Tips for Managing Micro-Credentials on Campus

Micro-credentials are trending, but what are they, and how are campuses using them? CourseLeaf’s Erin McCord Savidge explains the latest higher-education trend

Micro-credentials are taking many campuses by storm but are not entirely new to higher education. For decades, continuing education professionals have offered verifiable skills and knowledge in smaller formats than transcripted credentials (think traditional majors, minors, and certificates). What’s different now is that more and more learners – even those in two- and four-year programs – are asking for this type of access to learning.

But even as demand grows, there’s still a lot of confusion about micro-credentials. What are they and why are so many campuses eager to adopt them? Let’s dive in and clear up some of that confusion.

What are micro-credentials?[1]

Micro-credentials – and the closely related family of terms: digital badges, digital credentials, or alternative credentials – are small units of verifiable learning that can be combined to create personalized learning outcomes. Part of the confusion about them is due to the many different forms they can take. For example, some micro-credentials are attached to academic credit, and others are not (and some institutions have created pathways for converting non-credit learning into academic credit). For some campuses, a micro-credential is very micro indeed: verification of learning as granular as a single course learning outcome. For others, a micro-credential looks a lot more like a smaller version of a traditional certificate program.

What’s fueling the trend?

Micro-credentials are gaining interest among learners because they allow them to ease into higher education and immediately demonstrate their learning to potential employers. In 2022, the National Student Clearinghouse reported a drop in undergraduate higher education credentials awarded for the first time in decades, with certificates the only credential experiencing growth.[2] Many observers interpreted this data as proof of student’s growing reluctance to pursue a four-year degree.

In this atmosphere, micro-credentials can help campuses fulfill their academic mission while offering more flexibility for students to construct their own learning journeys. Many learners today, especially those who don’t fit a traditional student profile, need to “test the water” with a digital badge or certificate before fully committing to a BA or BS. Micro-credentials can provide an easy on-ramp that begins delivering direct value to the learner in a much shorter time frame.[3]

Micro-credentials also appeal to working professionals who may already hold a degree but want to keep up with trends in the workplace and their industry. Many campuses use micro-credentials to re-engage with their alums and provide life-long learning options.

What challenges should you anticipate?

As an Implementation Consultant for CourseLeaf, I have worked with several schools on incorporating micro-credentials into their curriculum. One of the biggest mistakes I see is not anticipating the administrative workload of offering and maintaining these types of learning units. Campuses often need to add or reallocate staffing time to manage student records, quality assurance and marketing. Paying attention to the organic growth of micro-credentials on campus to guard against duplication and over-proliferation is also an important task.

Another factor is the speed at which the micro-credential world changes. There is a large market of for-profit companies offering certificates and badges, and they tend to move more quickly than higher ed.[4] Higher ed institutions that strike the right balance of nimbleness and quality by tapping into their existing structures, systems, and expertise deliver immense value to alternative credential learners while creating funnels into their traditional degree offerings.

How can you manage micro-credentials successfully?

Micro-credentials’ popularity will continue to grow, so the question is how your campus can leverage them successfully. There are many options! Several of our CourseLeaf clients have eliminated manual processes and ensured accuracy and quality by using CourseLeaf curriculum management software to submit, review, and approve micro-credentials. We also have institutions that link to their digital badging platforms from within CourseLeaf catalog management software to help their students see the many curricular pathways available.

If your campus is implementing micro-credentials and would like to explore solutions that can efficiently and accurately manage your offerings, consider connecting with our team at CourseLeaf!