An integrative literature review of the implementation of micro-credentials in higher education: Implications for practice in Australasia

Abstract

Micro-credentials research, which includes digital badges, is a relatively new field of study that seeks to inform the implementation, portability and sustainability of the ecology of meaningful delivery. This paper reviews literature relevant to understanding connections between universities’ intent to offer micro-credentials and the environment that is needed to do so. From this integrated study, the paper distils a number of core concerns and identifies some gaps in the literature. One of its primary goals is to clear the ground for the construction of a technical model of micro-credentialing implementation that can be used by the various stakeholders involved in the design and evaluation of new micro-awards. A closely related goal is to help those participating in micro-credentialing research to locate and understand each other’s contributions, as fragmentation in research related to micro-credentials makes progress in the field slow. Hence, this review draws together research in the field to identify research foci and gaps, and then also capture some work by micro-credentialing researchers that directly attempts to model the main relationships in the field. The paper ends with a summary of implications for practice, especially for the Australasian higher education context

A systematic review of the opportunities and challenges of micro-credentials for multiple stakeholders: learners, employers, higher education institutions and government

“…Finally, multiple frameworks exist on different delivery models of micro-credentials (Selvaratnam & Sankey, 2021b ). An empirical analysis of micro-credentials as a credit bearing course could streamline the credit exemption process in higher education which would benefit the learners, the broader industry and government agencies.…”

Online and Distance Education for a Connected World

“…Any skills-based approach to employability needs to be future focused. Some education providers have attempted to address this ever-changing demand for skills by developing micro-credentials -certified, modular, short-term learning experiences -which learners can take individually or accumulate towards a formal qualification (Resei et al, 2019;Selvaratnam and Sankey, 2021). These micro-credentials potentially offer learners the flexibility to choose the combination of learning most suited to their career development and employability needs in a rapidly changing workplace.…”

Yükseköğreti̇mde Mi̇kro-Kredi̇ler Üzeri̇ne Kavramsal Bi̇r Değerlendi̇rme

“…It is very important that higher education institutions can offer alternative programs to learners by developing flexible and open applications as an alternative to existing applications, and that these programs tend to meet the desires and needs of the learners (Selvaratnam & Sankey, 2020). One of the trends that should be considered in higher education is the applications such as micro-credentials that confirm, validate, and approve the acquisition of certain skills and/or competencies (Pelletier et al, 2021) and respond quickly to the requests from the industry in the light of the realities of today's information ecology.…”