Unboxing micro-credentials for ODL universities: competency development for human capital

Abstract

The rising prominence of micro-credentials started during the COVID-19 pandemic, where online resources offered competency-building opportunities for the work-from-home (WFH) human capital. During this pandemic, traditional universities faced total halt to face-to-face lectures, but ways paved for open and distance learning (ODL) universities to showcase their prowess in higher education by successfully continuing to offer programmes digitally. Lesson learnt from the lockdown, higher education institutions (HEIs) have begun implementing online programmes, including micro-credentials. This paper investigates the role of microcredentials in competency development and employment opportunities and the trends and challenges in offering micro-credentials. This study employed a triangulation approach for data collection from the workforce, universities, employers and statutory bodies. The findings indicated that the workforce desired more options to upgrade and upskill themselves, opting for shorter durations and lower fees. Employers surveyed, prefer employees with high-value skills and competencies. The findings also indicated that conventional HEIs have started to actively engage in short-term programmes for adult learners via ODL too. The implication of these findings indicates that ODL universities implementing micro-credentials must consider the acceptance and stackability of micro-credentials from different HEIs, with clear validation metrics, and allow transferability among ODL institutions in different countries, through AAOU as an international consortium.