Show notes
How do learners know that the continuing education they receive is accurate and high quality? As AI and new technologies transform learning, how can associations ensure their education remains valuable and trusted?
In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Randy Bowman, CEO of International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET). Randy discusses:
- How the organization’s roots go back more than 50 years to the creation of the Continuing Education Unit (CEU).
- How accreditation creates standards so learners and employers can trust the quality of continuing education.
- How the organization grew from about 385 accredited providers 10 years ago to approximately 650 today, while increasing retention to 93%.
- The growth of microlearning, including two- to three-minute lessons that learners can access when they need information immediately.
- How virtual and augmented reality are creating safer, more realistic training opportunities in dangerous professions.
- The shift toward competency-based education, where employers care increasingly about demonstrated skills rather than time spent in training.
- A new distinction for accredited providers designed to demonstrate responsible AI use and appropriate AI governance.
- Why Randy says their ultimate stakeholder is the learner, and describes the organization as a “noble guardian of the learner’s interest.”
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