Digital badging is a form of digital recognition that you can earn through a variety of learning environments. It can be used to document skills, accomplishments, or interests in a particular area of study. Depending on the system you use, your credentials may be recognized by a third party, such as a college or university.
Table of Contents
Digital Badging explained
Digital badging is a process in which individuals or organizations are awarded digital badges to recognize and certify skills, achievements, and learning. Digital badges are digital graphics that are embedded with metadata that describes the skills, knowledge, or experience that the badge represents.
Digital badging can be used in a variety of contexts, including education, training, and professional development. It is often used to recognize and validate non-traditional forms of learning and skills that may not be formally recognized through traditional certifications or degrees.
Digital badges can be displayed on websites, social media profiles, and resumes, and they can be easily shared and verified by employers and other organizations. Digital badging has the potential to provide a more flexible and portable way of recognizing and verifying skills and achievements than traditional methods.
Overall, digital badging is an increasingly popular way of recognizing and certifying skills and learning in the digital age.
Proof that you learned the skills you said you did
Digital badges are becoming increasingly common in the education community. Some of the more noteworthy companies offering these badges include Achieve, Achieve, and Macmillan Learning. These slickly branded digital badges are a nice way to reward your students and keep them motivated as they move through your curriculum.
Having one on your finger will not only impress your peers, but it’s a great way to build your organization’s credibility as well. If your employees are stomping around your campus in their pajamas, you’ve got to give them something to look at and a digital badge might be the way to go. Plus, they are a cinch to create and administer if you’re a jack of all trades.
In the throes of a COVID-19 pandemic, the 83 percent number that makes the newsstand look like a snore in a flash, it’s nice to see that some of the major players are making an effort to upgrade their credentialing offerings. Using the right digital badges can be a cost-effective and measurable way to improve your employees’ credentials and boost your bottom line.
Achieve has the audacious goal of issuing over 50,000 digital badges to students this fall. The site’s digital platform includes an impressive swag of classes in Technical Communication, Majors Biology, Nutrition, and Introduction to Statistics. From technical writing to business analytics, these courses will help you advance your career in an online classroom environment. By integrating these classes into your schedule, you’ll be able to reap the rewards of your hard work without having to leave the comfort of your own home.
One of the more interesting aspects of this program is that it is free to boot. Students are given the opportunity to earn digital badges for their efforts, and can even earn some sweet sweet cash in the form of free tuition if they decide to stick around after graduation.
A built-in reference
Despite being a decade old and being a relative dinosaur in the land of the bees and wasps, the digital badge is no longer dead. Although there are many competitors, it remains a viable option for organizations of all shapes and sizes. Among the many benefits, issuing digital badges allows for an easier on/off switch for a myriad of reasons. Some of these include the obvious – it is a nice way to thank a loyal employee while allowing the institution to reposition itself as the go-to employer for a range of different ad hoc needs. It is also an ideal platform for a range of stakeholders to convene around a single common goal. In fact, a well-thought-out program may prove to be a better way to foster a culture of innovation.
Using the right tool for the job and a bit of imagination, a small firm can create a digital badge solution that will spawn new revenue streams for years to come. Indeed, the true cost of a well-planned digital badge program is minuscule compared to the actual dollars spent. As a savvy business owner, you have the opportunity to take advantage of this by leveraging the latest in badge technology to your advantage. So, what are you waiting for? Well, now is the time to do it, as it is only a matter of time before digital badges take the cake.
They fill a gap between traditional higher education and micro-credentials
Micro-credentials are short courses that align with industry requirements. They are designed to be accessible and time-effective. Taking them alone or stacking them together can help you gain skills for your career. However, there are still many questions about their effectiveness and the value of micro-credentials.
As a result, they are being used across all levels of education. Some universities have partnered with online learning platforms to offer micro-credentials to non-traditional learners. Stacking multiple micro-credentials can make a more impressive portfolio and improve a hiring profile.
According to McKinsey management consulting firm, eighty-seven percent of companies around the world are experiencing skill gaps. The pace of technological innovation has led to employers needing specific skills, leading to a mismatch between job role demands and the skills of applicants.
Micro-credentials are designed to fill these skill gaps and to underpin contingent and precarious work. But in many ways, they are a back door into the gig economy. Unlike traditional credentials, micro-credentials can be stacked vertically or horizontally, which can add up to a much larger qualification.
Micro-credentials are based on human capital theory, which reorients educational ends to productive workers. They are competency-based and focus on the development of a single skill or a group of skills. This flexibility allows them to be tied to a specific certification program or to a single aspect of a job.
While the long-term potential of micro-credentials remains unclear, there is significant interest in developing them. There are currently more than one thousand unique credentials in the U.S., and many more in the works.
Moreover, many colleges and organizations are beginning to develop internal micro-credential programs. Digital badges can also be a good way to improve a hiring profile.
They can be endorsed by third-parties
With the Open Badges specification, third parties can endorse earned badges, thus allowing organizations to certify that their members possess the required skills and experience. They can also indicate the alignment of their badges to a specific organization’s values and assessment techniques. This feature will transform e-credentialing and may even drive other accreditors to follow suit.
To ensure the best outcome, the Open Badges Working Group has developed a robust specification that includes interoperable and extensible features. Its endorsement and metadata components are sure to help make digital credentials more credible.
The endorsement, however, is more a feat of engineering than it is an art. This is because the technology behind it is relatively new. As such, the standard will take time to mature and to become standardized.
Endorsements are one of the most important capabilities of the Open Badges specification. These badges will be more valuable to consumers, and will allow them to verify the validity of their badges.
In addition to being able to display a badge on their website or social networks, individuals can display it on their digital resumes and email signatures. Furthermore, this new feature offers employers the ability to close skills gaps in their workforces.
Lastly, endorsements can increase the credibility of digital credentials in a variety of settings. This is because a third party can confirm that the organization whose badges are issued has met certain requirements for assessment techniques and learning techniques.
The Open Badges specification is set to undergo further improvements, but it is likely that these attributes will continue to make digital credentials more and more valuable to consumers. However, these changes will only occur as the industry develops a better understanding of the technology.
They can be used to provide feedback on student performance in an online learning environment
Digital badges provide a more detailed account of how a student has learned. They can be used to motivate students and encourage them to keep participating in an educational program. The badges can also be used to recognize a student’s mastery of a skill or to provide feedback on performance in an online learning environment.
Research on the use of digital badges in a professional learning environment is limited. Most studies have focused on the use of badges in the classroom. While the results of this study were preliminary, the findings offer recommendations for practice in the non-credit professional learning area of higher education.
Researchers examined the adoption of badges in three higher education institutions. Data was collected through an online survey and semi-structured interviews. Several barriers hindered badge adoption. One of these was a lack of clarity about the purpose of the badge. Another was filtering issues.
Despite these limitations, the study found that badges can be useful tools for motivating participants to continue a professional learning program. Some participants had no prior experience with digital badges, while others were familiar with the concept.
The authors argue that the importance of understanding the purpose of a badge lies in its ability to motivate a participant. Badges should be designed to best serve the learning objective. If the badge is used to evaluate a participant’s skills, it should be accompanied by an explanation of its value. However, the badge should not be tied to an institutional email address. It should be easily shared on social networking sites.
Lastly, the researchers note that the sample size was small. This can be a limitation when collecting data, but it can also help to increase the statistical power of the data set.