FutureLearn offers a variety of online courses from short courses to longer microcredentials and professional certificates. They are partnering with universities and industries to validate these courses by offering academic credit or endorsements. This helps learners gain skills recognized by employers and provides a pathway for further education. FutureLearn works with validation partners like Coventry University who provide oversight of teaching, learning, and assessment to ensure quality and offer credit for some courses. The partnerships aim to combine industry expertise with academic rigor to provide compelling education opportunities for learners.

1. FUTURELEARN:
Higher Education and Industry
working together to develop
stackable credentials
Mark Wallace, Partnership Director

2. RUNNING HEADER
FutureLearn’s purpose
is to transform global
access to education
ABOUT FUTURELEARN

3. Summary
● Why are we doing this?
● What is a validation partner ?
● The current portfolio
● Learner proposition
● What next?

4. Short course
4 - 24 learning hours
# min
Regular cohorts
Microcredential
Paid access
Developed within CMF
100 - 150 learning hours
Credit awarded
10 - 15 UK credits = 4 - 6
ECTS = 2 - 3 US credits
Endorsed by at least one
industry partner
Regular cohorts
Start Learning for Free
Pay for ongoing access,
tests and certificate
Always available
20 - 150 learning hours
Paid access
Endorsed or certified by
at least one industry
partner or professional
body
Professional
certificate
Price from free
Upgrade £40o
£199 PA full catalogue
Price from £99 – £500 Prices from £450
– £1000
ExpertTrack
£39 per month
Always available
Monthly subscription,
7 day free trial
Pay for access to
content after 7 days,
assessments and
certificates
40 - 50 learning hours
A brief overview of FutureLearn’s full coverage of products
LEARNER VALIDATION PROPOSITION
Recognition of prior learning

5. Why are we doing this?
Validation as a route for learners

6. Deep
expertise
LEARNER
EMPLOYER
1. Find a job
2. Move into a new role
3. Increase lifetime earning potential
1. Close skills gaps
2. Move employees onto more valuable work
3. Increase economic value of employees
Improving employability outcomes is the key

7. Deep
expertise
A significant
amount of
expertise sits
outside of HEI’s

8. Built by Industry
• In-demand skills and knowledge
• Course experience aligns to professional lives
• Using subject experts in teaching and learning
• Provides professional education and development

9. Powered by FutureLearn
• Quality social learning experience
• FutureLearn driving course development
• Adapting to learner and market demands
• Increases value to Lifelong Learners

10. What is a Validation Partner
Institute and Course based Validation

11. WHAT ARE THEY?
Accredited by Coventry University
• Adds academic credit to our learning experience
• Ensures academic integrity and value
• Provides high-touch oversight and additional QA
• Delivers satisfaction and peace of mind

12. Approval
Pre-approval, FutureLearn & validation partner
Teaching, Learning and Assessment Strategy
Our approaches, design/build and learner support
Review and Improvement
Feedback, iteration & formal review
Committees
Approval, Oversight, Operations and Appeals
Policies
i.e. Extenuating Circumstances, Deferrals, Appeals,
Complaints, Code of conduct, Plagiarism, etc
Validation governance framework
2
1
3
4
5
Source: iStock
LEARNER VALIDATION PROPOSITION

13. Validating FutureLearn as an Institute
Quality Assurance Committees and
Boards to support
our students’ lives
Partner Validation

14. # min
Responsibility FutureLearn Partner Accrediting Partner
Marketing B2C
Marketing B2B
Platform hosting and reporting
Curriculum and content
Learning Design and Production
Facilitation
Accreditation
Course Validation Model

15. The Current Portfolio
Here’s some we did earlier

16. Examples of Microcredentials
● 4 unique postgraduate courses created by FutureLearn in collaboration with industry leader
and accredited by Coventry University.
● MC’s can be taken alone or in batches and provide advanced entry to around 20 pathway
courses at the university (available on campus or online)

17. Learner proposition

18. Validation adds credit, the
currency of higher
education, into industry
expertise.
We believe that combining
industry and academia is a
compelling offering.
Leading
Education
Partner
Leading
Industry
Partner
Inspiring
Educators
Learners are demanding proof of skills attained.
Academic validation meets this need.
LEARNER VALIDATION PROPOSITION

19. We are building a
global validation
network to support
learner achievement
and international
pathways
UK/ Europe
Partner(s)
US Partner(s)
Asia Pacific
Partner(s)
LEARNER VALIDATION PROPOSITION

20. What Next?

21. RUNNING HEADER
● Whilst no credit is attached the learner gains directly transferable skills
● Adding a university badge should raise the overall value of each course
● adding value to industry partners who have their ET's and SC's endorsed
● adding value for learners and their employers or potential employers
● FutureLearn is now promoting the value of an academic partner’s endorsement /
hallmark of quality to non-HEI ExpertTracks and short courses
● Learners gaining a recognised and trusted education brand
HEI AND Industry Endorsement
Providing Endorsement for MooCs (SC’s) and ExpertTracks (ET’s)
LEARNER VALIDATION PROPOSITION