For nearly half of the lower-wage employment analyzed, we identify at least one higher-paying occupation requiring similar skills in the same metro area. We also find that transitions to similar higher-paying occupations would represent an average annual increase in wages of nearly $15,000, or 49 percent.

For Jake, the high school graduate applying for jobs, the application process shifts away from being agame of how to pick the perfect keywords for his resume. Instead, he is matched by the actual skillsacquired in his recent community college coursework and EdX certificate. Both Jake and the hiringmanager he will soon meet have a more equitable and accurate path through the noise of today’sonline hiring process.

Creating Internal Value.

Measuring What Matters

Respondents most often agree or strongly agree that non-degree or alternative credentials have helped their organizationfill existing skills gaps (74%) and that they are helping to improvethe quality of their workforce (73%)

The data indicate that teachers in this study place tremendous value on research skills, with most reporting assigning a research paper to their students in the 2011-2012 academic year and spending class time teaching various research skills to their students. These lessons are aimed at addressing deficits they see in today’s students. Most notable among these is the inability to judge the quality of information, a skill the vast majority of teachers deem “essential” for their students’ future success.

It is essential to help students develop research abilities in the classroom and through faceted assignments.  What are faceted assignments?  After providing guidance in class, the professor assigns each aspect of a research assignment – development of a research problem statement, location of relevant resources, evaluation of resources, and so on – as its own mini-assignment, which is graded promptly, with sufficient comments to enable students to revise and resubmit.  By the time the final research assignment is complete, it carries the benefit of a significant amount professorial mentoring.

Many of the professors who assign research papers would disagree that they are encouraging students to think conventionally, and point out that the essay has its own limitations. If research papers -- or dissertations, for that matter -- were to become a thing of the past, what would we lose in our pursuit of knowledge? Is there a better way to assess knowledge?

As an English teacher and school librarian, I am passionate about teaching students how to access information, how to evaluate their information and how to correctly source their information when researching.  Here are five of my top tips for helping students write a research paper or complete a research project.