Accessibility Tools
The MICROBOL project aims for ministries and stakeholders to explore, within the Bologna Process, whether and how the existing Bologna tools can be used for or adapted to micro-credentials.
The two-year project is co-funded by Erasmus+ KA3 Support to Policy reform, and, more specifically "Support to the implementation of European Higher Education Area (EHEA) reforms". It is linked to the objectives of the new Erasmus+ Programme and the EHEA to increase access to continuous learning for all learners, regardless of age or experience.
These learners include traditional higher education students, but also underrepresented groups, adult learners and all those who want to improve their knowledge, skills and competences. To fill the gap between formal education, leading to classic degrees, and the fast-changing knowledge-development and labour market needs, new and flexible ways of learning and teaching are needed, such as short learning programmes and micro-credentials. These can be offered through formal or informal education and through online or face-to-face courses.
Ideally, all of these short forms of learning should guarantee a standard of quality. They should be linked to the Qualifications Frameworks of the EHEA and be recognised appropriately throughout the EHEA. The project will investigate what the options are available within the current guidelines.
It will focus primarily on micro-credentials provided by higher education institutions or in conjunction with higher education institutions, and touch secondly on those entirely provided by companies or non-profit organisations, the system of “open badges” and other types of “micro-learning”.
In this project an international consortium will organise various meetings and workshops in which governments, experts and stakeholders will come together to evaluate the current practices and policies relating to micro-credentials. Based on the findings of these meetings, a common European framework for micro-credentials will be proposed.
The Flemish Ministry of Education and Training coordinates MICROBOL in cooperation with:
For more information about MICROBOL project and the involvement of EUA, please contact Elena Cirlan.
