MI-LEARN Design Lab

This initiative has concluded. Findings and materials remain available below.

MI-LEARN Design Lab

The Michigan Center for Adult College Success partnered with Education Strategy Group and Sova Solutions  to launch a new opportunity for post-secondary institutions seeking to design innovative solutions to address systems change and challenges faced by the adult learner population the Michigan Learning Evolution and Academic Restructuring Network (MI-LEARN) Design Lab.

The Michigan Learning Evolution and Academic Restructuring Network (MI-LEARN) Design Lab was a 10-month program that launched on February 5, 2025, aimed at supporting Michigan colleges and universities in implementing innovative strategies to enhance adult learner success.

We focused on assisting institutions in creating implementation plans, including but not limited to the following promising practices:

  • Creating adult student success dashboards to inform curriculum delivery and development,
  • Providing student support and wrap-around services for adult learners,
  • Major/degree retention and throughput analyses for pathways from enrollment through graduation,
  • Flexible scheduling, including 7- and 8-week course schedule formats,
  • Project-based and competency-based learning,
  • Credit for prior learning, and
  • Work-based learning.

Our Outcomes

Materials from the convenings and recordings of the virtual convening are available on our Meeting Materials page.

Meeting Materials

What participants received:

  • Tailored Technical Assistance
    High-quality, personalized support, including expert guidance, data analysis, and access to national practitioners and peer networking opportunities.

  • Capacity Building
    Additional institutional capacity through a structured 10-month planning and implementation process, enabling impactful improvements.

  • Data-Driven Insights
    Detailed student progression data and institutional analysis to help drive evidence-based decision-making and curricular design.

  • Strategic Planning and Grant Support
    Assistance with strategic thought partnership and grant proposal development to secure funding for innovative strategies.

  • National and Statewide Recognition
    An elevated institutional profile through opportunities to showcase innovations and successes at national and statewide levels.

  • Collaborative Learning Environment
    Participation in a cohort of institutions to share best practices, refine solutions, and foster innovation tailored to adult learners’ needs.

  • Targeted Instructional Reforms
    Implementation of effective strategies such as Credit for Prior Learning (CPL), Competency-Based Education (CBE), flexible course formats, and career-aligned pathways.

  • Scalable Implementation Plans
    Development and execution of a detailed, sustainable roadmap for addressing systemic challenges and achieving measurable outcomes for adult learners.

MI-LEARN Design Lab FAQ

The MI-LEARN Design Lab was a 10-month initiative supporting Michigan higher education institutions in designing systemic, data-informed improvements tailored to adult learners.

Public and independent universities, community colleges, and tribal colleges in Michigan that serve adult learners (ages 21 and older) are eligible. Institutions must have formed a team of at least four representatives.

Focus areas included Credit for Prior Learning (CPL), Competency-Based Education (CBE), accelerated course formats, and innovative solutions to improve adult learner recruitment, retention, and completion rates.

Institutions engaged in workshops, needs assessments, cohort collaboration, targeted coaching, and data analysis, dedicating 6-8 hours monthly to activities and plan development.

There was no participation fee and institutions were reimbursed for any travel expenses for events. Institutions had to commit time as a resource to the program activities and implementation plans.

  • Webinar: December 16, 2024
  • Application Due: January 24, 2025
  • Kick-Off Event: February 5, 2025
  • Design-Lab Duration (including designing and potentially executive implementation plans): February 2025 – June 2026

Participating institutions received technical assistance, coaching, data analysis support, strategic planning guidance, and help with securing grants to implement their plans.