Short online training courses are gaining popularity, particularly among those wishing to acquire specific skills to add value to their professional CV. In this frenzy of new terms and concepts, some are misunderstood and sometimes confused. Such is the case with micro-credentials and badges. Let's take a closer look at what distinguishes these two concepts and why it's essential to understand their differences.

Micro-credentials are a type of short, targeted training and certification that is beginning to carve out a place for itself in the post-secondary education system. In recent years, UNESCO and several countries have taken a close interest in this concept, aiming to grasp its potential better, define it and integrate it into established education systems.

Many of the judgments we make in our daily lives, while seemingly well thought out, are in fact far from rational and can lead us to make poor decisions. These erroneous judgments are called "cognitive biases," and some 250 different ones are known to date. Although the teaching profession encourages the development of critical thinking skills in those who practice it, the learner-teacher relationship is conducive to the development of some of these biases, which can have a significant impact on learning. The Pygmalion effect is one of them, and the first step to better prevent it is to know it better.

Fast, versatile and engaging, microlearning is a significant trend in online education. This mode of learning, which fragments knowledge into "bite-sized chunks," is now taking on innovative forms to serve more structured online courses. In line with our technological habits, our information consumption patterns and our learning dispositions, its possibilities look very promising.

In the world of training, the prefix "micro" (for "very small") has been in vogue lately. You may have heard of microlearning, micromodules, or even micro degrees. This article discusses micro-credentials, a type of short, focused training and certification that is beginning to make its way into the post-secondary education system, including universities. The growth and diversification of online learning, the new training needs of workers and employers that have emerged during the pandemic, and the profound changes in the labour market are all accelerating the movement to integrate micro-credentials into higher education.