Key points:
- Microcredentials are often a cornerstone of upskilling and reskilling programs
- In higher ed, leaders see microcredentials as the future
- How higher-ed is accelerating the growth of credential innovation
- For more news on microcredentials, visit eCN’s Teaching & Learning hub
Microcredentials–short, specialized courses designed to enhance employability and address industry needs–have gained significant traction in higher education as institutions seek to diversify their offerings and meet the needs of both students and employers.
They offer learners a flexible, targeted, and often cost-effective way to gain specific skills and competencies and can be earned in a matter of weeks or months, covering topics such as digital literacy, project management, coding, data analytics, and more.
Microcredentials also offer stackability–learners can accumulate multiple credentials over time to build expertise or even contribute to larger qualifications, such as degrees. Additionally, they provide a more inclusive approach to education by enabling lifelong learners, professionals, and those unable to commit to full-time study to gain valuable skills.
Many institutions collaborate with industries to ensure that microcredentials align with workforce demands, making them highly relevant for career advancement or job transitions.
As the demand for upskilling and reskilling continues to grow, microcredentials provide accessible, competency-based learning opportunities. Their increased integration into traditional education systems signals a shift towards more personalized and career-focused learning pathways, bridging the gap between academia and industry needs.
1EdTech Consortium, a nonprofit partnership accelerating digital transformation in learning, reached out to community members and thought leaders for details and case studies on their successful microcredential programs, asking questions about their programs’ purpose, value to learners, challenges, impact, and more.
Those questions helped identify common steps and strategies used to create a microcredential program that brings value and return on investment for credential earners and the organizations issuing the credentials.
Six steps consistently appeared in the responses of the 12 participating organizations, despite the organizations representing secondary, postsecondary, and workforce educational groups with different scopes, audiences, and purposes.
1. Create an internal committee or council: “Every program pointed to the importance of getting buy-in from stakeholders within their institution or organization. This internal support is crucial for the success of a microcredential program, as it often requires collaboration and resource allocation across departments.”
2. Involve external stakeholders: “While internal buy-in and input are important to make your program successful, external input can help you increase the value of the digital credentials you offer.”
3. Create a taxonomy: “With input from those various stakeholders, organizations can create a taxonomy that ensures the quality of your credentials remains consistent as your program grows. Taxonomies can be tied to internal goals, institutional frameworks, third-party standards or any other guideposts to follow as your program grows.”
4. Start small: “As you build your advisory groups and create your taxonomy, successful programs also suggest starting small and not getting discouraged too quickly when bringing together these vital groups.”
5. Focus on ideation and continuous improvement: “Starting small allows you to build up your taxonomy and find a process that works best for your organization. It also allows you to identify unexpected challenges, or parts of your program that just don’t work. When this happens, don’t be discouraged. Take what you’ve learned, and the feedback from your internal and external stakeholders and make the necessary adjustments to build a successful program.”
6. Choose a platform that aligns with standards: “Finally, every organization that provided a case study follows either the Open Badges or CLR Standard. They prioritize open standards that give additional agency to the learners over their own credentials and that carry verifiable proof of their skills and competencies. Following standards is also a way to make sure your program, and your learners’ credentials, aren’t locked into a single platform, or unable to be shared in the future.”
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