Micro-credential practice: Policy and perspectives from the UK's nations
Publication date: 16 Jul 2024
Micro-credentials are small, credit-bearing qualifications that are outcome-based. To achieve a micro-credential, learners are assessed to demonstrate they have achieved the learning outcomes. Further information is available in the Micro-credentials Characteristics Statement and the Good Practice Guide for Micro-credentials and Small Qualifications in Scotland.
Micro-credentials Special Interest Group
The Medr-funded Micro-credentials Special Interest Group (MIC.SIG) is a cross Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland Tertiary Working Group chaired by Steve Osborne, Principal Lecturer Professional & Workforce Development, at Cardiff Metropolitan University. The MIC.SIG has been established through QAA’s grant arrangements with Medr to support the development and sharing of practice in the rapidly developing field of micro-credentials across higher and further education.
The principal aims of the MIC.SIG are to:
- Support the tertiary sector in ensuring that micro-credential students and learners experience the highest possible quality of education in line with other traditional tertiary education provision.
- Contribute to developing excellence, independence, and trust in the quality assurance and enhancement of micro-credential provision using the QAA's focus areas of standards, leadership and quality assurance and enhancement as pillars to guide the work of the MIC.SIG.
- Promote the use of the Micro-credentials Characteristics Statement to tertiary education providers developing and maintaining micro-credential provision, as well as supporting any further developments to the Statement.
To support these aims, the MIC.SIG will undertake a range of activities to provide information and share good practice on micro-credential development and delivery.
The Network hosted its first webinar in May 2024 looking at micro-credential policy landscapes around the UK. The second webinar took place in March 2025 with a spotlight on international perspectives - the recordings and presentations from both of these events are provided below.
Our third webinar in this series is: Micro-credential postcards from the Nations: Practice sharing event with a focus on micro-credential development around the UK (3 June 2025). This dynamic and interactive event featuring lightning talks from practitioners is free and open to all. Please go to the QAA Event Booking Site to register.
The MIC.SIG is also collecting case studies from across the UK to capture current practice in the development, implementation and evaluation of micro-credential provision. We welcome case studies on:
- Working with employers on the development of micro-credentials
- Engaging with learners on short courses or micro-credentials
- Development of frameworks to evaluate the effectiveness of micro-credentials provision
- Effective use of the Characteristics Statement for Micro-credentials
- Collaborative initiatives to raise awareness of micro-credentials within providers or with employers.
If you are interested in submitting a case study, of no more than 800 words, please use this link.
Webinars
Micro-credential practice: Policy and perspectives from the UK’s nations (HEFCW-funded event)
Tertiary Working Group on micro-credentials (Micro-credentials Special Interest Group) – HEFCW-funded
The HEFCW-funded Tertiary Working Group on micro-credentials (micro-credentials Special Interest Group) is a cross Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland Network chaired by Steve Osborne, Principal Lecturer Professional & Workforce Development, at Cardiff Metropolitan University. The group has been established through QAA’s grant arrangements with HEFCW to support the development and sharing of practice in the rapidly developing field of micro-credentials across higher and further education.
Webinar - Tuesday 21 May 2024
The first webinar, organised by the Network in partnership with QAA, shared current policy landscapes across higher and further education in micro-credentials and short course learning across each of the UK’s home nations. Each expert speaker provided a short overview of the current practice and policy developments in each of the UK’s nations, followed by a panel discussion.
QAA are grateful to the following colleagues for their contributions to the webinar:
- Steve Osborne, Principal Lecturer Professional & Workforce Development, Cardiff Metropolitan University
- Professor Laura Roberts, Professor, Biosciences, Swansea University
- Michael Bower, Assistant Director, Ireland the Open University
- Jon Buglass, Vice Principal, Edinburgh College
- Professor Annabel Kiernan, Pro Vice-Chancellor – Academic, Staffordshire University
- Libby Shackels, Director of Curriculum, Southern Regional College
- Christine Brown, Vice Principal Teaching & Learning, Northern Regional College
Micro-credential practice: International perspectives to support development across the UK’s nations
Webinar - Wednesday 12 March 2025
Our expert speakers, Mary Bishop and Rupert Ward, shared some of the work in which they have been involved. Steve Osborne then chaired a panel discussion, followed by Q&A from delegates.
Micro-credential practice: International perspectives to support development across the UK’s nations
Publication date: 18 Mar 2025
QAA is grateful to the following colleagues for their contributions to the webinar:
- Professor Mary Bishop, Director, Royal Society of Medicine
- Steve Osborne, Principal Lecturer Professional & Workforce Development, Cardiff Metropolitan University
- Professor Rupert Ward, Associate Dean (International) and Professor of Learning Innovation, University of Huddersfield.
Enhancement project exploring current practice in relation to micro-credentials
QAA undertook an enhancement project exploring current practice in the sector in relation to micro-credentials, building on case studies that HEFCW developed and published in December 2022. The project explored current use of the QAA Micro-credentials Characteristics Statement (published May 2022).
To undertake the project, QAA distributed a survey to all participating providers (nine HEIs and two FEIs) and subsequently undertook a series of tailored conversations with these providers.
The conversations provided an opportunity to explore some of the approaches in more detail; any challenges and ways in which they were being addressed; the use of the QAA Micro-credentials Characteristics Statement and whether any revisions to it would be helpful at this stage; and any other areas that might be valuable for the sector to explore to enhance practice.
Micro-credentials: Practice in the Higher Education Sector in Wales
Publication date: 18 Dec 2023
Webinars
The project also held two webinars and the resources can be found below.
Quality Assurance processes (24 May 2023)
Micro-credential planning: Sport managers and health project
Publication date: 14 Sep 2023
Microcredentials: The Open University in Wales
Publication date: 14 Sep 2023
Practicalities of delivery (7 June 2023)
Quality assurance of micro-credentials at the University of South Wales - a work in progress
Publication date: 14 Sep 2023
Micro-credentials in Wales: Practicalities of delivery
Publication date: 14 Sep 2023