What grades really tell us

‘The traditional grading model is ineffective because grades in themselves have no real meaning,’ says Marcin Szala*, co-founder of Liceum Artes Liberales, an innovative private school focused on experiential learning. The school is known for its original subjects, educational expeditions, and for allowing students to choose extended subjects in line with their interests and talents.

This is not the only critical voice regarding grading systems. In her article ‘What is the problem with assessment?’ Sylwia Żmijewska-Kwiręg argues that two main approaches to assessment can be identified in the discourse. On the one hand, assessment is intended to provide learners with essential feedback on their progress to support further development. On the other, it continues to function as a mechanism for monitoring knowledge levels and for rewarding or penalising learners in an effort to influence motivation.

This raises significant doubts about the effectiveness of the existing grading system, since a six-point grading scale does not provide sufficiently precise information about an individual student.

‘A numerical grading scale is imprecise. What does it actually mean when something is graded as a four?’ asks Marcin Szala.

In theory, teachers should award grades based on clearly defined criteria. In some subjects or for specific tasks, percentage thresholds make this easier. More often, however, it is not possible to define precisely what qualifies for a particular grade. How, for example, can learning outcomes such as the acquisition of soft skills or the development of creativity be described? These are among the future skills increasingly required by employers worldwide.

Grades do not matter

Grades, divided into ‘good’ and ‘bad’, function as tools of reward and punishment, which in theory are intended to motivate students to work.

‘The authority of schools is diminishing, and with it the influence of school-related attributes. The carrot-and-stick approach in the form of good and bad grades no longer works,’ emphasises Marcin Szala.

Students are increasingly aware that obtaining a higher or lower grade has minimal impact on their lives, and that parents are unlikely to impose serious consequences. This is particularly pertinent given long-standing psychological evidence that upbringing based on ‘punishment’ and ‘reward’ does not support healthy child development.

How to encourage students’ continuous development

If grades neither provide sufficient information about what students can actually do nor motivate them to learn, teachers and school officials are faced with the need to supplement existing systems with other ways of communicating progress and encouraging development.

‘One solution is to increase the weight of assessment by linking it to external factors that motivate students,’ argues Marcin Szala.

The key is to ensure that students feel responsible for their own development and have a real influence over how it takes place. At Liceum Artes Liberales, an original assessment system has been introduced. Naturally, the nationally imposed grading scale has not been abandoned; final grades are awarded at the end of the year, and during the term, students also receive percentage results or pass/fail information. However, these elements form only part of the system.

‘The most important component consists of individual student reports. These are detailed, reliable descriptions of what a student has learned during a given period, their attitude, and the knowledge they have acquired. Each report includes in-depth commentary, providing concrete feedback for both students and parents on what has been achieved and what still requires improvement. As a result – and this is crucial – every individual feels noticed,’ explains Marcin Szala.

Microcredentials as part of a motivational system

Another important element has been introduced into the Artes Liberales assessment model: microcredentials and digital badges issued via the Odznaka+ application developed by the Educational Research Institute – National Research Institute. Several times a year, students participate in engaging projects that culminate in the awarding of a microcredential. How does this differ from an ordinary grade entered into a register?

‘The key difference lies in communication. Microcredentials and digital badges must be clearly described, with precise criteria for earning them. One of their major advantages is that they can be showcased – for example, shared on social media. As a result, a student’s success extends beyond the school walls, and the school itself becomes a certifying body. Microcredentials have another benefit: they activate a very human factor – collecting. Building a collection of credentials can be highly satisfying,’ explains Marcin Szala.

* Marcin Szala – educational innovator, co-founder of Liceum Artes Liberales in Warsaw, a modern school based on the belief that academic success stems from personal development, and that effective learning can be interdisciplinary and rooted in real-world experience. Expert, author of articles on education, panellist and conference speaker. Formerly programme director at Collegium Wratislaviense, an institution training lecturers and teachers; deputy head and co-creator of the prestigious international Akademeia High School in Warsaw. He teaches and designs curricula in critical thinking and has experience teaching within the Polish Matura Exam, IB and A-level systems. A graduate of the University of Oxford in Physics and Philosophy, scholarship holder of the United World Schools Society. Participant in the Leadership Academy for Poland programme, member of TrendHouse, and fellow of the Salzburg Global Seminar.

Sources:

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Valuable insights from pilot participants

The meeting brought together members of the Microcredentials Advisory Group, guests and experts from the IBE-PIB for an online session, during which Martyna Leciejewicz, a lead project expert, presented the latest progress in the pilot.

A year on from her previous presentation, two additional pathways have been added to the pilot: one for higher education institutions and one for marketing, complementing the existing ICT pathway.

‘We are pleased to launch a new pilot pathway for higher education, with 20 universities from across Poland set to participate. This step greatly broadens the reach of our activities and allows us to link flexible forms of learning with students’ real expectations and the labour market even more effectively. We continue to gather systematic feedback from participating organisations, enabling us to respond accurately to their needs. At the same time, we are enhancing the application technologically to make it more intuitive, scalable and ready for the next stages of implementation,’ said Martyna Leciejewicz.

The IBE-PIB expert pointed out that, to date, pilot participants have created 51 microcredentials, of which 2,600 were issued, and 441 claimed. 

Jerzy Furman, a microcredential expert at IBE-PIB, outlined how pilot participants developed their microcredential descriptions. He noted that the partnership-based approach, which encouraged honest and open communication, ensured smooth cooperation and led to solutions that best served all parties.

The role of issuers – case studies

Following this, representatives of two organisations participating in the pilot shared their experiences: Rafał Uhl and Anna Tykwińska from the Helena Chodkowska University of Technology and Economics in Warsaw described their cooperation with the IBE-PIB.

‘Microcredentials provide universities with an opportunity to broaden their offerings through short training programmes and to formally recognise specific skills acquired during studies, even before graduation. Cooperation with the IBE-PIB gives us the possibility to co-create an intuitive, cost-free solution that is trusted by its users,’ said Rafał Uhl.

Anna Kania, President of the Polish Institute of Competences of the Future (PIKP), briefed the Advisory Group about both the pilot’s progress and PIKP’s future plans for advancing microcredentials, including educational outreach and promotion, with a strong emphasis on highlighting their value in the labour market: 

‘Interest in microcredentials is growing, and we are glad to see them beginning to genuinely support employee and organisational development. The greatest challenge currently is the limited awareness of this tool in the market, which is why PIKP places strong emphasis on education and invites all stakeholders involved in microcredential development to collaborate. We believe that through joint activities, such as interviews, articles, or educational initiatives, we can build understanding and improve the quality of the entire system much more quickly,’ said Anna Kania from PIKP.

Quoting the PIKP representative, ‘microcredentials are the ideal tool.’ They provide fast and reliable validation of competences, are visible on the labour market, offer clear reference to qualification standards, and allow holders to build their own development pathways.

Through their collaboration, PIKP and IBE-PIB created the microcredential ‘AI in Creating Digital Content: Basics and Opportunities,’ which was awarded to 440 people. 33 percent of those entitled have already claimed their credential.

How to become an issuer in the microcredential system

In the concluding presentation, Dr Wojciech Stęchły, lead expert on the microcredential project at IBE-PIB, detailed the accreditation process for issuers within the emerging National Microcredential System. The expert emphasised that organisations issuing microcredentials must not only have solid reputations but also be thoroughly prepared in terms of expertise, technical capabilities, and staffing. Consequently, the issuer accreditation form is being developed with great care and is continuously improved.

Participants of the meeting included: 

Prof Andrzej Kraśniewski, The Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland (CRASP)

Marek Michajłowicz, The National Information Processing Institute (OPI PIB)

Aleksandra Wąsik, All-Poland Alliance of Trade Unions / Polish Teachers’ Union

Agnieszka Dec, Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy

Bogusław Dębski, Polish Information Processing Society (PTI), Sectoral Skills Council – IT

Barbara Worek, Sectoral Skills Council – Development Services

Agnieszka Majcher-Teleon, Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy

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Noah Geisel is a well-known expert in the field of education in the US. He is the driving force behind the Badge Summit @ CU Boulder, a conference he envisioned and developed from the ground up, intending to advance beyond theory and foster conversations based on concrete, real-world situations. He created a space where educational innovation meets real application, and where technology serves as a means of confirming and valuing genuine abilities.

Noah works as Micro-Credential Program Manager at the University of Colorado Boulder and helps students and professionals document what they are truly capable of. 

“If microcredentials and badges have a stage, then Noah Geisel is the one who ensures the spotlight shines on people and their skills,” his friends say about him.

Thanks to Noah, this year’s Badge Summit at CU Boulder featured a presentation by Martyna Leciejewicz and Michał Nowakowski from the Educational Research Institute – National Research Institute. Experts from IBE presented the Polish approach to microcredentials. We spoke with Noah during the summit. 

Microcredentials Polska: Looking back at this year’s Badge Summit – how would you summarise the value brought by this inspiring community of experts and practitioners?

Noah Geisel: The keyword there is community. People don’t just attend Badge Summit; they become part of a participatory community that embodies connected learning principles: interest-driven, academically oriented, openly networked, peer-supported, production-centred, and shared purpose. This shifts our presenters from broadcasters to collaborators, and empowers passive attendees to become risk-takers and producers. This is truly inspiring to witness and an honour to lead. And it has nothing to do with microcredentials, honestly. It’s all about humans believing that we can change the world and then actually taking the space to start doing it.

MP: In what direction are microcredentials heading? What key changes or trends do you observe in this area?

NG: I think what we saw this year was a clear indication that the direction of microcredentials is moving from promising potential to actually realising that potential. For most people, the totality of microcredentials has begun with creating credentialing programs and issuing credentials for those programs. What’s interesting is that, for the first time, zooming out to a broader ecosystem approach that recognises the importance of taking into account “What next?” after people earn a credential, is becoming widespread. This is an exciting trend. All of the attractive and shiny aspects of the technology, such as portable badges, digital wallets, etc., are only meaningful in a world in which it is vital that credential earners are operationalising their credentials. This has been a fringe point of view for several years, so it’s a significant trend to see it being more widely accepted.  

MP: From your perspective, what can the USA learn from Europe or countries like Poland in the context of building national or regional microcredentials ecosystems?

NG: Two very important lessons come to mind. First is the cautionary tale that standardised frameworks are not a silver bullet solution. While national adoption is certainly a huge deal to some committees of respected experts, it does not automatically translate to national implementation that impacts and is appreciated by millions. Second, the best practice of refuse to work in silos. Poland, in particular, is an inspirational example of the scale that can be quickly achieved by collaborating across domains and disciplines, bringing together myriad stakeholders (industry, education, government, NGOs, etc.) to help them see that they are interconnected and even interdependent.

MP: Which achievements or practices from the USA, in your opinion, should be considered for implementation in Europe?

NG: In the USA, we have different policy conditions, like Local Control, that make things like nationalised standards difficult to achieve. A consequence of this can be a more permissive environment to be experimental and entrepreneurial. It seems like we have more safe space for allowing early-stage and highly imperfect work “into the wild,” as we say. This promotes more frequent and informative feedback loops, which, in turn, drive more iterative progress.   

MP: If you were to summarise the current state of digital credentials in a few sentences, what would you say?

NG: In just over a decade, this stuff has gone from something only a few people on the planet had even heard of to something to which hundreds of millions of people directly connect. Be it through school, work, membership organisations, or platforms like Duolingo, Snapchat, Lyft, and fitness trackers, digital recognitions are becoming normal. And a huge turning point for the market is that expansion towards ubiquity will make consumers realise what they need from products and start demanding it. For vendors that have held off on developing key infrastructure due to a lack of ROI, that demand is the needed signal they’ve been waiting for. That signal will represent a nexus I predict will rapidly accelerate us toward the future that we’ve been dreaming of.

MP: Finally, what advice or message would you give to university students and graduates navigating the changing world of competencies, credentials, and work?

NG: This work is not just about you; it is for you. And, while you are reliant on other stakeholders to satisfy their responsibilities in this ecosystem, you too have responsibilities to earn your credentials, to be proud of your credentials, to know how to narrate and apply your credentials, and then to actually put them to use.  

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Keep reading to find out:

• Why is building career pathways important for companies?
• What does career development solutions currently look like in organisations?
• How can microcredentials support these processes?

Employee career pathways vs. company strategies

One of the most important internal procedures in a business is creating career paths for employees. It enables the professional development of every team member to be planned and supported. Both employers and employees benefit from this idea, since it aims to establish clear growth opportunities that align with the company’s business objectives and are suitable for each employee’s abilities and goals. 

Key elements of a well-designed employee career pathway include:

• competency analysis,
• defining career goals,
• transparency (clear promotion criteria and well-defined expectations at each stage of development),
• access to development tools, such as training,
• frequent communication between the manager and employee, and mutual feedback related to progress, expectations, and opportunities. 

A well-planned career pathway for an employee takes into account more than just vertical promotion (moving into increasingly senior roles). A thoughtfully designed system of this kind includes various forms of development:

• horizontal (changing roles within the same structure);
• expert (specialising in a specific area);
• project-based (participation in development initiatives);
• managerial (following a leadership track).

Building career pathways in practice

Many professional qualifications are rapidly becoming outdated at the moment. Given the difficulties this poses, thoughtful career management has emerged as a crucial component of HR strategy – not only as a development tool, but also as a means of retaining talent and preparing organisations for future challenges. 

‘However, we are still a long way from this ideal picture in reality. Some big corporations in Poland can brag about having well-developed career pathway procedures. However, most employers prefer to look for answers reactively, when the need arises,’ says Klaudia Wacek from MyPath Programme Lead at Manpower Group.

Why is it that so many companies lack the right programmes and tools to support employee development pathways? There’s no single answer to that question. Cost is frequently the primary consideration for smaller businesses, especially when it comes to hiring a specialist to manage the process or buying appropriate systems. Other reasons include:

• a lack of awareness of the link between enabling employee development and increasing company revenue; 
• a focus on short-term business goals;
• undervaluing the impact of investing in employee growth on the company’s strategic success;
• a lack of appropriate data and tools for building a career pathway. 

Meanwhile, according to the Michael Page report “Talent Trends 2025”, career development has consistently ranked among the top five most important indicators of job satisfaction for professionals worldwide (Job Satisfaction Index).

‘Employees are ultimately responsible for shaping their careers, but it is the employer’s role to recognise their potential and support their development, which, in turn, strengthens the company’s position in the job market,’ emphasises Klaudia Wacek.

Microcredentials as a tool for building career pathways

For many businesses, especially small ones, one of the biggest obstacles is the lack of tools that enable continuous evaluation of employees’ abilities, accomplishments, and potential. Without such data, it’s difficult to create individualised and realistic career trajectories. Microcredentials may serve as a solution that can help bridge this gap.

Based on microcredentials, even smaller businesses can create a system for recognising employee qualifications. This requires work from HR teams to clearly define the requirements for each position and role; as a result, employees gain a transparent view of what is required to advance in their careers or alter their course of growth. They can then obtain digital badges that show their advancement inside the company, based on the skills they have learned.

‘Microcredentials issued via the Odznaka+ app can provide highly valuable insight into an individual’s development within a company. By tracking the career pathway built from these credentials, the employer gains a clear picture of when to offer a promotion, whether an employee’s skills could be better utilised in a different role, or when to invite them to apply for a new position, knowing they already possess the necessary competencies. This approach not only makes career planning more effective but also helps reduce talent attrition. What’s more, it aids in identifying talent that may have previously gone unnoticed,’ explains Klaudia Wacek.

As the expert points out, microcredentials also represent an investment in the future – both from the perspective of the employee and the employer.

‘Skills that may seem less relevant today could become crucial in a few years. The data stored within a microcredential system allows employers to revisit those competencies at the right time,’ she emphasises.

In practice, this means that employers gain a tool for consciously managing employee development. They can recognise in time when an individual has reached their full potential in their current role and offer them new challenges, before they decide to leave.

A key aspect of successfully implementing microcredentials is integrating them with the company’s HR systems and employee appraisal processes.

‘It’s important that the microcredential system can be integrated with internal HR platforms. Rather than multiplying the number of applications, all data relating to an employee’s career path should be stored in one place. Only then will the system remain transparent and support real development decisions, rather than complicate them,’ concludes Klaudia Wacek.

Sources: 

1. Talent Trends 2025, https://www.michaelpage.pl/en/talent-trends.

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Microcredentials pilot project – a real impact on the shape of microcredentials

The opportunity to co-create a new solution for education and in the labour market and influence the final shape of the microcredential system in Poland were the main reasons that led the authorities of Opole University of Technology to join the pilot project on microcredentials at the Educational Research Institute – National Research Institute (IBE PIB).

‘We believe that microcredentials allow for better recognition of competences, providing a way to document specific skills and knowledge often overlooked by traditional diplomas or certificates. They enable individuals to showcase their genuine competences in the labour market. Participating in the microcredentials pilot project, in our view, offers a real chance to co-create this solution in Poland. We are confident that the feedback, needs, and experiences we share during our collaboration will be considered in forming the final shape of the microcredential system, which is very important to us,’ says Dr Anida Stanik-Besler, Vice-Rector for Education at Opole University of Technology.

This is also hugely significant for the system’s developers. As Michał Nowakowski, leader of the microcredentials project at IBE PIB, emphasises, the experiences of each pilot participant help make the system more effective and responsive to the genuine needs of its users.

‘The experiences of every institution taking part in the pilot are incredibly valuable to us. Our collaboration with universities like Opole University of Technology not only gives us insight into how microcredentials work in practice but also allows us to view microcredentials from the perspective of both higher education and the labour market’s expectations. It’s precisely thanks to this kind of partnership approach that we have the chance to build a solution that will be practical, transparent, and responsive to the needs of educational institutions, employers, and employees,’ explains Michał Nowakowski.

Opole University of Technology blazes a trail

The collaboration between IBE PIB and Opole University of Technology has proven effective, evidenced by the well-described, valuable microcredentials.

‘From our very first working meetings, we observed that representatives from Opole University of Technology are professional, open to innovation, and keen for universities to utilise modern educational solutions. This cooperation provided a space for mutual learning and knowledge exchange whilst creating the microcredential standard,’ recounts Dr Niki Derlukiewicz, microcredentials expert in the microcredentials project at IBE PIB.

As Dr Arkadiusz Gardecki, a representative of Opole University of Technology, notes, creating a microcredential description should theoretically be straightforward for academic staff, although some challenges may arise.

‘Microcredentials are, by nature, narrow in scope. The challenge was deciding what to include and what to omit so that the microcredential was valuable yet achievable in a relatively short time,’ notes Dr Gardecki.

The future of education – personalisation and flexibility

Given the growing need for a flexible approach to learning, microcredentials offer a solution to those seeking quick and practical ways to acquire new skills.

‘Microcredentials fit perfectly into this trend, enabling the acquisition of new skills without the need for lengthy, traditional degree programmes. This enriches the educational offering. Additionally, microcredentials can become a flexible tool that helps universities adapt to the changing landscape of education and the labour market, by offering more targeted and accessible forms of learning,’ comments Dr Anida Stanik-Besler.

Microcredentials reflect the changing expectations of students, employers, and educational institutions, where it’s not just about knowledge but, above all, the ability to apply it quickly in practice. But that’s not all. As the Vice-Rector for Education at Opole University of Technology points out: ‘Microcredentials can become a key element of flexible learning pathways, enabling the acquisition of specific skills, tailored to individual needs, at any point in life.’

‘Microcredentials can allow for the rapid implementation of educational programmes that respond to the current needs of employers,’ emphasises Dr Stanik-Besler.

Opole University of Technology has not only implemented this innovative solution first but has also set a direction for other universities in Poland.

‘Universities can successfully use microcredentials as a modern tool for competence development and to supplement traditional forms of education,’ asserts Dr Niki Derlukiewicz.

This can serve as an important conclusion and valuable guidance for the authorities of other Polish universities that are considering, or will consider in the future, joining the microcredential system being developed at IBE PIB.

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In the following article, you will find out: 

• What is gamification, and how can it be used in education?
• Microcredentials as a key element of gamification – what are the benefits of their application?
• Development paths in the Odznaka+ application – how does this solution work with gamification?

Changes in the world of education – new methods for new times

Traditional teaching methods (especially lecture-based ones) do not always prove effective in contemporary education. Lectures or talks are often characterised by the following:

• they assume a dominant role for the teacher/lecturer/instructor, while learners have little to no influence over the process and are generally passive (only listening and taking notes),
• they place a strong emphasis on delivering large amounts of information and facts,
• they do not encourage learner engagement during the session, leading to a potential loss of concentration,
• they do not develop creativity or critical thinking, two of the most essential “skills of the future” that education (formal, non-formal, and informal) is expected to foster in line with EU recommendations on lifelong learning.

Meanwhile, learners’ motivation and engagement have a critical impact on their effectiveness. As a result, teaching methods that involve, activate, and often even resemble play are becoming increasingly popular, and they prove to be far more effective than traditional ones. One such method is gamification.

Gamification in education – what does it mean? 

Gamification is the use of game elements and game design techniques in contexts unrelated to gaming. Its goal is to increase participants’ engagement and motivation. 

Applying gamification in educational settings involves introducing elements familiar from games, such as scoring or progressing through the next levels, into the learning process. As a result, learners, firstly, actively participate in the process, and secondly, are more likely to feel motivated (thanks to healthy competition and to immediate feedback on their progress, for example, in the form of earning points). 

‘Education can thus become not only more interactive, but also significantly more satisfying for learners, who become active participants in the process of acquiring knowledge. Integrating microcredentials or digital badges into gamified learning pathways is a way to make this method even more effective,’ says Dr Ziemowit Socha, microcredentials expert at IBE-PIB.

Microcredentials as a key element of gamification in education

From the learner’s perspective, receiving quick feedback on their progress is extremely important. It serves as motivation – when we see tangible results, we feel that the effort was worthwhile. Being rewarded for the effort put into learning is even greater motivation. 

In the world of games, various forms of recognition are used to reward players for progressing through different stages: points, the ability to purchase tools needed for further actions (which means higher player status), badges, medals, and more.

In educational gamification, such “rewards” also quite effectively can boost motivation. However, this isn’t about traditional grades (a system that still exists but is increasingly being questioned). A more modern solution for today’s education are microcredentials.

‘Microcredentials used in gamification can primarily support all educational processes based on the step-by-step validation of specific skills. This fragmented approach, in my opinion, aligns well with the principles of gamification, which is why it’s worth taking a closer look at the relationship between gamification and microcredentials,’ comments Dr Ziemowit Socha.

Among the benefits of using microcredentials as a rewarding element, thus engaging and motivating learners through gamification, the following can be highlighted:

• they provide immediate and comprehensive feedback on progress and achievements (clearly specifying what a person did to move to the next stage and earn the microcredential),
• they introduce an element of healthy competition among learners,
• they help teach collaboration (microcredentials can be awarded for group work and team projects, serving as a shared accomplishment),
• they motivate (as a form of reward, they recognise effort; collecting microcredentials brings satisfaction and can be proudly shared, e.g., on social media).

Gamification is just one of many teaching methods in which microcredentials can be applied. Numerous educational institutions around the world have already implemented them as a form of motivation – for example, to encourage participation in various extracurricular activities. Platforms like Coursera or edX offer courses that award certificates for completing individual modules, which function similarly to microcredentials. Some schools have also introduced digital badge systems that students can earn for extracurricular involvement, group projects, or academic achievements.

‘As education systems continue to evolve, microcredentials may become not just an add-on, but a fundamental element of effective learning – helping students develop skills and knowledge in an engaging and efficient way,’ emphasises Dr Ziemowit Socha.

Odznaka+ app: every learning path is a gamified experience

There are even more connections between the microcredentialing system and gamification. According to the IBE-PIB expert, the recently introduced “learning path” feature in the Odznaka+ app is, in many ways, based on the same principles.

The learning path feature allows issuers to define the order in which specific microcredentials should be earned. This enables them to design solutions that support the step-by-step accumulation of various achievements, such as thematic skill sets, job requirements, progression in complexity, or the structure of an educational programme. Learning paths also help individuals earning digital credentials to plan their learning and career development.

‘Issuing individual microcredentials does not fulfill the full promise they offer. However, combining them into larger units – learning paths – unlocks greater potential for both the Odznaka+ application and the entire microcredentialing system. One could say that every gamification experience is, in essence, a learning path. This comparison helps us understand how to use microcredentials in the most effective way,” says the microcredentials expert at IBE-PIB.

Sources: 

1. W. Okoń, Wprowadzenie do dydaktyki ogólnej (Introduction to General Didactics),
2. P. Ziółkowski, Teoretyczne podstawy kształcenia (Theoretical Foundations of Education), https://kpbc.umk.pl/Content/193526/PDF/pz-ksztalcenie-calosc.pdf
3. W. Glac, Gamification in education, TEDxGdynia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_DvbOtxBTQ

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Microcredentials – a landmark moment in the project

A summary of the first stage of the microcredential pilot, new features in the Odznaka+ application and, above all, the quality standard for microcredentials – these were the main topics discussed during the 4th meeting of the Microcredential Advisory Group organised by the Educational Research Institute (IBE).

The end of the year and the project’s breakthrough – the recent completion of Phase I of the pilot and the start of Phase II – prompted the event’s participants to take important stock. 

‘The Odznaka+ application’s microcredentials pilot is at an important stage. We have developed and implemented a standard description proposal for microcredentials. Based on it, our partners – the issuers taking part in the pilot – have created initial versions of the microcredentials. Establishing the values, principles, and procedures that will enable us to guarantee the legitimacy and recognition of the issued certificates is another task to which we attach particular importance,’ says Dr Wojciech Gola, key expert on the design of digital solutions for skills development in the project ‘Microcredentials – piloting a new solution to support lifelong learning.’

Martyna Leciejewicz, key expert for the implementation of digital services in the microcredential project, noted how the cooperation between experts, pilot stakeholders and members of the Advisory Group has allowed the next phase to scale up:

‘Following the first stage, the participating companies provided us with extremely useful information, which increased our ambitions for the second stage’s design. Up to 16 entities are going to take part in it, including a strong university representation. We are putting a lot of work into obtaining additional microcredentials and expanding our quality assurance efforts.

Quality is the key

Undoubtedly, the most important issue raised at the meeting was the quality standard of microcredentials. The very word ‘quality’ is proving difficult to define. As for Poland, the problem of issuing the quality of microcredentials is complicated. Among other things, the standard must incorporate national realities, the EU Council’s proposed guidelines, and many other considerations, such as being comprehensible to application users.

‘Guidelines on how a quality assurance system for microcredentials should work can be found in the core document on the ‘European approach to micrcredentials’ – recommendations by the EU Council from 2022. As with other forms of educational activity, the quality assurance system for microcredentials should have both an external and an internal component, the latter being handled by the microcredential provider. The quality of a microcredential itself, including its compliance with standards and applicability to prospective recipients, as well as the quality of the procedures that lead to obtaining it, including training and learning outcome verification processes, should be the focus of the internal evaluation. The external evaluation should be about the institution and its quality assurance procedures, rather than about individual microcredentials,’ remarked Professor Andrzej Kraśniewski from the Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland. 

During a presentation on this issue, Dr Wojciech Stęchły, the project’s lead expert on the design of digital solutions for skills development, emphasised that the creation of an appropriate quality assurance standard is key to creating the first microcredential ecosystem and a platform to issue and earn credible and recognised microcredentials and badges. He also pointed out that quality does not exist in a void. An important context is the mission statement, which sets the long-term direction and helps formulate its development goals.  

‘In our project, we determine quality in two ways. On the one hand, we are building a solid foundation based on proven quality assurance methods, e.g. providing adequate resources and procedures and conducting evaluations. On the other hand, we want to introduce more flexible solutions, which also allow for quality feedback based on recommendations and evaluations,’ explained Dr Wojciech Stęchły. 

In Dr Stęchły’s opinion, it is not possible to create at once a complex system full of dependencies and functioning in different contexts. Therefore, the project’s experts are working on further quality-relevant solutions, looking at how they interact with each other and how they function in practice. Several solutions developed this year have already gone through their first pilot tests: a standard for describing microcredentials, a microcredentials creator and quality assurance rules addressed to the issuers. 

‘Prior discussions with pilot participants and the Microcredential Advisory Group highlighted the importance of developing solutions that are comprehensible to everybody. It is important to bear in mind that the recipients of quality assurance solutions will be people from a variety of backgrounds, not just the Polish Accreditation Committee (PKA), education quality experts or examination centre staff. For this reason, we try to present the entirety of the solutions in a structured way, i.e. as interconnected: guiding values, principles and the tools and solutions to implement them,’ Dr Stęchły pointed out. 

The meeting’s participants were told that in the following months, the project’s experts will reflect on the choice of solutions to use recommendations as a toolkit to complement the criteria-based approach, assessments and reporting. 

The 4th meeting of the Microcredentials Advisory Group was attended by:

1. Michał Goszczyński, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education
2. Justyna John, the Ministry of Digital Affairs 
3. Szymon Kurek, the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development
4. Dr. Barbara Worek, Jagiellonian University, Sectoral Competence Council for the Development Services Sector
5. Małgorzata Lelińska, the Polish Confederation Lewiatan
6. Prof. Andrzej Kraśniewski, Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland
7. Robert Musiałkiewicz, Conference of Rectors of Public Vocational Universities
8. Agnieszka Dec, the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy
9. Tomasz Kulasa, Director of the Innovation and Development Department at the Ministry of National Education

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Microcredentials – a landmark moment in the project

A summary of the first stage of the microcredential pilot, new features in the Odznaka+ application and, above all, the quality standard for microcredentials – these were the main topics discussed during the 4th meeting of the Microcredential Advisory Group organised by the Educational Research Institute (IBE).

The end of the year and the project’s breakthrough – the recent completion of Phase I of the pilot and the start of Phase II – prompted the event’s participants to take important stock. 

‘The Odznaka+ application’s microcredentials pilot is at an important stage. We have developed and implemented a standard description proposal for microcredentials. Based on it, our partners – the issuers taking part in the pilot – have created initial versions of the microcredentials. Establishing the values, principles, and procedures that will enable us to guarantee the legitimacy and recognition of the issued certificates is another task to which we attach particular importance,’ says Dr Wojciech Gola, key expert on the design of digital solutions for skills development in the project ‘Microcredentials – piloting a new solution to support lifelong learning.’

Martyna Leciejewicz, key expert for the implementation of digital services in the microcredential project, noted how the cooperation between experts, pilot stakeholders and members of the Advisory Group has allowed the next phase to scale up:

‘Following the first stage, the participating companies provided us with extremely useful information, which increased our ambitions for the second stage’s design. Up to 16 entities are going to take part in it, including a strong university representation. We are putting a lot of work into obtaining additional microcredentials and expanding our quality assurance efforts.

Quality is the key

Undoubtedly, the most important issue raised at the meeting was the quality standard of microcredentials. The very word ‘quality’ is proving difficult to define. As for Poland, the problem of issuing the quality of microcredentials is complicated. Among other things, the standard must incorporate national realities, the EU Council’s proposed guidelines, and many other considerations, such as being comprehensible to application users.

‘Guidelines on how a quality assurance system for microcredentials should work can be found in the core document on the ‘European approach to micrcredentials’ – recommendations by the EU Council from 2022. As with other forms of educational activity, the quality assurance system for microcredentials should have both an external and an internal component, the latter being handled by the microcredential provider. The quality of a microcredential itself, including its compliance with standards and applicability to prospective recipients, as well as the quality of the procedures that lead to obtaining it, including training and learning outcome verification processes, should be the focus of the internal evaluation. The external evaluation should be about the institution and its quality assurance procedures, rather than about individual microcredentials,’ remarked Professor Andrzej Kraśniewski from the Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland. 

During a presentation on this issue, Dr Wojciech Stęchły, the project’s lead expert on the design of digital solutions for skills development, emphasised that the creation of an appropriate quality assurance standard is key to creating the first microcredential ecosystem and a platform to issue and earn credible and recognised microcredentials and badges. He also pointed out that quality does not exist in a void. An important context is the mission statement, which sets the long-term direction and helps formulate its development goals.  

‘In our project, we determine quality in two ways. On the one hand, we are building a solid foundation based on proven quality assurance methods, e.g. providing adequate resources and procedures and conducting evaluations. On the other hand, we want to introduce more flexible solutions, which also allow for quality feedback based on recommendations and evaluations,’ explained Dr Wojciech Stęchły. 

In Dr Stęchły’s opinion, it is not possible to create at once a complex system full of dependencies and functioning in different contexts. Therefore, the project’s experts are working on further quality-relevant solutions, looking at how they interact with each other and how they function in practice. Several solutions developed this year have already gone through their first pilot tests: a standard for describing microcredentials, a microcredentials creator and quality assurance rules addressed to the issuers. 

‘Prior discussions with pilot participants and the Microcredential Advisory Group highlighted the importance of developing solutions that are comprehensible to everybody. It is important to bear in mind that the recipients of quality assurance solutions will be people from a variety of backgrounds, not just the Polish Accreditation Committee (PKA), education quality experts or examination centre staff. For this reason, we try to present the entirety of the solutions in a structured way, i.e. as interconnected: guiding values, principles and the tools and solutions to implement them,’ Dr Stęchły pointed out. 

The meeting’s participants were told that in the following months, the project’s experts will reflect on the choice of solutions to use recommendations as a toolkit to complement the criteria-based approach, assessments and reporting. 

The 4th meeting of the Microcredentials Advisory Group was attended by:

1. Michał Goszczyński, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education
2. Justyna John, the Ministry of Digital Affairs 
3. Szymon Kurek, the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development
4. Dr. Barbara Worek, Jagiellonian University, Sectoral Competence Council for the Development Services Sector
5. Małgorzata Lelińska, the Polish Confederation Lewiatan
6. Prof. Andrzej Kraśniewski, Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland
7. Agnieszka Dec, the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy
8. Tomasz Kulasa, Director of the Innovation and Development Department at the Ministry of National Education

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microcredentials.pl: The first stage of the microcredentials pilot project is behind us, culminating in the issuance of the first microcredentials in the Odznaka+ application. Is this a good prognosis for the next stages of the project? In line with its initial assumptions?

Martyna Leciejewicz: Definitely yes! We managed to simultaneously conduct the first phase of the pilot, work on the standard for issuing microcredentials and adapt the Odznaka+ application to issue them. This is our great success and proof that we have done a lot of good work.

Our project is unique in its comprehensive approach to the topic of microcredentials. We do not only implement them, but at the same time, we create a Polish standard for their issuance and test their usability. This was and is the aim of the pilot – we check how a specific entity creates microcredentials, to whom it issues them, and what difficulties it may have in describing them. We solve problems together and discuss the best solutions.

This is important because each of the participants of the pilot project creates digital credentials based on different needs. For example, training companies offer certificates of completion of courses or training that they provide, while corporations create digital credentials related to the idea of ​​’learning at work’ or employee development path. These are just examples, but the catalogue of solutions we are working on is much broader.

microcredentials.pl: It seems that in such an undertaking, the most important are both proven resources and partners who, while understanding their own needs, see the value of the project you are implementing.

Martyna Leciejewicz: The team I lead developed the idea for the pilot’s operation as well as the categories of entities that might be a part of it. Its dispersed nature has proved to be effective. It’s a group of experts in microcredentials who live in various regions of Poland. This allowed us to provide both direct and remote help to our partners and companies cooperating with us. We were able to manage all processes more easily. And in this case, time is crucial.

One of our objectives was to launch the pilot as soon as the microcredential project got underway. Therefore, we invited entities that had previously participated in the project related to the Odznaka+ application to the first stage. We wanted it to be a diverse group, which is why we established cooperation with four institutions: Kyndryl, an international provider of IT services, Kodilla, a training company, the Polish Information Processing Society and Revas, a company dealing with the implementation of tools for practical learning of setting up and running a business.

microcredentials.pl: How did this pilot stage go? To what extent could the project experts provide assistance to the participants?

Martyna Leciejewicz: We have adopted an operating model in which each entity has two supervisors: the main and the supporting one.

We divided the pilot into two parts. The first one covers the time from the initial meeting to the signing of the contract. This is the time for our partners to get acquainted with the experts, and the project assumptions and confirm the terms of the contract. The second part begins after the contract is signed. During in-person and online meetings, this is the opportunity to discuss important project-related topics and learn how the Odznaka+ application that issues digital credentials functions.

While the majority of the pilot’s first phase was conducted in a traditional, analogue way, at the same time work was done to modify the application so that it could issue both microcredentials and badges. The pilot concluded with all our four partners preparing digital microcredentials.

It is worth remembering that each pilot is ‘tailor-made’. Our partners used different formulas. For instance, Kyndryl created its microcredential description in-house before collaborating with our specialists to improve it. Kodilla, in turn, chose online meetings. Each institution has slightly different expectations. We attempt to address all of them, e.g. by organising additional workshops on describing microcredentials or on using the Odznaka+ application.

microcredentials.pl: However, the partners and IBE microcredential teams are two different entities, operating in different conditions. How did this cooperation go? Have you encountered any particular challenges?

Martyna Leciejewicz: Naturally, the pilot participants kept us updated on their impressions. They were all positive. We care about the good atmosphere of our cooperation. Our goal is to make the process of issuing microcredentials as simple as possible, even intuitive. We viewed each opinion as an opportunity to check the accuracy of our assumptions and the work being done by all of our experts.

The actual challenge we faced was when, in addition to developing a standard for its description during the pilot, we were also both gathering feedback and suggestions from the participants and working on the Odznaka+ application to issue digital microcredentials. However, our project’s development team created a user-friendly microcredential generator that allowed every entity to create its own digital microcredential.

microcredentials.pl: The final result of the pilot is the issuance of digital microcredentials by our partners in the Odznaka+ application. In the end, what activities led up to this event and what are these microcredentials?

Martyna Leciejewicz: Each of our partners developed their own ideas for microcredentials and, with the support of our team’s supervisors, created its description and graphical representation. It is noteworthy that the pilot participants indicated their desire to issue more than one microcredential, which we naturally allowed to do so.

Indeed, they managed to create very interesting microcredentials. For example, ‘JavaScript programming basics – for programming school students’. This microcredential may be useful to holders in recruiting for jobs mainly in the IT industry, such as programming, software testing, website design and development, graphic design, UX (user experience) and UI (user interface) design. Other proposals include: ‘PMO Administration in Project Management (CRC) – for trainees’ and ‘ICDL (ECDL) BASE’, microcredentials to confirm basic skills in working on the internet, word processing, working with spreadsheets, working with computers. Another interesting proposition is the possibility of obtaining a microcredential after completing a course called ‘Revas Certified Trainer of Industry Business Simulations – Business Management – for trainers who deliver training’. 

microcredentials.pl: The pilot’s second phase has started after the first one was finished. What plans are involved with it?

Martyna Leciejewicz: We are not slowing down and we are uninterruptedly beginning the next stage of our work. In this phase, we will have a group of partners four times larger than the previous one. It includes a strong representation of universities, such as the Opole and Wrocław Universities of Technology, as well as the CyberSkill training company, Commerzbank and the Jan Biziel University Hospital No. 2 in Bydgoszcz. There has been so much interest that we have had to move some applicants to the third stage of the pilot, which we plan to start in April 2025. 

We are thrilled with the initial outcomes of our project and eager to work on the following phases. We are curious to see how universities will react to our proposed standard for describing microcredentials, and whether their needs will coincide with those of our other partners, such as business entities. There are a lot of interesting challenges ahead.

Bionote

Martyna Leciejewicz – key expert for the implementation of digital services in the project ‘Microcredentials – piloting a new solution to support lifelong learning’. She has been with the Educational Research Institute since 2018 and specialises in promoting lifelong learning and the development of digital competences as a foundation in a dynamically changing educational and professional environment. Her experience includes the management of distributed teams and the effective running of projects, especially those funded by European Union funds. She specialises in planning, coordination and implementation of EU projects. She is a graduate of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University and Kozminski University, where she completed her studies in Administration. She worked at Lazarski University for 10 years, gaining comprehensive experience in the development of the university’s international cooperation, especially in the area of foreign student support. She maintained relations with government institutions and consulates. She also developed her organisational and management skills in the corporate field, which enables her to effectively combine an academic and business approach. Privately, she is interested in literature, travel and confectionery.

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Microcredentials have become one of the 12 points of the European Skills Agenda as a result of positive learning outcomes achieved through short courses or training. They have become a key element of the European Commission’s strategy to create the European Education Area by 2025. Michał Nowakowski, leader of the project “Microcredentials – Piloting a New Solution To Support Lifelong Learning” implemented by the Educational Research Institute (IBE), talks about the specifics and the role of microcredentials, and how they can be used in the Polish education system. 

Microcrenentials.pl: For years you have been building in the public space an image of microcredentials as a tool for qualitative validation of competence development in learning. Today, these interests have gained real opportunities for implementation thanks to a project you are leading at the Educational Research Institute. From your perspective, how has the perception of microcredentials changed over the years? 

Michał Nowakowski: I first learned about the concept of microcredentials in 2014. I admit it with some embarrassment today – I was sceptical about it at the time. This was mainly due to my, rather superficial, assessment of their actual potential. However, my inclination to form a definitive opinion on a subject after thorough research has prevailed. After ten years of dealing with microcredentials, I can already tell that those who are most sceptical about them are those who have not taken the time to understand their concept. When you delve deeper into it, you realise how microcredentials can impact every aspect of our life and where their potential lies. This potential includes, among other things: developing one’s skills in accordance with one’s experience and needs, gaining valuable confirmations of skills needed in the job market, and being able to place one’s educational achievements in development paths which make it easier to track progress, both personal and professional. It’s also about step-by-step gaining and validating your skills in stages, using microcredentials to create a digital CV and, very importantly, keeping you motivated. Studies have shown that microcredentials have great motivational potential – they may lower the rate of course dropouts and make it easier to take up learning after a break. Microcredentials collected in one place, digitally, e.g. on an app, show the users what they already know, and this may provide a very positive incentive to undertake further work.

Today, many people involved in education believe that microcredentials are the future. It is therefore not surprising that it is the Educational Research Institute, which has been researching trends in this area for years, working at the interface between education and the job market and supporting skills development, that is leading a project related to creating microcredential standards in Poland. We are not only developing and testing tools for issuing and collecting microcredentials, but we are also promoting them. The tool I mentioned is the Odznaka+ app we have developed, which is completely free and the first one of its kind in Poland.  

Microcredentials.pl: The project “Microcredentials – Piloting a New Solution To Support Lifelong Learning” implemented by the Educational Research Institute in October 2023 is distinguished by its scale. Our microcredential initiatives are being recognised in Europe and all over the world. What is the main strength of the project you are running?

Michał Nowakowski: I can think about two highly relevant aspects – both show our uniqueness on the international stage. Firstly, our project is one of the few in the world that is being developed on this scale in the public domain. In the USA or Canada, for example, it is private companies that are involved in providing digital solutions for issuing, storing and sharing microcredentials. In the Netherlands and Ireland, similarly to Poland, microcredentials are also being set up in public domains but, compared to us, these countries are not conducting such extensive pilot projects. We, from the very beginning, address the results of our work to everyone, universities, schools, companies or individuals interested in certifying their skills. 

Secondly, our project involves four teams of experts responsible for specific areas. In this way, we deal with the issue of microcredentials from A to Z. The first group of experts is in charge of developing the standards for issuing microcredentials to guarantee the highest quality. The second team is conducting pilot projects, i.e. establishing cooperation with various institutions that test our solutions and share their feedback with us. A third group is working on improving our innovative tool for issuing and collecting digital microcredentials, the Odznaka+ app. Finally, the fourth team of experts focuses on communication about microcredentials and their role in different areas of life. This demonstrates we are involved in every aspect of the implementation of microcredentials in Poland.

Microcredentials.pl: The European Commission predicts that by 2030 tens of millions of Europeans will have acquired microcredentials. McKinsey even talks about the need for more than 300 million workers to upgrade their skills. The IBE pilot project, however, only emphasises the ICT area. Why?

Michał Nowakowski: We aspire high because we realise the potential that microcredentials, especially digital ones, have in almost all areas of life. There are nearly 60,000 issuers of over one million different microcredentials in the US. Research conducted by one of the largest certification platforms in the US, Accredible, shows that 1,700 organisations issued 1.7 million digital microcredentials in the first half of 2022 alone. Perhaps not on such a scale, but we also face a great challenge. In a broader perspective, we aim to make microcredentials accessible to everyone. However, during the stages of defining standards, piloting, testing tools, etc., the emphasis should have been on a particular group. The ICT industry is in many ways ideal for us as it is generally not afraid of the use of digital tools and technology. We value this cooperation very much because it gives us a very good opportunity to test whether what we are developing actually works. In the future, we will expand our project to other industries – for now, I cannot reveal which ones. 

Microcredentials.pl: The picture of the project that you have described suggests that we can expect to see several significant activities in the coming months that will be crucial to achieving its next goals. What can we expect to happen?

Michał Nowakowski: Firstly, the first phase of the pilot project will end in late September/early October. This will coincide with the fact that in our Odznaka+ app, it will become possible to issue microcredentials and not just digital badges, as it has been until now. The pilot project participants will thus be able to issue their first microcredentials, which will mark the culmination of this part of our cooperation. It will also provide material for research, including using the questionnaire interview method, which will help us to establish what in the process of creating and issuing microcredentials they would like to see changed, improved, etc. With the completion of the first phase of the pilot project, the second phase will begin, with more than a dozen new entities from various sectors joining, including universities, foundations, companies, and local government units.

Secondly, we have applied a completely new solution related to the creation of development paths in our app. With the help of these, learning and competency paths can be laid out by the issuers and then subscribed by the users. Each path is built from specific microcredentials or digital badges that together form an incremental map of skills. In the latest release of the application, we have abandoned the free workspace mechanism in favour of a standardised, hierarchical tree. Each pathway uses common UI solutions, so users quickly learn to read and navigate them. The options to collapse tree branches, change the display of data or zoom in and out allow you to focus on the part of interest, while the intuitive drag-and-drop operation makes it convenient to build paths for the issuers. 

Thirdly, there are a number of important developments ahead of us concerning the promotion of microcredentials. In October, there is going to be a meeting – ‘Microcredentials For All – a Development Strategy’ – which will be attended by representatives from ministries, universities, education-related organisations and NGOs. It aims to discuss what we have already managed to do and what we plan to do in the coming months, and above all to work out a long-term strategy for the development of microcredentials in Poland. We also have an international conference coming up, which will bring together representatives of many international organisations. 

Although microcredentials are only recently becoming a more widely discussed topic in Poland, they are already well-known around the world. It is a great success for us that even in countries with already very advanced systems for issuing microcredentials, our project is generating interest. Our social media profiles are followed by people from five continents, we receive messages from representatives of various organisations from all over the world, requesting to participate in an event we are organising, to interact and exchange experiences. This shows not only that the project is up and running, but also that the potential of microcredentials is at least as great, if not greater, than our aspirations I mentioned earlier.

* The Educational Research Institute (IBE) has been implementing the project ‘Microcredentials – Piloting a New Solution To Support Lifelong Learning’ since 2023, co-financed by the European Union under the European Funds for Social Development Programme (FERS).

* Michał Nowakowski – software development leader in the project ‘Microcredentials – Piloting a New Solution To Support Lifelong Learning’ conducted at the Educational Research Institute (IBE). Graduated in law from the University of Wrocław, and studied at Universidad da Coruna in Spain. He specialises in the development of workplace competencies, microcredentials and the use of new technologies in education. He has been providing training on management, leadership and motivation in the workplace for 10 years. Having worked as a manager and expert in many national and international projects, Mr Nowakowski is also a member of the Programme Board of the ‘Forum for Intelligent Development’ foundation, an expert of the Future Industry Platform foundation and the Microcredential Team in the area of higher education of the Minister of Education and Science. In 2022 he was honoured by the Minister of Climate and Environment for his contribution to the development of the hydrogen economy in Poland. Laureate of the List 100 of the Broad Alliance for Digital Skills in Poland in the 2023 edition.

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