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A strategic institutional response to micro-credentials: key questions for educational leaders

Brown, Mark orcid logoORCID: 0000-0002-7927-6717, McGreal, Rory orcid logoORCID: 0000-0003-4393-0921 and Peters, Mitchell orcid logoORCID: 0000-0002-9186-9240 (2023) A strategic institutional response to micro-credentials: key questions for educational leaders. Journal of Interactive Media in Education, 2023 (1). ISSN 1365-893X

Abstract
This article responds to the rise of the micro-credential movement. It evidences the heightened attention politicians, policy-makers and educational leaders are giving to micro-credentials by framing the discussion in several recent high-level policy developments, an exponential growth in the number of academic publications and the increasing level of interest shown by popular media. It follows that micro-credentials appear to be high on the change agenda for many higher education institutions (HEIs), especially in the post-COVID-19 environment. However, the emergence of the micro-credential raises several crucial questions for educational leaders, set against fear of missing out. Importantly, the paper identifies a significant gap in the literature regarding leadership and strategic institutional responses to micro-credentials. Indeed, there is a dearth of literature. Leadership is crucial to the success of any educational change or innovation, so five key questions are presented for institutional leaders. They challenge institutions to make strategic decisions around how they engage with and position micro-credentials. If micro-credentials are part of an HEI’s change agenda, then serious consideration needs to be given to the type of leadership and internal structures required to develop and execute a successful micro-credential strategy. Consideration must also be given to fit-for-purpose business models and how to mitigate potential risks. We hope to bring these strategic questions to the table as institutions plan, envision and develop their micro-credential strategies.
Metadata
Item Type:Article (Published)
Refereed:Yes
Additional Information:Article: 7
Uncontrolled Keywords:Micro-credentials; Higher Education Leadership; Educational Change Management
Subjects:Social Sciences > Education
DCU Faculties and Centres:DCU Faculties and Schools > NIDL (National Institute for Digital Learning)
Publisher:Ubiquity Press (for Open University)
Official URL:https://jime.open.ac.uk/articles/10.5334/jime.801
Copyright Information:© 2023 The Authors.
Funders:The current research was partially supported by the Erasmus + programme Microcredentials Exchange (MicroCredX) project under the KA220-HED – Cooperation Partnerships in Higher Education Action Plan.
ID Code:28537
Deposited On:30 Jun 2023 11:31 by Prof Mark Brown . Last Modified 30 Jun 2023 11:31
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