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Several concurrent trends are increasing the likelihood that short courses, microcredentials, and flexible learning pathways will become a regular and even dominant feature of education and training globally. This policy paper reflects on these trends with special reference to the post-secondary education sector, and explores ways to organize short courses and micro-credentials as effective tools for offering up-to-date, quality learning to much larger segments of the population, creating flexible learning pathways, fostering learner autonomy, and formally acknowledging competencies. The paper discusses existing definitions and proposes a universal working definition for micro-credentials developed by UNESCO. It also describes 10 challenges that potentially threaten the successful roll-out of microcredentials. Challenges range from concerns -- some justified, others less so -- about the quality of pedagogy to doubts about level, credit points, progression, coherence, assessment, certification, and labour market value. The paper assesses each challenge and identifies actions that could contribute to the successful roll-out of short courses and micro-credentials. These include a functioning national qualifications framework, transparent recognition procedures, internal and external quality assurance, reliable assessment, facilities for digital storage, funding for learners and providers, and stakeholder engagement. Lastly, success also requires the development of easily accessible digital registers of learners' achievements, micro-credential qualifications, short courses, providers, assessors, awarders, quality assurance agencies, credential evaluators, employers, and job and promotion opportunities. The paper draws on country experiences, studies, and projects from all world regions, and highlights good practices. It concludes with seven recommendations targeted at public policy-makers to foster coordinated action, including further research to better understand short-course provision at country level and obstacles to the development of micro-credentials, as well as their added value for individual learners, the economy, and society at large.

Human beings are compulsive learners. Strong demographic and economic factors coincide with this natural desire to learn. This current paper focuses on quality aspects of shorter-term educational experiences. What features determine quality? What type of quality reviews would be most suitable? Are accreditation and quality assurance as they have been known, still relevant? What role for the Council for Higher Education International Quality Group (CHEA/CIQG) Quality Platform, one approach to addressing the challenge of assuring quality for these experiences? The preliminary responses in this paper draw on the discussion of a Working Group convened by CHEA/CIQG and the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) in Washington DC on 13 March 2019. The Working Group focused on the current state of shorter-term educational experiences and efforts to assure quality in this emerging sector: (1) Who are the providers?; (2) Are numbers growing?; and (3) What is known about assuring quality?

What is the potential of cross-border accreditation? Will universities go for a first or second opinion abroad? Will foreign reviews replace national assessments? What motivates universities and agencies for this extra work? What about understanding local context? Governments across the globe consider higher education a national public good. State bodies set regulatory frameworks and provide most of the funding. Quality assurance and accreditation are steered by governments either directly, through legislation or, indirectly, through funding. Conversely, external evaluations, audits and accreditation influence state licensing and funding decisions regarding students, institutions and programs. This policy brief presents cross-border reviews, which are gradually becoming an accepted and appreciated part of the quality assurance and accountability landscape.