Skills Education

Move beyond issuing a credential and design microcredentials that learners, employers and others can understand and trust

Microcredentials are increasingly being used to recognise shorter, targeted learning, but simply calling something a microcredential does not make it meaningful. For learners, employers and other education providers, the real value lies in understanding what was learned, how it was demonstrated, who stands behind it and what the credential can be used for.

Designing a credible microcredential therefore starts well before the badge or certificate is issued. Its purpose, intended learners, learning outcomes, assessment and evidence all need to work together, supported by appropriate quality assurance and clear information about what the credential represents.

This session explores the key elements that contribute to a credible, useful and recognisable microcredential. We’ll consider the relationship between purpose, learning outcomes and assessment, what constitutes meaningful evidence of learning, and how transparency and quality help others make sense of the credential.

Through practical examples, you’ll explore how design decisions influence the value of a microcredential to the learner, including its potential to support employment, professional development, further learning and recognition.

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Identify the key characteristics of a credible and meaningful microcredential
• Connect purpose, learning outcomes, assessment and evidence in microcredential design
• Consider how quality assurance and transparency contribute to trust and recognition
• Design microcredentials with a clear value and purpose for the learner

Participants will receive a complimentary copy of “Microcredentials That Mean Something: Design Checklist”:

• A practical guide for reviewing or planning a microcredential, with prompts covering purpose, learner need, learning outcomes, assessment, evidence, quality, transparency, recognition and learner value. It can be used as a quick check to identify whether the different elements of a microcredential work together to create something meaningful and trustworthy.

Other value options for registration:

Register for this session as a one-off standalone PD purchase OR via one of:

An Education Matters Elite membership

A PD MAX 2027 ticket