Because Microcredentials are Strategic; Not an Add-On

Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

Microcredentials are a thing. If you work in the education or skill development sector or the L&D industry, you've probably seen and participated in all the excitement surrounding the design, development and delivery of a microcredential.

But how often do we get an opportunity to deeply engage in thoughtful analysis of the business case and the real market need and value proposition for the microcredential? How much and how soon do we collaborate with learners and employers to shape the microcredential ensuring it meets the skill gap requirements and industry standards and expectations?

I was recently exploring the microcredential rabbit hole and ended up reviewing a resource developed by Institute for Credentialing Excellence, which is perhaps one of the most comprehensive resources I have seen on the topic of #microcredentialing. 

The document (part of the Microcredential Toolkit) describes various phases of micro-credential development and includes a framework that can be used as a checklist for each of the phases including:

- Strategic Planning 

- Marketing 

- Operational Considerations 

- Design and Development

- Delivery

- Maintenance 

It makes a good case for why strategic planning in microcredential development is not just useful —it’s essential. By thinking carefully about each phase, from initial business case to long-term maintenance, and answering each of the checklist questions, we have an opportunity to design credentials that are relevant and valuable. In the absence of doing that, we risk developing courses or credentials that fail to meet the actual needs of learners and employers. This can not only devalue existing certifications, it can ultimately undermining the credibility of the credentialing organization.

#Microcredentials #StrategicPlanning #LifelongLearning #HigherEd #ProfessionalDevelopment #Upskilling #LearningAndDevelopment #ContinuousImprovement #Credentialing #CredentialDesign