Jan brings up a really good point about how we attribute value to
certificates. I don't disagree, but still tend to favor intrinsic value
over extrinsic for anything related to knowledge management, learning, and
the development of human interaction. That is just my personal
preference, and may not be the same as others.
>From my own experience, the external motivators to learning and sharing
knowledge are less powerful than the internal motivators. I view the
value of a certificate or certification as a symbol of what it stands for.
If the certificate attests to the market value of stock, then stockholder
confidence is the measure of its value. If the certificate attests to the
quality of service, then the level of customer satisfaction is the measure
of its value. If the certificate attests to the skills, knowledge, and
abilities of individuals or groups, then the correlation between the
promise of the certificate and the history of performance is the measure
of the certificate's value.
It comes right back to the certificate's ability to accurately predict
performance, and since this particular performance is very human-dependent
and embedded in individual and group learning, I maintain the intrinsic
value drives the extrinsic value.
Thoughts?
kind regards,
Vana Prewitt
Praxis Learning Systems
Chapel Hill, NC
"investing in human capital"
--Vana Prewitt <vprewitt@bellsouth.net>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>