Stephen Downes

Microcredentials, according to the article, "are designed to help close the skills gap and get people back to work. They also reflect a trend toward on-demand, short-form learning that is focused on skills, competencies and specific capabilities — a shift away from long-form learning, such as degrees and diplomas." All this may be true - but let's keep in mind that none of this is inherent to microcredentials. The ten points described here might apply to any learning, and not just micro-credentials, but the latter are topical today. And conversely, there's nothing preventing an institution from offering a microcredential in, say, Topics in Medieval Philosophy (which, by the way, would be way cooler than the title suggests - trust me).