ROI & Higher Education: Comprehensive Learner Records
As I currently work in a university library, for the New Horizon’s module I decided to explore the EDUCAUSE 2026 Teaching and Learning Report. Memories of my own experiences in higher education swirled around experiences I’ve had interacting with students in my current position. As I hopped around to different sections, University of Georgia’s “Comprehensive Learner Record” digital credential caught my attention.
The idea of intertwining learning experiences and traditional coursework into format that is clear and easily presented to employers- I would have loved to have had this post-graduation. Something I have learned more by trial and error than in any formal education setting is that exact process: how to blend experiences and coursework to explain to employers how these things make me a great fit for a position. The report does highlight growing concerns about returns on investment for higher education; giving students skills to record and reflect on their experiences and applying that to their goals is extremely valuable.
In my current position, I have the opportunity to work closely with student workers who help operate the circulation desk. They come from a wide variety of education backgrounds, studying political science, theater, psychology, and economics. For many, this job is a work study position that is helping them afford the increasingly expensive cost of higher education. While none have expressed any explicit desire to pursue librarianship (I recognize that I am biased and not everyone is excited about librarianship as I am) – I am also concerned that these students are unaware of how to draw connections between this work experience and their future career goals.
This CLR concept and EDUCAUSE report has inspired me to reach out to management to see if this is something we can help students with! As this CLR credential correctly identified, there are core competencies that will help students seeking employment post-graduation. Many skills honed at a circulation desk can help students regardless of the career pathway they choose: customer service, attention to detail, balancing priorities, communication skills are a few that immediately come to mind.
I think other colleges and universities would do well to take some inspiration from the University of Georgia’s CLR. Supporting students by providing quality courses and hands-on learning experiences could mean so much more if institutions also support students by giving them the skills they need to synthesize and communicate these experiences to future employers. As @michael has reminded us in this course- the ideas presented in this course can also be scalable! If it’s not possible to create a university wide digital platform for students to access and share something like a Comprehensive Learner Record, that’s okay. A university-wide culture of focusing on student needs is at the core of bringing the concept to life. The library can serve as a jumping off point for this- working with other departments to facilitate events or workshops where students can hone skills.
Robert, J., Muscanell, N., McCormack, M., & Arnold, K. (2026). 2026 EDUCAUSE Horizon report: Teaching and learning edition [Report]. https://library.educause.edu/-/media/files/library/2026/5/2026hrteachinglearning.pdf