The place of micro-credentials in higher education: between disorderly expansion and the construction of articulated ecosystems

Abstract

The article analyses the recent expansion of micro-credentials in higher education and argues that their growth, rather than producing an ordered field, has generated a fragmented landscape characterised by multiple actors, overlapping functions and still insufficient frameworks of reference. Drawing on a critical review of the current debate, it identifies the main reasons for their rise, linked to more dynamic learning pathways, demands for continuous upskilling, new student profiles and a widening gap between traditional higher education formats and transformations in the social and productive world. The article also examines the conceptual and functional ambiguities surrounding micro-credentials, as well as the most recurrent criticisms concerning their quality, their relationship with the market, the possible fragmentation of knowledge and their articulation with broader qualifications. On this basis, it proposes shifting the discussion from the mere proliferation of offerings towards the construction of an articulated, transparent and governable ecosystem. In this direction, it highlights as central components the articulation with credit systems and qualifications frameworks, quality assurance, verifiability, the role of higher education institutions and the definition of differentiated responsibilities across levels and actors.