Cities of Learning approach to micro-credentials

Cities of Learning approach to micro-credentials﻿
On 20 April 2021, the European Commission launched a 12-week public consultation on a European approach to micro-credentials for lifelong learning and employability. Cities of Learning Network supports the European Commission’s efforts and commitment to collect ideas for the development of a common definition for micro-credentials, European Union (EU) standards for their quality and transparency, and the following steps to be taken at the institutional, national and EU levels.
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Position paper tothe European Commission’s public consultation on a European approach to micro-credentials for lifelong learning and employability
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We contribute with our extensive experience and expertise in using and promoting digital Open Badges, a global standard for micro-credentials. Open Badges enable learners and learning providers to record information related to the learning process, achievements or competencies. Each badge has important data built within a name, description, criteria, the issuing body, evidence, the date of issuing and other additional information. Diverse organisations, businesses, institutions, schools, colleagues and universities use badges to validate and recognise learning and achievements in Europe and beyond.
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We very much welcome the proposed common European definition, common characteristics and a roadmap of actions aiming to establish a European approach to micro-credentials. Furthermore, we want to draw attention to the following ten key areas to be addressed and included within the European approach to micro-credentials:
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Expand the scope of adopting, using and recognising micro-credentials beyond only higher education and employment. Micro-credentials are already used widely across the spectrum of life-wide and lifelong learning, including personal development, well-being, volunteering, and civic life.
Include in the definition more types of micro-credentials that may represent a rich diversity of learning and achievements. For example, membership, participation, motivation, contribution and other accomplishments.
Promote openness, access and inclusion for all who may benefit by acquiring micro-credentials to succeed in their learning, civic and career pathways.
Support the decentralisation of microcredentials governance and quality assurance. Diverse sectors – business, volunteering, non-formal education – use micro-credentials and their specific quality systems to fill the gap left by a rather centralised and hierarchical system of traditional credentials, such as diplomas or qualification certificates.
Acknowledge that micro-credentials enable organisations to capture and showcase skills and competences that are yet not included in the existing qualification frameworks.
Promote the use of micro-credentials across diverse sectors. Support the development of national validation schemes allowing the transfer of micro-credentials across different sectors, enabling people to accumulate their experience and use micro-credentials in diverse fields afterwards
Ensure that Europass Digital Credentials Infrastructure (EDCI) would be open to easily add micro-credentials like Open Badges, which were already issued securely and reliably.
Adjust Erasmus+ funding priorities and expand possible funding of projects aiming to test micro-credentials beyond higher education and vocational education and training fields, especially focusing on non-formal education (youth and adult) where micro-credentials fit the nature of education and can provide important personal, social and formal recognition of learning.
Increase cooperation and good practice exchange on the use of micro-credentials among organisations in the EU and the Neighbouring EU regions.
Recommend EU member states to integrate recognition with micro-credentials within the state grant programmes to increase wider acceptance of micro-credentials and enable citizens to collect them as evidence of achievements.
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Relevant resources:
General information on the European approach to micro-credentials﻿
Find out more about the Cities of Learning platform﻿
﻿Open Badge Essentials﻿
12 good practices Badges4Good﻿
A self-paced course on Creating quality Open Badges and badge systems﻿
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Badgecraft héberge et développe cette plateforme avec les principaux organismes d'éducation. La première version de cette plateforme a été cofinancée par Erasmus +, programme de l'Union européenne. Contactez-nous à : support@badgecraft.eu .