Invited presentation [Online] at Munster Technological University, 3rd March 2021.

1. Micro-credential Magic
Fairy-dust or Star-dust?
Professor Mark Brown
Dublin City University
3 March 2021
Photo by Almos Bechtold on Unsplash

2. @mbrownz

4. https://dteach.deakin.edu.au/2019/08/02/microcredentials/

7. 2021
Report launch in January…

8. • What is a micro-credential?
• Why such an increasing focus on them?
• How are they being used around the globe?
Framing Questions…

9. https://www.futurelearn.com/info/thefutureoflearning

10. 90+K
Educators

12. Starts March 8th…

13. 1. What is a micro-credential?

14. What?

15. What?

16. What?

17. What?

18. “A micro-credential is a proof of learning outcomes
that a learner has acquired after a short learning experience.
These learning outcomes have been assessed
against transparent standards”
What?

19. Beyond “Warm Body” Badges
What?

20. Credit Bearing
Non Credit Bearing
Bundled Unbundled
Credential
Ecology
Macro-credentials
Formal Accredited
Degrees
What?

21. Credit Bearing
Non Credit Bearing
Bundled Unbundled
Credential
Ecology
Macro-credentials
Formal Accredited
Degrees
Micro-credentials
Formal & Semi Formal
Accredited & Stackable
Badges & Awards
Informal & Non-Formal
Non-Accredited
Short Courses
Non-Formal & Semi-Formal
Non-Stackable
What?

22. y Axis
Vertical
Life-Long Learning
Formal & Semi-formal
Stackable
Credit-bearing
What?

23. x axis
Horizontal
Life-wide Learning
Informal & Non-formal
What?

24. Diagonal
Professional
Non-formal & Informal
What?

25. “A prudent question is one-half of wisdom”
Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon
What?

26. 2. Why such a focus on them?

27. 27
Pre
COVID
Why?

28. 28
Why?

29. 29
Why?

30. Why?

31. Why?

32. (AACU, 2015)
Why?

33. Why?

34. Why?

35. Why?

36. Why?

37. 1,200+ 30/11/2020
Why?

38. Why?

39. Why?

40. 40
“The so-called ‘microcredentialing
craze’ could be no more than a
fad, marketing hype, or another
case of ‘learning innovation
theater.’
New Learning Economy
Why?

43. Francis Bacon
Why?
“A prudent question is one-half of wisdom”
Francis Bacon

44. 3. How are they being used around
the globe?

45. How?

46. How?

47. How?

48. How?

49. How?

50. How?

51. How?

52. How?

53. How?

54. How?

55. Final remarks…

56. Fairy-dust or Star-dust?

57. “Micro-credentials
should be in the service of
big ideas,
not as a big idea
in itself”

58. 58
https://www.dcu.ie/nidl
https://www.dcu.ie/nidl

59. Go raibh maith
agaibh!
Thank you