The Journal of Continuing Higher Education

From Non-Formal Education to Micro-credentials: Transitioning towards Sustainable Lifelong Learning Ecosystems

The Journal of Continuing Higher Education (SCOPUS-indexed) invites researchers, policymakers, and professionals to submit abstracts for a special volume guest-edited by Dr Shalini Singh, Helmut Schmidt University/ University of the Armed Forces, Hamburg, Germany, and Prof. Søren Ehlers, Forum for Lifelong Learning, exploring the evolution, impact, and future of micro-credentials in the global learning landscape. This volume seeks to provide evidence-informed research, comparative analyses, and case studies across time and space. 

Core Themes and Subthemes

Papers are invited along the following themes and sub-themes.

1.     Conceptual, Theoretical and Analytical Frameworks and Approaches around Microcredentials

a)     The concept, need, factors influencing them, micro- and macro-level outcomes, relevant contextual considerations, and conditions required for microcredentials.

b)    Theoretical foundations and discussions around microcredentials, including

i.      their role in society, economy, and polity; and

ii.     their linkages with various concepts like (pseudo)empowerment of learners, (in)equality, marginalisation, inclusion and exclusion, social mobility and control, Matthew Effect, sustainability and dependence, marketization, neo-liberalism, citizenship, democracy, and so on.

c)     Resource considerations, returns on investments and micro-credentials as long vs short-term solutions in learning and educational landscapes, and their impact.

d)    Recognition of prior learning and bridge-offers as micro-credentials. 

2.     Historical Evolution and Policy Landscapes

a)     The evolution and development of micro-credentials as policy instruments, and the factors behind the policy shift from traditional offers towards micro-credentials.

b)    Comparison over time between micro-credentials and similar offers (like non-formal education offers).

c)     Comparison across space (contexts), for instance, across national contexts, types of economies, types of labour markets, and so on.

d)    Challenges of integrating micro-credentials in the current learning and education landscapes, especially in relation to credit transfers and their acceptance in the labour markets across contexts.

e)     Necessary and supporting characteristics like policy frameworks (especially qualification frameworks) and tools (like individual learning accounts) for the effective implementation of micro-credentials.

f)     Policy mechanisms for the evaluation and measurement of short-term, long-term, micro-, and macro-level impact of microcredentials.

3.     Curriculum Development, Methodological Approaches, Andragogy and Didactics

a)     Specific characteristics of micro-credentials as learning offers, consequent requirements for their development, and the need to move beyond the repackaging of existing offers towards innovative methods and approaches for curriculum development, delivery and facilitation.

b)    Professionalization of facilitators, mentors and teachers in higher education and non-educational providers (for instance, private companies), to ensure quality and acceptance of micro-credentials across various contexts.

c)     Linking micro-credentials with learner-centric approaches and environments, individual learning techniques, personalised learning, learning environments, measurement of progression in learning, adaptive learning, adaptive testing, and so on.