Micro-credentials
Current and recent reports from around the world on key issues related to this fast-moving field. Key issues include:
- What is a micro-credential, what is a badge, and how are they related?
- Who can provide a micro-credential, and what standards should apply (and who decides)?
- Employability and employment: can micro-credentials deliver on the promise of labour force transformation?
- How can micro-credentials interact with formal qualifications, should they, and who decides on credit requirements?
- Will micro-credentials make lifelong learning a reality?
- Accessibility and affordability: who pays, how much and what constitutes value for learners?
- Where is evidence of success: outcomes data transparency
- Interoperability: across sectors, industries, borders, lifespan - and digital systems
Good practice guide |
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Excellent micro-credentials
- Clearly communicate achievement of appropriate outcomes and standards with sufficient granularity to predict future performance
- Are based on judgments of rich evidence created in response to authentic assessments in a range of complex, ill-defined tasks
- Maximise assessment integrity, appropriately verifying the identity and the contribution of the learner
- Balance time and money invested by the learner with benefits realised during and after conferral (credit or entry to a higher credential, enhanced status or career advantage)
- Are sustainable, based on sound business models, crisp and consistent value propositions, and compliance with regulatory framework
Noteworthy reports, webinars, articles and similar
Unboxing micro-credentials: Certifying your future (Oct 2020)
- Bologna Process: Micro-credentials as a way to enhance learning and teaching in the EHEA (Oct 2020)
- MICROBOL, Micro-credentials linked to the Bologna Key Commitments (Sept 2020)
- Oliver, Coursera Professional Certificates and Google Career Certificates: A snapshot analysis (Oct 2020)
- Oliver, Making micro-credentials work for learners, employers and providers (Aug 2019)
- Kato, Galán-Muros, and Weko, The emergence of alternative credentials OECD Working Paper (2020).
- ECIU, Towards a European micro-credential initiative - includes five guiding principles (Apr 2020)
- Brimo and Diaz, OpenCreds: A lifelong learning micro-credentialing framework (2020)
- Camilleri and Rampelt, Concept paper on quality assurance on credentials. (2018).
- Chakroun and Keevy Digital credentialing: Implications for the recognition of learning across borders (2018)
- EDUCAUSE 7 Things You Should Know About Digital Badges (2019)
- Review of the Australian Qualifications Framework: Final Report Ch4 (2019)
- Gallagher, Educational Credentials Come of Age: A Survey on the Use and Value of Educational Credentials in Hiring (2018)
- Selvaratnam and Sankey, Survey of micro-credentialing practices in Australian universities 2020