Micro-credentials: A Postdigital Counternarrative

• Published in: Postdigital science and education Vol. 4; no. 3; pp. 843 - 859
• Main Authors: Pollard, Vikki, Vincent, Andrew
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.10.2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Access to Education; Accreditation; College Students; Colleges & universities; Credentials; Design; Education; Educational Philosophy; Educational Technology; Employment Potential; Ethics; Funding; Government (Administrative Body); Higher education; Institutional Mission; Labor Force; Neoliberalism; Original Articles; Principles; Qualifications; Recognition (Achievement); Students; Technology and Digital Education; Thinking Skills; Universities; Workforce; Australia; United States > US
• ISSN: 2524-485X; 2524-4868
• DOI: 10.1007/s42438-022-00311-6

Alternative credentials, such as micro credentials and digital badges, are increasingly being developed in universities. Primarily aimed at employability, these credentials are being scrutinised as it is argued that they are surrounded by ‘great uncertainty’. We contribute to this scrutiny by examining the forms of subjectivity that result from micro-credentials. We argue that, in their current form, they tend to result in a neoliberal subject. Presented is a counter-narrative that examines the current state of micro-credentials and offers an alternative form that refuses instrumentalist logics. In doing so, we draw from Foucault and postdigital research. The result is a recommendation to implement three principles in the design of micro-credentials. The first is the principle of being embedded in the curriculum, the second is alignment with the university mission, and the third is a critical and reflective pedagogy. This recommendation offers further possible subjectivities.