Critical Considerations at the Dawn of Microcredentials: Democratization 4.0 or Blockchain Privatization of Higher Education? (79248)

Session Information: Psychology, Leadership & Education Management
Session Chair: María José Ibáñez Ayuso

Monday, 17 June 2024 14:05
Session: Session 3
Room: Room A (Live-Stream)
Presentation Type:Live-Stream Presentation

All presentation times are UTC + 1 (Europe/Paris)

In recent years, international organizations have advocated for their member states to embrace new learning ecosystems based on micro-credentials, aiming to better adapt to the educational needs arising from the fourth industrial revolution. Additionally, there is a push to harness the benefits of blockchain technology to facilitate continuous learning and achieve greater democratization in access to higher education. Numerous countries are currently in the process of formulating national policies on these new type of credentials, raising various questions on this subject. The European Commission has identified addressing this issue as a priority, evident in the creation of the "Policy Experimentation-Micro-credentials" call within the Erasmus+ project. This article aims to analyze the discursive evolution of microcredentials, using OECD, the European Commission, and UNICEF documents. The goal is to identify the underlying educational approach, guiding national policy drafting with a critical discourse methodology. The analysis explores equity and democratization of educational resources, especially access to quality education and the involvement of diverse educational actors. Results are examined through philosophers like Gert Biesta, Byung Chul-Han, Michael Sandel, and Michael Young, generating recommendations for directing microcredentials toward educational purposes rather than merely qualifying. The findings question the democratizing potential of these new credentials and highlight the risk of them becoming a gateway for businesses into the educational system. Consequently, recommendations are proposed, especially tied to stable funding for formal educational institutions and the identification of priority topics for microcredential courses that foster the democratization of lifelong education.

Authors:
María José Ibáñez Ayuso, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain


About the Presenter(s)
María José Ibáñez doctoral student of the Faculty of Education of the Universidad Complutense in Madrid. Vicepresident of EucA (European university college Association). Research interests: parental rights, non-formal education, transhumanism

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mar%C3%ADa-jos%C3%A9-ib%C3%A1%C3%B1ez-ayuso-aa38b698/

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Posted by Clive Staples Lewis

Last updated: 2023-02-23 23:45:00