Micro-credentialing in Mobile Learning: Implications for Impactful Design

Abstract

Micro-credentialing is a pedagogical practice concerned with effective design of nontraditional pathways to qualifications, made possible by splitting up longer programs of study into “chunk”-sized offerings deemed more suitable for the “learner on-the-go.” Mobile learning, tasked with accommodating the growing need for “anytime/anywhere” education enabled via mobile personal devices, lends itself well to support such micro-credentialing endeavors of universities and employers alike. While micro-credentialing and mobile learning primarily serve the same purpose - to make education more flexible and accessible to a wider range of learners - the two concepts are rarely considered together. Based on a review of literature located within the micro-credentialing/mobile learning nexus, this chapter analyzes various intersections between mobile learning and micro-credentialing and identifies key elements of impactful designs.