{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The Signals","title":"Skills Over Schools? Tom Vander Ark on the Future of Credentials","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":3000,"description":"In this episode of The Signals Podcast, host Laura Glabb sits down with Tom Vander Ark, CEO of Getting Smart and former executive director of education at the Gates Foundation to explore the evolving world of credentialing, personalized learning, and the next generation of education. From his early advocacy for digital badges and learning records to his current work shaping AI-first schools, Tom shares a behind-the-scenes look at two decades of pushing the boundaries of education reform.\nLaura and Tom delve into the complexities of skill-based hiring, the limitations of degrees as signals, and the need for richer, verified learner experiences on resumes. They discuss why the future of education lies in building better signaling systems, ones that capture not only what learners know, but what they’ve done. With humor, honesty, and a healthy dose of realism, Tom reflects on what it takes to innovate in a messy, slow-moving ecosystem and why he still believes deeply in the power of new schools, new tools, and human potential.\nKey Moments\n05:10 \"Challenges in Personalized Learning Progress\"\n\n07:58 AI Enhancing Credential Utility\n\n11:08 Rethinking Resume Signals\n\n14:35 Enhancing Experience Through Metadata\n\n20:49 Emerging Industry Apprenticeship Trends\n\n24:53 Cautious Shift to Credentialed Education\n\n27:10 Rethinking Graduation: Skills and Experiences\n\n30:30 Education System Innovation Reports\n\n33:58 \"Evolution of Horizon Schools\"\n\n39:13 Dynamic, Personalized Learning Paths\n\n42:16 \"AI-Driven Micro School Initiative\"\n\n43:38 Micro Schools: Quick Launch Revolution\n\n47:23 \"Collective and Individual Learning Journeys\"\n\nWhy You’ll Love This Episode:\n\nYou’re tired of degrees that say little about what someone can actually do. Tom challenges the utility of traditional credentials and offers a compelling alternative vision rooted in real-world skills and verified experiences.\nYou want to understand why personalized learning hasn’t scaled—yet. Gain perspective from someone...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/ZQBLNu5bL6QDsMZngU8O-GefGMV_EVDwumeP7DuoUGE/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS82ZGUy/MzhiODgyYTdhYWJm/MjI1MGZkY2Y2OGQ5/YTMxYy5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}