Knowledge and Skill-Based Digital Badges

Keyword(s):  
2021 ◽  
pp. 103033
Author(s):  
Mickael Antoine Joseph ◽  
Jansirani Natarajan ◽  
James Buckingham ◽  
Malik Al Noumani

2019 ◽  
Vol 120 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 87-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline R. Pitt ◽  
Adam Bell ◽  
Rose Strickman ◽  
Katie Davis

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.


2018 ◽  
pp. 1118-1132
Author(s):  
Talitha Hudgins ◽  
Janet L. Holland

Digital badges provide credentials to demonstrate successful student acquisition of knowledge, skills, and experience. The digital badges can especially excel at demonstrating new and emerging technology experiences through the use of wearable devices tailored to prepare students for the modern work place. Digital badges become virtual tracking systems making it possible to show students' specific learning, skills, and ultimately their employability. Not only do they record data on the individual student, they can track the institution and issuer each student has interacted with. With each successive use of such badges, a virtual narrative can be recorded reflecting how the badge was earned, what criteria was used, what standards were met, the rigor, and the different levels of learning.


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