The Micro-Credential Observatory is a NODL initiative that aims to support research-informed policy and practice. It provides a regularly updated collection of major reports, policy initiatives and research-related publications on micro-credential growth in tertiary education and lifelong learning. We welcome suggestions for the inclusion of relevant publications.
NODE Activities The NODE is playing a leading role in helping to shape the rapidly evolving micro-credentialing movement, including:
• Strategic partnership with Digitary to support the development of micro-credentials using this leading international platform
• Launch of credit-bearing, stackable micro-credentials on the FutureLearn platform
• Leading the development of a new MOOC, "Higher Education 4.0: Certifying Your Future ", on micro-credentials on the FutureLearn platform. See EDEN video on the making of this course.
• Participant in €12.3m IUA-led Multi-campus Micro-credentials (MC2) project to establish a national framework for ECTS-bearing, quality-assured micro-credentials
• Leading and contributing to important ECIU University white papers on the future of micro-credentials
• Leading parts of a major work package related to micro-credentials as part of the ECIU University initiative
• Contributing expert advice to the European Commission's Micro-credential Consultation Group
• Contributing to national and international events on micro-credentials, including the MicroHE conference
• Hosting major global thought leaders and keynote speakers during the 2019 ICDE World Conference on Online Learning
VIDEO NODE Research The NODE is involved in several externally funded research projects investigating the growth and potential of the micro-credentialing movement, including:
• Providing strategic advice to educational leaders on developing institutional responses to micro-credentials.
• A major state-of-the-art literature review on the growth of micro-credentials for the European Commission
• Critical commentaries and global oversight papers on the growing micro-credential movement
• A Micro-credential Roadmap for Ireland: Currency, Cohesion and Consistency
• Micro-credentials: An Evolving Ecosystem - Insights Paper
• European survey of Micro-credentials across ECIU University partners
VIDEO • Investigation of Micro-credential design and delivery on the FutureLearn platform
• National survey of Micro-credentials in Ireland partnership with ICBE and Skillnet
• Leading a special issue of an international journal devoted to the micro-credentialing movement
• Publishing reports and journal articles based on our research on micro-credentials
• Preparing external funding applications for further research and development projects with external partners
VIDEO Major Policy Initiatives A collection of major policy initiatives related to micro-credentials:
VIDEO National & International Reports A collection of national and international reports relating to micro-credentials:
VIDEO Useful Journal Articles, Books, Reports and Other Commentaries A collection of published journal articles, books, reports and commentaries relating to micro-credentials:
2023 Implementation of MOOCs for Microcredentials and European University Alliances
2023 Enabling Learning for Life: New Realities for Work and Education
2023 2023 Blockchain and Micro-Credentials in Education
2023 Making Interoperability Work: Challenges and Solutions for an Interoperable Higher Education System
2023 Current Trends in Microcredential Design and Delivery 2023 2023 Current Trends in Microcredential Design and Delivery
2023 Employer and Employee Perceptions of Microcredentials 2023 BCcampus Micro-credential Toolkit 2023 Report on Policies & Initiatives Related to Credential As You Go
2023 Mapping Key Learn-and-Work Ecosystem Initiatives/Alliances 2023 Implementation of MOOCs for Microcredentials and European University Alliance 2023 Report on Modularization and Micro-credentialing Based on MCE Case Studies Analysis
2023 Implementation of MOOCs for Microcredentials and European University Alliances 2023 A Strategic Institutional Response to Micro-credentials 2023 Getting Started with Micro-credentials: A Primer for Higher Education Leaders 2023 Micro-credentials: An Introduction for Talent Leaders 2023 International Micro-credentials Summit Declaration 2023 Towards a Coherent Micro-credentials Framework 2023 Thinking Out Loud 2023 IDB Digital Credential Framework 2023 Digital Credentials and Talent Acquisition Tech 2023 Short Courses, Micro-credentials, and Flexible Learning Pathways (UNESCO) 2023 Micro-learning, Digital Badges and Micro-credentials 2023 A Systematic Review of the Opportunities and Challenges of Micro-credentials 2023 Digital Micro-credential Efficacy and Impact on Learner Confidence 2023 Exploring the Potential of Micro-Credentials: A Systematic Literature Review 2022 Analysing and Mapping of Current Institutional Qualifications for Continuing Education and Professional Development and Micro-credentials in the MCE Partnership 2023 Enabling Learning for Life: New Realities for Work and Education 2022 Meta-research on the Learner Perspective on Micro-credential Formats and Learning Services for CPD 2022 Are Microcredentials the Future of Higher Ed? 2022 Micro-credentials Landscape Report 2022 Going Digital: How Learning and Employment Records Shape Access to Quality Education and Jobs 2022 How might Micro-credentials Influence Institutions and Empower Learners in Higher Education? 2022 The Future is Small: Microcredentials and the Skills Agenda 2022 A Systematic Literature Review of Micro-credentials in Higher Education: A Non-zero-sum Game 2022 Marketing Micro-credentials: An Analysis of Actors, Voices and Messages in Educational Innovation Discourse 2022 Introducing a Reflective Framework for the Assessment and Recognition of Micro-credentials 2022 Unboxing Micro-credentials: An Inside, Upside and Downside View 2022 Microcredentials should not get FEE-HELP Assistance 2022 Microcredentials for Labour Market Education and Training 2022 Credentials to Employment: The Last Mile 2022 Lessons Learned - The Implementation Stage of Micro-credentials 2022 Micro-credentials: An Important Part of a Bigger Ecosystem 2022 Micro-credentials are Surging in Popularity, but how Should they be Shaped? 2022 A Strategic Reset: Micro-credentials for Higher Education Leaders 2022 Pharmacist Preferences for Micro-credentials 2022 Bridging the Gap: Micro-credentials for Development 2022 10 Key Actions to Ensure Micro-credentials Meets the Needs of Learners and Employers 2022 HolonIQ Micro-credential Global Survey 2022 Digital Credential Evolution: How Open Microcredentials/Badges Support Learning in Micro-, Meso-, Macro-levels 2022 Micro-credentials in Leveraging Emergency Remote Teaching: The Relationship between Novice Users’ Insights and Identity in Malaysia
2022 The Role of Micro-credentials in Modular Learning 2022 Do Microcredentials Help New Workers Enter the Market? Evidence from an Online Labor Platform 2022 Does Micro-credentialing Work?
2022 Evolving Accreditation and the Credential Landscape 2022 Are Microcredentials Becoming a Big Deal? 2022 HRD Corp Launches First Industry-based Micro-credential Initiative for Malaysians
2022 eCampusOntario's Micro-credential Toolkit 2022 Micro-credentials: A Postdigital Counternarrative 2022 Alternative Credentials: Considerations, Guidance, and Best Practices
2022 Micro-credentials: A New Category of Education is Rising 2022 Less Jargon and More Evidence is Needed on Skills 2022 Reviewing the Micro-credential Literature: More Than Just Another Passing Fad?
2022 Features of Micro-credential Platforms in Higher Education 2022 Challenging the Skills Fetish 2022 Toward Just and Equitable Micro‐credentials: An Australian Perspective
2022 Microcredentials - A New Opportunity for Lifelong Learning 2022 Models and Guidelines for the Design and Development of a Joint Micro-credential Programme in Higher Education 2022 Introducing Mesocredentials: Connecting MOOC Achievement with Academic Credit
2022 Micro-credentials in Environmental Science 2022 How Micro-credentials can Solve the Skills Gap 2022 Individual Learning Accounts and Micro-credentials - Reaction
2022 Micro-credentials for Higher Education Leaders 2021 Micro-credentials Landscape Report Athabasca University 2022 The Evolution of Micro-credentials
2021 State of the Art Literature Review on Micro-credentials 2021 Providing Micro-credentials: The Important Role of HEIs 2021 Rise of Skills-Based Hiring and What it Means for Education
2022 The Enhance Micro-credentials 2021 Higher Education's Microcredentialing Craze 2021 Micro-credentials untethered: A wolf in sheep’s clothing?
2021 Digital Credentials & Competency Frameworks 2021 Growing 'Maze' of Education Credentials is Confusing Consumers 2021 Survey of Micro-credentialing Practice in Australasian Universities
2021 Why Faculty Need to Talk About Micro-credentials 2021 Micro-credentials: Hope or Hype? 2021 State of Micro-credentials Implementation and Practice in Australasian Higher Education
2021 Interrogating Theoretical and Empirical Approaches to Employability 2021 Micro-credentials: A Learner Value Framework 2021 Unboxing Micro-credentials (Draft Manuscript) 2021 Micro Courses May Boast Macro Appeal 2021 Micro-credentials will become Prevalent - Maybe even Preferred 2021 Mapping Microcredentials Across MOOC Platforms 2021 It's Time to Reboot our Thinking 2021 The Global Micro-credential Landscape: Charting a New Credential Ecology for Lifelong Learning 2021 Micro-credentials can Stimulate Diversity of Provision 2021 Gig Qualifications for the Gig Economy: Micro-credentials and the 'Hungry Mile' 2021 More Employers are Awarding Credentials 2021 Madrid Micro-credential Statement 2021 Badgr: Micro-credential Scholar Series 2021 Credentials must be Stackable, not Sleestak-able 2021 Microcredential learners need quality careers and employability support 2021 Digital Badges: Pinning Down Employer Challenges 2021 How and Why are Digital Badges being used in Higher Education in New Zealand? 2021 The Move to Micro-credentials Exposes the Deficiencies of Existing Credentials 2021 Online Degree and Micro-credential Market to Reach $117B by 2025 2021 Micro-credentials: Opportunity or Fad? 2021 Understanding Microcredentials: A Report from HEQCO - Tony Bates 2021 Toronto Workforce Innovation Group 2021 Microcredential programs on the rise in Canada 2021 Micro-credentials in Ontario - Alex Usher 2021 10 Key Actions to Ensure Micro-credentials Meet the Needs of Learners and Employers 2021 Analysing Micro-credentials in Higher Education: A Bernsteinian Analysis 2021 An Integrative Literature Review of Micro-credentials 2021 Micro-Credentials and Badges in Education: Historical Overview 2020 When Masses Meet Markets: Credentialism and Commodification in Twenty-first Century Higher Education 2020 Badge of Honour? An Exploration of the use of Digital Badges To Support a Partnership Approach to Faculty Development
2020 Establishing and Sustaining National Partnerships in Professional Development and the Recognition of Open Courses in Teaching and Learning through Digital Badges 2020 Building Digital Capacity for Higher Education Teachers: Recognising Professional Development through a National Peer Triad Digital Badge Ecosystem 2020 Micro-credentialing: Establishing a Wyoming Framework - EdD thesis 2020 Recognition of open courses in teaching and learning through digital badges 2020 Features and Affordances of Micro-credential Platforms Building Digital Capacity for Higher Education Teachers 2020 The EvoLLLutions 2020 Year in Review eBook 2020 The Futures of Work: What Education can and can't do 2020 Future Impacts of Modularisation and Micro-credentials 2019 A Content Analysis of the Emergent Scholarship 2019 Value of Open Microcredentials to Earners and Issuers 2019 Instilling purpose and value in the implementation of digital badges in higher education 2019 MOOC based Alternative Credentials: What's the Value for the Learner? 2019 The Evolution of a Micro-credential 2018 An exploration of the utility of digital badging in higher education settings 2018 Digital badges, do they live up to the hype? 2018 Educational Functions and Design of Badge Systems: A Conceptual Literature Review 2018 Goal Setting and Open Digital Badges in Higher Education 2018 2017 Open Badges: A systematic Review of Peer-Reviewed Published Literature (2011-2015) 2017 The potential of digital credentials to engage students with capabilities of importance to scholars and citizens 2017 To What Degree? Alternative Micro-credentialing in a Digital Age (Chapter 4) 2016 The Future of University Qualifications 2015 Developing Open Badges: a comprehensive approach 2015 Micro-credentials, Nano Degree, and Digital Badges
VIDEO Events, Conferences and Webinars A collection of events, conferences and webinars relating to micro-credentials:
2023 - International Micro-credential Summit - Week of March 20th Masterclass Registration ) 2022 - Micro-credentials in a Minute podcast series 2023 - OECD Report Launch - Video (January) 2022 - Considering Standards for Micro-crederntials: the Way Forward (30th November) 2022 - Microcredenciales e Insignias Digitales Y Aprendizaje Experiencial (Video) 2022 - OpenLearning Forums: Micro-credentials in Practice (2nd December) 2022 - Micro-credentials that Add Value Beyond Degree and Certifications (8th October) 2022 - A Panel Session on the Basics of Micro-credentials 2022 - The Purpose of Qualifications and do Micro-credentials Matter (18th August) 2022 - ENQA External Quality Assurance of Micro-credentials (27th September) 2022 - UNESCO-MEXT Joint Workshop on Micro-Credentials (24th August) 2022 - Micro-credentials and Essential Academic and Career Skills (13 July) 2022 - Global Dialogue on Micro-credentials (23 June) 2022 - Micro-credentials: Are they here to Stay? (9 June) 2022 - Micro-credentials, Microlearning and Canada's Skills Agenda (31 May) 2022 - EVSW Event on Micro-Credentials: Preparing Guidelines (20 May) 2022 -European Approach to Micro-credentials (12 May) 2022 - PPMi Webinar on Micro-credentials (April) 2022 - eCampus Ontario Micro-credential Forum - Day 2 (March) 2022 -eCampus Ontario Micro-credential Forum - Day 1 (March) 2022 - Fast Track to Skills: Micro-credentials in Action (25 March) 2022 - Final Conference: Micro-credentials linked to the Bologna Key Commitments (8 March) 2022 - IMS Digital Credentials Summit (28th Feb 0 2nd March) 2022 - International Week on Microcredentals (28th March) 2021 - Cedefop’s Conference on Micro-credentials - November 2021 - Implementing Micro-credentials in Continuing Education - Day 1 Video 2021 - Implementing Micro-credentials in Continuing Education - Day 2 Video P1 2021 - Implementing Micro-credentials in Continuing Education - Day 2 Video P2 2021 - Implementing Micro-credentials in Continuing Education - Day 3 Video 2021 - Making Higher Education 4:0: The Inside Story - video 2021- Launch of European Digital Credentials for Learning - video 2021 - MicroCreds: Towards a National Framework for Micro-credentials - IUA Video 2021 - Micro-credentials - What could possibly go wrong? - MCSF Video 2021 - A Primer for Developing and Managing Micro-credentials - EDEN Video 2021 - Andreas Schleicher on Micro-credentials in Higher Education - OECD Video 2021 Big Ideas Behind Micro-credentials - Podcast 2021 Promoting Social Inclusion Through Micro-credentials, OECD Webinar , 7th Oct 2021 Moving Towards a Common Language on Micro-credentials - UNESCO Webinar 2021 Opportunities and Obstacles: Micro-credentialing in Higher Education - Video 2021 Using the Development of Micro-Credentials to Improve Diplomas and Degrees - Video 2021 Maria Kelo: The Big New World of Micro-credentials 2021 HEInnovate: The Role of Micro-credentials - Video 2021 EADTU Policy Forum on Micro-credentials and Short Learning Programmes - 28th May 2021 Micro-credentials and the role of External QA - Video 2021 The European Approach to Micro-credentials - Video 2021 Putting the Pieces Together 12 March - Video 2021 AI and Blockchain-enabled Assessment, 11 March 2021 IMS Digital Credentials Summit, 1-4 March 2021 Micro and Alternative Credentials - HolonIQ, 24 Feb 2021 Micro-credentials in the United States, 24 Feb 2021 The Missing Pieces - CoL, 23 Feb - Video 2021 How Micro-credentials are Changing the Landscape of Skills-based Learning, Feb - Video 2021 Micro-credentials: Lessons from Australia, 2nd Feb 2021 ECIU Expert Event on Micro-credentials 28th Jan 2020 How to Build a Successful Micro-credential System: Best Practices from New Zealand 2020 Global Voices on Micro-credentials 2020 MicroHE Conference Session A 2020 MicroHE Conference Session B 2020 MicroHE Conference Session C 2020 Certifying Your Future 2020 EURASHE Micro-credential Workshop 2020 Clicks Non Degree Credentials 2020 MicroHE Expert Panel Webinar 2020 Academic Portable Credentials with Digitary 2020 RIDE2020 Micro-credentials 2019 Better Credentials: Living, Learning and Earning in 21C 2016 Better 21C Credentials 2026 Learning is Earning Edubloc Video
The Microcredentials Sans Frontières provides an open international network dedicated to cultivating a deeper understanding of the design, development, delivery, and effectiveness of microcredential opportunities across the learning lifespan. This open network was founded by Lena Patterson, Simone Ravaioli and Beverley Oliver. Watch the video below of Professor Beverley Oliver's keynote address on micro-credentials at the 2019 ICDE World Conference on Online Learning.
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