Microcredentials in higher education: dimensions and tensions in the construction of institutional frameworks. An integrative review of literature
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35362/rie10117356Keywords:
Higher education, Microcredentials, Education quality, Lifelong learning, Institutional frameworkAbstract
The expansion of microcredentials in higher education faces the risk of piecemeal implementations that degrade their academic value. This article analyzes this problem through an integrative review of the literature (2020-2025) in Spanish, English, and Portuguese, with a corpus of 126 documents that includes academic articles, reports from international organizations and institutional documentation. The analysis, supported by MAXQDA, allowed us to identify three constitutive dimensions of an institutional framework: academic-curricular architecture (modularity, granularity, stackability, learning outcomes); technological-productive articulation (verifiability, portability, connection with the environment); and governance with quality assurance (decisional circuits, standards, institutionalization). The central finding is that these dimensions do not operate in isolation but are configured around fundamental tensions: granularity vs. stackability, verifiability vs. interpretation, agility vs. control, tensions that any institutional framework should explicitly manage. It is concluded that the credibility of microcredentials depends on institutional coherence understood as a dynamic balance between these forces, and not on partial implementations that privilege one dimension over the others. The study offers a map of tensions as a conceptual tool for the design of university policies in this field.
Downloads
References
ACQ Framework. (2024, octubre 28). Handbook on Micro-credentials. https://acqf.africa/capacity-development-programme/webinars/4th-acqf-forum-micro-credentials-for-better-opportunities/acqf-ii-mc-handbook-version-1-1_en_web.pdf
ANECA. (2022). Microcredenciales: Formación inclusiva en todos los formatos y para todas las edades. https://www.aneca.es/documents/20123/49576/MICROCREDENCIALES_Informe_V3.pdf/db424827-b464-d41d-ae09-717eb95e5742?t=1660907214565
Apple, M. W. (2004). Creating Difference: Neo-Liberalism, Neo-Conservatism and the Politics of Educational Reform. Educational Policy, 18(1), 12-44. https://doi.org/10.1177/0895904803260022 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0895904803260022
Apple, M. W. (2005). Audit Cultures, Commodification, and Class and Race Strategies in Education. Policy Futures in Education, 3(4), 379-399. https://doi.org/10.2304/pfie.2005.3.4.378 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2304/pfie.2005.3.4.378
AQU Catalunya. (2021). Guía de acreditación ex-ante de programas de corta duración. AQU Catalunya. https://www.aqu.cat/es/Estudios/Difusion/Publicaciones/Buscador-de-publicaciones/Guia-de-acreditacion-ex-ante-de-programas-de-corta-duracion
Barrantes, C., Rojas, M., Saborío, L., & Camacho, J. (2022). Microtítulos y microcredenciales en Educación Superior. Revista ESPILA, 5(1), 18-21. DOI: https://doi.org/10.61454/rhg69g80
Booth, A., Sutton, A., & Papaioannou, D. (2016). Systematic approaches to a successful literature review (Second edition). SAGE. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Andrew-Booth-2/publication/235930866_Systematic_Approaches_to_a_Successful_Literature_Review/links/5da06c7f45851553ff8705fa/Systematic-Approaches-to-a-Successful-Literature-Review.pdf
Bracken, M., & Buck, J. (2023). Stackable Programs: Leading the Way for Success for Nontraditional and Underrepresented Students. The Journal of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering, 39(2). https://doi.org/10.31274/jtmae.14484 DOI: https://doi.org/10.31274/jtmae.14484
Brown, M., & Nic-Giolla-Mhichil, M. (2022, octubre 2). Unboxing micro-credentials: An inside, upside and downside view (Descifrando las microcredenciales: en qué consisten, ventajas e inconvenientes). Culture and Education, 34(4), 938-973. https://doi.org/10.1080/11356405.2022.2102293 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/11356405.2022.2102293
Cascante-Pérez, S., & Alfaro-Ramírez, A. Y. (2025). Informe valorativo de las credenciales utilizados en educación superior a nivel internacional, mediante el uso de benchmarking. https://repositorio.conare.ac.cr/server/api/core/bitstreams/2144f17c-3506-4d1e-a19f-b4053e1a1054/content
COEPES. (2021). Sistema de microcredenciales en el Estado de Guanajuato. https://coepesguanajuato.mx/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Sistema-de-Microcredenciales-en-GTO.pdf
Consejo de la Unión Europea. (2022, junio 16). Recomendación del Consejo relativa a un enfoque europeo de las microcredenciales para el aprendizaje permanente y la empleabildiad. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/ES/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32022H0627(02)
Davis, M., De Bari, J., & Maschi, S. (2023). Credentialling: Educational Pathways in Design. She Ji: The Journal of Design, Economics, and Innovation, 9(2), 117-134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sheji.2023.03.001 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sheji.2023.03.001
Díaz, E. (2025). Modelos de gobernanza universitaria para microcredenciales: Desafíos normativos e institucionales en Europa y América Latina. Journal of the Academy, (13), 67-92. DOI: https://doi.org/10.47058/joa13.5
Galvis, A., Aguirre, S., & Mora, O. (2024). Microcredencialización en educación superior: Revisión de literatura y de experiencias. Universidad de los Andes. https://conectate.uniandes.edu.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/microcredencializacion.pdf
Gontero, S., & Novella, R. (2021). El futuro del trabajo y los desajustes de habilidades en América Latina. CEPAL. https://repositorio.cepal.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/6f8ee77b-714f-4ad7-8100-7253082dd1d0/content
Guzmán, A. (2024). Flexibilidad curricular y credenciales alternativas en el posgrado: Estrategias para cerrar la brecha de habilidades entre la educación superior y el mercado laboral. CASO: Maestría en Ingeniería de Software – Universidad de los Andes [Magister en Educación, Universidad de los Andes]. https://repositorio.uniandes.edu.co/server/api/core/bitstreams/8dcf5b89-3944-4c5c-b976-87782c23b6e7/content
Marques, S. M. S., Oliveira, I. L. D., Soares, C. P. J., Bomfim, L. D. P., & Marques, R. F. (2025). Métodos de pesquisa: Revisão sistemática, revisão integrativa e pesquisa documental. CONTRIBUCIONES A LAS CIENCIAS SOCIALES, 18(2), e15399. https://doi.org/10.55905/revconv.18n.2-146 DOI: https://doi.org/10.55905/revconv.18n.2-146
McGreal, R., & Olcott, D. (2022). A strategic reset: Micro-credentials for higher education leaders. Smart Learning Environments, 9(1), 9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40561-022-00190-1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40561-022-00190-1
Mencias, O. (2013). El Estado como impulsor de la formación continua. https://recla.org/revista/edicion-1.pdf
Ministerio de Universidades. (2024). Plan de acción para el desarrollo de microcredenciales universitarias en España. https://microcredenciales.uca.es/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/DOC-planmicrocreds_SIN-MARCAS.pdf
Moodie, G., & Wheelahan, L. (2021). Credentialing micro-credentials. The Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability, 12(1), 58-71. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21153/jtlge2021vol12no1art1564
MQA. (2020). Guidelines to Good Practices: Micro-credentials. https://storage.googleapis.com/wp-uploads.bucket.wp.uc3m.es/wp-content/uploads/sites/93/2023/10/09103041/GGP-Micro-credentials-July-2020.pdf
OECD. (2021). Micro-credential innovations in higher education: Who, What and Why? (OECD Education Policy Perspectives No. 39). https://doi.org/10.1787/f14ef041-en
OEI. (2024). Panorama de las Microcredenciales en Educación Superior de Iberoamérica. Organización de Estados Iberoamericanos. https://oei.int/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/microcredenciales-final-def.pdf
Parral, F., & González, N. (2023). Micro credencialismo y uso de insignias digitales en programas universitarios [Tesis para obtar por Maestría en Tecnología Educativa, Tecnológico de Monterrey]. https://repositorio.tec.mx/items/b69d581f-0d35-403c-a01b-b881d0cdf5ed
Pollard, V., & Vincent, A. (2022). Micro-credentials: A Postdigital Counternarrative. Postdigital Science and Education, 4(3), 843-859. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-022-00311-6 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-022-00311-6
Proaño-Real, E. S., Morán-Vélez, F. F., Samaniego-Loza, F. J., & Orquera-Arguero, P. S. (2024). Diseño curricular centrado en competencias y habilidades prácticas en la formación técnica y tecnológica. Portal de la Ciencia, 5(2), 236-253. https://doi.org/10.51247/pdlc.v5i2.483 DOI: https://doi.org/10.51247/pdlc.v5i2.483
QAA. (2023). Guide to micro-credential design. Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. https://www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaa/members/guide-to-micro-credential-design.pdf?sfvrsn=699aac81_12
Shanahan, B. W., & Organ, J. (2022). Harnessing the Benefits of Micro Credentials for Industry 4.0 and 5.0: Skills Training and Lifelong Learning. IFAC-PapersOnLine, 55(39), 82-87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifacol.2022.12.015 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifacol.2022.12.015
Tamoliune, G., Greenspon, R., Tereseviciene, M., Volungeviciene, A., Trepule, E., & Dauksiene, E. (2023). Exploring the potential of micro-credentials: A systematic literature review. Frontiers in Education, 7, 1006811. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2022.1006811 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2022.1006811
Tyndall, J. (2010). AACODS checklist. Flinders University. https://fac.flinders.edu.au/dspace/api/core/bitstreams/e94a96eb-0334-4300-8880-c836d4d9a676/content
UNESCO. (2022). Towards a common definition of micro-credentials. https://storage.googleapis.com/wp-uploads.bucket.wp.uc3m.es/wp-content/uploads/sites/93/2023/10/09103010/381668eng-1.pdf
UNESCO. (2023, junio 20). Flexible learning pathways: A more relevant future for all. https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/flexible-learning-pathways-more-relevant-future-all
UNESCO. (2025). Mapeo de microcredenciales en América Latina y el Caribe: Hacia un marco común (No. 11). https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000393794_spa.locale=en
Unigarro, M., Arroyave, N., & Puerta, C. (2024). Guía para la presentación y el diseño de microcredenciales. Ediciones Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia. https://doi.org/10.16925/wpgp.11
Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia, & Arroyave, N. (2023). El enfoque de las microcredenciales en la educación superior. Ediciones Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia. https://doi.org/10.16925/wpgp.08
Universidad de Chile. (2025). Marco referencial para el diseño y emisión de microcredenciales en instituciones de educación superior en América Latina y el Caribe (T 2.4). https://medicina.uchile.cl/dam/jcr:6afc2c3e-6db0-439d-b128-3e983817cc11/D2.4_MarcoMOCHILA.pdf
Universidad de Medellín. (2022). Acuerdo 6: Ruta para la implementación de credenciales alternativas en la Universidad de Medellín. https://normasyreglamentos.udemedellin.edu.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Acuerdo-6-del-15-de-marzo-de-2022-Ruta-para-la-Implementacion-de-Credenciales-Alternativas.pdf
Universidad de Oviedo. (2025). Manual de ayuda: Presentación de una propuesta de microcredencial universitaria en la Universidad de Oviedo. https://sede.uniovi.es/documents/1055797/5626505/Manual+de+ayuda.+Presentaci%C3%B3n+de+una+propuesta+de+microcredencial+en+UO+%28v+de+fecha+16-04-2024%29.pdf/2b7cf642-5132-0a2a-1314-83d24170089f?t=1766746941923
Universidad de Puerto Rico. (2024). Guía para desarrollar credenciales apilables en la Universidad de Puerto Rico. https://www.upr.edu/ac/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2024/11/GUIA-Credenciales-Apilables-28-oct-2024.pdf
Uríbarri, J., & Auricchio, G. (2021). El auge de las micro credenciales y su impacto en la educación del futuro. Nueva Revista, (179), 68-77.
Varadarajan, S., Koh, J. H. L., & Daniel, B. K. (2023). A systematic review of the opportunities and challenges of micro-credentials for multiple stakeholders: Learners, employers, higher education institutions and government. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 20(1), 13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-023-00381-x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-023-00381-x
Whittemore, R., & Knafl, K. (2005). The integrative review: Updated methodology. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 52(5), 546-553. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2648.2005.03621.x
How to Cite
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Iberoamerican Journal of Education
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Any authors who publish with this journal accept the following terms:
