How Lake Superior State University Students Achieved 77-84% Improvement in Excel Skills Using Tosa’s Adaptive Testing
The Digital Skills Imperative
When graduates are unable to prove their digital skills proficiency, they are outpaced before they’ve even entered the workforce. In fact, a recent study by the Society for Human Resource Management found that executives, supervisors, and HR professionals all consider industry or professional certifications as the most important factor when evaluating candidates during the hiring process. Institutions that embed verifiable digital skills assessment for students see measurable impact and significant ROI.
Lake Superior State University (LSSU), a liberal arts college in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, faced a familiar challenge: students had wildly uneven digital skills proficiency, making instruction chaotic and confidence low.
The Challenge: Too Many Skill Levels, Too Little Structure
According to LSSU Associate Professor Marta Diaz, students ranged from having “never even opened up a spreadsheet” to already being certified in Excel, and traditional one-size-fits-all instruction was insufficient. “I was running around with 30 students all at different levels. It just wasn’t working,” Diaz said.
LSSU educators needed a way to assess, personalize, and credential digital skills like Excel, all while keeping the burden on faculty to a minimum.
Why LSSU Chose Tosa: Adaptive, Verified, Insightful
LSSU selected Tosa certifications for its Excel course because it offered an all-in-one solution:
- User-friendly platform that is browser-based and easy to implement
- Adaptive testing that adjusts the difficulty level of the exam according to the student's prior answers, identifying the true limits of their knowledge and skill
- Pre- and post-assessment reports to identify skill levels, progress, and learning gaps
- Detailed reportingby Excel skills area, including formulas, functions, data manipulation, formatting
- Proficiency-based Excel certification exam score and badge that enhance resumes
Implementation: Personalized Learning Over 16 Weeks
The process was simple but strategic:
- Pre-assessment determined if students began the course at Level 1 or 2
- Adaptive training focused only on what each student needed
- Post-assessment and Excel certification exam delivered documented proficiency
- Progression reports quantified learning and guided instruction
Diaz praised the results. “I could see confidence building in students. They saw an improvement that was measurable and quantifiable because it was tested, and then they had a document from Tosa that indicated their proficiency level that they can put on their resume and show to potential employers.”
Measurable Impact on Excel Certification Exam
After just two semesters, Diaz witnessed significant student growth in Excel skills proficiency. The results speak for themselves:
| Semester | Average Score Increase |
| Fall | 77% |
| Spring | 84% |
“We saw students go from wherever they started and by the end they were approximately 77% higher in score. In the spring, we actually had an even larger improvement—84% increase in the average score.” – Marta Diaz, Associate Professor, Lake Superior State University
These aren’t just numbers—they represent confidence, classroom efficiency, and transferable credentialed skills that employers value.
Beyond the Numbers: Confidence and Career Momentum
Improved scores were just the start. Students' newfound confidence enabled faculty to integrate Excel into finance, economics, and statistics courses, shifting from manual tasks to data-driven projects using spreadsheets.
Diaz added, “Students have reported back to me that their employers were very impressed that they did not have to teach them Excel first. Students were very excited because they could hit the ground running. They were very competitive with other interns from larger universities.”
Institutional Benefits: Securing Funding and Support
Beyond classroom wins, Tosa's data helped Diaz justify budget allocation. “I was able to put to bed any discussion of reallocating some of our resources because I was able to demonstrate with Tosa's progression reports the benefit to each individual student.” Diaz said.
Now, Excel is embedded in business technology curricula with full administrative support.
Why Digital Skills Verification Matters
While research continues to show that verified digital skills transform both student outcomes and institutional performance, most institutions stop at “basic digital competence” despite today’s workforce demands for measurable, credentialed skills.
Credentialing platforms like Tosa help close that gap by delivering:
- Verified, employment-ready skills students can validate to employers and differentiate themselves from other candidates
- Clear ROI metrics for administrators to track program effectiveness
- Higher student engagement and confidence, with learners more likely to persist and succeed
Closing the digital skills gaps isn’t simply a matter of upskilling tomorrow’s workers—it is an imperative in educational equity. Industry certifications serve as a powerful tool to bridge the career-readiness gap and provide greater equity in education, particularly for underserved students.
Lessons for Higher Education Leaders
Higher education leaders can take these five key lessons from LSSU’s experience:
- Measure first, teach second—adaptive pre-assessments drive efficiency
- Track progression with pre- and post-assessment data
- Credentialing unlocks both student marketability and institutional credibility
- Insightful reports measure ROI to fuel funding conversations and targeted learning
- Confidence equals classroom agility, enabling richer, tech-driven coursework
Moving Forward: What’s Next for LSSU Digital Skills Education
As the 2025-2026 school year begins, Diaz is excited to level up digital skills education and certification at LSSU with the Isograd Learning Platform.
This browser-based, self-paced solution prepares learners for Tosa certification through interactive, real-world practice. Students can access bite-sized lessons, in-app exercises, and project-based challenges anytime—whether in class, at home, or remotely—while instructors gain real-time progress data and customizable tools to close skill gaps. The result? Confident learners, better certification outcomes, and career-ready digital skills.
Start Your Own Digital Skills Certification Journey
LSSU’s journey illustrates that the Tosa certifications program, complete with adaptive testing and granular reporting, delivers measurable student growth, confidence, and career readiness—all while justifying institutional investment.
If your institution wants to elevate digital skills proficiency, personalize learning paths, and showcase ROI with validated credentialing, Tosa is ready to help.
Explore Tosa Certifications for your students and discover how digital skills assessments and certifications can transform your curriculum.
