In order to prepare International Baccalaureate (IB) educators to deliver IB Programmes and support their overall professional development, the IB offers a variety of professional learning opportunities. As of April 2023, to complement its offering of in-person and online workshops, the IB started piloting the use of micro-credentials.

Ecctis was commissioned by the IB to undertake a critical and in-depth research study to further explore this emerging topic of global interest. The research study was designed to explore current thinking in the micro-credentials space and identify existing practices and trends, to support client development of micro-credential processes.

The objectives of the research were:

• Outlining existing practices by other issuers in the micro-credentials space
• Reviewing up-to-date knowledge of new directions and different practices
• Forming a baseline of research for the IB to understand how its own practices relate to identified trends.

The project research was centred around a series of broad research questions (RQs), aligned with client objectives:

RQ1: What models and practices of micro-credentials are described in the literature?

• Definitions
• Purposes
• Accreditation and recognition types
• Referencing and cataloguing
• Portability and stackability types
• Stakeholders involved (e.g. assessors, awarding bodies, quality assurance agencies, credential evaluators)

RQ2: What practices are applied by comparable issuers of microcredentials working in the education space?

• Purposes
• Digital platforms used
• Assessment methods
• Awards (e.g. badge, proof, grade, micro degree, nano degree)
• Credits (e.g. ECTS, UK credits)
• Stacking options (e.g. prestacked packages, non-coherent stacking)
• Portability options (e.g. digital wallets)
• Quality assurance systems
• Inclusion in qualification frameworks (e.g. teacher education)
• Costing and fees
• Stakeholders involved

Answering these RQs involved the following methodological steps:

• Sourcing and identifying relevant academic literature on the concept of micro-credentials in general, and educator micro-credentials more specifically
• Searching the main academic databases using a variety and combination of key words
• Reviewing selected sources and extracting complementary and contrasting definitions of microcredentials
• Investigating existing models of credentialing at a micro-level, with reference to continuing professional learning and development in the educator space
• Identifying current and emerging trends in the literature and practice of micro-credentials, complemented by a review of selected micro-credential issuers as case studies

A wide range of literature and other publicly available information was reviewed in order to provide an in-depth insight into how the microcredentials landscape relates to current debates on academic readiness and graduate employability, as well as professional learning and development for educators.

In order to ensure the utmost relevance of the research study, sources were carefully selected with consideration of relevance to the research topic, post-2017 publication dates to increase up-to-datedness, consideration of the geographical coverage, and perceived quality of the research.

The relevant findings from the literature review were synthesised to identify key patterns, themes, and gaps in the literature. This analysis offers a deeper understanding of the topic, highlighting relevant areas where literature is scarce or contradictory and addressing the discrepancies in the understanding of micro-credentials.

The report features a section entitled the ‘Practices of Micro-credentials: Evidence from Selected Issuing Organisations’. This section complements the literature review by demonstrating how different issuing organisations may operationalise the various purposes and elements of micro-credentials in their own education and training offerings.

Following the review of academic and professional literature, Ecctis looked at case studies of specific providers of micro-credentials. Using publicly available sources, such as the issuers’ own websites, a series of documentation and materials provided the following types of information pertinent to each issuer:

• Micro-credential conceptualisations and definitions
• Purposes and elements of their micro-credentials
• Digital platforms used
• Assessment methods
• Quality assurance systems
• Awards
• Stacking and portability options
• Related costs
• Stakeholders involved

The case-study information was gathered and analysed to extract key themes and trends designed to contribute to the Key Findings and Recommendations featured in the final report.

A final report was produced as the output of the research study. As well as the comprehensive literature review and issuer case studies, the final report includes:

• A series of Key Findings related to each of the RQs
  • Definitions and purposes
  • Types of micro-credential
  • Assessment methods
  • Platforms and websites
  • Inclusion in NQFs
  • Awards, credits and stackability
  • Stakeholders involved
  • Quality Assurance systems
  • Current and new directions (key trends and emerging areas in the micro-credentialing space)
  • Recommendations
• A synthesised analysis of microcredential models as outlined in the literature
• Key features of micro-credentials as identified in the practices of specific issuers and recognition agencies
• A summary of the key findings from the review of practices from other issuers, including similarities and differences

By sharing the findings of the research study, including the evidence of international best practice, IB educators are supported to adopt further agency over their learning. Supporting the provision of microcredentials offers an accessible means – time- and cost-wise – for IB educators to build and demonstrate their professional capabilities, both when preparing to deliver IB programmes and throughout their lifelong learning journeys.

Following the review of recent literature on the topic, a series of recommendations were detailed in the executive summary of the final report, addressed to current and prospective issuers of micro-credentials to promote their scaled adoption.

The research also supports the development of short-term, and targeted education and training programmes which are aligned to industry needs and complimentary to existing degrees and qualifications, allowing holders to either access further education, or enhance their prior qualifications. In this context, the micro-credentials also present an opportunity for teachers to advance their careers more efficiently.

The research findings in the final report are accessible to a wide-ranging audience. The subsequent recommendations are applicable to current and prospective issuers of micro-credentials, providing guidelines to achieve true institutional readiness for micro-credential provision.

In addition, the research will support the ongoing flexibilization of traditional curricula, including the modular provision of courses as microcredentials.

More specifically, the education and training providers who access the research findings will be supported to respond more directly to industry needs and provide opportunities for re- or up-skilling, supporting the evolving labour market, talent identification and learning pathway provision for employment.

Conducting this research to support the development and implementation of micro-credential processes, in turn supports equitable access to education and the recognition of all forms of prior learning as identified in UNESCO’s 2030 Agenda.

A full report for this study is available on the IB curriculum research page.