Adaptive and Decentralized Credentialing: Integrating Micro-credentials, Cyber Systems, and Blockchain within the framework of SDGs 4 and 9
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63969/ay6amv07Keywords:
Lifelong learning, blockchain, cybernetics, micro-credentials, SDG 4Abstract
Higher education, under pressure from the fourth industrial revolution and the 2030 Agenda, demands an accelerated transition from terminal degrees to lifelong learning. This context has catalyzed the rise of micro-credentials for the agile recognition of competencies. The objective is to analyze how the convergence of cybernetics, blockchain technology, and AI in the micro-credential ecosystem transforms the educational accreditation paradigm, aligns training with market demands, and articulates with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4 and 9. Through a systematic review (PRISMA) of the literature (2021-2025), a qualitative thematic analysis was conducted of 27 articles selected from indexed databases (Scopus, ScienceDirect, Redalyc, SciELO), focusing on the intersection of key variables. The findings reveal the architecture of a post-traditional model. First, micro-credentials deconstruct the formal degree, offering modular pathways. Second, cybernetic systems, through AI-enabled feedback loops, enable adaptive credentialing. Third, blockchain provides the trusted infrastructure for a new knowledge economy, enabling competency traceability. Fourth, students are granted sovereignty and ownership of their credentials, disintermediating validation. Fifth, this technological architecture directly responds to the goals of educational equity (SDG 4) and infrastructural innovation (SDG 9). It is concluded that the synergistic integration of these technologies is not an incremental improvement, but rather a structural reconfiguration, creating a decentralized, adaptive, and transparent credentialing paradigm, essential for sustaining and democratizing lifelong learning in the knowledge society.
References
Agurto-Cabrera, J. C., & Guevara-Vizcaíno, C. F. (2023). Realidad virtual para la mejora del rendimiento académico en estudiantes de educación superior. Revista Metropolitana de Ciencias Aplicadas, 6(S2), 233-243.
Ayala Pezzutti, Rocío Janett, Laurente Cárdenas, Carlos Miguel, Escuza Mesías, César Daniel, Núñez Lira, Luis Alberto, & Díaz Dumont, Jorge Rafael. (2020). Mundos virtuales y el aprendizaje inmersivo en educación superior. Propósitos y Representaciones, 8(1), e430. https://dx.doi.org/10.20511/pyr2020.v8n1.430
Alenezi, M., Akour, M., & Alfawzan, L. (2024). Evolving Microcredential Strategies for Enhancing Employability: Employer and Student Perspectives. Education Sciences, 14(12), 1307. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14121307
Arias-Odón, F. (2019). Citación de fuentes documentales y escogencia de informantes: Un estudio cualitativo de las razones expuestas por investigadores venezolanos. e-Ciencias de la Información, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.15517/eci.v1i1.32224
Arnáu Sabatés, L., & Sala Roca, J. (2020). La revisión de la literatura científica: pautas, procedimientos y criterios de calidad. Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona.
Arroyave Villa, M. (2024). El enfoque de las microcredenciales en la Educación Superior. Rastros Rostros, 26(1), 1–40. https://doi.org/10.16925/2382-4921.2024.01.09
Aysan, A. F., Bergigui, F., & Disli, M. (2021). Blockchain-Based Solutions in Achieving SDGs after COVID-19. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 7(2), 151. https://doi.org/10.3390/joitmc7020151
Bhawna, P., Gupta, P., & Rai, P. (2025). Can blockchain revolutionize educational practices? an in-depth analysis of applications and challenges. Sustainable Futures. 10. 101117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sftr.2025.101171
Bruguera, C., Pagés, C., Peters, M., & Fitó, À. (2024). Micro-credentials and soft skills in online education: The employers’ perspective. Distance Education, 46(1), 56–76. https://doi.org/10.1080/01587919.2024.2435645
Ceballos, D., & López, W. (2024). Implementación de las upskilling y reskilling como herramientas de innovación educativa. Educere. Revista Venezolana de Educación. 90. 431-445. https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=9580233
Chigbu UE, Atiku., S., & Du Plessis, C. (2023). The Science of Literature Reviews: Searching, Identifying, Selecting, and Synthesising. Publications. 11(1):2. https://doi.org/10.3390/publications11010002
De Alwis, A., Shrestha, A. & Sarker, T. Explorando la gobernanza para la acreditación en el sector educativo mediante tecnología blockchain: una revisión sistemática de la literatura. (2025) Discover Education. 4 (57). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-025-00449-y
Dekkers, R., Carey, L., Langhorne, P. (2022). Setting Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria. In: Making Literature Reviews Work: A Multidisciplinary Guide to Systematic Approaches. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-90025-0_6
Dionisio, M., de Souza Junior, S. J., Paula, F., & Pellanda, P. C. (2023). The role of digital social innovations to address SDGs: A systematic review. Environment, development and sustainability, 1–26. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-023-03038-x
Ebidor, L.-L., & Ikhide, I. (2024). Literature Review in Scientific Research: An Overview. East African Journal of Education Studies, 7(2), 211-218. https://doi.org/10.37284/eajes.7.2.1909
El Koshiry, A., Eliwa, E. H. I., Abd El-Hafeez, T., & Shams, M. Y. (2023). Unlocking the power of blockchain in education: An overview of innovations and outcomes. Blockchain: Research and Applications. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bcra.2023.100165
Fisher, K. (2023). AI-Driven blockchain for personalized education: A framework for adaptive learning systems. International Journal of Holistic Management Perspectives. 4 (4). https://injmr.com/index.php/IJHMP/article/view/103
Gamage, K. A. A., & Dehideniya, S. C. P. (2025). Unlocking career potential: How micro-credentials are revolutionising higher education and lifelong learning. Education Sciences, 15(5), 525. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15050525
Maina, M., Guàrdia, L., Mancini, F., & Martínez, M. (2022). A micro-credentialing methodology for improved recognition of HE employability skills. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education. 19 (10). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-021-00315-5
McGreal, R., Mackintosh, W., Cox, G., & Olcott, Jr., D. (2022). Bridging the Gap: Micro-credentials for Development: UNESCO Chairs Policy Brief Form - Under the III World Higher Education Conference (WHEC 2021) Type: Collective X . The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 23(3), 288–302. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v23i3.6696
Mikroyannidis, A., Third, A., & Domingue, J. (2024). Blockchain-based decentralised micro-accreditation for lifelong learning. Interactive Learning Environments, 33(3), 2201–2215. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2024.2401485
Mulligan, C., Morsfield, S., & Cheikosman, E. (2024). Blockchain for sustainability: A systematic literature review for policy impact. Telecommunications Policy. 48 (2). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.telpol.2023.102676
Oberer, B., & Erkollar, A. (2025). The impact of cybernetic relationships between education and work-based learning. Journal of Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics, 23(1), 47–51. https://doi.org/10.54808/JSCI.23.01.47
Ocheja, P., Flanagan, B., Ogata, H., & Oyelere, S. S. (2022). Visualization of education blockchain data: trends and challenges. Interactive Learning Environments, 31(9), 5970–5994. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2022.2026406
OECD (2024). Bridging Talent Shortages in Tech: Skills-first Hiring, Micro-credentials and Inclusive Outreach, Getting Skills Right, OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/f35da44f-en
Ralston, S. J. (2021). Higher Education’s Microcredentialing Craze: A Postdigital-Deweyan Critique. Postdigital Science and Education, 3(1), 83–101. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-020-00121-8
Savelyeva, T., & Park, J. (2022). Blockchain technology for sustainable education. British Journal of Educational Technology, 53, 1591–1604. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13273
Silamani J., A. (2015). Usefulness and types of literature review. ENE. 9(2). https://dx.doi.org/10.4321/S1988-348X2015000200002
Suescum Coelho, C., Suescum Coelho, C.-E., Suescum Coelho, C., Suescum Coelho, C., & Coelho Freitas, C. M. (2025). Rol de los Agentes de Inteligencia Artificial en la Promoción de una Educación de Calidad: Una Perspectiva Basada en los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible de la Organización de Naciones Unidas. Revista Científica Multidisciplinar SAGA, 2(2), 90-101. https://doi.org/10.63415/saga.v2i2.81
UNESCO (2025). Mapeo de microcredenciales en América Latina y el Caribe: hacia un marco común. UNESCO. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000393794_spa.locale=en
Varadarajan, S., Koh, J.H.L. & Daniel, B.K. (2023). A systematic review of the opportunities and challenges of micro-credentials for multiple stakeholders: learners, employers, higher education institutions and government. Int J Educ Technol High Educ 20. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-023-00381-x
Zdunek, K., Dobrowolska, B., Dziurka, M. Galazzi, A., Chiapinotto, A., & Wells, J. (2024). Challenges and opportunities of micro-credentials as a new form of certification in health science education—a discussion paper. BMC Med Educ 24, 1169. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-06174-8
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Carluys, Suescum Coelho, Car-Emyr, Suescum Coelho, Carlysmar, Suescum Coelho, Carelys, Suescum Coelho, Carmen María, Coelho Freitas (Autor/a)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Los artículos publicados en la revista se distribuyen bajo la licencia Creative Commons Atribución 4.0 Internacional (CC BY 4.0). Esta licencia permite a terceros descargar, copiar, distribuir, adaptar y reutilizar una obra, incluso con fines comerciales, siempre que se otorgue el crédito adecuado al autor original.
