Guidance for portability of Australian microcredentials

Microcredentials are a rapidly expanding form of alternative qualification across a range of fields in higher education. They are small, discrete pieces of learning that can be combined with other pieces to demonstrate knowledge, skills and competencies, which learners, employers and educational institutions can use.

However, there is currently no universal understanding of what a microcredential is, or what its attributes and value should be. This creates some difficulty for others trying to recognise a microcredentials for the purposes of recognition of prior learning or credit.

The Deputy Vice-Chancellors (Academic) have developed recommended guidance to assist in portability of microcredentials. The guidance recommends three principle-based standards that allow universities to accurately determine the extent of learning that a microcredential attests, and is intended to help others who may wish to develop credentials that can be easily recognised by a university.

Universities and other institutions will ultimately set their own policies and procedures for recognition of prior learning or credit, and this document simply seeks to provide guidance on issues of importance to universities’ decision-making in this area. These recommended standards should not be considered as mandatory or regulatory in nature.

The Guidance for Portability of Australian Microcredentials is a statement reflecting those issues on which a reasonable understanding of consensus exists. There are a number of issues for further consideration and these may be considered in the future.

Access the publication here.