Micro-credentials for Classroom Confidence
Upskill with purpose. Teach with impact.
The Australian Government has funded three free micro-credentials to upskill some of the most important members of our society: our teachers.
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Evidence-based. Expert-informed. Cost-free.
We’ve created three specialised micro-credentials carefully tailored to meet the needs of school educators based on the latest research evidence. With these self-paced, practical courses, you can upskill quickly, meet your professional development requirements and transform your teaching—all on a flexible, digital platform.
Classroom Management
Create a quality learning environment.
Duration: Self-paced
Estimated time commitment: 48 hours of learning
Explicit Teaching
Maximise every lesson’s impact
Duration: Self-paced
Estimated time commitment: 48 hours of learning
Teaching Phonics
Embed systematic synthetic phonics instruction
Duration: Self-paced
Estimated time commitment: 48 hours of learning
Enrol now!
Enrolments for the Classroom Management and Explicit Teaching micro-credentials are now open. Register your interest to receive the enrolment link for these courses, and the Teaching Phonics micro-credential in the coming months.
Meeting your needs
- Free: These micro-credentials are fully funded by the Australian Government, making them available at no cost to Australian-based school educators and pre-service teachers!
- Professional development: Completing just one of these three micro-credentials can count towards the annual 20-hour professional learning requirement for maintaining your teacher registration.
- Increased confidence: Through these micro-credentials, you’ll gain the tools and knowledge to confidently navigate a wide range of classroom challenges, helping you feel more prepared and in control across diverse scenarios.
- Evidence-based learning: Our micro-credentials draw exclusively from current, evidence-backed teaching methodologies, ensuring relevance and effectiveness in classrooms.
- Networking and peer support: Our collaborative approach will connect you with peers, offering a supportive community of educators for shared learning.
- Inclusivity and diversity: Each of these micro-credentials will empower you to build inclusive learning environments, helping you cater to the needs of all students.
- Advanced academic pathways: Course completion offers a potential credit pathway toward post-graduate study at the University of Adelaide, opening doors to further career growth.
In 2022, the Quality Initial Teacher Education Review suggested that short courses could help teachers to upskill, particularly in areas where they feel underprepared, such as managing classrooms, using explicit teaching strategies and teaching phonics.
In response, the Australian Government has selected the University of Adelaide to develop evidence-based micro-credentials so that teachers in all stages of their careers can upskill in these areas of need and improve their teaching practice with minimum disruption to their work capacity.
Tried and tested
We know which approaches make a real difference to young people's learning outcomes—and we’re committed to empowering every teacher with those tools. The approaches you’ll unpack in our micro-credentials are evidence-based and relevant to today’s dynamic classrooms. Our academics have synthesised the most rigorous and effective strategies to help take your teaching practice to the next level and set your students up for success.
Developed by experts
Founded on expertise in higher education and professional development, these courses meet the needs of both active and pre-service teachers.
For over 20 years, the University’s Professional and Continuing Education (PACE) unit has been combining academic, industry and technical expertise to deliver focused and high-quality workforce training, development and credentials. Each year PACE supports the lifelong learning of more than 2,300 participants and hundreds of local and international organisations across diverse sectors to enhance their capabilities and thrive in the changing professional world.
As an exemplar of innovation, the School of Education at the University of Adelaide is recognised as an Apple Distinguished School in Higher Education: the only one in Australia. It has extensive expertise in designing, delivering and monitoring scalable pedagogy and curricula for online learning across various digital platforms.
FAQs
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Who are these courses for?
The micro-credentials are designed for Australian-based school teachers (early years, primary and secondary), school leaders, other education professionals within the school setting and pre-service teachers.
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Are there any prerequisites?
The micro-credentials have no prerequisites for enrolling, and assumed knowledge will be communicated where relevant.
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What is the course structure and estimated learning effort?
The micro-credentials are flexible and self-paced in design, so you can tailor your learning journey to fit into your lifestyle. They cover 48 hours of learning, split into four distinct modules. Each module is divided into small, logically connected topics of approximately 1.5 hours of learning each. This allows you to learn in the way that works best for you.
The topics feature a mix of practitioner videos and activities, readings, practice strategies, resources and tools. These are complemented by opportunities for self-reflection and online community discussions.
There is no set timeframe in which you need to complete each micro-credential — you can study at your own pace. If you have more free time, you could speed up your work to finish sooner. If you're new to online learning or haven't studied in a while, scheduling your study times in shorter bursts may be helpful.
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Will this count toward my professional development requirements?
The courses are designed to be recognised by Teacher Registration Boards. All three micro-credentials are aligned to the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers to meet the professional development requirements for non-accredited programs all the way to the highly accomplished level. If you wish to count a course towards your mandatory professional development hours, we recommend that you confirm the requirements with your teaching authority.
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Can I do the courses remotely?
Our micro-credentials are delivered online only, making them accessible for Australian-based school educators and pre-service teachers nationwide, including in remote areas.
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What will I receive when I complete a micro-credential?
When you successfully complete:
- a module within one of the micro-credentials
- a micro-credential in full; and/or
- the capstone assessment
You will be awarded a digital badge from the University of Adelaide. A digital badge is a graphic that can be shared on your LinkedIn, website or email signature that is designed to help you validate and communicate your achievement. It links to metadata that provides more information about the specific micro-credential you have completed. Many employers and educational institutions recognise and value digital badges as evidence of specific skills, achievements, or competencies – while offering you, as the learner, an opportunity to enhance your credibility and recognition within your field.
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Will these courses give me study credits?
Course completion offers a potential credit pathway toward post-graduate study at the University of Adelaide. Participants need to successfully complete at least three modules across at least two micro-credentials (three modules in total) to be eligible to undertake the assessment credential. If you seek a credit transfer, we recommend you liaise with your chosen institution, as each one will have their own policy for how they assess and award credit.
Once you have completed at least three modules across at least two micro-credentials, we will email you the enrolment link for the assessment credential within four weeks from your completion of the third module.
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How do I obtain credit towards a Master of Education course at the University of Adelaide after completing the Classroom Confidence Assessment Credential?
If you are a current University of Adelaide student, please submit the online ‘Application for Academic Credit’ form to the Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Economics. You will need to present three badges of three completed modules across at least two micro-credentials; the ‘Classroom Confidence Assessment Credential’ badge; and course outlines.
If you are not a University of Adelaide student and hold a Bachelor of Teaching qualification or equivalent, please contact Dr Tom Porta, Program Director, Master of Education, at tom.porta@adelaide.edu.au.
Is this course right for you? Feel free to get in touch.
For more details about the micro-credentials, download a brochure.
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