We try to maintain a useful list of projects, publications, organizations and tools. Contact Jan Muehlig if you have a good link you think we should add.
- Spotlight: The Badge Wiki is a great source to start with when you are interested in Digital Badges. It is maintained by the We Are Open Co-Op
- Spotlight: The DCU has recently set up an observatory on micro-credentials including research and policy reports with focus on higher education.
__________________________________________________________________ - In November 2022, ICoBC hosted a panel presentation on “Tokens Versus Degrees: Microcredentials for Career Pivots and Continuous Professional Development” at the OEB in Berlin. The slides can be accessed here.
- In November 2022, the 2nd ICoBC Symposium hosted speakers such as Elena Magrini (Lightcast), Matthias De Bièvre (Visions, Prometheus-X), Jan Renz (BMBF), Esther Grieder (Humanitarian Leadership Academy), Dominic Orr (GIZ / atingi), Brian Mulligan (ATU) and Anna Aslanova (Coach) under the theme “The Journey of the Champions”.
- In September 2022, the Credentials to Employment – The Last Mile (2022) was published: This report attempts to map the space that exists between the promise of digital credentials that represent skills, competencies and abilities and their widespread adoption in employment-related use cases.
- The article What is the future of Micro, Nano and Digital credentialing? was published in August 2022: A short overview of the “size” of credentials, the challenges that arise from it, especially with examples from New Zealand, and what needs to be solved.
- 2022: An approach to assessment of programs issuing micro-credentials through online means, published by Rebecca Ferguson.
- In June 2022, the DID core specification is approved to advance to W3C Recommendation.
- In June 2022, the book “New Models of Higher Education: Unbundled, Rebundled, Customized, and DIY” was published. It features alternative credentials, micro-credentials and Open Badges.
- In June 2022, the BadgEurope Erasmus+ project investigates how to scale digital credentialing for people distant to the labour market. They have compiled a list of research papers and projects on that topic on their website.
- In March 2022, the MIT (USA) has published a report on an “Open Source Student Wallet“
- In October 2021, Social Europe hosted a Launch Event of European Digital Credentials for Learning.
- In September 2021, the OECD published a report on Quality and value of micro-credentials in higher education: Preparing for the future
- In September 2021, the OECD released a report on Micro-credential innovations in higher education: Who, What and Why?
- 2021: Position Paper by the Netherlands in the Context of the Public Consultation of the European Commission on “Micro-credentials for Lifelong Learning and Employability”. Government of the Netherlands
- 2021: Micro-credentials in Professional Higher Education. European Associations of Institutions in Higher Education
- 2021: Position Paper of eucen on the Public Consultation on Micro-credentials for Lifelong Learning and Employability. European University Continuing Education Network
- 2021: Micro-credentials: Towards a Universal Definition. Groningen Declaration Network
- 2021: The Global Micro-credential Landscape: Charting a New Credential Ecology for Lifelong Learning. National Institute for Digital Learning, Dublin City University
- In December 2020, Dominic Orr et al. published “Towards a European approach to micro credentials: a study of practices and commonalities in offering micro-credentials in European higher education” in English, French and German.
- In November 2020, openlearning published “OpenCreds – A lifelong learning micro-credentialing framework” (download after filling out a form) which links micro-credentials to the National Qualifications Framework in Malaysia.
- In September 2020, the EU project “MICROBOL” published a “Desk Research Report” which also consists of a range of definitions of micro-credentials and lists a couple of trends.
- In July 2020, the International Labour Organization (ILO) released a report on “The Digitization of TVET and Skills Systems” with findings stating e.g. that “Digitization is becoming the driving force behind lifelong learning and flexible learning pathways”.
- In February 2020, the Digital Credentials Consortium published the whitepaper “Building the digital credential infrastructure for the future” which summarizes some of the key challenges for a unified credentials’ infrastructure for Higher Education.
- In January 2020, Clements, West and Hunsaker published a noteworthy paper on “Getting Started With Open Badges and Open Microcredentials” with a “possible framework for getting started with open badges and a step-by-step guide for implementing”.
- In 2019, the International Council on Distance Education (ICDE) has published a report called “The Present and Future of Alternative Digital Credentials (ADCs)” which can be downloaded in English, Spanish and Mandarin on their website. The report advises ICDE members to “add ADCs to their portfolio of services most importantly to fulfill their implicit promise to students and society.”
- In 2018, a background document with the title “Europass framework for digitally-signed credentials” was promoted by the European Commission which outlines basic principles for a trusted credentials’ ecosystem and resulted in the “Europass Digital Credentials | Interoperability” framework (updated monthly).
- Gary W. Matkin wrote an interesting paper in 2018 on “ALTERNATIVE DIGITAL CREDENTIALS: An Imperative for Higher Education” in which he claims that “Universities and colleges that do not adopt in some measure the ADC movement will begin to experience a slow decline in market position and patron support
- In 2015, David Anderson and Selva Staub write about “Postgraduate Digital Badges in Higher Education: Transforming Advanced Programs Using Authentic Online Instruction and Assessment to Meet the Demands of a Global Marketplace“. Although it is rather short, it consists of many of the elements that we can see today emerging even stronger i.e. when it comes to partnerships for mutual recognition.
- Dr. Patrick Werquin, probably one of the most renowned experts in the field, gives a good overview on the “Recognition of Non-Formal and Informal Learning: Country Practices” (2010). In the same year, he also published “Recognising Non-Formal and Informal Learning“, a report on outcomes, policies and practices which also consists of a comprehensive benefits’ section as well as cost analysis. Eventually one of the most comprehensive books on this topic is “Global Perspectives on Recognising Non-formal and Informal Learning – Why Recognition Matters” by Madhu Singh
- The Role of National Qualifications Systems in Promoting Lifelong Learning (2005): This OECD activity “pursues the following three objectives: i) to gather information about qualification systems in participating countries; ii) to examine the impact of different qualification policies on lifelong learning; and iii) to help countries to share know-how and policy experience gained from recent reforms and adjustments of qualification systems.” ICoBC wants to point out the importance i.e. of the report by the Thematic Group 2 on “Standards and quality assurance in qualifications with special reference to the recognition of non-formal and informal learning” (English, French). An example on how to adapt these practices on a national level is given in by the BMBF report “Status of Recognition of non-formal and informal learning in Germany” (2008).