Microcredentials linked to the Bologna key commitments

ended

Learners seek more and more knowledge, skills and competences through short courses or through non-formal or informal learning experiences. Accumulation of these prior learning experiences and qualifications could in the end lead to traditional university qualifications. The student population also becomes more and more diverse, so innovative ways of learning could offer flexible solutions to underrepresented groups in higher education, as well as to adult learners. On the other side of the spectrum also the world of work is changing and in demand of people that can easily adapt and up- and reskill throughout their career. Leaving work for long periods of time to earn a traditional qualification will be less feasible and less attractive in this new world, so new solutions are needed from the education sector to meet this growing need. A wide range of these kind of short courses are offered worldwide. Some of them through online courses and modules (e.g. MOOCs), some other in face-to-face education, some in more non-formal learning settings. Some are offered by traditional higher education providers, other are designed and provided by private companies or non-profit organisations. This project will focuss primarily on microcredentials provided by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) or in conjunction with HEIs, and touch secondly those entirely provided by companies or non-profit organisations, the system of ‘open badges’ and other bits of ‘micro’-learning. All these short forms of learning should also have guaranteed quality standards, they should be linked to the Qualifications Frameworks and be recognized appropriately throughout the European Higher Education Area. The specific objective of this project is for governments and stakeholders to explore, within the Bologna Process, whether and how the existing Bologna tools can be used and/or need to be adapted to be fit for microcredentials. A common European framework for microcredentials will be proposed.