Experiences with Micro-Credentials at UC3M: Academic and Technological Aspects

Micro-credentials are a trending topic due to the urgent need for reskilling and upskilling numerous professionals through educational programs that are shorter than traditional undergraduate and postgraduate degrees; therefore, many educational institutions are currently working to incorporate micro-credentials in their educational offering. Nevertheless, the adoption of micro-credentials requires considering both academic and technological aspects, e.g., for designing the most appropriate micro-credentials (content, learning outcomes, etc.), and for transitioning from paper-based diplomas to digital credentials (so that credential holders can quickly share them and employers can easily validate them). This article presents the experiences with micro-credentials at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M), with two use cases: 1) Diploma in Sustainability applied to the Fashion Industry Vogue-UC3M; and 2) University Digital Backpack. The best practices distilled from these two use cases are expected to guide academic managers and policy makers who are in the process of adopting micro-credentials as part of their educational strategy.