Conceptualising Micro-credentials in the Higher Education Research Landscape. A Literature Review

Abstract

The educational research landscape is still in a very early stage regarding the research in micro-credentials and how they are defined in scientific and policy documents. Whereas the micro-credentials trend is on rapid rise at the international and European level, coherent approaches to the concept, understanding and use of them are yet to be clarified. We addressed the issue through a literature review on the existing terminology and understandings related to micro-credentials in higher education in current scientific papers and policy documents, clustering them based on the granulation level from small units of learning to standalone certifications. Research shows that further research is needed to create a coherent approach for defining what micro-credentials are and how they can be integrated into educational processes, especially in higher education. Even though policy documents and scientific papers converge in numerous cases on creating a common definition for micro-credentials, differences are still present. The vision and practice do not always concur when describing the meaning and use of these innovative certification instruments.