Who benefits from digital badges? Motivational precursors of digital badge usages in higher education

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorit Alt
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Digital Badges

Supporting learners’ STEM-oriented career pathways with digital badges

2019 ◽  
Vol 120 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 87-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline R. Pitt ◽  
Adam Bell ◽  
Rose Strickman ◽  
Katie Davis
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Career Pathways ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Digital Badges ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Technology Industry ◽  
Learning Pathways ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the potential for digital badges to support alternate learning and career pathways in formal and informal learning environments. Stakeholder groups in higher education and industry discussed how digital badges might transform current processes of admitting undergraduate students and hiring young professionals. Design/methodology/approach This research uses a thematic analysis of in-depth interviews with 30 stakeholders in higher education and the technology industry. Findings Interview participants expressed optimism about the potential for digital badges to make learning pathways visible to learners and external audiences and to promote equity in STEM (STEM: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education and careers. Participants noted several obstacles, largely focused on issues of credibility and logistics of working with badges across settings. Research limitations/implications Though the research approach is limited in geographic scope, the findings have broad applicability and insight for the use of digital badges in general. Practical implications Education policymakers, employers and scholars will be able to use the insights from this investigation in their efforts to find innovative ways to expand and diversify the STEM workforce, as well as support a wider range of learners than is currently supported by initiatives aligned with the school-to-workforce pipeline metaphor. Originality/value This paper directly confronts issues of real-world applications of digital badges by discussing practical implications with college admissions officers and employers. The current study fills a need for research that investigates the use of digital badges across – as opposed to within – contexts.

Are They Worth It?

2021 ◽  
pp. 140-161
Author(s):  
Jamie Els ◽  
Erica Jansen ◽  
Stacey L. Kikendall ◽  
Amber Dailey-Hebert
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Faculty Development ◽  
Faculty Perceptions ◽  
Communication Process ◽  
First Year ◽  
Digital Badges ◽  
Midwestern University ◽  
Faculty Input ◽  
Development Center ◽  
Digital Badging

Since 2011, the trend of digital badging has continued to rise among various organizations, including higher education. After gathering faculty feedback, input, ideas, and perspectives on structure and implementation, the faculty development center at a Midwestern university launched a university-wide digital badging program. The intent was to incorporate faculty input into the design of digital badges to gain faculty engagement. After the first year of implementation, a survey of faculty perceptions on digital badging received unanticipated results. Emerging themes from this survey indicate that faculty are hesitant towards digital badging; however, participant responses also suggest that faculty uncertainty of the digital badging program is connected to the communication process. Recommendations are presented to support the needs of faculty perceptions of a digital badging program.

scholarly journals Design, Development and Use of a Digital Badges System in Higher Education

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 220
Author(s):  
María-Estrella Sousa-Vieira ◽  
David Ferrero-Castro ◽  
José-Carlos López-Ardao
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Informal Learning ◽  
Learning Activities ◽  
Learning Performance ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
Design Development ◽  
Digital Badges ◽  
Design And Implementation ◽  
Master Level ◽  
Learning Platforms

Badges are non fungible tokens used to document or certify achievements in academics or in any other domain. Besides their utility as proof of achievement, badges are of interest in higher education as pure incentives to push the students and learners in general toward pursuing well-defined goals and skills. In this respect, badges can be naturally incorporated into digital learning platforms also as part of informal learning activities, and stimulate participation, merit, and visibility for the students. However, the level of engagement of learners into these learning activities depends crucially on how the system of badges and rewards has been designed and on how it is applied, if it is to be used effectively. In this paper, we report on the design and implementation of a smart badges system, and an example of its use inside a gamification methodology for informal learning in a master level course, and discuss the benefits and the observed gains in learning performance that can be obtained.

scholarly journals Micro-Credentials in Higher Education Institutions: Challenges and Opportunities

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 281
Author(s):  
Nur Hidayah Che Ahmat ◽  
Muhammad Arif Aizat Bashir ◽  
Ahmad Rashidy Razali ◽  
Salmiah Kasolang
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Education System ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Traditional Education ◽  
Global Market ◽  
Digital Badges ◽  
Delivery Methods ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the education sector locally and globally especially in teaching and learning delivery methods as most universities have adopted online platforms. The present situation is not only challenging but also tests the flexibility of the existing education system. With the help of technology, the existing traditional education system could be more flexible to enable more individuals from around the world to access education. The latest revolution in online education, micro-credential, is growing interest among public and private universities worldwide, including Malaysia. However, to date, little scholarly work is found related to micro-credentials in higher education. This conceptual paper presents an overview of micro-credential and the challenges and opportunities of offering micro-credential certification in the form of digital badges to the national and global market. Recommendations are made to multiple stakeholders (e.g., higher education providers, employers) to enhance the use of certifications for graduate employability. Ideas for further research are also presented.   Keywords: Digital badges, Digital credentialing, Higher-education, Micro-credential, Online certification

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