A systematic review of the opportunities and challenges of micro-credentials for multiple stakeholders: learners, employers, higher education institutions and government

Abstract Micro-credentials are gaining traction as viable vehicles for rapid upskilling of the workforce in the twenty-first century and potential pathways for gaining employment for some students. The primary purpose of the current systematic review was to understand the current conceptions and discourses of micro-credentials in higher education and to identify the opportunities and challenges in adopting micro-credentials in higher education. The review also aimed to develop a need-driven micro-credentials framework that demonstrates the value of micro-credentials to stakeholders, i.e., learners, higher education institutions, employers, and government agencies. Key findings revealed that there are various stakeholders’ needs and expectations. The learner wants short, practical, and up-to-date courses for their chosen career path, education institutions emphasise accreditation for building trust, employers want clarity regarding the competencies gained through micro-credentials, and government bodies expect higher graduate employability with lower tuition fees. Key findings revealed that implementing micro-credentials can be disruptive in the higher education sector and present several challenges. However, these challenges are likely to be mitigated by increased collaboration among stakeholders. The review has revealed several outstanding research questions critical for the success of micro-credentials as significant pathways to supplement traditional degree programmes. The research presented in the article has implications for policy development to guide the implementation of micro-credentials in the higher education sector

Title Cultivating knowledge creation capacity for social studies among primary school students: A case narrative Cultivating knowledge creation capacity for social studies among primary school students: A case narrative

Abstract: In this paper, we report our subjective experiences in designing and implementing the knowledge building community among primary three students in one of the future school in Singapore. The knowledge building community is reportedly one of the most researched pedagogical models that aims to foster knowledge creation among students. While its pedagogical goals are laudable, its actual implementation is very challenging especially in the Asian school context. This study draws upon the personal experiences of the authors to explicate the challenges one may face in implementing this computer supported collaborative learning models and suggests several possible solutions for the identified contextual challenges

Title Surveying in-service preschool teachers' technological pedagogical content knowledge Surveying in-service preschool teachers' technological pedagogical content knowledge

Many teachers are reporting that they need to develop more subject-specific applications of educational technology. However, there seems to have been a lack of theoretical frameworks to guide educators in preparing and developing in-service preschool teacher education in the area of educational technology until the recent emergence of the notion of technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK). This study utilizes the TPACK survey to explore 366 Taiwanese in-service preschool teachers' technological pedagogical content knowledge. Exploratory factor analyses of the TPACK survey used in this study yielded six scales: Content knowledge (CK), pedagogical knowledge (PK), pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), technological knowledge (TK), a combined factor of technological pedagogical knowledge and technological content knowledge (TPTCK) and technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK), respectively. The exploratory factor analyses indicated adequate reliability and validity of the TPACK survey. The correlation analyses revealed that more senior preschool teachers might show a certain degree of resistance toward technology-integrated teaching environments. Further analyses also showed that the preschool teachers with higher education qualifications tended to have more knowledge of technology use and ICT integration in their teaching environment