The European approach to micro-credentials
Por Sandra M. Sturla*, Diseñadora Instruccional del Centro de Innovación Latinoamericana en Tecnología Educativa (CILTE)
In a society marked by rapid change, as is the case today, there is an urgent demand for a skilled, trained and adaptable workforce that responds to the needs of the labour market. This entails the need for individuals to be better armed to face current and future challenges. Consequently, it becomes essential to grant them access to quality instruction and learning opportunities across different formats and settings, so they can enhance their skills and competences.
According to the Council of the European Union, micro-credentials hold the potential to help meet the aforementioned need by enabling the certification of the outcomes of small, tailored learning experiences. In line with this, the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan (2021) highlights the potential of micro-credentials “to facilitate flexible learning pathways and support workers on their job or during professional transitions”. If this holds true, micro-credentials may well lay the groundwork for an innovative approach that allows individuals to bridge the skill gaps necessary for success in a rapidly evolving environment.
A simple definition for a complex issue.
Despite their increasing application and recognition, there is no common definition of micro-credentials in Europe, which undermines trust in their value. Nonetheless, there are several attempts worth exploring. Two of them stand out as particularly clear.
According to the European Skills Agenda for Sustainable Competitiveness, Social Fairness and Resilience (2020) micro-credentials are “documented statements that acknowledge a person’s learning outcomes, which are related to small volumes of learning and that for the user are made visible in a certificate, badge, or endorsement (issued in a digital or paper format)”. In turn, the Council of the European Union (2022) in their Recommendation on a European approach to micro-credentials for lifelong learning and employability defines a micro-credential as “the record of the learning outcomes that a learner has acquired following a small volume of learning”. According to the same document, these learning outcomes should derive from learning experiences “designed to provide the learner with specific knowledge, skills and competences that respond to societal, personal, cultural or labour market needs”.
What Micro-Credentials Should Convey
According to the recommendation by the Council of the European Union, there are a number of mandatory elements that should describe a micro-credential. Therefore, the following elements are to be included:
- the identification of the learner,
- the title of the micro-credential or the awarding body,
- country or region of the issuer,
- date of issuing,
- learning outcomes,
- notional workload needed to achieve the learning outcomes,
- level of the learning experience leading to the micro-credential,
- type of assessment,
- form of participation in the learning activity,
- type of quality assurance used to underpin the micro-credential.
Also, the document proposes certain universal principles for designing and issuing micro-credentials. These principles feature/describe the 10 key characteristics of the European approach to micro-credentials: relevance, valid assessment, learning pathways, recognition, portability, learner-centredness, authenticity, information, and guidance. Micro-credentials should also ensure transparency and quality. These suggested standards would make it possible for “learners, education and training institutions, quality assurance agencies, and employers to understand the value and content of micro-credentials, (…) to compare them”, thus ensuring their quality, transparency, cross-border comparability, recognition, and portability.
What lies ahead
Having the potential to cater for the diverse individual needs, abilities and capacities of all learners” in formal as well as “in non-formal and informal settings” (European Commission, 2022), well-designed micro-credentials can be used as part of “targeted measures to support inclusion and accessibility to education and training for a wider range of learners” (European Commission, 2022).
This may help broaden the scope of beneficiaries to accommodate non-traditional learners, disadvantaged and vulnerable groups. By so doing, a further step would be taken towards the integration of people such as individuals with disabilities, the elderly, low-qualified/skilled people, minorities, people with a migrant background, refugees and people with fewer opportunities because of their geographical location and/or their socio-economically disadvantaged situation.
The Council of the European Union (2022) strongly advocates for an integration of micro-credentials into education and training systems and skills policies. It also encourages their use to improve access to education and training for all learners, including disadvantaged and vulnerable groups, and to support flexible learning pathways. It is also highly encouraged that Member States of the European Union integrate micro-credentials into their employment policies and active labour market policies. In light of the recommendations and guidelines issued by the Council, it is evident that micro-credentials show a promising future.
Note: For more detailed information on micro-credentials, please refer to the comprehensive brochure available at https://education.ec.europa.eu/sites/default/files/2022-01/micro-credentials%20brochure%20updated.pdf.
References
European Commission. (2020). European Skills Agenda for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience. https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?langId=en&catId=89&newsId=9723&furtherNews=yes#navItem-1
European Commission. (2022). Micro-credentials: A brochure on the European approach. https://education.ec.europa.eu/sites/default/files/2022-01/micro-credentials%20brochure%20updated.pdf
European Commission. (2021). The European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan (COM(2021) 102 final). https://op.europa.eu/webpub/empl/european-pillar-of-social-rights/en/
European Commission. (2022). Recommendation on the European Pillar of Social Rights (CELEX No. 32022H0627(02)). https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32022H0627%2802%29
* Sandra es Profesora de Inglés y Especialista en Tecnología Educativa con formación y desempeño en espacios y temas relacionados con la Neurosicoeducación,el Diseño Universal para el Aprendizaje y la Educación a Distancia. Es maestranda del Máster en Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación de la UNRN. Es miembro de distintas organizaciones educativas a nivel internacional y se desempeña como docente a nivel terciario y universitario. Es parte del equipo de Cilte desde el 2022.