Valid Assessment

Quality Assessment

The critical differentiator of the micro-credential definition used by the EU is that “micro-credential learning outcomes (must be) assessed against transparent and clearly defined criteria ” (Council of the EU, 2022). Where short periods of learning such as a MOOC, merely offer a non-assessed credential such as a certificate of attendance, they are not considered to be micro-credentials as per the EU definition.

To avoid cumbersome recognition procedures and increase trust in micro-credentials for their recognition it is necessary for all micro-credential providers to ensure assessment criteria and methods are quality assured and documented. Their relevance (suitability) for assessment of learning outcomes defined in the micro-credential should be assessed in consultation with stakeholders, persons who conduct training or carry out assessment, and tested to evaluate their effectiveness and practicality. The quality of assessment and the way how the assessment methods and criteria are designed are critically important for ensuring reliability, objectivity and validity of assessment and credibility of its results.

Based on the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG, 2015), a quality assessment should ensure that:

• The criteria for and method of assessment as well as criteria for marking are published in advance.
• The assessment allows students to demonstrate the extent to which the intended learning outcomes have been achieved.
• Students are given feedback, which, if necessary, is linked to advice on the learning process.
• Assessors or assessment designers are familiar with existing testing and examination methods and receive support in developing their own skills in this field.
• Assessment is consistent, fairly applied to all students and carried out in accordance with stated procedures.

Organising fit for purpose assessment and quality assurance of assessment for micro-credentials provided in non-formal or informal learning contexts is also expected for the credentials to be recognised for further education and training purposes.

Micro-credential designers and issuers should formulate the criteria, forms and procedures of assessment most appropriate to evaluate the tasks with which learners can best demonstrate attaining the agreed learning outcomes. While multiple-choice tests and other easily automatable assessment techniques can offer scale at low cost, they are not always the best choice for proving a given unit of learning. Project or problem-based learning assessment methods are commonly used in micro-credentials provided by two European University Alliances: The Arqus Alliance’s 'Engaged Citizens' Program (see Offer Guidance for Life-Long Learning) and the European Consortium of Innovative Universities (ECIU) Alliance’s Micro-Modules. A combination of assessment methods such as a written questioning or exam combined with a practical simulation, or the presentation of a project followed by answers to oral questions tend to offer higher predictive validity of learner performance. Table 5 gives a breakdown of different assessment options.

Table 5: Forms of assessment

Source: Adapted from Sood et al. (2018) and Mitroi (2012).

Providers should consider on-site assessment with ID verification the most effective method against cheating. For micro-credential providers that are only able to organise assessment online, the project “An Adaptive Trust-based e-assesment System for Learning” (TeSLA) recommends using biometric instruments such as facial verification, voice recognition and keystroke dynamics among other methods to ensure the learner's identity and authorship (TeSLA, 2018). Any such instruments and means of learner verification must ensure leaner's rights to privacy and be in line with state or regional regulations such as the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Third-parties recognising micro-credentials may wish to know whether the applied assessment criteria and methods were appropriate for evaluating the intended learning outcomes. Hence, it is vital that micro-credential providers or recognised assessment providers publish the assessment criteria, processes and methods together with the grades schemes to ensure full trust in the output. This can be done by including information on the assessment processes in the document supplementing the qualification (or however otherwise termed such as award or certificate) gained upon completion of the micro-credential.

Validation of Non-Formal and Informal Learning (VNFIL)

Assessment plays a key role in the validation of learning irrespective of the context in which this learning took place.

Micro-Credentials open new opportunities for the Validation of Non-Formal and Informal learning by acknowledging smaller, nuanced units of skills acquisition. This approach challenges traditional qualifications' monolithic structure, spotlighting granular competencies and opening diverse learning paths. By certifying distinct skills or knowledge areas, micro-credentials foster tailored, lifelong learning, acknowledging varied expertise sources. They bridge the gap between formal education and real-world applications, enhancing workforce adaptability. Thus, micro-credentials democratize learning recognition, offering a more dynamic, precise tool for validating and celebrating all forms of knowledge acquisition.

Validation is strongly encouraged by the EU Council Recommendation on VNFIL (2012) and emphasises that the process of validation of learning outside formal settings must generate trust, notably by demonstrating that requirements of reliability, validity and quality assurance have been met. In this light, the Council of the EU (2012) recommends validation be made up of four steps:

1. Identification of an individual’s learning outcomes acquired through non-formal and informal learning.
2. Documentation of an individual’s learning outcomes acquired through non-formal and informal learning.
3. Assessment of an individual’s learning outcomes acquired through non-formal and informal learning.
4. Certification of the results of the assessment of an individual’s learning outcomes acquired through non-formal and informal learning in the form of a qualification, or credits leading to a qualification, or in another form, as appropriate.

Micro-credentials in this case can be acquired upon certification of the results of the assessment. In the Netherlands, one of the main success factors for increasing opportunities for VNFIL is the introduction of policy standards that allow smaller bits of learning to be assessed based on the motto that the glass is half full rather than half empty (Duvekot, 2016).

Furthermore, another way in which micro-credentials support VNFIL is through the unbundling of assessment from course provision (in that the learner can be directly assessed without being required to attend the course). The latter supposes learners have developed learning outcomes in non-formal or in-formal settings. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is one example for unbundled assessment, whereby language proficiency can be assessed without the user undergoing the course. Below are more examples of how unbundled assessment supports validation of already attained learning outcomes.

Kazakhstan

Atameken National Chamber in Kazakhstan established and manages a Register of Certification Centres of Specialists. In 2021, 36 registered centres assessed individuals’ competences based on their occupational standards. These awards are supplementary to the formal learning programmes within the Vocational Education and Training sector and are not part of their qualifications framework (ETF, 2021 and ETF, Policy Outlook on Micro-credentials. Survey, 2022).

Tunisia

Within the national vocational training framework, there is a plan to implement a national system for the certification of learning outcomes (ETF, 2021). This system would enable the recognition of informal and non-formal learning outcomes through the certification of unit(s), in French termed "Champs de Competences" for the partial completion of formal learning programmes. The assessment would be organised based on a national certification reference system and carried out by a third party under supervision (ETF, Policy Outlook on Micro-credentials. Survey, 2022).