Instructure Welcomes Parchment to the Family!

We’re so excited about what adding Parchment to the Instructure Learning Platform means for educators and learners!

Making Learning Transitions Seamless

As I meet with our customers, many talk about the challenge of creating a smoother transition for students as they move from K-12 to higher education, within different higher education institutions, and even from higher education to the workforce. These transition points can be a really challenging time for students.

In fact, in 2020, more than 80% of US community college students sought to transfer to a four-year institution, yet credits are often not given the full value during the transfer process. (The government accountability office estimated in 2017 that 43% of credits earned by students are lost when transferring to new institutions.)

That’s just one of the reasons why adding Parchment to the Instructure Learning Platform is so important. Parchment’s Pathways platform reduces the friction in student mobility and helps empower learners with access, transparency, and portability of their skills. These learners now have a simple way to show evidence of achievement across their learning journey, in whatever form those experiences take, and all of the transitions it entails. Parchment makes the transition and transfer process so much easier.

For example, within the state of California, Parchment solutions enable students to easily move within the CCC, CSU, and UC systems. Even K-12 students in dual enrollment programs can simply show evidence of learning.

I spoke with one of our customers, and here was her reaction to the deal:

“The future of student-centered learning is intrinsically linked to expanded choice through cross-enrollment, access to academic records, and the delivery of a seamless, unified student experience. This partnership has the potential to transform and reshape the future of higher education!”

-Marina Aminy, Ph.D., Executive Director, California Virtual Campus-Online Education Initiative.

The Future: Lifelong Learning Records

We envision a set of solutions that connect learners, institutions, and employers across a learner’s journey – from K-12 to higher ed to employment and beyond. Learning is happening more and more through “non-traditional” channels. So, institutions are getting smarter about helping students demonstrate skill mastery and learning. By adding Parchment to the Instructure Learning Platform, we now provide a verifiable and comprehensive digital passport of achievement records and outcomes for learners. We can now align learning that transpires anywhere, whether online, hybrid, or in-person, to competencies, credentials, traditional degrees, and full lifelong learning journies.

Matthew Pittinsky, Ph.D., CEO of Parchment, speaks about how the combination of Instructure and Parchment dramatically expands the credential to include rich data and more evidence of skills and learning. He said, “The seamless experience we envision for learners will provide easier, more equitable access to the educational and employment opportunities they seek as they build their lifelong record of learning.”

Immediate Value for our Customers

While this acquisition opens up exciting growth opportunities, it immediately brings so much value to our existing customers. Parchment already turns credentials into opportunities. In the coming months, we’ll see expanded credentials with even more evidence of skills and learning. We continue to focus on adding new capabilities that matter for customers where they matter most - at the center of teaching and learning.

Together we can help educational organizations ensure students remain at the center of the learning journey and fully prepared for their transitions within the workplace. We continue our commitment to building the most integrated platform for teaching and learning. Please reach out to your CSM to explore how Parchment solutions and Instructure, together, can benefit your institution. Stay tuned for more information!