Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
The MARTe project (2023-2024) aimed to verify the practical application of automatic recognition to micro-credentials.
The first phase of the project was dedicated to mapping the existing repositories of micro-credentials in partner countries (Italy, Ireland and the Netherlands).
During the second phase, the data gathered, specifically those concerning learning outcomes, were used for the application of the text-mining technology: this analysis provided precise and reliable information on which are the criteria implied to structure these learning outcomes, and on whether there are common patterns among partner countries.
The last project phase piloted the design of three stackable micro-credentials designed by a non-academic actor (Leica) In cooperation with the ENIC-NARIC partners (CIMEA, QQI and Nuffic). The micro-credentials were then analysed by a higher education institution (Iuav) who defined the conditions for their recognition. This made it possible to test the feasibility of the recognition of micro-credentials issued by alternative providers in higher education institutions.
The piloting activities of the MARTe project highlighted opportunities to optimise existing procedures for the design and recognition of micro-credentials, thus contributing to the development of a more efficient system able to respond to the needs of both the academic sector and the labour market.
A detailed overview of the project results is provided in the final project publication, which describes the methodologies adopted and the lessons learned (full text available here).