Microcredentials (shorter-term credentials) are integrating into traditional degree pathways, and trustees of public colleges and universities should examine the role of these credentials in the baccalaureate programs of their institutions. Shorter-term credentials can provide substantial benefits for public four-year institutions, including…

Purpose: This study explores the perceptions of Australian employers regarding the benefits and challenges of micro-credentials within higher education and enablers of their effectiveness. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative approach that included 11 semi-structured interviews with employers affiliated with an Australian university was…

The recent emergence of microcredentials, short courses leading to accreditation with an emphasis on work-aligned skills, is worthy of note due to its speed, scale and accompanying endorsement from governments and influential non-state actors worldwide. This paper analyses the reasons for this rapid growth which have been proposed in academic…

The report "State Approaches to Short-Term Postsecondary Credentials: Challenges, Opportunities, and Policy Gaps" explores how state policymakers engage with short-term postsecondary credentials, highlighting key policy levers such as state authorization, consumer protections, financial aid, and quality standards. It examines the…

Purpose: Biomedical engineering (BME) curricula are necessarily broad and it has been reported that BME students can experience substantial barriers to their career attainment compared to other engineering majors. Methods: Challenges and curricular innovations for addressing industry needs were discussed in workshops held at the BME Education…

Purpose: Alternative credentials are rapidly evolving. The purpose of this paper is to explore the challenges and opportunities arising from this evolution with particular reference to their role in education and employment. Design/methodology/approach: The paper explores the credential initiatives with a unique perspective from introducing…

To advance the employability agenda in higher education, we need new ideas for embedding career skills into university curricula and novel tools for articulating the capabilities of learners. Situated in the discipline of environmental science, the aim of this study was to examine employer perceptions of the skills needed for a career in the…

The purpose of this article is to share worked examples of skills profiling within the universal micro-credential framework, a novel approach designed to further the enablement of 21st century skills which are defined here as a generalized series of competencies gained by a learner that enable them to self-reflect, self-regulate and self-optimize…

Microcredentials hold promise for connecting people's skillsets with labour market demand in a rapidly changing world of work. They have proliferated in recent years across economic sectors and education levels, reinforcing European and national efforts to understand and develop them better. They can increase the provision of…

The concept of affordance is helpful to understand the advantages that can be offered to users. However, little is known about the affordable Micro-Credential courses (MC) offered by Higher education (HE) providers. This study utilizes Gibson's affordance theory as a lens and aims to validate the affordances of MCs for HE. Furthermore, this study…

This research explores the effect of implementing educational open microcredentials on student motivation, engagement, and completion in open access online courses. Our case study reviews the impact on the Community of Learning for African PhD Fellows, a capacity-building project supporting PhD fellows in Sub-Saharan Africa. It builds on an…

This study uncovers students', professors', and employers' micro-credential programs perceived value. Using a phenomenological methodology, we unveiled the meaning of participants' shared experiences. We performed a narrative analysis of students' written assessments and built a robust information-gathering structure with professors' and…

Micro-credentials are certifications that evaluate knowledge and skills acquired through specific learning experiences. This research explores the perceptions of education and industry leaders in Mauritius regarding recognition, ease of application, and value of micro-credentials in higher education. Interviews were conducted with 10 education and…

Evaluating courses' impact on diverse stakeholders can be immensely valuable as a means of identifying ways in which curriculum can better support learners' personal and professional development and achieve wider societal aims. Yet, few empirical evaluation studies exist exploring the impact of microcredentials. This article reports a study…

With this paper, we deepen and expand upon our body of research into the public awareness and reputation of nondegree pathways, focusing on the beliefs and attitudes of young people, their parents, and their teachers. For those looking to pursue, or encourage someone to pursue, a nondegree pathway today, there are no easy answers. Information…