Launching microcredentials for online education

In a recent move to further contribute to the flexibilisation of education, and in line with its vision in support of lifelong learning, TU Delft will soon be offering microcredentials for some of its online courses. A microcredential is a reliable certificate that allows professionals to demonstrate their acquired knowledge and skills after they successfully complete a small educational unit in higher education – for example a short course or module – guaranteeing its quality.

The Extension School for Continuing Education represents TU Delft in the Dutch national pilot, comprising more than 30 higher education institutions, to create a framework for microcredentials in the context of Lifelong Learning provision for professionals.

Accredited, verifiable and portable
To qualify as microcredential, each educational unit – in this case, an online course – needs to fullfil a number of quality requirements that have been approved by the Universities of the Netherlands. Once the learner has successfully completed the course, they are awarded the microcrendtials in the form of a digital certificate, called Edubadge.

This badge is verifiable, portable and has no expiry date. One of its advantages is that it can be easily shared via social media with employers or other educational institutions to verify that the learner has acquired the knowledge and skills that are described in the course learning outcomes.

This short video by the ‘Acceleration plan’ initiative explains the reasons for the pilot and the advantages for professionals, employers and institutions.

Currently, three online academic courses in the field of aerospace engineering, from the TU Delft Extension School portfolio, participate in the national pilot:

• Fatigue of Structures & Materials
• Linear Modeling (including FEM)
• Design of Lightweight Structures I: Composites and Metals.

The expectation is that the first associated Edubadges will be issued in December 2022, when learners would have completed all course requirements.

For more information on the pilot, please contact Cora van Haaren, Project Manager Lifelong Learning, TU Delft Extension School.