Micro-Credentials and the Future of Higher Education

Human Capability Development Program 2023 isone of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 programs, that focuses on developing a solid educational foundation for all, prepares for the local and global future labor market, provides lifelong learning opportunities and providing innovation opportunities, through the development of basic and future skills, knowledge development, and focusing on the development and activation of policies and capabilities through a sustainable ecosystem capable of keeping pace with future changes for human capability development.

The National eLearning Strategy is based on the core pillars of the Human Capability Development Programs through its objectives and initiatives (National eLearning Centre, 2022A). The Saudi Arabia Digital Learning Future Framework focuses on how design, teaching, learning, and assessment structures and practices can lead to an innovative educational future. The framework reviews its three dimensions to reach the "why" goal as follows (National eLearning Center, 2023):

1. Design: Transition from learning for youth programs to  citizens strategic enabler for lifelong learning.
2. Teaching and Learning: A shift in teaching and learning needs from unified standards to personalized and learner-centered standards, while new technologies stimulate innovation.
3. Assessment: Future education needs focus on 21st-century skills and capabilities.

The Concept of Micro-Credentials

Micro-credentials are a relatively new concept in the field. To address today's dynamic changes at all levels and in various fields, new innovative mechanisms must be developed to verify the knowledge, competencies, and skills that have become a requirement to meet the needs of the labor market, not relying solely on the academic degrees acquired by individuals during different stages of learning, which requires a joint efforts to meet the growing demand for those degrees from legislators, decision-makers, and recognition donors.

Several different authorities and organizations have addressed this concept within their respective contexts. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD, 2021A) has defined micro-credentials as: a structured educational activity associated with those credentials, that recognize a skill or competency acquired by an organized learning process and validated through assessment. Thus, the term is generally understood to refer to both the credentials and the educational or training program that leads to the granting of the credentials.

According to UNESCO 2022, a micro-credential is a record of learning achievement that focuses on verifying what the learner knows, understands, or can do, including assessment based on clearly defined standards, is awarded by a trusted provider, autonomous, and may also contribute to the completion of other micro-credentials or faculties, including recognition of previous learning, and meets the standards required to ensure relevant quality.

It is defined by the National eLearning Center 2023B as a document proving that a learner has achieved concentrated learning outcomes in a specific field and in a short time, awarded by a trusted institution based on passing clear assessment standards.

To make the definition of micro-credentials practical, it is proposed to add some standard criteria, including: the name of thecredential holder, the institution that offers the credential, the level in the national qualification framework, the learning outcomes, the assessment method, its results, and quality assurance. These certificates can be earned before, during, after, as part of, in addition to, or instead of regular degree programs , and can be formally accredited by schools and universities, accepted as an alternative learning pathway, or even discredited as a threat to regular learning. These certificates are relevant to learners at all stages of life and can be offered at any appropriate level of the national qualification framework (van der Hijden & Martin, 2023).

Micro-Credentials as an Innovation in Higher Education

Micro-credentials have increasingly emerged in discussions related to learning, training and labor market policies, as decision-makers, teachers, and instructors around the world perceive micro-credentials as an innovation with many potential uses and benefits, as a comprehensive solution to problems facing learning, training and labor market systems, and some have begun to incorporate them into current practices and policy frameworks (OECD, 2023).

Tamoliūnė et al., 2023, state that micro-credentials will continue to gain popularity in higher education due to the constantly changing requirements of the sector in the 21st century, and therefore higher educational institutions can be seen as both providers and innovators of such certificates. Therefore, higher educational institutions must recognize micro-credentials as innovative practices      that require changes and flexibility in the design of competency-based curriculum. The application of micro-credentials in higher educational institutions may promote several aspects, including

•  Re-skilling / Up-skilling:

Transferable skills, such as communication, critical thinking, and teamwork skills, tend to be highly valued by individuals in their long-term careers.Micro-credentials are a fast-evolving new form of certificates that addresses the constantly changing skill requirements in the labor market. They enable the acquisition of specific skills and competencies not easily substituted by traditional credentials. This approach offers a rapid, learner-focused, competency-driven pathway for career development and introduces new opportunities for acquiring additional skills and co-curricular skills.

•  Lifelong Learning:

 Micro-credentials promote lifelong learning by offering short-term open learning opportunities to expand learning opportunities, develop skills, and shape the lifelong learning dimension of higher education.This is achieved through two perspectives: empowering learners to develop specific skills and providing a means to record their learning achievements.

•  Career Guidance:

 Enable the development of flexible personal learning pathways, when learners can plan their learning by selecting the courses or subjects they require at their convenience.

•  Assessment and Recognition of Prior Learning:

The integration of micro-credentials enables higher educational institutions to expand their services and functions in the assessment and recognition of non-formal learning and informal learning. Following the theory of innovation diffusion, the process of implementing micro-credentials is a gradual process involving all stakeholders, with procedures and decisions.

• Stackability of Credits and Qualifications:

Micro-credentials can also be useful for higher educational institutions, as these certificates are usually presented in a digital format, which can improve access to learning and promote higher enrollment rates. It is therefore important that higher educational institutions implement micro-credentials to improve learning outcomes and enhance the employability of their graduates.

•  Integration into Curriculum:

A comprehensive understanding of the implementation processes and infrastructure of micro-credentials is required. This includes considering institutional regulations, infrastructure, faculty incentives, and curriculum changes. Additionally, it is important to consider the digitization of learner data and its elements in the process of recognizing micro-credentials as part of a wider digital infrastructure. By implementing the necessary infrastructure, institutions can support the successful development of micro-credential integration and support all stakeholders involved.

Micro-Credentials Trends and Impacts

Several potential trends and impacts enable micro-credentials,which can bring about positive change or impact on educational institutions and learners, as well as driving factors that may enable positive outcomes [see Figure 1], which can be summarized as follows (Pirkkalainen et al., 2023):

Figure 1: Micro-credentials trends and impacts

(1) Technical Factors:

• A reliable and secure data exchange technical platform.

• Open badges and other accreditation techniques that enable transparency and recognition.

• Utilization of AI power to personalize the learning and teaching experience.

• Open-source technology based on national standards.

• Building on existing infrastructure instead of starting from scratch.

• Leverage blockchain technology to link learning to the identity of the learner.

(2) Policy Drivers:

• Develop strategies at the national level in cooperation between ministries, higher educational institutions, and employers.
• Define the levels of micro-credentials by the National Qualification Frameworks.
• Include micro-credentials in national quality assurance standards and guidelines.
• Nationally trusted platform.
• Linking commercial recruitment platforms with national educational institutions.

(3) Impact on Institutions:

• Provide institutions with flexible and more personalized learning opportunities.
• Institutions can utilize micro-credentials to recognize the skills and competencies of learners and instructors.
• Adopt new business models for professional institutions of higher educational institutions.
• Emergence of new learning ecosystems, involving universities, employers, and providers of learning content.
• Reduce the dropout rate.

(4) Impact on Learners:

• Reduce skill mismatches and enhance employability.
• Increasing learners' motivation, responsibility, and determination enables effective learning.
• Demonstrate learning outcomes through the core metadata related to skills and competencies included in the learner's micro-credentials and beyond the simple participation certificate.
• Participation of disadvantaged individuals is increased by providing lifelong learning, and learning flexibility, thus contributing to the well-being of society.
• Learners are better prepared for jobs that did not exist before and thus can meet future needs.

Kinds of Micro-Credentials

A review of micro-credentials offered by major global platforms such as LinkedIn Learning, Coursera, and EdX suggests that three kinds of micro-credentials tend to vary in size, complexity, and degree of recognition [see Figure 2], as illustrated below (Hudak & Camilleri, 2018):

Figure 2: Kinds of Micro-Credentials

 Skill-Credentials:

A new method to identify and recognize individual's skills, knowledge, capabilities, and achievements, and enabling learners to connect with recruiters and new opportunities, typically characterized by:

• Ranging from 4-12 learning hours.
•  Awarded for informal learning.
• Quality is not guaranteed by external quality assurance.
• Related to the acquisition of specific competencies.

 Micro-Credential Modules:

Focused on academic skills, often separated from degree programs, can be reassembled to be parts of other programs, and may sometimes be built as massive open online courses (MOOCs), typically characterized by:

• Ranging from 25 to 150 learning hours.
• Awarded for formal learning and includes options for assessment.
• Quality is often guaranteed by external quality assurance.
• Associated with the acquisition of a range of academic learning outcomes.

 Short Learning Programmes:

The term is synonym to micro-qualification, which represents the acquisition of academic competency through a set of courses. This package of courses can be offered in two ways: (a) a set of "modules-based" micro-credentials that can be taken independently, and can also be combined into larger micro-credentials; (b) a set of courses that exist as part of a short learning program, which are often linked to career stages, and can be used to access specific careers, or in continuing professional development scenarios, and are typically designated:

• Ranging from 150 to 1,500 learning hours.
• Granted for formal learning and includes options for assessment.
• Quality is guaranteed by external quality assurance.
• It is linkable to qualification frameworks, either as "partial certificates" or as a special class of micro-credentials.
• Linked to a specific goal for career advancement. 

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International Experiences in Micro-Credentials

 :Different countries experiences of the accreditation of micro-credentials and its adoption through different initiatives can be summarized as follows

• Experiences from European countries and OECD countries

European and OECD citizens have access to diverse higher education offerings organized at a national or regional level, as stated by van der Hijden & Martin, 2023. This is further enhanced by the massive convergence process Bologna Process which aims to create a European area of higher education, the adoption of the structure of higher education certificates, as well as the slow emergence of new models and standards for short courses in Singapore and South Korea. Singapore has launched the Credit Bank's Lifelong Learning SkillsFuture, and in the UK some universities award a degree or other certificates to a learner who obtained at least 3 micro-credentials which have been required by the university. Other universities require more than a third of certificates. Internal and external quality assurance has also been well-developed. The quality assurance principles of national and regional qualification frameworks make it necessary to assess all certificates at the level of the European Qualifications Framework to enhance confidence in their quality and level. National Qualifications Frameworks have also been approved in all European and OECD countries, where certificates are classified by level, based on learning outcomes, and digital credentials have been increasingly applied throughout Europe, using blockchain technology, and in Canada the eCampusOntario framework for micro-credentials has been developed to guide teachers, employers, and policymakers in developing new micro-credentials initiatives. France is also taking a strong approach to developing a registry to validate and list all accredited certificates

• Experiences from Developing and Emerging Countries 

Van der Hijden & Martin, 2023, explain that the accreditation of micro-credentials in academic institutions is still relatively low in developing and emerging countries, possibly due to the recognition factor of such qualifications, but notes that short-term online learning experiences are on the rise. In India, there is a trend towards distance learning programs that can build a strong foundation for short courses leading to micro-credentials, in addition to already existing national platforms such as SWAYAM, the government of Costa Rica has launched a reskilling and upskilling program in collaboration with the digital learning platform Coursera, some African universities have begun to develop initiatives for short courses based on micro-credentials. In Thailand, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation, in partnership with UMAP organization, has launched a pilot program to meet the needs of learners seeking to upskill and reskill as lifelong learners. In the Philippines, the Assessment and Research Center (ARC), in partnership with the Assessment, Curriculum, and Technology Research Center (ACTRC), studied the feasibility of using micro-credentials for the Alternative Learning System (ALS), as this system provides an alternative pathway to current formal learning and is available to anyone who has not completed K-12 education as required by the Philippine Constitution. Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) was the first university to implement flexible learning approaches through its distance learning program, and one of the notable developments within its flexible learning pathways was micro-credentials; the university offered full university programs with micro-credentials.

• Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Experience

The National eLearning Platform FutureX is one of the initiatives of the National eLearning Center (NeLC), which focuses on empowering the eLearning sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, by providing services and initiatives that achieve integration in the ecosystem through local and global partnerships, through a set of values and goals, which are: (1) Enhancing trust in eLearning, (2) Enabling integration between providers and beneficiaries, (3) Providing eLearning opportunities linked to the individual learner’s needs, (4) Improving the speed of eLearning’s response to changes, (5) Enhancing eLearning competencies. Some of the services that it offer are: (1) Providing institutions with local or global partnerships: To access learning programs, professional certificates and micro-credentials provided by leading international universities and institutions, to develop their employees and benefit from the expertise of the best international universities in digital learning practices, (2) Access to ASAS content: To access advanced learning content, linked to basic skills and concepts at the higher education level, developed and produced according to the methodology of micro-independent modules that can be built, reconfigured, and used to achieve the desired educational goals, as well as quality content control, (3) Developing educational content: To transform traditional learning content to digital learning content while maintaining the highest quality standards according to the learning content development methodology approved by the Center and compatible with international educational design standards, (4) Joining as a provider of digital learning content: to qualify them on the learning design principles and the Center’s standards, to link them with the beneficiaries through FutureX to access to the largest number of beneficiaries, (5) Learning platforms: To provide institutions with learning platform to deliver eLearning programs to their employees by linking them with institutions that build learning platforms and obtain certificates approved by the Centre, (6) Joining as a provider of learning platforms and technologies: To be qualified through the qualification program for platform providers according to the Center’s standards, and to connect them with the beneficiaries FutureX to achieve access to the largest number of beneficiaries, (7) Integration with FutureX: To make it possible for institutions owning learning platforms the opportunity to join as a provider of learning and training programs through technical integration with FutureX to facilitate all institutions’ access to it and add their courses within flexible learning pathways (National eLearning Center, 2023c).

Statistics indicate that more than 157,400 learners have joined FutureX, through a unified learning record linked to the national identity, at a rate of more than 700,000 learning hours, and more than 100,000 certificates have been issued, with more than 300 local and international partners in providing learning content, in addition to empowering 30 companies and integrating with them to provide services through FutureX, and reducing the cost by 67% through unified contracting (National eLearning Center, 2023d).

Several strategy initiatives in the National eLearning Center have employed these trends, such as the Stackable Credentials initiative, which enables learners to create recognized and trusted certificates from leading institutions, which is the creation of a constantly updated record of eLearning options through FutureX, evaluating existing and new eCourses and certificates, and determining weights/equations in cooperation with universities, use the learner’s passport to enable learners to collect certificates to enable them to obtain certificates and accredited achievements, supported by a database to ensure reliability and trust, and engaging employers to build a clear understanding to accept online credentials (National eLearning Center, 2022).

How Can Micro-Credentials Impact Institutions to Empower Learners in Higher Education?

Practice-based insights on the adoption of micro-credentials are still limited in higher education. Hence, the potential impact of these certificates remains unclear; It is not yet clear how these certificates can change educational institutions and learners, or impact or benefit them positively, in addition to the guiding factors that may contribute to achieving positive results. However, studies and research provide some indications about the potential benefits of implementing micro-credentials such as enhancing degree-oriented thinking through skills-oriented thinking, reskilling, and reskilling (Pirkkalainen et al., 2023).

:Orman et al., 2023, summarize the advantages of these certificates in higher education as follows

1. Acquiring skills at a low cost: Micro-credentials provide a solution to the problem of acquiring skills at a low cost, by offering alternative methods to those that prevent learners from accessing higher education degrees due to economic reasons, which is one of the problems that higher education suffers from. The focus and short duration make micro-credentials more effective for many learners and employees
2. Increasing employment opportunities: The preference for micro-credentials forms the basis of the economy and competition. As employers are in high demand for talented employees, employees are also competing for positions. In addition, micro-credentials expand the competitiveness and capabilities of both groups, by providing opportunities for employees in both recruitment and professional development processes.
3. Supporting facilitated learning: For which these credentials are one of the options in higher education, by providing comfort, flexibility, agility, transportation, and mobility

According to today's labor market, academic degrees are not a criterion for career success, although they are necessary and have long been an important factor in job applications. A study conducted by Ernst & Young in the United Kingdom shows that academic degrees have no relationship to job performance. Google is a good example of that;the Head of People Operations stated that the academic degreegrade has no value as a criterion for employment. On the other hand, Lumina Foundation created Credential Engine Platform to count all certificates that have value in the labor market. The institution wants to ensure, by 2025, 60% of adults obtain certificates. The British Government is seeking to invest a wide range of $200 million in institutions that offer certificates in 15 distinct pathways that are specifically designed for the needs of those unable to work and develop credentials that are different from academic degrees (Ehlers), 2018).

Micro-credentials are seen today as one of the solutions to prepare for future careers; their benefits over traditional study programs in higher education institutions have been greatly reflected. In a study by Ghasia et al., 2019 to explore micro-credentials in Tanzania, through interviews with lecturers, learners, and Edutech specialists from 4 Tanzanian universities, the results showed that these certificates can benefit learners and institutions, by promoting lifelong learning, with policies and infrastructure needed to ensure successful implementation. In his report on Making Micro-credentials Useful for Learners Employers and Service Providers, Oliver, 2019 outlines the factors that guide micro-credentials and the associated standards. He recommends taking immediate steps to make it successful by building trust, adding value, making it sustainable, and agreeing on a clear definition that is consistent with the internationally agreed ISCED definition of non-formal learning. It is also proposed that these certificates act as additional, alternative, complementary or component certificates to the official certificate. In a qualitative study of micro-credentials platforms, Kiiskilä et al., 2022 emphasized that opportunities to use digital evidence from short learning experiences can help institutions verify previous learning more easily and build trust and authenticity in the field. On the other hand, the results of a field study by Milian, 2021 suggest that micro-credentials can indirectly motivate learners, enhance employer recognition, and alleviate concerns about equality. In a study on MOOCs conducted by Calonge et al., 2019 it was noted that micro-credentials can be of great added value to learners. A survey project by the MicroHE Consortium, 2019, also revealed learners' expectations about the benefits of these certificates, as they believe they will help them to customize their learning, acquire skills that are increasingly in demand in the labor market, and access up-to-date information and more focused content. European project MICROBOL, 2021 report suggests that micro-credentials can enable learners to access interdisciplinary skills and knowledge. This can help to meet the labor market's need for an increasing proportion of employees with experience in more than one field.

Joint Micro-Credentials Frameworks

Question arises when establishing a licensed qualification system for lifelong learning,about how employers will understand and compare many different micro-credentials. Thus, there needs to be a consistent way of comparing and rewarding. To address this problem, international organizations such as UNESCO and OECD are focusing on building frameworks for micro-credentials such as joint micro-credentials framework created by the European Commission in collaboration with the European Union for MOOCs, to be used by MOOCs selectively, as well as a wider range of universities, and aimed at increasing consistency, quality and ease of licensing (Chakroun & Keevy, 2018; Kato et al., 2020).

According to Oliver (2019), the proliferation of micro-credentials has created some chaos and confusion for educators, employers, and service providers. Employers -during this process- are looking for support that can understand, compare, and judge the sheer number of micro-credentials that potential employees provide as evidence of sufficiency. The problem is that very few of these certifications have common standards or classifications for the required skills and competencies, which may prevent some of them from being licensed. Thus, there have been requests and actions to regulate, such as the Australian Qualifications Framework Review Panel and the New Zealand Qualifications Authority to ensure the quality of micro-credentials, including compliance with national qualification frameworks. In the United States, the Advanced Efficiency Initiative Map was created so that different agencies could balance their projects. Also, Credential Transparency Description Language was developed, which is a common framework for preparing micro-credential data. It provides a common, standardized, consistent, and transparent vocabulary for describing competence in diplomas, digital badges, certificates, licenses, and degrees of all types and levels. Credential Engine announced in March 2019 the launch of Competency Information Transparency partner with other organizations.

Alignment of Micro-Credentials within National Qualification Frameworks

Oliver (2019) states that the standards that micro-credentials should have to represent an official qualification or provide the opportunity to obtain credit should be clarified. He divides micro-       credentials into credit-bearing micro-credentials and non-credit micro-credentials and compares them as shown in the following table

Table (1): Comparison between credit-bearing micro-credentials and non-credit micro-credentials

*(Source: (Oliver, 2019, p20

Credit-bearing micro-credentials can be aligned with the qualification levels defined by the National Accredited Qualification Frameworks. Degree levels can be somewhat confusing, except for the bachelor, master, and PhD terms, which seem internationally familiar and understood. Therefore, to ensure simplicity, clarity and universal understanding, credit-bearing micro-credentials can be accommodated within the broader levels of higher education, such as:

This is shown in the following table about UNESCO's International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) and some other qualification frameworks.

​​​​​​​Table (2): Alignment of degree levels across various qualification frameworks

*Source: Oliver, 2019, p21(National Qualifications Framework in Saudi Arabia، 2023، p11)​​​​​​​

It should be noted that several countries around the world have developed their own systems that deal with ensuring the accreditation of micro-credentials and their alignment within national qualification frameworks. Similar studies like the Korean Academic Credit Bank System in South Korea, Singapore’s Future Skills credit system, Academic Credit Bank System in China and Europass in Europe represent skills and qualifications clearly and easily. These studies offer lifelong learning accounts, after collecting the required data to ensure confidentiality. These systems provide policymakers with tools to map and match learning with industry skills and use the techniques to encourage citizens to invest in continuing education. Employers are offered the opportunity to upskill their existing employees and find new talent, and incentives are made to offer courses at the explicit request of providers (Orman et al., 2023).

• Building Educational Ecosystem for Multi-Institutional Qualifications

Successful implementation of short courses leading to micro-credentials requires building an ecosystem in which many institutions within and outside the education field, and perform different roles, which may be directly in teaching and learning-related activities (on stage) or indirectly in supporting activities (off-stage) [see Figure 3]. These institutions consist of the following components:

Figure 3. The actors in the educational system for micro-credentials

:(van der Hijden & Martin, 2023) The roles of these institutions can be detailed as follows

• :Learners

Learners of all ages and backgrounds can apply to short courses, pass assessments, and obtain micro-credentials. Young individuals who have access to information on micro-credentials, especially in resource-constrained educational environments, typically develop their skills more quickly, and at a lower cost, than the options offered by the formal education system. Micro-credentials can be a tool for equity if you're organized well. On the other hand, registrants must fully comply with national and international data protection and privacy regulations. Learners must also be the owners of the micro-credentials they receive and be able to share them digitally with third parties, outside the institution.

• :Providers

Online platforms play an important role in serving educational needs, helping learners to find suitable training courses, assessment centers, or job offers. These platforms can be national or international, public or private. The awarding institution has the right to determine the conditions of admission, to grant exemptions related to the degrees, and to determine their size and level

• :Control modules

Quality assurance authorities conduct periodic external audits of course and degree program providers. These authorities include short course offerings in their external quality review processes, in addition to program and institutional reviews, and apply their standards in addition to those set by public authorities, professional authorities, public and private brands, and course providers

• :Enablers

Governments are adopting national qualification frameworks that are powerful enablers in the development of competencies, as these frameworks ensure recognition and quality assurance. In addition, governments license and fund course providers. It provides scholarships for learners, and it promotes guidance. Governments could consider creating individual learning accounts that can be used to provide purchase vouchers for citizens to use to pay for quality training courses and to obtain recognized micro-credentials. Employers can also encourage current and prospective employees to obtain short courses, take assessments, and obtain micro-credentials. They can also support their employees by linking job opportunities and promotions to specific micro-credentials, advising course providers on the most needed competencies in their field, and participating in negotiations on regulatory frameworks, funding plans, and recognition issues. Sponsors, charities, institutions, international organizations, and regional development banks can support providers of micro-credential courses

Integrated Cooperative Micro-Credentials

With the growing recognition of collaboration between institutions as one of the most important public drivers of innovation, micro-credentials have the potential to broaden collaboration between educational institutions, professional authorities, and companies. Certificates supported by employers, as well as ongoing professional development offered by higher education institutions to enterprises, are an informal collaboration and a means of transferring knowledge between higher education institutions and different employment sectors. When micro-credentials programs are systematically prepared as partnerships between higher education institutions, professional authorities and industries, their learning content can reflect the latest research findings and best professional practices; enhancing the capability of collaborative micro-credentials initiatives, such as the Digital Promise Initiative, to provide effective means of improving skills and supporting excellence in careers (OECD, 2021B) [see Framework (1)].

Framework (1) The Digital Promise Collaborative Micro-Credentials Initiative

Digital promise is a US non-profit organization founded to accelerate innovation and excellence in education. It has offered micro-credentials since 2014. The organization offers customized professional development opportunities in specific competencies with authentic real-life applications. Currently, the organization offers more than 450 research-supported micro-credentials related to early childhood education, K-12, higher education and adult education. Participating teachers can receive subject-specific digital badges, which are counted as points for lifelong learning in their states and regions. More than 50 partners, ranging from higher education institutions to nonprofit organizations, collaborate with the organization to create its research content, evaluate submitted applications, and award badges. Compared to the usual sit and git professional development program, the organization's programs stand out in three aspects

• Tailored: The tailored structure of the program provides specialists with control over the selection of relevant research content, that is aligned with career goals and professional development requirements
• .Flexible: Courses are offered on demand, and teachers have the choice of working alone or joining a learning community
• Excellence: The teacher is required to perform clearly to obtain the micro-credentials. The assessment standards are also clearly defined for each application, and each application is subject to rigorous assessment and feedback (Digital Promise, 2023)

The flexible Learning Pathways initiative of NeLC in Saudi Arabia came to achieve the goals of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, to align educational outcomes with the needs of the labor market, to raise the quality of life, and to raise the efficiency of educational outcomes, through the customization and design of flexible skill pathways, and to provide full access to courses, programs and professional certifications worldwide through the National eLearning Platform FutureX in collaboration with the leaders of eLearning in the world. The initiative aims to provide innovative pathways linked to labor market needs in partnership with global institutions, as follows

1. .K-12 pathway: Enhance the skills of secondary school students wishing to join the labor market
2. .Higher education pathway: Enhance the skills of higher education students to support them in joining the labor market
3. .Professional development pathway: Provide flexible career pathways for upskilling and reskilling (NeLC, 2023h).

Opportunities, Challenges, and Possible Solutions for Micro-Credential

Varadarajan et al., 2023 in their methodological review several opportunities and challenges facing micro-credential from the perspective of learners, employers, higher education institutions and government, as follows

Table 3: Opportunities and challenges of micro-credential from the perspective of stakeholders

 *Source: Varadarajan et al., 2023, p8-13

​​​​​​​Varadarajan et al., 2023) have concluded that HEIs occupy a central position in the micro-credential ecosystem, and have proposed three pathways for HEIs to implement micro-credentials, through a more careful study of the opportunities and challenges facing their ecosystem, as follows:

• Learners and higher educational institutions - micro-credentials as a learning pathway:

To connect higher educational institutions with learners through micro-credentials that provide opportunities to acquire 21st century skills in more learner-centered ways, through openness and transparency in participatory learning practices and peer learning communities.

• Employers and institutions of higher education - micro-credentials as employment pathway:

Companies across the United States in (2018) spent over (87.6) billion dollars on training and development. In this context, employers can use micro-credentialsas digital credentials to shortlist candidates based on their abilities required for a position; employers typically focus on skills rather than just paper certificates. Many companies are exploring open micro-credentials as a form of micro-professional learning. IBM's expanded open micro-credentials initiative has issued open micro-credentials to its employees and others in their online training, and reported that this program has resulted in increased employee engagement and participation in professional development, and increased the company's brand's impact on social media.

• Government and higher educational institutions - micro-credentials as qualification framework:

Governments are regulatory authorities for the quality of educational offerings, providing subsidies to beneficiaries directly or indirectly. As governments tended to reduce funding for higher education, it became a private product rather than a public asset, thus universities were forced to look for new sources of funding. On the other hand, governments are looking at ways to standardize, accredit, and fund alternative certification that can help them respond to emerging demographics and societal problems at a lower cost. Two types of challenges emerge here, the first is related to the awareness of micro-credentials among communities. The other relates that micro-credentials are a powerful gateway to the development of a century-old teaching method.

Recognition and Quality Assurance of Micro-CredentialEmpty heading

Some higher educational institutions offer micro-credential programs independently, may join alliances with other educational institutions, or collaborate with companies, employers, or industry authorities to offer them. At the same time, many professional authorities, governments, international organizations, researchers and working groups around the world are developing frameworks and records that support These certificates' readability and licensability. The abundance of frameworks available to policymakers and institutions has made it difficult to ensure that micro-credentials are documented in ways that are widely understood (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2021).

Ensuring reliability in the process of assessment of micro-credential outcomes requires the availability of two elements,

•  first: high-quality standards and measurement procedures commonly applied with the Rubric Performance Scale for the assessment of evidence [see Table (4)].

Table (4): Summary of information relevant to the assessment of micro-credential

*Source: Oliver, 2019, p25

The second element is to establish guidelines to ensure the quality of these certificates, including (Department of Education, Skills and Employment, 2020):

1. Based  on Learning outcomes: Highlighting the comprehensive learning outcomes that the learner is expected to achieve at the completion of the program.

2. Driven by labor market needs: Designed to focus on the learner and meet labor market standards/needs, and can address more general needs or skills, such as: communication and leadership.
3. Tailored and supports lifelong learning: Allowing learners to choose courses that target their future needs and aspirations, and supports lifelong learning given the increasing need to upskill and reskill.
4. Transparency and accessibility: Providing learners with adequate information before the start of the program on aspects such as learning outcomes, delivery method, expected effort, content and assessment methods.

السيناريوهات المستقبلية المحتملة لاعتماد الشهادات المصغرة
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In their study, (Pirkkalainen et al., 2023) point out that the adoption of micro-credentials is based on many political and technical developments, along with how institutions are applying these certificates in practice. Three possible scenarios could be implemented in the next 5 to 10 years, based on the degree of impact, as follows:

• Scenario 1: Higher educational institutions fully adopt micro-credentials to develop and demonstrate the skills and competencies in high demand for most of the programs they offer, with a strong focus on the possibility of licensing such as digital credentials, allowing for mutual recognition of those certificates between different higher educational institutions.
• Scenario 2: Higher education institutions adopting micro-credential partly to develop and demonstrate highly sought-after skills and competencies within micro-networks, for example, where some institutions within a single network participate in the creation and accreditation of micro-credential programs. These certificates will only be integrated into formal education in selected networks within these institutions.
• Scenario 3: Higher education institutions adopt minimum micro-credentials to develop and demonstrate skills and competencies in high demand at the institutional level. These official certificates will not be integrated into these institutions.

​​​​​​​Design of Micro-Credential Framework in Higher Educational Programs

Creating a contemporary model for micro-credential design requires planning for the future, as well as identifying the scope of the immediate opportunity. Therefore, it must be taken that the design is not confined to the data of these certificates, and to ensure that each accredited certificate can be integrated into a broader structure. One of the most important factors for achieving this is: determining the relationship between individual accredited certificates, whether they are linked by a hierarchy, or other organizational structure, assessing the size, duration, or weight of each micro-credential, and mapping the skills, competencies, or abilities each certificate contains individually [see Figure 4].

Figure (4): Scheme of micro-credential design (Rossiter & Tynan, 2019)

• Classification:

The classification of the certification data provides a comprehensive structure that illustrates the structural relationship between those data. Since micro-credentials fall primarily within informal and non-formal learning areas, a classification would be useful to show the relationships between them and to clarify the pathways between newer alternative forms of degrees, completed degree courses, and programs. Classification can also provide a clear and unified guide to the qualifications, while capturing the level of detail attributes of each, such as the amount of learning, depth, breadth, complexity, and coherence of knowledge, skills, and assessment criteria.

• Skills and Competencies Framework:

The framework provides a broad overview of all the skills, competencies and personal traits that the donor institution intends to provide. One of the most important principles of the framework is its focus on the application of knowledge, skills and competencies relevant to the field, rather than focusing on a more theoretical and formal approach. The framework works at a practical level to guide decision-making about which skills and competencies to be left, as well as what should be removed from the shortlist of micro-credentials.

• Design of Micro-Credential Learning Modules:

Can be conducted by creating, organizing, or licensing the content. The last two options provide a quick and practical introduction to the course development. Design can be shared with partners in the field, drawing on contemporary real-world practices, technical expertise, or incorporating professional association accreditation standards. This input reinforces the benefits of the methodological backward design (see Figure 4), in that the design process begins with the outputs or end goal -the acquisition of a particular skill or ability- and determines the considerations associated with assessment strategies, unit design, and content. The design must take into account several key principles including: constructive alignment of learning outcomes; providing supportive and authentic learning activities; designing for learner engagement and interaction; incorporating relevant, up-to-date and reliable content; supporting learning; appropriate choice of teaching technologies; ease of use; and adherence to disability standards and guidelines. Assessment must be the anchor point within the ecosystem of micro-credential, to enhance trust in its value. Clarifying assessment methods, criteria, tasks, and evidence is not only a requirement for learners, however, is vital to enable reviewers or beneficiaries of certificates to appreciate their true value (Rossiter & Tynan, 2019).

Figure 5: Reverse design model for micro-credential (Rossiter and Tynan, 2019)

Conclusionand Recommendations

This article has shown that several governments and higher educational institutions around the world are working to develop frameworks to deliver high-quality micro-credentials that are recognized by both higher educational institutions and the labor market, as well as building a framework for their design. The following recommendations may be made:

• Develop a comprehensive national guide to design and implement micro-credentials, which educational institutions can refer to when designing micro-credential programs, defining their concept, the minimum information to be provided to the learner, as well as the criteria associated with learning outcomes, assessment, the skills they address, accreditation, etc.
• Placement of micro-credential programs within the National Qualifications Framework in Saudi Arabia, especially since the placement of these certificates is possible within higher education levels (associate bachelor associate master).
• Enhance the quality of micro-credential programs in higher education by including them in the processes of academic evaluation accreditation and developing standards for their accreditation.

.Views expressed in this article are those of the authors and may not reflect those of the Center*