Learn more about the Lifetime Contribution Award here.

ⁱ March’s jobs report from the Labor Department signals economic growth despite surging inflation (forbes.com)

ⁱⁱ Educating Versus Hiring: Guess Who Wins The Race? (forbes.com)

ⁱⁱⁱ When Digital Disruption Strikes: How Can Incumbents Respond?