UNC Charlotte Faculty and Staff Guide for Developing Microcredentials
Microcredential Guidelines
What is a UNC Charlotte Microcredential
Microcredentials are compact, competency-based learning experiences designed to provide learners with specific skills or knowledge that can be immediately applied in the workplace or other authentic settings. This guide provides a roadmap for faculty and staff to transform an idea to a short-form program with a certified digital badge.
Characteristics of microcredentials
- Aligned to a skill or competency
- Vary in length of time to complete but are typically completed in weeks or months
- Designed to be relevant to the workplace or a similar community context
- Can be stackable to a larger credential
- Includes an assessment validated by an instructor or subject matter expert
- Recognized with a digital badge upon successful completion
Designing a Microcredential
Microcredential Levels
UNC Charlotte microcredentials align to four possible levels depending on the content, requirements, and assessment criteria:
Level 1: Recognition
Definition: This level recognizes basic engagement and understanding of a topic such as attendance or participation in a workshop or conference.
Learning Outcomes: Participate, attend, discuss
Assessment: Assessment is not required but a verification of engagement or participation is required. To earn this microcredential, the learner must document their presence and active involvement through one or more “check-point” mechanisms.
Evidence: Participation or content engagement activity with readings, videos, attendance, group work, classroom observations, reflections, feedback or survey submission
Level 2: Foundational
Definition: This level focuses on introducing concepts and the fundamental mechanics of the skill. The learner gains awareness and basic understanding.
Learning Outcomes: Define, describe, identify, explain
Assessment: Assessment required is individual, low-stakes, and may be automated.
Evidence: Multiple-choice tests, quizzes
Level 3: Intermediate
Definition: This level involves applying the skill in structured scenarios, analyzing outcomes, and making informed decisions based on a range of practices; transferable skill in specific contexts.
Learning Outcomes: Apply, compute, classify, compare, analyze, interpret
Assessment: Assessment required is individual, application-based skills, extending to proposals, critique, analysis, problem solving, or decision making.
Evidence: Presentations, reports, papers, research, products, artifacts, projects
Level 4: Advanced
Definition: This level represents mastery, where the learner can synthesize information, evaluate complex situations, and adapt the skill to novel, real-world, or ambiguous contexts. The focus is on integrating complex skills to solve ambiguous, novel, or high-stakes problems, often requiring synthesis, strategic planning, and professional communication. An advanced level microcredential requires the learner to generate original ideas and solutions.
Learning Outcomes: Evaluate, create, assess, compose, design
Assessment: Assessment involves the evaluation of a comprehensive performance-based task or a large-scale project. Assessment required is individual, advanced application-based skills, extending to strategic, comprehensive, or large scale analysis, synthesis, problem solving, or decision making.
Evidence: Projects, capstone, portfolios, simulations, training, peer-to-peer instruction, performance
Types of Microcredentials
There are four types of microcredentials that can be offered:
Cocurricular
Audience: UNC Charlotte Students
Description: Recognizes verified learning that occurs outside formal academic coursework but complements a student’s academic program.
Examples: Add examples here
Curricular
Audience: UNC Charlotte Students
Description: Recognizes a defined set of competencies that can be achieved only with credit-bearing academic coursework.
Examples: Add examples here
Professional Development
Audience: Open to the Public
Description: Recognizes completion of targeted, professional development designed to build or update workforce skills. (Typically offered for a fee.)
Examples: Add examples here
Faculty and Staff Development
Audience: UNC Charlotte Faculty and Staff
Description: Recognizes completion of professional learning designed to enhance institutional effectiveness, teaching excellence, leadership, or job-related skills among university employees.
Examples: Add examples here
Microcredential Proposal Process
Who Can Propose a Microcredential
Any faculty or staff from a UNC Charlotte academic department/unit may propose to offer a UNC Charlotte microcredential.
How to Propose a Microcredential
New microcredentials will need to be approved by Charlotte Online:
- Submit a Microcredential Idea Submission Form
- If elegible, submit a Microcredential Full Proposal Form
- Once approved, build and launch the microcredential