On March 24th, the Workera domains of Business Analytics and Databases were updated to reflect recent changes in the industry and how we conceptualize these skill and knowledge areas.
The changes were driven by a 2022 Role Delineation Study (RDS) conducted by Workera scientists to better align our domains with the roles of people working with Data and AI. To gather information for these updates, the RDS team surveyed over 250 managers and individuals working in fields such as data analytics, data science, and data engineering about the skills they need to be successful in their roles.
Based on the findings of the RDS, we have created new skills, removed outdated skills, developed new items, and added more learning resources in these domains. In addition, we have re-calibrated the items and adjusted the standards of our performance levels (Beginning, Developing, Accomplished) so they align better with industry expectations.
Here is an overview of the updates we have made to each domain:
Business Analytics
- New skills related to data prototypes and business model deployment added
- New skills related to business metrics and processes added
- Skills related to querying data and automating data-related processes moved to the Databases domain for greater applicability and to reduce domain overlap
- Skills related to transforming and managing data moved to the forthcoming Data Science Processes domain to better capture the skills in data understanding, wrangling, and communication
- The revised Business Analytics domain is now organized into three subdomains:
- Analytics Process (methodology, dashboards, reporting, deployment, and performance evaluation)
- Decision Support (business knowledge, decision making)
- Analyses (descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, and prescriptive)
Databases
- New skills related to querying data and automating data-related processes added from the previous version of the Business Analytics assessment
- New skills related to data processing (i.e., retrieval, tuning, and stored procedures) added
- Skills related to Database Design, such as normalizations, were removed from the domain due to low relevance
- Skills related to Database Management set aside for future Database Management with SQL domain since this topic is primarily applicable to data engineers
- The revised Databases domain is now organized into three subdomains:
- Database concepts (data foundations, database foundations)
- Database functionality (structuring data, database modelling)
- Database pipeline (data processing, data manipulation)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding assessment updates:
Will learners lose their existing scores or certificates in the updated domains?
No. However, the score they have is based on somewhat different content than what is captured in the update. Therefore, scores from the old assessment are not equivalent to scores on the new assessment. Updated domains will be highlighted on the platform, and learners will be prompted to take assessments for those domains again in order to update to the newer version. The certificates will show the assessment date when a domain target score was reached. Once a learner reassesses, their score will be back up-to-date.
Will scores change from the old assessment to the new assessment?
Possibly. A learner may have a higher or lower score after reassessing in an updated domain. This means that someone who achieved a target score or performance level on the old assessment may reassess and no longer meet the target score or previous performance level. Generated learning plans will update along with the assessment so that learners can cover the skills needed to keep up with industry standards--and re-achieve their target score.
How will this affect pathways?
- For learners who have not yet assessed in an updated domain: If the domain is in their pathway, it will automatically update to the new version.
- For learners who have assessed but not yet achieved their target score: Upon login, they will be given the option to reassess in the updated domain to create an updated learning plan. We highly recommend reassessing to generate a new learning plan. If a learner chooses to not reassess, they can continue their current plans but will be given the updated assessment at the end of their milestone.
- For learners who have achieved a target score: Their pathway will remain unchanged, but they will be prompted with the option to reassess in the updated domain.
