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Section 1 - Preamble
(1) This Policy is effective from 1 March 2022.
(2) This Policy is pursuant to the Higher Education Courses policy.
Top of PageSection 2 - Purpose
(3) This Policy sets out principles for the award of Deakin micro-credentials that warrant the achievement of learning through teaching and assessment, or assessment only.
Top of PageSection 3 - Scope
(4) This Policy applies to micro-credentials that are offered by the University.
Top of PageSection 4 - Policy
(5) The University offers micro-credentials that:
- are awarded on successful completion of an assessed micro-unit
- evidence achievement of appropriate learning outcomes and standards
- may be taught and assessed, or assessed only
- are based on judgements of rich evidence created in response to authentic assessment tasks
- where possible are designed and conferred in partnership with industry
- are conferred where the identity of the learner is appropriately verified
- may be integrated into the design of a Deakin University award course
- may provide credit to a Deakin University award course
- bear the insignia of the University
- are recorded and archived in the same way as macro-credentials or in Deakin’s approved digital badging system
- are conferred digitally using badging technology.
(6) Faculty Boards approve micro-credentials to be awarded on the completion of micro-units. Approval also requires endorsement by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education.
(7) The Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education oversees quality assurance of all micro-units and micro-credentials
and reports annually to the Academic Board on the award of Deakin micro-credentials.
Metadata
(8) The metadata should include the following information and be defined for each micro-credential:
- Title and brief description
- Issuer: Deakin and partner(s), where relevant
- Learning outcomes or description of achievement
- Mode of participation: online, face-to-face, blended
- Effort required, including assessment, in hours, for typical learner
- Complexity of main assessment task
- Supervision and identity verification
- Australian Qualifications Framework level aligned to or professional standard
- Credit information if micro-credential is credit-bearing.
Top of PageSection 5 - Procedure
(9) The Hallmarks policy documents how to comply with this Policy.
(10) The Deakin Professional Practice Credentials procedure documents how to comply with this Policy.
Top of PageSection 6 - Definitions
(11) For the purpose of this Policy:
- course: means a program of study that leads to a degree, vocational education and training product or other award as defined by the Academic Board Regulations.
- digital credential: a digital record of achievement in which metadata attached provides information about the source and value of the award.
- macro-credential: an Australian Higher Education Qualification (or international qualification with equivalent learning outcomes) awarded by an accredited provider.
- micro-credential: an award that warrants achievement of clearly articulated learning outcomes that is not sufficient, in itself, to lead to the award of a macro-credential.