MicroCredX Outputs

The MicroCredX project has put together an Opportunity Scoping Tool for entities, namely tertiary education institutions, to develop strategies for Micro-Credentialing. The tool is designed to support, primarily, institutional leaders or strategy designers in integrating micro-credentials into the institution’s already existing operational instruments and practices (e.g. funding schemes, accreditation and quality assurance procedures, administration as well teaching, learning and research). It seeks to also expand institutions’ reach to learner target groups and engagement in value-added partnerships with external stakeholders.

Based on a business canva model and the International Standard Organisation (ISO) 21001 standard for Educational Organization Management Systems, the MicroCredX Opportunity Scoping Tool – when piloted following the instruction guide – enables institutions to develop action-oriented indicators targetted to implement micro-credentials with a collaborative, whole-system approach.

Download:

• MicroCredX Opportunity Scoping Tool for Micro-Credential Strategies.pdf
• MicroCredX Instruction Guide for Institutional Workshops.pdf
• MicroCredX Template for Institutional Workshops.docx

The project consortium has put together a Micro-Credentials Implementation Manual to primarily address the lack of awareness on the implementation of micro-credentials vis-à-vis the EU Council Recommendation of 16 June 2022. This was identified as one of the first steps in streamlining and harmonizing methodologies for the recognition of micro-credentials between the MicroCredX partner institutions.

Based on this manual and further desk research on various recognition strategies for micro-credentials, the MicrocredX partners have identified the following procedures to facilitate multilateral recognition of micro-credentials:

• Common quality standards
• Clear communication strategies to foster organisational change
• Common understanding of standardised parameters for enabling an automated recognition
• Suitable platforms for online and hybrid teaching and learning models
• Adequate academic services management system
• Upskilling of professors/staff in new teaching methods (micro-credentials)
• Micro-Credential platform and adequate technological infrastructure for sharing credentials and digital certificates
• Quality standards in terms of content and format
• Reference points for assessing the quality of a micro-credential
• Definition of qualifications based on micro-credentials

Each institutional partner is in the process of conducting a validation workshop to elaborate on the recognition strategies each institution applies for recognising lectures, smaller learning units, etc.; the intended recognition strategy/procedure for exchanging MicroCredX micro-credentials; recognition agreements already in place and the legal basis for such agreements; and, finally, the expected barriers/opportunities for recognition agreements to mutually recognise MicroCredX micro-credentials.

Based on the outcomes of these workshops, a first draft of a mutual recognition agreement on accepting and recognising micro-credentials within the project partners would be elaborated based on the needs of each institution.

Download:

• MicroCredX Implementation Framework.pdf
• MicroCredX Template for Validation Workshop.pdf

Through the MicroCredX Course Catalogue:

• students could browse just above 40 micro-credential choices, and understand their rights and responsibilities for their home universities to recognise and transfer the awarded credits as part of the completion of their study programmes.
• university partners of the project share course information based on the European Learning Model’s agreed meta-data standards.

The impact of this output has been measured through:

• the number of students exposed to the catalogue and enrolled in its courses (over 2500 unique views to the catalogue)
• the number of Europass digital credentials issued to students who have passed the courses (over 100 students).

The recommendations for Higher-Ed leaders to introduce European Digital Credentials for Learning, as one of the last outputs of this PR, takes into account the lessons learnt from the MicroCredX project, providing both strategic considerations and technical guidelines to better approach the implementation of the EDC use-cases in the future.

Download the Report Recommendations for Higher-Ed leaders to introduce European Digital Credentials for Learning