Towards a Future of Qualifications: A Systematic Review of Micro-Credentials
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v29i4.4969Keywords:
Micro-credentials, Qualifications, Lifelong Learning, Systematic Review, PRISMA, Upskilling, ReskillingAbstract
Micro-credentials are bite-sized collections of skills or knowledge, complementing formal, informal, or non-formal degrees or certificates. Clarifying the role of micro-credentials in open and distance learning, a comprehensive review of the existing literature is essential. This study presents the results of a systematic literature review employing the PRISMA method to analyze the integration of micro-credentialing systems, stakeholder perceptions of their value, the impact of emerging technologies on their recognition, and future trends. A total of 205 publications, encompassing as specified terms of micro-credentials in their title, were retrieved from the Web of Science and Scopus databases. The results were discussed in five principle impact areas including the strategies in higher education and lifelong learning, sector-specific upskilling and reskilling, the digital proof of competency, challenges in design and implementation, and critiques on micro-credentials. The study reveals the evolution of micro-credentials and provides a roadmap for their future advancement.
References
Ahsan, K., Akbar, S., Kam, B., & Abdulrahman, M. D.-A. (2023). Implementation of micro-credentials in higher education: A systematic literature review. Education and Information Technologies, 28(10), 13505-13540. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11739-z
Alsobhi, H. A., Alakhtar, R. A., Ubaid, A., Hussain, O. K., & Hussain, F. K. (2023). Blockchain-based micro-credentialing system in higher education institutions: Systematic literature review. Knowledge-Based Systems, 265, 110238. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.knosys.2022.110238
Bayly-Castaneda K, Ramirez-Montoya M-S and Morita-Alexander A (2024) Crafting personalized learning paths with AI for lifelong learning: a systematic literature review. Front. Educ. 9:1424386. doi: 10.3389/feduc.2024.1424386
Bozkurt, A., & Brown, M. (2022). Microcredentials: Stackable, combinable, or transferable qualifications. EdTechnica: The Open Encyclopedia of Educational Technology. https://dx.doi.org/10.59668/371.8264
Brown, M., & Duart, J. M.(2024). Exploring gaps in the quality assurance of micro-credentials: A global mapping review of current practices. Journal of Open, Distance, and Digital Education, 1(1), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.25619/2bwhvw68
Brown, M., McGreal, R., & Peters, M. (2023). A strategic institutional response to micro-credentials: Key questions for educational leaders. Journal of Interactive Media in Education, 2023(1). https://doi.org/10.5334/jime.801
Brown, M., Nic Giolla Mhichíl, M. ., Beirne, E., & Mac Lochlainn , C. (2021). The global micro-credential landscape: Charting a new credential ecology for lifelong learning. Journal of Learning for Development, 8(2), 228–254. https://doi.org/10.56059/jl4d.v8i2.525
Bruguera, C., Pagés, C., Peters, M., & Fitó, À. (2024). Micro-credentials and soft skills in online education: the employers’ perspective. Distance Education, 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1080/01587919.2024.2435645
Calonge, D. S., & Shah, M. A. (2016). MOOCs, graduate skills gaps, and employability: A Qualitative Systematic Review of the Literature. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 17(5). https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v17i5.2675
Calonge, D. S., Aman Shah, M., Riggs, K., & Connor, M. (2019). MOOCs and upskilling in Australia: A qualitative literature study. Cogent Education, 6(1), 1687392. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186x.2019.1687392
Che Ahmat, N. H., Bashir, M. A. A., Razali, A. R., & Kasolang, S. (2021). Micro-Credentials in higher education institutions: Challenges and opportunities. Asian Journal of University Education, 17(3), 281-290. https://doi.org/10.24191/ajue.v17i3.14505
Clements, K., West, R. E., & Hunsaker, E. (2020). Getting started with open badges and open microcredentials. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 21(1), 154–172. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v21i1.4529
Donthu, N., Kumar, S., Mukherjee, D., Pandey, N., & Lim, W. M. (2021). How to conduct a bibliometric analysis: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 133, 285–296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.04.070
Ehlers, U. D. (2018). Higher creduation–Degree or education? The rise of Microcredentials and its consequences for the university of the future. In European Distance and E-Learning Network (EDEN) Conference Proceedings (No. 1, pp. 456-465). European Distance and E-Learning Network.
European Commission. (2021). Proposal for a council recommendation on a European approach to micro-credentials for lifelong learning and employability (Document 52021DC0770). The European Union. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52021DC0770
Fayyad, U., Grinstein, G. G., & Wierse, A. (Eds.). (2002). Information visualization in data mining and knowledge discovery. Morgan Kaufmann.
Feldman, R., & Sanger, J. (2007). The text mining handbook: Advanced approaches in analyzing unstructured data. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9780511546914
Fitzgerald, R., & Huijser, H. (2021). Exploring industry-university partnerships in the creation of short courses and micro-credentials. In Back to the Future - ASCILITE '21: Proceedings ASCILITE 2021, Gregory, Sue, Warburton, Steve, & Schier, Mark (Eds.). Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education - ASCILITE (pp. 340-344), Australia. https://doi.org/10.14742/ascilite2021.0149
Galindo, M., Fennelly-Atkinson, R., Franklin, K., Luna, C. (2024). The role of micro-credentials in lifelong learning and development: Empowering learners, empowering organizations. Digital Promise. https://doi.org/10.51388/20.500.12265/225
Gauthier, T. (2020). The value of microcredentials: The employer's perspective. Competency-based Education, 5(2), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1002/cbe2.1209
Gough, D., Oliver, S., & Thomas, J. (2012). An introduction to systematic reviews. Sage.
Gregg, A., Park, J., Fenton, C., Lang, D., & Handley, M. (2022, October). Exploring the “Why” of micro-credentials and digital badges: Engineering students’ motivations for and perceived utility of learning outside of class. In 2022 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE) (pp. 1-7). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/fie56618.2022.9962376
Hansen, D., Shneiderman, B., & Smith, M. A. (2010). Analyzing social media networks with NodeXL: Insights from a connected world. Morgan Kaufmann.
Healy, M. (2021). Microcredential learners need quality careers and employability support. Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.21153/jtlge2021vol12no1art1071
Hölbl, M., Kamisalić, A., Turkanović, M., Kompara, M., Podgorelec, B., & Herićko, M. (2018, September). EduCTX: an ecosystem for managing digital micro-credentials. In 2018 28th EAEEIE Annual Conference (EAEEIE) (pp. 1-9). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/eaeeie.2018.8534284
Kayyali, M., Müller, C. C., McKie, M. H., Kali, M. B., Strong, A. C., & ElZomor, M. (2023, October). Micro-credential digital badges in engineering and computing at an MSI: The student's perspective (Work in Progress). In 2023 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE) (pp. 1-5). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/fie58773.2023.10343353
Kiiskilä, P., Hanafy, A., & Pirkkalainen, H. (2022). Features of micro-credential platforms in higher education. In proceedings of the 14th international conference on- Computer Supported Education (p. 81-91). SciTePress. https://doi.org/10.5220/0011030600003182
Kohler, M., Gamrat, C., Raish, V., & Gross, E. (2021). Microlearning and micro-credentials in higher education. In J. R. Corbeil, B. H. Khan, & M. E. Corbeil (Eds.), Microlearning in the digital age: The design and delivery of learning in snippets (pp. 109-128). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780367821623-10
Mashford-Pringle, A., Tan, S., Stutz, S. et al. Designing accountability measures for health professionals: results from a community-based micro-credential: case study on Indigenous cultural safety. BMC Public Health 23, 879 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-15721-9
McGreal, R., & Olcott Jr, D. (2022). A strategic reset: micro-credentials for higher education leaders. Smart Learning Environments, 9(1), 9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40561-022-00190-1
McGreal, R., Mackintosh, W., Cox, G., & Olcott, Jr., D. (2022). Bridging the gap: Micro-credentials for development: UNESCO chairs policy brief form - Under the III World Higher Education Conference (WHEC 2021) Type: Collective X . The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 23(3), 288–302. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v23i3.6696
Mhichíl, M. N. G., Oliver, B., Lochlainn, C. M., & Brown, M. (2023). A snapshot in time: The next new normal and micro-credentials. International Journal of Education and Technology in Higher Education, 20(44), 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-023-00409-2
Mischewski, B., & Christie, A. (2018). Understanding the feasibility of micro-credentials in engineering education, Proceedings of Australasian Association for Engineering Education Conference (pp. 758-765). Hamilton, New Zealand.
Olcott Jr, D. (2022). Micro-Credentials: A catalyst for strategic reset and change in U.S. Higher Education. American Journal of Distance Education, 36(1), 19-35. https://doi.org/10.1080/08923647.2021.1997537
Oliver, B. (2019). Making micro-credentials work for learners, employers and providers. DTeach. http://dteach.deakin.edu.au/microcredentials/
Pachler, N. (2023). Unbundling and aggregation: Adapting Higher Education for lifelong learning to the New Skills Agenda and to Digital Transformation. In: Evans, K., Lee, W.O., Markowitsch, J., Zukas, M. (eds) Third International Handbook of Lifelong Learning. Springer International Handbooks of Education. Springer: Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-19592-1_36
Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J. M., Hrobjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E. W., Mayo-Wilson, E., McDonald, S., … Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. The BMJ, 372(1). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71
Pawilen, G. T., Tomida, E., & Eugenio, D. O. (2024). Quality assurance framework for micro-credentials in Japan and in the Philippines.International Journal of Curriculum and Instruction, 16(2), 401-421. https://ijci.globets.org/index.php/IJCI/article/view/1456
Pelletier, K., Brown, M., Brooks, D. C., McCormack, M., Reeves, J., Arbino, N., Bozkurt, A., Crawford, S., Czerniewicz, L., Gibson, R., Linder, K., Mason, J., & Mondelli, V. (2021). 2021 EDUCAUSE Horizon Report Teaching and Learning Edition. EDUCAUSE. https://www.learntechlib.org/p/219489/
Peters, M., Catasús, M. G., & Carbonell, M. R. (2018). A digital learning ecologies conceptual framework in the microsystem of online Higher Education. . In Exploring the micro, meso and macro: Proceedings of the European distance and e-learning network 2018 annual conference (pp. 295–303). https://doi.org/10.38069/edenconf-2018-ac-0038
Pichette, J., Brumwell, S., Rizk, J., & Han, S.(2021). Making Sense of Microcredentials. Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario. https://heqco.ca/pub/making-sense-of-microcredentials/
Pirkkalainen, H., Sood, I., Padron Napoles, C., Kukkonen, A., & Camilleri, A. (2023). How might micro-credentials influence institutions and empower learners in higher education?. Educational Research, 65(1), 40-63. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131881.2022.2157302
Ralston, S. J. (2021). Higher education’s microcredentialing craze: A postdigital-Deweyan critique. Postdigital Science and Education, 3(1), 83–101. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-020-00121-8
Resei, C., Friedl, C., Staubitz, T., & Rohloff, T. (2019). Micro-credentials in EU and global. Corship Corporate Edupreneurship. https://www.corship.eu/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Corship-R1.1c_micro-credentials.pdf
Romero-Llop, R., Castro-Jiménez, J. M., Fitó-Beltran, À., Valero-García, V., & Martín-Aragón, S. (2022). Higher education micro-credentials: A European university perspective, European Journal of University Lifelong Learning, 6(2), pp. 53-59. https://doi.org/10.53807/0602pl0x
Selvaratnam, R. M., & Sankey, M. D. (2021). An integrative literature review of the implementation of micro-credentials in higher education: Implications for practice in Australasia. Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability,12(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.21153/jtlge2021vol12no1art942
Shanmughan P, Joseph J, S BN, M AS, S AC and Jose J (2024) The AI revolution in micro-credentialing: personalized learning paths. Front. Educ. 9:1445654. doi: 10.3389/feduc.2024.1445654
Smith, A. E., & Humphreys, M. S. (2006). Evaluation of unsupervised semantic mapping of natural language with Leximancer concept mapping. Behavior Research Methods, 38(2), 262–279. https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03192778
Şenocak, D., & Kır, Ş. (2022). Micro-credentials: An interview with George Ubachs. E-Learn, 2022(2). https://doi.org/10.1145/3516493.3510464
Tamoliune, G., Greenspon, R., Tereseviciene, M., Volungeviciene, A., Trepule, E., & Dauksiene, E. (2023). Exploring the potential of micro-credentials: A systematic literature review. Frontiers in Education, 7, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2022.1006811
Thi Ngoc Ha, N., Spittle, M., Watt, A., & Van Dyke, N. (2023). A systematic literature review of micro-credentials in higher education: a non-zero-sum game. Higher Education Research & Development, 42(6), 1527-1548. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2022.2146061
Thurmond, V. A. (2001). The point of triangulation. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 33(3), 253– 258. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1547-5069.2001.00253.x
UNESCO. (2018). Digital credentialing: Implications for the recognition of learning across borders. UNESCO Education Sector. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000264428
UNESCO. (2022). Towards a common definition of micro-credentials. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000381668
Van der Maaten, L., & Hinton, G. (2008). Visualizing data using t-SNE. Journal of machine learning research, 9(11).
Varadarajan, S., Koh, J. H. L., & Daniel, B. K. (2023). A systematic review of the opportunities and challenges of micro-credentials for multiple stakeholders: learners, employers, higher education institutions and government. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education 20(1), 1-24. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-023-00381-x
Ward, R., Grant, S., Larsen, M. W., & Giovacchini, K. (2024). The universal micro-credential framework: The role of badges, micro-credentials, skills profiling, and design patterns in developing interdisciplinary learning and assessment paths for computing education. IEEE Transactions on Education, 67(6), 897-906. https://doi.org/10.1109/te.2024.3486016
Wheelahan, L., & Moodie, G. (2022). Gig qualifications for the gig economy: micro-credentials and the ‘hungry mile’. Higher Education, 83(6), 1279-1295. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-021-00742-3
Wolz, E., Gottlieb, M., Pongratz, H. (2021). Digital credentials in higher education institutions: A Literature Review. In: Ahlemann, F., Schütte, R., Stieglitz, S. (eds) Innovation Through Information Systems. WI 2021. Lecture Notes in Information Systems and Organisation, vol 48. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-86800-0_9
Young, D., West, R. E., & Nylin, T. A. (2019). Value of open microcredentials to earners and issuers: A case study of National Instruments Open Badges. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 20(5), 104-121. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v20i5.4345
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Hakan Yıldırım, Şeyda Kır, Aras Bozkurt
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
As a condition of publication, the author agrees to apply the Creative Commons – Attribution International 4.0 (CC-BY) License to OLJ articles. See: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
This licence allows anyone to reproduce OLJ articles at no cost and without further permission as long as they attribute the author and the journal. This permission includes printing, sharing and other forms of distribution.
Author(s) hold copyright in their work, and retain publishing rights without restrictions
