A micro-credentialing methodology for improved recognition of HE employability skills
Abstract Increasingly, among international organizations concerned with unemployment rates and industry demands, there is an emphasis on the need to improve graduates’ employability skills and the transparency of mechanisms for their recognition. This research presents the Employability Skills Micro...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SpringerOpen
2022-02-01
|
| Series: | International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-021-00315-5 |
| _version_ | 1818491732591902720 |
|---|---|
| author | Marcelo Fabián Maina Lourdes Guàrdia Ortiz Federica Mancini Montserrat Martinez Melo |
| author_facet | Marcelo Fabián Maina Lourdes Guàrdia Ortiz Federica Mancini Montserrat Martinez Melo |
| author_sort | Marcelo Fabián Maina |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Increasingly, among international organizations concerned with unemployment rates and industry demands, there is an emphasis on the need to improve graduates’ employability skills and the transparency of mechanisms for their recognition. This research presents the Employability Skills Micro-credentialing (ESMC) methodology, designed under the EPICA Horizon 2020 (H2020) project and tested at three East African universities, and shows how it fosters pedagogical innovation and promotes employability skills integration and visibility. The methodology, supported by a competency-based ePortfolio and a digital micro-credentialing system, was evaluated using a mixed-method design, combining descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis to capture complementary stakeholder perspectives. The study involved the participation of 13 lecturers, 169 students, and 24 employers. The results indicate that the ESMC methodology is a promising approach for supporting students in their transition from academia to the workplace. The implementation of the methodology and the involvement of employers entails rethinking educational practices and academic curricula to embed employability skills. It enables all actors to broaden their understanding of the relationship between higher education and the business sector and to sustain visibility, transparency, and reliability of the recognition process. These findings indicate that there are favourable conditions in the region for the adoption of the approach, which is a meaningful solution for the stakeholder community to address the skills gap. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T17:34:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-649818e8ece74bcb97cec2aa4044188d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2365-9440 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T17:34:49Z |
| publishDate | 2022-02-01 |
| publisher | SpringerOpen |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education |
| spelling | doaj.art-649818e8ece74bcb97cec2aa4044188d2022-12-22T01:39:34ZengSpringerOpenInternational Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education2365-94402022-02-0119112210.1186/s41239-021-00315-5A micro-credentialing methodology for improved recognition of HE employability skillsMarcelo Fabián Maina0Lourdes Guàrdia Ortiz1Federica Mancini2Montserrat Martinez Melo3Universitat Oberta de CatalunyaUniversitat Oberta de CatalunyaUniversitat Oberta de CatalunyaUniversitat Oberta de CatalunyaAbstract Increasingly, among international organizations concerned with unemployment rates and industry demands, there is an emphasis on the need to improve graduates’ employability skills and the transparency of mechanisms for their recognition. This research presents the Employability Skills Micro-credentialing (ESMC) methodology, designed under the EPICA Horizon 2020 (H2020) project and tested at three East African universities, and shows how it fosters pedagogical innovation and promotes employability skills integration and visibility. The methodology, supported by a competency-based ePortfolio and a digital micro-credentialing system, was evaluated using a mixed-method design, combining descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis to capture complementary stakeholder perspectives. The study involved the participation of 13 lecturers, 169 students, and 24 employers. The results indicate that the ESMC methodology is a promising approach for supporting students in their transition from academia to the workplace. The implementation of the methodology and the involvement of employers entails rethinking educational practices and academic curricula to embed employability skills. It enables all actors to broaden their understanding of the relationship between higher education and the business sector and to sustain visibility, transparency, and reliability of the recognition process. These findings indicate that there are favourable conditions in the region for the adoption of the approach, which is a meaningful solution for the stakeholder community to address the skills gap.https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-021-00315-5Micro-credentialing methodologyEmployability skillsSocial integrative pedagogyePortfolioMicro-credentialBadge |
| spellingShingle | Marcelo Fabián Maina Lourdes Guàrdia Ortiz Federica Mancini Montserrat Martinez Melo A micro-credentialing methodology for improved recognition of HE employability skills International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education Micro-credentialing methodology Employability skills Social integrative pedagogy ePortfolio Micro-credential Badge |
| title | A micro-credentialing methodology for improved recognition of HE employability skills |
| title_full | A micro-credentialing methodology for improved recognition of HE employability skills |
| title_fullStr | A micro-credentialing methodology for improved recognition of HE employability skills |
| title_full_unstemmed | A micro-credentialing methodology for improved recognition of HE employability skills |
| title_short | A micro-credentialing methodology for improved recognition of HE employability skills |
| title_sort | micro credentialing methodology for improved recognition of he employability skills |
| topic | Micro-credentialing methodology Employability skills Social integrative pedagogy ePortfolio Micro-credential Badge |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-021-00315-5 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT marcelofabianmaina amicrocredentialingmethodologyforimprovedrecognitionofheemployabilityskills AT lourdesguardiaortiz amicrocredentialingmethodologyforimprovedrecognitionofheemployabilityskills AT federicamancini amicrocredentialingmethodologyforimprovedrecognitionofheemployabilityskills AT montserratmartinezmelo amicrocredentialingmethodologyforimprovedrecognitionofheemployabilityskills AT marcelofabianmaina microcredentialingmethodologyforimprovedrecognitionofheemployabilityskills AT lourdesguardiaortiz microcredentialingmethodologyforimprovedrecognitionofheemployabilityskills AT federicamancini microcredentialingmethodologyforimprovedrecognitionofheemployabilityskills AT montserratmartinezmelo microcredentialingmethodologyforimprovedrecognitionofheemployabilityskills |