The Role of Micro-credentials in the Credential Ecosystem

The original credential ecosystem started in the year 859 at the University of Al-Quaraouiyine, Morocco, and was composed of scholar, bachelor, and master (Ikhmal, 2021). Through the centuries, the credential ecosystem has evolved to meet the needs of society. Currently, it is composed of macro-credentials and micro-credentials. A macro-credential is a traditional credential like college and university degrees, diplomas, and college certificates. In contrast to traditional credentials, the term micro-credentials refers to alternative credentials such as digital badges, online certificates, micro-masters, nano-degrees, and endorsements.

Macro-credentials include four types of college/university degrees and two types of certificates. The four types of college/university degrees are associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral. The two types of certificates are college and graduate. The table below further explains and compares them.

“Traditional educational degrees, which are being increasingly criticized for their high cost, especially in the United States, lack of alignment with employment needs, and inability to adapt in a timely manner to changing trends, are no longer the only answer” (Brown et. al., 2021, p.1). Traditional degrees no longer provide the job security or career-proofing they once did. They fail to teach specific skills needed to stay competitive in today’s workforce.

Soft skills and digital skills are two types of skills that have been acknowledged by modern day society as essential to being successful in the workforce. These skills are also increasingly being recognized by micro-credentials. Micro-credentials are digital certifications that verify competency of a specific skill via a digital badge that is embedded with metadata like the criteria for and evidence required to receive the micro-credential. Micro-credentials are competency-based, research-backed, personalized, on-demand, and shareable (Digital Promise, 2023). Competency-based micro-credentials allow the learner to demonstrate evidence of their competence in a skill and are grounded in research that illustrates how the competency will positively impact the learner. Learners can select which micro-credentials to complete and when to align them to their professional needs, making them personalized. Lastly, micro-credentials can be included on a resume or shared on online platforms like LinkedIn with current and potential employers.

By focusing on a specific skill(s), micro-credentials shorten the learning program and make the experience more attainable, affordable, and accessible. This type of micro-learning is favored by learners who are not able to pursue longer learning programs like a college degree. “Micro-credentials emerge as flexible and more inclusive learning opportunities to meet society’s current and future challenges” (Bozkurt & Brown, 2022, p.2). Micro-credentials provide the learner with the ability to quickly learn and implement new skills to stay current with their industry in contrast to pursuing a degree that is more costly and takes years to complete. Micro-credentials “are seen as the bridge to achieve ‘better work-integrated learning and better learning-integrated work’” (Ponte & Saray, 2019).

Since 2014, Digital Promise has partnered with several organizations and educational institutions to integrate micro-credentials into professional learning pathways, with the goal of empowering learners, specifically those who have been historically and systematically excluded.

“Micro-credentials have supported my practice by providing me with a pathway to focus on a specific professional development goal without the regulated stress of a formal class. In many ways, I have learned more about my style of teaching, current standards of 21st century teaching, and best practices through micro-credentials,” said Jessica, a sixth through eighth grade science educator. “This is largely due to the structure and nature of micro-credentials as self-paced and self-monitored ways of professional development that is driven by my choice.”

Digital Promise offers more than 500 competency-based micro-credentials on a wide range of research-backed skills, such as the Kentucky Valley Educational Cooperative (KVEC) stack of micro-credentials. Digital Promise’s micro-credentials are developed, assessed, and issued by more than 100 partner organizations.

This blog post is part of a series exploring how to design micro-credentials for equity and inclusion throughout the year. If you are interested in learning more about micro-credentials, check out our current offerings on the Micro-credential Platform or visit our website to learn more about our services.

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