How to Create a Microcredential

A PSU Faculty Guide to Building Microcredentials

Welcome to your guide to creating microcredentials at Portland State University (PSU). This page is dedicated to helping faculty understand the steps involved in proposing and developing a microcredential, as well as the support available to them through The Office of Academic Innovation.

Curricular Microcredentials

Curricular microcredentials are created as non-credit offerings to enrolled PSU students. This type of microcredential can stand alone or be offered in conjunction with a credit course as an additional assignment.

As an instructor building a microcredential you can:

Offer a Microcredential in Conjunction with a Course

This kind of microcredential is offered to enrolled PSU students in conjunction with a course as an additional activity or assignment. The learning outcomes for a non-credit, curricular microcredential will align with those already approved for the credit course. Supplemental work and a separate assessment must be completed to earn the microcredential (reinforcing but not changing the existing outcomes). No more than one microcredential can be proposed for the course when offered in conjunction with a credit-bearing course.

Offer a Microcredential as a Standalone Activity

You can build a non-credit microcredential to be part of a student activity, student employment, or on a standalone basis, not in conjunction with a PSU course. Known as non-credit co-curricular microcredentials, these offerings are available to enrolled PSU students on a self-enroll basis and are published publicly on the microcredential catalog.

Explore the catalog of standalone microcredentials currently offered at PSU.

Professional Development Microcredentials

Professional development microcredentials for faculty and staff at PSU are developed and offered by the Office of Academic Innovation. Professional development microcredentials for external participants/community members are offered by CEPE.

MICROCREDENTIAL STANDARDS:

Structured learning with clearly defined learning outcomes or competencies.
Learning that meets an objectively recognized need, such as career readiness, job skills, or professional development.
Clearly organized materials, activities, and assessment.
A minimum of 10 hours of active learning in a synchronous or asynchronous format delivered in any modality.
Formal processes for registration, tracking, and verification of completion.

PROPOSING A NEW MICROCREDENTIAL

To propose a new microcredential:

Prepare your proposal:
Complete the Microcredential Proposal Form and attach a PDF stating explicity prior approval from your department chair, college dean, or supervisor.
Submission:
Once you submit your completed microcredential Proposal Form, Office of Academic Innovation (OAI) will confirm receipt and forward it to the Microcredential Advisory Council (MAC) for review.

PSU Microcredentials Advisory Council (MAC)

The advisory council is composed of representatives from the faculty, the Office of Academic Innovation, the Office of Academic Affairs, the Registrar, Career Services, Student Activities, and the Center for Executive and Professional Education. The MAC is responsible for:

Formalizing the microcredential framework and processes
Evaluating new program proposals
Advancing clarity, consistency, and meaning for digital credentials
Fostering transparency and inclusivity in microcredentialing at PSU

PSU Microcredential Advisory Council Review

The PSU Microcredential Advisory Council (MAC) will review submissions received bi-monthly and inform the primary contact for the request on the status of their microcredential proposal. If the MAC approves your proposal, you will receive information about building and publishing the microcredential digital badge in Canvas. The Office of Academic Innovation (OAI) microcredential staff can assist with this process and will administer the badge to your participants at the end of course completion.

MANAGING A MICROCREDENTIAL

Once your microcredential has been approved, the next crucial step involves the management and timely awarding of digital badges to recognize and validate participant achievements.

Managing your microcredential and student registration

OAI will provide an optional PSU microcredential Canvas template that you can modify to suit your needs. You can also ask students to register once they join the Canvas course.

Awarding badges

As students complete the microcredential, please provide the Office of Academic innovation with a list of participants who have earned the microcredential for badge issuance. Credly will notify participants that they have earned a badge via email. The email will contain instructions for registering and claiming the badge in Credly.

Annual review

The MAC will review microcredentials on an annual basis to determine whether they still meet the criteria and will continue to be supported by the offering department the subsequent year.*
*Subject to change pending MAC approval.

Digital badge records

Digital badges are managed through the Credly system, with notifications and instructions provided to participants via email.

Support for Building Microcredentials

The Office of Academic Innovation offers extensive support for faculty building and managing microcredentials, from proposal development to managing the awarding of badges.

Contact Support