2025 Badge Summit

Higher education is facing many challenges. Evolving curricula, financial difficulties, rising student costs, and increased competition are some examples of issues that higher education institutions are grappling with. Some of these issues have been exacerbated by recent global events such as the Covid 19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis. However, there is one issue that acts as a major obstacle to learning, affecting both institutions and potential learners, and has been around since the advent of formal education: access to higher education remains grossly unequal (Stich, 2012). Students from low-income backgrounds, underrepresented minorities, and marginalized communities often face financial and other accessibility barriers that make it difficult to pursue higher education opportunities (Taylor and Cantwell, 2019).
Micro-credentials have been identified as a means of addressing inequality issues in higher education (European Commission, 2021). Our presentation, drawing on examples from Ireland’s National MicroCreds project, will explore how micro-credentials can improve accessibility and inclusivity in higher education by providing flexible, affordable, and high-quality learning opportunities that are accessible to learners from diverse backgrounds. A micro-credential is a proof of learning outcomes that a learner has acquired following a short, usually digital, learning experience. Credit bearing, and with the ability to “stack” learning towards a higher education award, micro-credentials offer a way for learners to control their own learning journeys (MICROBOL, 2022).
With the changing face of the workplace and the availability of new tools and approaches, the demand for lifelong learning and professional development opportunities is expected to grow (OECD, 2021). Micro-credentials have the potential to become an increasingly popular method for individuals, regardless of circumstance or background, seeking to advance their careers or improve their lives. An additional benefit of improving accessibility and inclusivity is the increased diversity of student cohorts, where exposure to wide-ranging backgrounds, experiences, and opinions can improve and enhance the student experience for all, not just those of traditionally marginalised groups (Spencer-Oatey and Dauber, 2019). 
However, although micro-credentials represent an opportunity to tackle accessibility and inclusivity issues in higher education, it is important to mirror the student experience with the principles of this learning movement. For micro-credentials to reach their potential then they must be designed with accessibility and inclusivity in mind from the outset of the design process. This can be achieved by focusing on the student-centred learning principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL).
It is important to note that “levelling up” via accessible learning design does not mean a reduction in academic or teaching standards. The purpose of UDL is to improve the learning journey for all students by incorporating teaching and assessment approaches that address the specific needs, strengths, and circumstance of all students. UDL offers a set of principles for curriculum design and development that strives to reduce education inequality by offering all students equal opportunities to learn (Griful-Freixenet et al, 2021). Marrying micro-credentials with UDL principles brings together two mechanisms for improving accessibility and inclusivity in higher education. This represents both a great opportunity and a grand challenge.