Full paper at Innovating Higher Education, IHE 2023, EADTU Conference, Istanbul, 5th October, 2023.

1. The Quality Assurance of Micro-credentials:
A Global Scoping Review of Current Practices
Professor Mark Brown
Dublin City University
05h October 2023
Professor Josep M. Duart
Universitat Oberta de Catalunya

2. Survey of 510 US employers
https://upcea.edu/employers-are-all-in-on-microcredentials-survey-shows-inside-higher-ed/
The Quality Assurance of Micro-credentials

3. The Quality Assurance of Micro-credentials

4. https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/digital-higher-education_f622f257-en
(How) do the quality
assurance principles apply to
micro-credentials?
OECD, 2022
The Quality Assurance of Micro-credentials

5. The Quality Assurance of Micro-credentials

6. External QA of micro-credentials
Institutional QA of micro-credentials
Institutional supports to enhance quality
Outline

7. https://www.dcu.ie/nidl/micro-credential-observatory
Before we start…

8. https://www.enqa.eu/events/online-dissemination-event-external-quality-assurance-of-micro-credentials-27-september-2022/
1. External QA of micro-credentials

9. Yes
NA
2022
https://www.enqa.eu/events/online-dissemination-event-external-quality-assurance-of-micro-credentials-27-september-2022/
1. External QA of micro-credentials

10. https://www.enqa.eu/wp-content/uploads/IMINQA-MC-report_Approaches-to-Quality-Assurance-of-Micro-credentials.pdf
1. External QA of micro-credentials

11. 1
In 25+ countries, we found no national framework, standards or guidelines for micro-credentials. In many
cases, however, there is evidence of a plan or commitment in the future to integrating quality assurance standards
for micro-credentials within existing requirements.
No specific quality assurance standards for micro-credentials
1. External QA of micro-credentials

12. 1
In 25+ countries, we found no national framework, standards or guidelines for micro-credentials. In many
cases, however, there is evidence of a plan or commitment in the future to integrating quality assurance standards
for micro-credentials within existing requirements.
2
In Australia, Canada (x3), United Kingdom, Estonia, Spain (x2) and The Netherlands we found
common standards already apply for micro-credentials, and tangible evidence of a decision to extend the
application of existing standards for their quality assurance.
No specific quality assurance standards for micro-credentials
Common standards and quality assurance processes apply for micro-credentials
1. External QA of micro-credentials

13. https://www.education.gov.au/higher-education-publications/resources/national-microcredentials-framework
2022
Older Newer
1. External QA of micro-credentials

14. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/education/post-secondary-education/micro-credentials/mc_framework.pdf
1. External QA of micro-credentials

15. http://peqab.ca/Publications/OMC%20final%20for%20posting%20FINAL.pdf
1. External QA of micro-credentials

16. 1. External QA of micro-credentials
Germany
Spain
Estonia

17. 1
In 25+ countries, we found no national framework, standards or guidelines for micro-credentials. In many
cases, however, there is evidence of a plan or commitment in the future to integrating quality assurance standards
for micro-credentials within existing requirements.
2
In Australia, Canada (x3), United Kingdom, Estonia, Spain (x2) and The Netherlands we found
common standards already apply for micro-credentials, and tangible evidence of a decision to extend the
application of existing standards for their quality assurance.
3
In New Zealand, Malaysia and Ireland we identified a framework or specific standards or guidelines for
micro-credentials to address particular issues related to their quality assurance.
No specific quality assurance standards for micro-credentials
Common standards and quality assurance processes apply for micro-credentials
Specific guidelines and quality assurance processes developed for micro-credentials
1. External QA of micro-credentials

18. • Management, Staffing and
Administration
• Teaching, Learning and
Assessment
• Participant support
• Facilities
• Premises and facilities in the
case of face-to-face delivery
Standards and Indicators
https://www.the-bac.org/micro-credentials-pilot-scheme/
1. External QA of micro-credentials

19. 2. Institutional QA of micro-credentials

20. https://www.microcredseeker.edu.au
343
11
12
20/03/2023
93% Online
2. Institutional QA of micro-credentials

21. 2. Institutional QA of micro-credentials

22. https://cdn.csu.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/4137924/Micro-Credential-Framework.pdf
2. Institutional QA of micro-credentials

23. On-campus = 0
Hybrid = 0
Online = 150
Blended = 95
2. Institutional QA of micro-credentials
30/05/2023 https://microcreds.ie/

24. https://www.tcd.ie/teaching-learning/academic-affairs/postgraduate-education/microcredentials/§
QC ◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊
2. Institutional QA of micro-credentials

25. • No course quality rating
• Limited careers guidance
• No learner support information
• Limited details on QA processes
• No employability outcomes data
2. Institutional QA of micro-credentials
A lost opportunity…

26. https://engage.eciu.eu/browse
2. Institutional QA of micro-credentials

27. 2. Institutional QA of micro-credentials
Doesn’t give students
good advice
https://www.iteca.edu.au/ITECA/Content/News/2023/he-q2/mc.marketplace.shutdown.call.aspx

28. Plan and Adjust
• Institutional leadership
• Organisational structures
• Business models and resource
allocation
• Policies, regulations &
pathways, including for online
delivery outside of country
• IT Systems and platforms
- Flexible enrolment
- LMS/VLE
- Digital badging/certificate
Implement Monitor
• Internal approval processes
• Appropriate workload models
• Professional learning and
support for MC development
• Peer review of learning design
• Appropriate assessment and
learner feedback strategies
• Study disclosure and learner
readiness for success
• Availability of learning
support and library resources
Quality Assurance Processes
and Supports
Strategy, Quality Culture and
Infrastructure
Feedback and Performance
Reporting
• Learning analytics data on
student engagement
• Retention, progression and
completion data
• Student experience data
• Employer satisfaction data
• Meets professional
accreditation requirements
• Graduate employment data
• Cyclic institutional review of
micro-credential offerings
2. Institutional QA of micro-credentials

29. Specific QA issues for online [MCs]
Organisational context
• Business continuity
• Access to IT infrastructure
• Learners outside of country
Programme context
• Online teaching experience
• Training and professional development
• Synchronous vs asynchronous delivery
Learner context
• Learner readiness
• Access to online resources
• Equivalency of learning support
2. Institutional QA of micro-credentials
Inclusive of
M
icro-credentials

30. 2022
3. Institutional supports to enhance quality assurance
https://opentextbc.ca/bcmicrocredential
2023

31. https://www.qaa.ac.uk/the-quality-code/characteristics-statements/micro-credentials
3. Institutional supports to enhance quality assurance

32. 3. Institutional supports to enhance quality assurance
https://zenodo.org/record/6483288#.Y2JT7C8w3Up
2022

33. https://www.versnellingsplan.nl/en/Kennisbank/pilot-microcredentials-2/
3. Institutional supports to enhance quality assurance

34. 3. Institutional supports to enhance quality assurance
https://jime.open.ac.uk/

35. EUROPEAN STANDARDS AND
GUIDELINES
GUIDES AND BENCHMARKING TOOLS
FOR ENHANCING QUALITY
COUNTRY SPECIFIC QUALITY
FRAMEWORKS AND GUIDELINES
Final remarks
New QA considerations? Enabling or Constraining? Quality Conversations!

36. Thank you
Professor Mark Brown
Director, National Institute for Digital Learning
Dublin City University
Ireland
mark.brown@dcu.ie
LinkedIn: https://ie.linkedin.com/in/mark-brown-dcu
No Twitter Account by Choice
Professor Josep M. Duart
Psychology and Education Sciences Department
Universitat Oberta de Catalunya
Spain
jduart@uoc.edu
Contact details…